Thinking aloud about updating my body

[tpatana]

At this point this is just mere speculating which direction I might need to go. I'll get better idea if/when 1DX2 specs are really published. But to make conversation, let's assume 1DX2 is decent upgrade in terms of High ISO noise and DR, and costs ~$7k.

My current bodies:
1DX: Used 98% of the time. 1/3 for indoor (no flash) sports, 1/3 for studio, 1/3 for club shooting
5D3: Used rarely. Sometimes I carry it as backup, sometimes not. Used mainly as second body when I want/need to carry two, or shooting video (with ML).

I've tried to consider my options to improve:

1: Sell 5D3 and buy Sony A7R-II (with Metabones4). Use Sony for studio and video, and maybe club. 1DX for sports.
Cost of upgrade: ~$1500.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: No improvement for sports

2: Sell 5D3 and buy 5DS(/R?), use for studio and video, maybe club.
Cost of upgrade: ~$1000.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: No improvement for sports

3: When 1DX2 available, sell 1DX and buy 1DX2. Use for all but video.
Cost of upgrade: ~$4000.
Pros:Would improve sports some amount
Cons: Expensive upgrade.

4: Sell 1DX and buy Sony A7R-II. Use for all, keep 5D3 second body as now.
Cost of upgrade: ~$0.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: Big hit on sports for AF and fps.

5. Forget upgrade and drink the money
Cost of upgrade: unlimited
Pros:Would care much less about cameras
Cons: Massive hangover


Any comments? Any obvious pro/con I forgot on those? Any alternative option I should consider instead of those above?

And yes, this is all speculations, so don't get hung up on the fact that 1DX2 is not released yet.

 

[Deleted member 91053]

I am not qualified to give any insight into any of your options except No.5 - THAT IS THE ONE! Works for me.....

 

[Dylan777]

My 2cents.

If you already have decent L lenses, than sell your 5D3 get 5DR or S for studio. Save the 1Dx for sports and high ISO works for now until you hand-on 1Dx II.

I'm currently shooting half mirrorless and half DSLR(see my signature). There were times I missed my favorite combo Canon 24-70 II on 5D3 and 70-200 f2.8 IS II on 1Dx. Missing shots is almost impossible.

On other hand, the face and eye focus on mirrorless are too great to pass with portrait. Not to mention, the size and weight are the key for me carry mirrorless around. Swivel screen helps so much with low angle shots.

I would avoid Sony body and Canon lenses - you lose more than you gain. If you really want Sony bodies for studio, I would go with native lenses. FE55 f1.8 and Zeiss Batis 85mm with A7r II will give excellent results.

Life...? 8)

 

[tpatana]

If you already have decent L lenses, than sell your 5D3 get 5DR or S for studio. Save the 1Dx for sports and high ISO works for now until you hand-on 1Dx II.

I have decent Ls already (24-70 F4LIS, 70-200 II, 135L), so staying with Canon lenses would be preferable. One option I forgot is to wait for 5D4, but those 5DS/R bodies are good ones too. One problem is, upgrading both 5D3 and 1DX is not really option, or I need to upgrade my couch too since current one is not good one to sleep on.

Quite likely I'll wait for the official announcements on 1DX2 at least, so I'll know if it would bring enough improvement over Mk1 to justify the upgrade. If not, then I should concentrate on the studio body.

I'm currently shooting half mirrorless and half DSLR(see my signature). There were times I missed my favorite combo Canon 24-70 II on 5D3 and 70-200 f2.8 IS II on 1Dx. Missing shots is almost impossible.

Yup, 70-200 IS II is most of the time on the 1DX, and the only drawback is that I'm gaining muscle from carrying it around all the time.

On other hand, the face and eye focus on mirrorless are too great to pass with portrait. Not to mention, the size and weight are the key for me carry mirrorless around. Swivel screen helps so much with low angle shots.

I'm bit shy to jump to mirrorless world, but reading the A7R-II reviews, got me thinking to switch the 5D3 for Sony for portraits. But then I started considering the other options too, so it got complicated. Lot of pros/cons on any option. Good thing is that all of those options are good, just trying to weight the options for best.

I would avoid Sony body and Canon lenses - you lose more than you gain. If you really want Sony bodies for studio, I would go with native lenses. FE55 f1.8 and Zeiss Batis 85mm with A7r II will give excellent results.

Why's that? I read good things about Sony+Canon EF lenses with the Metabones4. I'd be really hesitant to buy in for 2 lens systems. Getting those two you mention, suddenly my budget would go up $2k more.

 

[sdsr]

At this point this is just mere speculating which direction I might need to go. I'll get better idea if/when 1DX2 specs are really published. But to make conversation, let's assume 1DX2 is decent upgrade in terms of High ISO noise and DR, and costs ~$7k.

My current bodies:
1DX: Used 98% of the time. 1/3 for indoor (no flash) sports, 1/3 for studio, 1/3 for club shooting
5D3: Used rarely. Sometimes I carry it as backup, sometimes not. Used mainly as second body when I want/need to carry two, or shooting video (with ML).

I've tried to consider my options to improve:

1: Sell 5D3 and buy Sony A7R-II (with Metabones4). Use Sony for studio and video, and maybe club. 1DX for sports.
Cost of upgrade: ~$1500.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: No improvement for sports

2: Sell 5D3 and buy 5DS(/R?), use for studio and video, maybe club.
Cost of upgrade: ~$1000.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: No improvement for sports

[etc.]

What are the improvements you think you would get from switching to a7rII or 5DS/R for studio purposes compared to what you have? If you just want/need higher resolution, the Canon would make more sense to me. If you want/need the extra resolution and expanded low ISO DR and the various benefits of mirrorless/EVF/IBIS of the Sony, the a7rII makes more sense. If you don't need/want the extra resolution and aren't interested in the mirrorless/EVF/IBIS and wouldn't notice the improved low ISO DR of the Sony, don't buy either. Renting either or both - if that's an option - may answer the questions for you. (If you rent the Sony, to assess the performance of your Canon lenses, also rent the Metabones IV adapter and make sure it has the latest firmware - it makes a huge difference to AF performance.)

 

[takesome1]

2: Sell 5D3 and buy 5DS(/R?), use for studio and video, maybe club.
Cost of upgrade: ~$1000.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: No improvement for sports

This is the way to go, although $1000 might not be realistic. If you do not have a very fast computer you may be upgrading it as well.

 

[tpatana]

What are the improvements you think you would get from switching to a7rII or 5DS/R for studio purposes compared to what you have? If you just want/need higher resolution, the Canon would make more sense to me. If you want/need the extra resolution and expanded low ISO DR and the various benefits of mirrorless/EVF/IBIS of the Sony, the a7rII makes more sense.

To improve, I'd want:
-resolution
-improved ISO100 DR and noise (or 50)
-eye-AF (Sony only)

I don't care about:
-EVF (almost negative in my mind)
-IBIS (for most cases)

 

[tpatana]

2: Sell 5D3 and buy 5DS(/R?), use for studio and video, maybe club.
Cost of upgrade: ~$1000.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: No improvement for sports

This is the way to go, although $1000 might not be realistic. If you do not have a very fast computer you may be upgrading it as well.

CPW street price is $2950 for S and $3250 for SR. Close enough to $1000 that I can use that for my thinking process. Got new PC month ago, so that should do good enough, 5960x and Intel NVMe. No plan to upgrade anytime soon. But camera body yes, but the process to narrow down best path is always difficult, there's so many good choices.

 

[Zeidora]

I would stay where you are, put money into savings account, wait for 1Dx2 to come out, rent 5DS/R if really needed.
You shoot 98% 1Dx right now, so the 5DS/R will feel sluggish.
I'm the other way around, I don't need high frame rate, AF is of no concern, Hi-ISO performance is a non-issue (shoot mainly at ISO 100). That is why I have the 5DsR, but am not even tempted by a 1-series body. For you it seems exactly the opposite.

 

[Dylan777]

I would avoid Sony body and Canon lenses - you lose more than you gain. If you really want Sony bodies for studio, I would go with native lenses. FE55 f1.8 and Zeiss Batis 85mm with A7r II will give excellent results.

Why's that? I read good things about Sony+Canon EF lenses with the Metabones4. I'd be really hesitant to buy in for 2 lens systems. Getting those two you mention, suddenly my budget would go up $2k more.

AF would be the primary - from speed to accuracy/precise. IQ would be the next, although many people out there claiming there is no IQ lost using 3rd party on Sony A7 :

Again, I would highly recommend Batis 25, Batis 85mm and Sony/Zeiss FE 55mm f1.8 on A7r II. Price tags on these lenses are little pricyyy, but it well worth it

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I read the title and thought you wanted to actually update a body, as opposed to replace it with a different model.

Its a tough call, I jumped once before based on online reviews, and jumped right back. In my case, I was able to resell the high demand body for more than I paid new, and sold the 3 used high end lenses I had bought for a profit as well. I got to take 5,000 images and make a $1000 profit on a camera that did not work out for me.

I don't think that is possible in today's market.

 

[tpatana]

I would stay where you are, put money into savings account, wait for 1Dx2 to come out, rent 5DS/R if really needed.
You shoot 98% 1Dx right now, so the 5DS/R will feel sluggish.
I'm the other way around, I don't need high frame rate, AF is of no concern, Hi-ISO performance is a non-issue (shoot mainly at ISO 100). That is why I have the 5DsR, but am not even tempted by a 1-series body. For you it seems exactly the opposite.

Yea, that's part of my dilemma. My three primary shooting settings:
1: 1DX+70-200: F2.8 1/500 ISO6400 Servo-AF, 12fps
2: 1DX+70-200: F2.8 1/200 ISO200 w/ flash, Servo-AF, single-shot
3: 1DX+24-70: F6-F9 1/200 ISO100 w/ strobes, One Shot-AF, single-shot

No current body would improve #1, so 1DX2 would be the best place to improve that. Even if I upgraded 5D3 to 5DS/R, most likely I'd keep shooting these with 1DX.

For #2, not sure how much A7R-II or 5DS/R would improve. Maybe, maybe not.

For #3, I expect high-resolution body would improve quite a bit.

It seems I need two bodies

 

[martti]

Sounds as if you really do not need to buy or sell anything at all but just keep on shooting with the stuff you have.
Unless, of course, your client is offering you a deal on a series of wall-sized pictures?

 

[tpatana]

Sounds as if you really do not need to buy or sell anything at all but just keep on shooting with the stuff you have.

You're correct, but need != want. The GAS is strong with this one.

 

[Zeidora]

I would stay where you are, put money into savings account, wait for 1Dx2 to come out, rent 5DS/R if really needed.
You shoot 98% 1Dx right now, so the 5DS/R will feel sluggish.
I'm the other way around, I don't need high frame rate, AF is of no concern, Hi-ISO performance is a non-issue (shoot mainly at ISO 100). That is why I have the 5DsR, but am not even tempted by a 1-series body. For you it seems exactly the opposite.

Yea, that's part of my dilemma. My three primary shooting settings:
1: 1DX+70-200: F2.8 1/500 ISO6400 Servo-AF, 12fps
2: 1DX+70-200: F2.8 1/200 ISO200 w/ flash, Servo-AF, single-shot
3: 1DX+24-70: F6-F9 1/200 ISO100 w/ strobes, One Shot-AF, single-shot

No current body would improve #1, so 1DX2 would be the best place to improve that. Even if I upgraded 5D3 to 5DS/R, most likely I'd keep shooting these with 1DX.

For #2, not sure how much A7R-II or 5DS/R would improve. Maybe, maybe not.

For #3, I expect high-resolution body would improve quite a bit.

It seems I need two bodies

#1 that's it!
#2 What does "improve" mean? Larger file sizes, yes. More keepers, most likely not. Do you need the large files for whatever you do? I read between the lines, that you don't need them, but it's there, so you "need" it (GAS).
#3 If you want to improve image quality, you will have to get rid of the zoom and go primes. Are you ready for that?

If GAS is at the clinical level, I'd rather get a superb lens, which you then can use on the 1dx2 as well. 200/2.0, 300/2.8?

The above all is taking your stated financial limits into account. If money is no issue, then by all means get a 5DsR, some primes and a nice tripod/head for those 2% of your shots. I like mine, but we are diametrically opposite shooters.

 

[tpatana]

#3 If you want to improve image quality, you will have to get rid of the zoom and go primes. Are you ready for that?

I have 135L, and also Sigma 50/1.4, Canon 15 FE and Samyang 14/2.8. I'm slightly tempted on the Sigma Art-primes, but not sure how good those are for studio.

If GAS is at the clinical level, I'd rather get a superb lens, which you then can use on the 1dx2 as well. 200/2.0, 300/2.8?

I'd love those, as well as the 200-400L, but all those cost bit too much to justify the benefit.

 

[YuengLinger]

Keep what you have until it can't be repaired and go out and take more pics. See what the 5DIV has to offer and, if looking good, buy it when the 5DIII has its final fail.

Did I say go out and take more pictures? Or bring in more subjects to your studio and take more pics.

Enjoy the upcoming winter!

 

[Hjalmarg1]

2: Sell 5D3 and buy 5DS(/R?), use for studio and video, maybe club.
Cost of upgrade: ~$1000.
Pros:Would improve studio setup by plenty.
Cons: No improvement for sports

This would be my choice

 

[jeffa4444]

Dont know about studio work never done any but the 5DS now Ive got used to it is rewarding me with the sharpest shots Ive ever had using the EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM, EF24-70mm f4L IS USM, EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM and my EF 70-200mm f4L USM. Not shot with the EF 28mm f2.8 or EF 50mm f1.8 STM or the EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM all of which Canon dont list as getting the best from the camera.
Another benefit at least so far Im not seeing any low level banding in grey & overcast skies.

 

[rpt]

Camera body! Bah!

I thought you were onto something...