JamesB

Hey gang,

So I have been toying with the idea of buying myself a gorgeous Canon 5D mark II for a few weeks now and wanted to get some outside opinions, etc.

I have read a ton of reviews and looked over the specs. a ton of times and really can't find too many faults with this camera. I already own a 10D and three lenses (all non-L series though) so I am more or less adamant about sticking to Canon.

I would be making the huge jump from a crop-frame camera to a full-frame which is fantastic for widening my focal range. I would also be gaining almost 4x as many pixels. Oh, and the size of the view-finder? OMG! Well, to be honest, there are a ton of new/better features, too many to list.

I wanted to maybe get some of your thoughts on the camera - have you had any experience with one? What did you think? Do you have any stories from the rumor mill?

As an aside: I am also considering turning my 10D into a full-time IR camera by replacing the hot-filter with an IR band-pass filter.

Oh, and I should mention that I would be pairing the 5D mk II up with either a 24-105mm F4 L lens or a 70-200mm F4 L lens - no kit crap for this beast of a camera.

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dippin

I would just keep in mind that a better camera without better glass is a serious waste. I am not sure what lenses you have, but I would make sure I would have adequate lenses for the camera.

JamesB

Yeah, I should have mentioned that I would be dropping a cash-bomb on a seriously nice lens (as edited above).

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forseti-6

I got this camera the week it came out and I love it. I had the 5d as well and must say the new LCD screen is worth it alone. The 1080p video mode is nice, but I hardly use it. I'm a photojournalist, so I'm sure I'll eventually find the use in the video.

In terms of the ISO performance, this thing is great. I tested it against a friend's Nikon D3, and the ISO was as good if not slightly better.

You won't be disappointed with this camera. If you have any specific questions about it let me know.

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blahblah454

If you get it you have to post pictures and let us know how you like it!!

I currently own the 40D, and have a 70-200mm IS L lens, I will also only be buying L glass from now on, even on the 40D it makes a huge difference.

I have been eyeing the 5d mkII since it came out, but can't justify spending that much cash just yet, although there are some people out here who are interested in buying some of my shots from me. So perhaps in the not-so-distant future I might own one.

I say go for it!

JamesB

OMG .. I bought it and I have absolutely NO regrets - even considering I will have to brown-bag lunch and work overtime for the next few months to cover the cost.

I've fallen in love with full-frame shooting .. and the difference between non-L and L lenses is greater than I thought. I bought the 5D Mark II kit that comes with the 28-105mm f4L lens (would have preferred the 28-70mm f2.8L but that would have cost me an additional $700 to buy the body + lens separate).

I will be renting a couple other L lenses when I go for a wedding in a couple of weeks - I will rent out a 70-200mm f2.8L IS and perhaps an 85mm f1.2L II to do some portrait work.

I have a ton of work-flow stuff because I only shoot in RAW format - I'll post a few of my sample shots, hopefully tonight. I am in the middle of re-formatting my computer and upgrading the RAM for Adobe CS4 and such.

Any who are considering this camera - dive right in and you won't regret it!

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blahblah454

Well JamesB you certainly did help this horrible craving I have to own this camera. Bah!! I two expensive things on my list that I want - The 5d mkII, and a $5,000 mountain bike. Its killing me inside!! I think what I might end up doing is taking the money and playing around in the stock market a little and buying them later on. Ahh I wish I had a few thousand more dollars kicking around.

Konichiwaneko

I have 2 and love them, but they are also paired with decent lenses I've built up over time. Currently i have the 24-70 2.8L, 70-200 2.8L IS, 35 1.4L, 50 1.2L, Sigma 105 2.8 Macro, and 85 1.2L II.

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primal

From everything I've read this camera really is the best in the canon lineup if you don't need the speed, weather sealing, or more advanced focusing of the 1Ds. Anyone have any suggestions for the best place to purchsse it? I've seen the kit with the 28-105L for about $3200.

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JamesB

This camera -is- pretty well weather-sealed actually. Its right in the specs.

Apparently the best place to get this camera (in the States) is B&H ..

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ASU2003

I'm thinking about getting this camera as well. Should I only get the 24-105mm L f/4 lens or the 24-75 f/2.8 one (I worry about it not having image stabilization, it would be a no-brainer if it had IS)? I've used a 50mm L f/1.2 on a 50D before and it was a little zoomed in at the 1.6x crop. But, I'm not sure how often I would need anything under f/1.8 for the pictures I take. f/2.8 would probably be rarely used as well I fear, but at the same time I'm a little worried about not having a low f-stop lens (maybe it will be an excuse to buy a third lens). I am also thinking about getting the 100-400mm lens, but not right away. I'm not sure how much I will need the high zoom capabilities in the next few trips I have planned (Grand Canyon/Zion/Yosemite/Vegas/Southwest/Mountains, Midwest Fall Colors, Washington DC, Holiday Pictures, Winter Olympics?, Star/Space on cold dark nights) I could use the zoom on the last one actually.

I should see if I can sort my recent pictures in terms of focal length and f-stop. I would think I used the 10x zoom (280mm supposedly) about 20% of the time, but I also had to switch back to 28mm quickly and that might have to be taken into account as well.

And I've read a lot of reviews and they all say great things about this camera, but I'm worried about some of the sharpness when digitally zooming in or cropping an image. And maybe it was just the pictures I've seen, or their equipment/conditions weren't as good as the day they tested the Canon 500D (T1i). And with only having a 105mm telephoto max, I would have to crop. And is there a 5D mark 3 coming out in October? The rumor sites haven't said anything, and I'm not sure what they would change. If they added more pixels they would reduce the amount of light hitting each pixel. That is the problem with my Panasonic point & shoot, the pictures all have noise @ 100% even on a perfect sunny day. But, I have to keep this camera for 15-25 years for me to justify spending 10x more than I have ever spent on a camera before, but I'm thinking that if it takes perfect pictures today, it will take perfect pictures 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now as well. They might make things smaller and faster in the future (or come out with bigger sensors than full frame), but I'm thinking that this would be a camera you get and it will do everything you need. It comes down to the skill of the photog and getting in the right place, right locations, at the right time now.

Well, I have a few weeks before I have to decide, so we will see what happens. I'm saving my pennies just in case though. Where did you find the kit for $3200, they have a rebate now, but I think it gave them an excuse to raise the price as well.