Canon EOS 5D

tvphotog · Aug 3, 2007

I've been in the market for a DSLR, and have been considering the EOS 5D because of its 35mm wide sensor.

I womder what is the consensus out there about this model compared to all the standard cropped sensor DSLR's on the market. I notice that Nikon doesn't make one in the price range of the 5D, I'm not even sure that they make a 35mm sensor model at all.

Do you think the 35mm is a passing fad, or that it's only something to consider if you're spending $6-7000 for a professional body.

I appreciate the input.

ScottS · Aug 3, 2007

Nikon does not make a full frame, and there isnt any in the works. Personally i see the full frame to be a fad... mainly because, a lot of the lenses made now are made for the smaller sensors, and it would be a pain to have to upgrade all of your lenses just to have a full frame. That aside, from the week that i had the 5D it is a beautifully made camera and is well worth the money to get it.

lifeafter2am · Aug 3, 2007

Sorry but I don't agree with that at all. How can you say that a lot of lenses are made for smaller sensors? If you are talking about the EF-S lenses, there are only a handful of them, and none are "L" glass. I actually see it backwards, once the technology gets cheaper and easier to produce, I don't think that there will be any APS sensors. It is actually a pain to "invest" in the EF-S lenses because of their limited use on the higher end cameras. Not to mention that film will be around for a while still, and there is no use for them on any of the film bodies.

Either way, it is definitely not a fad.

usayit · Aug 3, 2007

sounds like a nikonian is jealous... hehehe I'm joking...

soylentgreen · Aug 5, 2007

I will have to say the the full-frame 35mm sensor is probably not going to die out anytime soon. there is only so much pixel you can cram in a smaller sensor before image quality begins to degrade. As of now, 6nm is the smallest pixel size they can produce with a good image to noise ratio. A full frame sensor can fit more pixels in, so as long as photographers demand higher image quality I see no reason why companies will not produce them. They charge a premium for them anyway. The 5D just happens to be a pro model that is budgeted in consumer range. I am surprised Nikon has not devleoped a full-fframe model yet. Everyone complains about the noise at High ISO's on their cameras and I have seen quite a few images where I will have to concur with this sentiment.

Iron Flatline · Aug 5, 2007

Nikon doesn't make its own sensors, so they'll have to wait for Sony to make one. Now that Sony has it's own SLR line, they might not want to share with a major rival.

Full-frames are coming, it may take Nikon a while though.

Canon and Sony ftw mid-term.

WDodd · Aug 5, 2007

I will have to agree with both Iron and soyletgreen, its only a matter of time. I have a feeling prices will continue to fall on the crop sensor cameras as 35mm 5D-like cameras start being more commonplace.

Alex_B · Aug 5, 2007

the price for 35mm sensors will certainly come down.. in fact it has come down quite a bit already.

I like the 5D, but you need good lenses as it is not very forgiving. Resolution in the sweet spot of a lens is better than on crop sensors (with respect to the final print, of course physical lens resolution does not change), but you see every weakness of the lens outside the sweet spot.

Light falloff towards the edges if using ultra wide angle lenses, however, is absolutely no problem as today's RAW converter offer one-click solutions to correct this (we do not have this with 35mm film). With wide angle L glass corner sharpness is only visibly reduced if the lens is wide open (again, not different to 35mm film).

Just keep in mind, if you do wildlife photography, that you need longer and heavier lenses than on a crop sensor.

EJBPhoto · Aug 5, 2007

I owned a d70s and just switched to a 5D. Switching to Canon was the best thing I could have done. I can shoot at high ISO's now, it actually focuses *gasp*, and I personally prefer the actual equipment more- how it feels in my hands and how I use it when I shoot. I paired it with the 85mm 1.8 to start with. I don't know what you shoot, but this is an amazing lens that is not L series, but is L series quality. I couldn't be happier with my lens or body choice. It is so easy to focus and this lens is SO sharp.

ScottS · Aug 5, 2007

Well what i meant by saying that a lot of the newer lenses are being made for the smaller sensors, is the DX lenses. And maybe its just a Nikon thing... man, if Nikon doesn't catch up soon i don't know what ill do...

oh and is there any other full frame besides the 5D? ( sorry im a nikon guy )

Alex_B · Aug 5, 2007

ScottS said:
oh and is there any other full frame besides the 5D? ( sorry im a nikon guy )

The 1Ds Mark II for example ... and the 1Ds Mark III will probably be 35mm as well, but it is not out yet

.

deanimator · Aug 5, 2007

How about a 37 x 49 mm sensor?

Some think that bigger is better...:shock:

Check this http://www.dphoto.us/news/node/view/346

Iron Flatline · Aug 6, 2007

Yup, even bigger is the H3D-39, with a 39 Megapixel sensor, also 37x49mm.

Just to clarify - a bigger sensor is not better, you can get excellent world-class images from a sensor that is smaller than 24x36mm. You have to realize that this same "cropped vs. full-frame" argument was held in a similar way when medium-format started giving way to the 35mm film. It may not have had the benefit of internet forums and the ad nauseum discussions that are inherent, but there were photographers who were adamant that the cropped factor made it an inferior photographic tool.

What irks me is when certain companies position the cropped aspect as a "feature" when they simply haven't figured out how to get beyond certain technical issues yet.