New Upgraders (to FF) - what is your experience

[EOBeav]

I went from a Rebel to a 5DmkII last winter. Here's my take: It's my personal opinion that we will never get a better deal on a better camera than the 5DmkII right now. I would consider getting a brand new one so you have it for the long haul. It sounds like Canon's next FF entry level will be a step below the current 5DmkII, so I wouldn't wait until that switch is made. Strike now while the iron is hot.

 

[pdirestajr]

I don't really consider a FF camera as an "upgrade" to a crop sensor DSLR. They are different and can compliment each other. I like having 2 bodies with 2 different crop factors. Gives me a lot of options for focal lengths, pixel densities & DOF control.

I had a 7D first, then added a 5Dii. My opinion is that the 7D is a better "camera" in every way EXCEPT IMAGE QUALITY. And that is obviously a big deal.

I love that my 7D has a built-in wireless flash commander, more custom control s, built-in levels, Grid in viewfinder, faster FPS, more focus points, better Ai-Servo, a dedicated movie button...

I love that my 5Dii has a FF sensor, less noise, changeable focusing screens...

 

[daniemare]

Thanks everyone for the input. So with today's rumour update on the "rebel" FF, I will digest and decide...

 

[RLPhoto]

With all the cheap FF chatter I really started to think about upgrading from my crop sensor (T2i). However, being somewhat of a long time reader on these forums, I am well aware that waiting for a rumoured product can be futile.

So the question:
5DIII is out for me (price), and with many still thinking highly of the the II, I was hoping to get some honest feedback of newly upgraded users of the 5D II - as this cam is coming down nicely in price (used). I understand the advantages of FF, thats why I am considering upgrading, but I want to get a feeling about frustrations/concerns, my main ones being:

> Weight - The II and the 24-105 L will probably be my 90% combo. So when travelling and lugging this around the whole day (BlackRapid strap) what are those ex-crop users feeling about managing the extra weight and did this cam make a big difference in their normal family style travel photos?
> Flash - I love using the built in flash for fill. It sometimes just needed. Again when travelling and the light just demands you filling in those faces. SO, new upgraders, do you sometimes get frustrated that the mark II doesn't have a built in flash?

I know about that there are many many satisfied users of the II out there, but I am hoping to get some honest feedback from those hobbyists/amateurs that recently upgraded from being long time crop users about their true experiences and, if any, frustrations. Personally I expect that a cheap FF to be closer to a rebel than a xD which should address my 2 main concerns, but waiting is a b*tch

The 5Dc is a cheap FF camera that still delivers the goods for 700$. I can vouch that even in 2012, Its ISO performance is equal to any APS-C camera avaliable.

The jump from Crop to FF is quite nice. All your lenses will be sharper on FF.

 

[Richard8971]

I own both the 7D and 5D2 as well as the T1i. Honestly, I find myself grabbing my 7D more often than the 5D2. I love the quality of the images the 5D2 produces but there are times I want a fast APS-C camera. For a "grab and shoot" (without risk of losing my expensive cameras) I reach for my T1i w/ EF-s 60mm macro. Still takes amazing images and is easy to set-up. It's also compact, light and very easy to store.

Like has been said, I don't think FF is an "upgrade". There are advantages to APS-C and there are advantages to FF. I love being able to choose from both depending on that day's particular shooting needs.

D

 

[Razor2012]

I went from numerous Pentax film cameras to a Sony R1, a 40D, and now a 5DIII. The move to FF was fantastic, as my number 1 reason was IQ. Looking forward to some more L glass...especially the 24-70II.

 

[paulc]

I went from an XTi to a 5Dc and oddly enough my main motivation was that my 28-135 would be wide on FF. I thought I would flip between the two but so far I've not touched the Rebel since getting the big guy.

I definitely do prefer the rear display on the XTi though. I realize the top mounted LCD is the traditional way it's done by dammit it's annoying to me. Going to a 5DII would fix that, but that seems like a silly reason to swap. As for the question of FF vs crop, I don't think I'm going back. Maybe if there's a crop mirrorless that's really small and pocketable then sure, but for general SLRing around I'm sticking with FF.

 

[adebrophy]

I've just bought the 5dii after having a 40d and before that a 350D. Weightwise, there is a big jump from the rebel series but from the 40D it was actually surprisingly small - placing the two bodies side by side the weight difference seemed negligible.

Basically once you buy in to the mid range Canons that have a decent build quality the step to a 5d isn't great. The BIG difference in ergonomics and weight is moving to better lenses. So, with my 40D I was using a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 and that was a big jump in weight from the Canon kit lenses. I suspect if you're on this forum you're quite keen to keep getting better equipment and upgrading the IQ so you're bound to be making that step to faster glass anyhow - that's when you'll face the weight issue regardless of FF or not!

I've also found the 24-105 very versatile and for the amount of lens its surprisingly well balanced and not much more of a drag to carry all day than a 40D with and f2.8 zoom. Having a good padded strap is a great plan with either option, though. I use an Op/Tech strap and its very comfortable.

So why go 5dii and not 7D? IQ!! It is all that, really. More importantly, the ability to get shallow DoF can't be overstated - it adds a whole new dimension to what you can achieve and does so even with a f4 (I'm certain I'm getting nicer shallow DoF with at f4 at 105 than I ever had at 50mm f2.8 on a crop sensor). See example below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adebrophy/7478432332/#in/photostream

Fill flash - yep - it's a bummer. But probably less so than you imagine - FF and better high ISO will mean the times you want the flash will reduce, but for those rare times I think I'll be buying something like a 270 flash for the bag.

 

[adebrophy]

Also - I've bought into the 5Dii knowing the AF would suck. And it really hasn't that much. Went out shooting a dragon boat race at the weekend and the AF (on centre point) did a good enough job. I do hate how close the selectable AF points are to the centre though - on the 40D I would often select different points for focus but the 5D has taught me to use centre AF much more. Appreciate my comments are from a 40D upgrader so maybe I've just got used to the state of the art circa 2007!

 

[Bennymiata]

I went from a 60D to a 5D3 and the IQ from the 5D3 is superb in comparison to the 60D.
I do a lot of parties in mostly low light, and the 5D3 means I hardly have to touch an image whereas with the 60D I had to do some work to each and every image.
When you've got 600 odd images to process, that makes a lot of difference to me.

Lucklily for me, most of my lenses were L lenses anyway, and I now find my 24-105 is so versatile for indoor use as the 24mm is quite wide on the FF.

The focussing is also much better and faster and images just have such clarity that I could not get with my 60D unless I did a lot of work to the images.

I'm very happy I went FF.

 

[bycostello]

i only use the slr for work, weight rules out for social/ tourist use...

 

[scotty512]

i went from a 40D to the 5D Mk3 and absolutely love it, the down side is the desire now to get a longer lens, as I was used to the 100-400 L & 70-200 F2.8 L on the 40D body with a 2x extender so I am missing reach that I had before, the biggest headache for me is that I certainly dont use all of the camera potential and would love to find a 5D Mk3 training course in London or a pro to talk me through its versatility for the day...

 

[rcarca]

i went from a 40D to the 5D Mk3 and absolutely love it, the down side is the desire now to get a longer lens, as I was used to the 100-400 L & 70-200 F2.8 L on the 40D body with a 2x extender so I am missing reach that I had before, the biggest headache for me is that I certainly dont use all of the camera potential and would love to find a 5D Mk3 training course in London or a pro to talk me through its versatility for the day...

Hey Scotty - if you find a course let me know as well! Failing which, if you want to explore using a 5Diii with another recent (very happy) purchaser, I would be delighted to find some time for a few hours of conversation and a photoshoot one weekday evening (I work just near Covent Garden).

Richard

 

[RC]

I went from bright, large pentaprism film SLRs to the 7D (which I love) and I'm looking forward getting back to FF. My brain still processes focal length and DOF in FF.

Although film bodies were much smaller overall, I love the size, feel, and ergonomics of 7D/5D sized bodies. Therefore Rebel sized bodies are of no interest to me even if Canon releases a perfect FF in a smaller form factor. Now when I pick up a film SLR, it almost feels like a clumsy P&S. Unless you have really small hands, going to a FF sized body from a Rebel sized will be a bit of a transition and joy due to the additional buttons and button layout. In the end I'm betting you will never want to go back to a smaller body.

Rarely do I use the flash on my 7D but it is handy when you want it. Pick up a small fash if you end up going with the 5D.

Right now, my plans are to wait for the "entry" FF announcement, if it's not what I'll want I'll probably grab a new 5DII while I can unless the 5D3 drops considerably.

 

[Cinnamon]

My first DSLR was a Canon Rebel XS, and I eventually upgraded to a T2i. I was in the same boat as you, debating whether or not it was worth spending the extra money for a full-frame camera. Now that I've made the jump to full-frame, do I think it was worth it? In one word: ABSOLUTELY!

For me, the biggest benefit is the wider field of view. I didn't want to invest in an APS-C wide angle lens to get the same field of view my 24-105 now gives me on my 5D Mark II - lenses are expensive - but at the same time I felt limited with not always getting the whole scene in the frame unless I stepped back considerably. Yes, the crop factor on a Rebel helps with the telephoto reach, but it's always easier to crop a photo tighter after the fact than to miss out on a wider shot that includes more in the frame because of the smaller sensor size. I'm not talking about radical wide angle shooting, just normal stuff that you miss out on when you shoot with an APS-C sensor. For example, a group photo of people...you don't always have the luxury of stepping back as much as you want to make sure everyone is in the picture (i.e. indoors, where there are walls or you're shooting in a tight space). I still have a crop-sensor body for some work (7D), but I use it rarely because I love the full frame advantage. The superior low-light performance and increased shallowness of DOF are added perks.

Full frame IS expensive, but in my opinion, it's well worth it.

 

[westr70]

My first DSLR was a Canon Rebel XS, and I eventually upgraded to a T2i. I was in the same boat as you, debating whether or not it was worth spending the extra money for a full-frame camera. Now that I've made the jump to full-frame, do I think it was worth it? In one word: ABSOLUTELY!

I still have a crop-sensor body for some work (7D), but I use it rarely because I love the full frame advantage. The superior low-light performance and increased shallowness of DOF are added perks.

Full frame IS expensive, but in my opinion, it's well worth it.

The 5d3 is my third camera and I just love it. It is expensive but the rewards are worth it. I was using my 7d for bird shots but now have almost stopped using it since the 5d3 can get the same shot with a sharper image with cropping. The auto focus is great as well.

 

[kiniro]

My first SLR was a T2i. Had it for about a year because then I bought a 5d Mark III and I love it. To me it's well worth the investment even though I'm sure I'm not using the 5DIII's full potential.