L lens vs Full Frame

[skozachuk]

Hello everyone,

Right now I have 50d + kit 18-55 (useless thing) + 50 1.4.
I've got two ways now:

1. Sell 50d + kit and buy 5d mark ii
2. Or to buy 35L or 24L or 50L (they almost the same budget) for my 50d

I'm confused, what is better way to go, good lens and crop or not so good lens and full frame?

Thank you,
Serhiy

 

[Aaron78]

You didn't post what lens you will be using on the 5DII. Will you keep the 50 1.4 and have that as your only lens?

 

[skozachuk]

You didn't post what lens you will be using on the 5DII. Will you keep the 50 1.4 and have that as your only lens?

Yes, 50 1.4 will be the only one,
+ I will have money enough for someting like 35 f/2

 

[Aaron78]

I own a 7D, and just sold a 5DII. The 5DII blew the 7D away in IQ in my opinion. Going to a full frame body will make your 50 a bit wider than on your cropped body. It is tough to say, because both are a big step up in IQ (an L lens or a 5DII). Most will tell you to go with lenses, as they are a long term investment, but i think once you try a full frame body (the 5DII is an awesome camera and is priced right now that the 5DIII is out) you will love it. I'm going to go against the lens idea and recommend the 5DII to you. Get a good lens when you build up cash again and you will be amazed all over again, as an L lens on that body gives amazing IQ.

 

[skozachuk]

I own a 7D, and just sold a 5DII. The 5DII blew the 7D away in IQ in my opinion. Going to a full frame body will make your 50 a bit wider than on your cropped body. It is tough to say, because both are a big step up in IQ (an L lens or a 5DII). Most will tell you to go with lenses, as they are a long term investment, but i think once you try a full frame body (the 5DII is an awesome camera and is priced right now that the 5DIII is out) you will love it. I'm going to go against the lens idea and recommend the 5DII to you. Get a good lens when you build up cash again and you will be amazed all over again, as an L lens on that body gives amazing IQ.

Thank you for your advise, I'll keep it in mind!

 

[elflord]

Hello everyone,

Right now I have 50d + kit 18-55 (useless thing) + 50 1.4.
I've got two ways now:

1. Sell 50d + kit and buy 5d mark ii
2. Or to buy 35L or 24L or 50L (they almost the same budget) for my 50d

I'm confused, what is better way to go, good lens and crop or not so good lens and full frame?

Thank you,
Serhiy

The conventional wisdom is "glass first", but that's because of the tendency among beginners to the latest high end body (e.g. the 7D) and then cripple it with a mediocre kit zoom because they blew their budget on the body. The difference in image quality between high end / low end APS-C cameras (e.g. the 7D and the Rebel) or a new and old APS-C (e.g. 7D versus 40D) is tiny. Add to that the fact that bodies depreciate while glass generally doesn't.

Upgrading to full frame is a slightly different matter. Going full frame will have a big impact on image quality (both noise at high ISO and depth of field). Getting an older full frame model from a line that is on a longer product cycle means it doesn't lose its value quite as fast.

Also, given the lenses you picked out -- you can get an f/1.4 aperture and (APS-C equivalent) 31mm fov on full frame with your 50mm f/1.4.

Either way is fine, it really depends on your preference. If you go full frame, you will have less of a variety of lenses. But I'd say given that you're leaning towards fast wide angle lenses, it makes sense to go full frame. If you were looking to get a telephoto lens I'd be more inclined to suggest glass first. I have taken the 5DII on a trip with just the 50mm f/1.4 and it is a very versatile combo if you like shooting with it.

 

[Random Orbits]

If those are your only two options, I suggest the 24L or 35L. The 50L is an incremental upgrade of your 50 f/1.4 for a lot of money, but the 24L or 35L would give you a new perspective. There are already rumors of a new FF entry level camera, so the 5DII might become obsolete soon. Lenses typically hold much more of their value over the long term.

If you were able to stretch the budget slightly to get the 5DII with the 24-105mm kit, then I would suggest getting that combination. You could then use the 24-105 as your general purpose lens and use the 50 f/1.4 for portraits and low light situations. Or you could get the 5DII with the 85mm f/1.8, which would keep your current effective focal length and give you something wider (with your current 50 f/1.4).

 

[RLPhoto]

Get glas first. Bodies second and you might be able to get a used 35L and a 5Dc for the price of the MKII FYI. Just another option

 

[EOBeav]

Yeah, normally, I'd say upgrade your glass first, then worry about your camera body. However, a 50mm on a 5DmkII is a beautiful thing. You'll never go back to a cropped sensor. Honestly, though, this is a tough decision.

One more thought: Going from a 50mm f/1.4 to a 50mm f/1.2 is a marginal upgrade, at best, in terms of IQ.

 

[tron]

Get rid of the 50D+kit lens and get the 5DII. You will not regret it. You will enjoy a much better IQ. Plus, you seem to be interested in Wide Angle lenses. So you can also get the 35mm f/2 or save for a 35mm f/1.4L.

 

[7enderbender]

As always: it all depends. My first DSLR was (and is) the 5DII. And here is why: for my taste crop cameras are a waste but they were all I would have been able to afford for years. That's why I stuck to film and my FD system instead of jumping on the next best DSRL kit deal at Costco.
I understand the sentiment that lenses are the most important thing to invest in. But full frame to me is the bare minimum starting point. The 5DII with the 50 1.4 is a killer combo. But then again: it all depends on your preferences. But I'd even recommend it as a learning opportunity. I can think of worse things than being "stuck" with a very good full frame DSLR and a very decent 50 mm lens. I personally would chose that any day over any crop sensor combo you can dream up. Not that I'm already "that good" but I still appreciate the fact that when I first started out 25 years ago all I had available was my dad's A1, a 50 1.4 (same lens design as today's EF version) and the FD 135 2.5. It took over a decade into the digital revolution before that very same combo was available again at a more or less reasonable price point and, give or take, the same kind of image quality.

 

[keithinmelbourne]

It depends what type of photography you are going to do. Cropped sensors are not bad to work with, and nor is the 50D. I'm not sure that your zoom will work on a 5D. Personally, I would choose a good lens or maybe 2. You might think about the 100 f2.8 macro and the Sigma 30 f1.4. Both are very good and seem to suit what you take now. The Canon 85 f1.8 is also a bargain and worth considering.

 

[epsiloneri]

For the wide to normal range you seem interested in, non-L glass on FF gives you more artistic freedom than L-glass on APS-C. E.g., your 50/1.4 on FF would be like a 31/0.9 on APS-C, and conversely, the 50/1.4 on APS-C would be like a 80/2.2 on FF. I'd suggest going FF + consider the superb 85/1.8 or 100/2.8 non-L macro, and a wider non-L prime of your choice. I would hesitate to only get the 24-105/4L kit for the FF since the EF-S 17-55/2.8 would serve you almost as well on the 50D.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The "L" lenses are overkill for a 50D, but a FF body with just a 50mm f/1.4 is going to be disappointing. Save up until you can buy a camera with lenses.

 

[Neeneko]

I will buck the trend a little here and suggest upgrading the body.

The 50D is an excellent if a little dated body. The 50mm 1.4 however, assuming it meets your needs, is a very good lens that will serve you well for many bodies to come.

You will probably get more out of a 5D2+50mm 1.4 then a 50D+Lsomething. While people tend to fetishize the L glass, it generally represents a fairly incremental upgrade, and the lower fstop of the 1.2 L lenses might not even impact your camera (there are debates regarding if the sensors actually get any additional light from faster lenses or if the geometery doesn't work)... but moving to a full frame will get a lot more out of your existing glass.

 

[epsiloneri]

The "L" lenses are overkill for a 50D, but a FF body with just a 50mm f/1.4 is going to be disappointing.

Depends on expectations of course, but I think 50/1.4 on FF coming from APS-C will be anything but disappointing.

Perhaps you mean that a single prime will be a bit limiting? I agree, a wide and a short tele would be the perfect addition. That said, some photographers swear by the 50...

 

[EOBeav]

The "L" lenses are overkill for a 50D, but a FF body with just a 50mm f/1.4 is going to be disappointing. Save up until you can buy a camera with lenses.

Disagree on both accounts. An L lens is just going to make any of the Canon bodies that much better, clear on down to the Rebels. And if I could only have one lens for my 5DmkII, it'd have to be my 50mm f/1.4. The benefits of that lens are well documented on here.

 

[Dylan777]

The "L" lenses are overkill for a 50D, but a FF body with just a 50mm f/1.4 is going to be disappointing.

Depends on expectations of course, but I think 50/1.4 on FF coming from APS-C will be anything but disappointing.

Perhaps you mean that a single prime will be a bit limiting? I agree, a wide and a short tele would be the perfect addition. That said, some photographers swear by the 50...

My 2cents....50mm f1.4 + FF are great match. So buy 5d II NOW and save your money for new 24-70 II. Keep in mind, the AF on 5D II is NOT that great. It's great camera for landscape and still shooting. NOT FOR FAST SHOOTING.

 

[Penn Jennings]

In general, i do agree that good glass should have a slightly higher priority than bodies. However, in this case I don't think that guideline applies since you are going from crop to full frame. This is not just a case of "better" images, it's also a case of "different" images.

I would suggest going with the 5DII unless you shoot a lot of action. The focusing on the 5DII could be better. however, I think that you will enjoy shooting with it much more than your old body with a new lens. I also think that you results will probably be better with a 5D II compared to a new lens.

 

[adebrophy]

This is a fun - if somewhat extreme example of this question:
http://www.digitalrev.com/article/pro-dslr-cheapo-lens-vs/Njk0Mw_A_A

I'd say ultimately, as you already have a great prime lens start there, go 5D, and build up your glass later over time. I just went from a 40D to the 5Dmkii and the files and quality of the fullframe body plus the ability to get lovely limited DOF is something that better glass won't get you as easily - it just adds a new dimension to your photography and makes your fast primes shine. Crops are excellent for reach, but you don't seem to worry about the longer end of things so the value of that seems limited for you.