Stick with 1DMkII or go to 5DMkIII/1Dx for general freelancing/stock libraries

[ereka]

OK, so I'm a paid up member of the Bureau of Freelance Photographers in the UK and have been advised by my tutor that my 1DMkII is more than adequate for general freelance work i.e. even for magazine submissions and high end stock libraries (e.g. Alamy). In fact Alamy submission guidelines suggest that 6Mp files are adequate, To test this out, I submitted a 6Mp image from my old 10D (interpolated to Alamy's minimum file size) and sure enough it passed QC without any problems whatsoever. Admittedly it hasn't sold yet. I've also recently had images published from London Fashion Week, shot with my 8Mp 1DMkII. Both of these examples seem to prove my tutor's point i.e. I could upgrade my equipment if I WANT to but in reality I don't NEED to, at least for general freelancing purposes/ stock libraries.

Despite the above advice, I can't help feeling that I SHOULD upgrade, either to a 5DMkIII or 1Dx to take advantage of the newer technology e.g. high ISO performance, dynamic range etc. Also, I feel there might be a benefit in the form of a renewed enthusiasm derived from working with a full frame camera, having more dynamic range, better high ISO performance and perhaps having more pixels to play with. I realise it wouldn't make me a better photographer as such, but might it just allow me to get some saleable shots that I'd otherwise miss?

So, bottom line - is upgrading to the newer technology likely to benefit me in terms of sales achieved or is it just an illusion?

 

[pelebel]

It would be pretty easy to just tell you that your talent is selling more than your gear... But you already know that!
Your camera model is 7 years old. Its features are very limited aswell as its sensitivity to light. If you make enough a year to afford it, an upgrade would surely improve your image quality!

 

[Shnookums]

OK, so I'm a paid up member of the Bureau of Freelance Photographers in the UK and have been advised by my tutor that my 1DMkII is more than adequate for general freelance work i.e. even for magazine submissions and high end stock libraries (e.g. Alamy). In fact Alamy submission guidelines suggest that 6Mp files are adequate, To test this out, I submitted a 6Mp image from my old 10D (interpolated to Alamy's minimum file size) and sure enough it passed QC without any problems whatsoever. Admittedly it hasn't sold yet. I've also recently had images published from London Fashion Week, shot with my 8Mp 1DMkII. Both of these examples seem to prove my tutor's point i.e. I could upgrade my equipment if I WANT to but in reality I don't NEED to, at least for general freelancing purposes/ stock libraries.

Despite the above advice, I can't help feeling that I SHOULD upgrade, either to a 5DMkIII or 1Dx to take advantage of the newer technology e.g. high ISO performance, dynamic range etc. Also, I feel there might be a benefit in the form of a renewed enthusiasm derived from working with a full frame camera, having more dynamic range, better high ISO performance and perhaps having more pixels to play with. I realise it wouldn't make me a better photographer as such, but might it just allow me to get some saleable shots that I'd otherwise miss?

So, bottom line - is upgrading to the newer technology likely to benefit me in terms of sales achieved or is it just an illusion?

Same situation as you, I have a 1DII since... it exists... He's up for a change. I decided to stick with my 1Dx pre-order before of the Metering, FPS, Environmental protection, etc.

 

[richard_mitchell]

In my opinion, it simply comes down to what you want out of your camera.

If you and your clients are comfortable with the photos you take, I don't think you should feel required to update.

That said... if you choose not to upgrade, you should accept that you may be passed over for photo projects based on your camera. I routinely receive requests for a "gear list" from people that have little to no experience with photography. I have a suspicion that they simply Google my gear to see if it is "pro enough" for their project. Silly, I know, but it is the world we live in.

Also, you should accept that your camera is now 8 years old and many inexpensive DLSRs have passed it by in terms of the technology deployed to take better photos. While I'm sure there are a few minor things, I would guess that a T3i could outperform a 1D mkII in just about every test. Actually, I'd like to see that