New camera - EOS 5D... the switch from Nikon
11-17-2006, 07:21 AM
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So... as many of you know, I'm an avid photographer. If I could make comparable money doing it full-time, I'd certainly consider a career change. I have been shooting Nikon for years as my primary system - having started with film and then moving to a D70 a little over 2.5 years ago. I also shoot manual film rangefinders - a 35mm and 6x9. I primarly like shooting events that I attend (weddings/parties), objects (my car!), urban landscapes/landmarks/architecture, and portraits. I have started doing some landscape, but it's hard in my area - I generally need to travel to do this.
Recently, on a photo workshop trip, I was really impressed by the quality I was seeing out of some of the participants' Canon EOS-5D cameras. Really blown away by it actually. The workshop pros who were teaching actually prodded me towards considering a switch since we were having many technical discussions (arguments) about post-processing and capture technique. Many of their techniques were reliant on clean noiseless capture - or at least worked much better when starting with a clean capture. I kept continuously challenging their techniques (and they mine) due to this fundamental difference. What I felt was necessary with my Nikon system they felt was unnecessary because they had been so used to working with Canon. Their solution? Switch. So...
Canon recently announced their fall rebates in the US. Good set of discounts. In all, I should receive $730 in rebates for buying an EOS-5D, the 24-105 f/4 L IS, and the 580EX Speedlight. That basically means the camera is about $2000, with the lens and flash being what they'd normally cost. Good stuff.
During my tenure with the D70, many things bugged me - small viewfinder that was hard to work with and nearly impossible to use for manual focus, poor AF performance, no mirror lock-up, so-so noise performance, compressed RAW that was lossy, small LCD, luminance-only histogram, limited LCD zoom, etc...
While many of these gripes could be satisfied by upgrading to a newer or better Nikon body, many of them couldn't. I actually wanted a pro-grade midrange zoom that had VR. This doesn't exist with Nikon. The Canon 24-105 L has image stabilization, and I can tell you this is a huge benefit. I have taken handheld shots at 1/5 of a second that are tack sharp. Also, the newer Nikon bodies have slower flash sync speeds. The D70 would sync at up to 1/500 officially, and could be modified (put some tape over one of the hotshoe leads) to sync at up to 1/8000. The 5D and a Canon flash can officially sync all the way to 1/8000 in FP sync mode. The noise performance also could not be remotely touched by any Nikon body. The Canon ISO rating system is less accurate than Nikon's, but this is a good thing. Basically, ISO 3200 on a D200 is a true ISO 3200. On a Canon 5D, ISO 3200 is really ISO 4000. ISO 1600 is really ISO 2000. This kind of extra sensitivity exists at nearly every level with Canon. So... not only is the 5D less noisy at each rated ISO level, you can use a lower ISO level to achieve the same exposure values you'd have on Nikon! The main reason though for switching was the incredible tonality of the sensor... larger = better. Just as medium format backs deliver far better tonality than smaller DSLR sensors, a full frame 35 delivers more than APS-C sized sensors, which deliver more than 4/3 sensors and so on... The 5D images have an incredible quality about them that extends beyond pure resolution. DOF is much shallower too at any given aperture. Also, I can recover ridiculous amounts of blown highlights from RAW - a few stops worth. The Nikon files were not recoverable in this manner, providing at best 1/3 or 1/2 a stop of highlight recovery.
Anyway, I have been very satisfied with the camera, lens, and flash. It is a dream camera, and I can't find a single fault with it. It truly is everything I need. The lens is superb, but like any lens it has its shortcomings. You need to correct for some color fringing during RAW conversion, and certain focal lengths will require some correction for distortion using something like PT Lens. However, nearly every lens has some issues, and this one has strengths that outweigh any weaknesses... and fortunately all can be corrected in post. The zoom range is a dream - I literally may not buy any other lenses for quite some time since I use this range almost exclusively. I'm thinking perhaps the 135 f/2 L for portraits (seems to be the favorite) and then either the 70-200 f4 L IS or the 100-400 L IS for when I need telephoto. Now I need to get off my but and sell my Nikon stuff!
A few samples:
Recently, on a photo workshop trip, I was really impressed by the quality I was seeing out of some of the participants' Canon EOS-5D cameras. Really blown away by it actually. The workshop pros who were teaching actually prodded me towards considering a switch since we were having many technical discussions (arguments) about post-processing and capture technique. Many of their techniques were reliant on clean noiseless capture - or at least worked much better when starting with a clean capture. I kept continuously challenging their techniques (and they mine) due to this fundamental difference. What I felt was necessary with my Nikon system they felt was unnecessary because they had been so used to working with Canon. Their solution? Switch. So...
Canon recently announced their fall rebates in the US. Good set of discounts. In all, I should receive $730 in rebates for buying an EOS-5D, the 24-105 f/4 L IS, and the 580EX Speedlight. That basically means the camera is about $2000, with the lens and flash being what they'd normally cost. Good stuff.
During my tenure with the D70, many things bugged me - small viewfinder that was hard to work with and nearly impossible to use for manual focus, poor AF performance, no mirror lock-up, so-so noise performance, compressed RAW that was lossy, small LCD, luminance-only histogram, limited LCD zoom, etc...
While many of these gripes could be satisfied by upgrading to a newer or better Nikon body, many of them couldn't. I actually wanted a pro-grade midrange zoom that had VR. This doesn't exist with Nikon. The Canon 24-105 L has image stabilization, and I can tell you this is a huge benefit. I have taken handheld shots at 1/5 of a second that are tack sharp. Also, the newer Nikon bodies have slower flash sync speeds. The D70 would sync at up to 1/500 officially, and could be modified (put some tape over one of the hotshoe leads) to sync at up to 1/8000. The 5D and a Canon flash can officially sync all the way to 1/8000 in FP sync mode. The noise performance also could not be remotely touched by any Nikon body. The Canon ISO rating system is less accurate than Nikon's, but this is a good thing. Basically, ISO 3200 on a D200 is a true ISO 3200. On a Canon 5D, ISO 3200 is really ISO 4000. ISO 1600 is really ISO 2000. This kind of extra sensitivity exists at nearly every level with Canon. So... not only is the 5D less noisy at each rated ISO level, you can use a lower ISO level to achieve the same exposure values you'd have on Nikon! The main reason though for switching was the incredible tonality of the sensor... larger = better. Just as medium format backs deliver far better tonality than smaller DSLR sensors, a full frame 35 delivers more than APS-C sized sensors, which deliver more than 4/3 sensors and so on... The 5D images have an incredible quality about them that extends beyond pure resolution. DOF is much shallower too at any given aperture. Also, I can recover ridiculous amounts of blown highlights from RAW - a few stops worth. The Nikon files were not recoverable in this manner, providing at best 1/3 or 1/2 a stop of highlight recovery.
Anyway, I have been very satisfied with the camera, lens, and flash. It is a dream camera, and I can't find a single fault with it. It truly is everything I need. The lens is superb, but like any lens it has its shortcomings. You need to correct for some color fringing during RAW conversion, and certain focal lengths will require some correction for distortion using something like PT Lens. However, nearly every lens has some issues, and this one has strengths that outweigh any weaknesses... and fortunately all can be corrected in post. The zoom range is a dream - I literally may not buy any other lenses for quite some time since I use this range almost exclusively. I'm thinking perhaps the 135 f/2 L for portraits (seems to be the favorite) and then either the 70-200 f4 L IS or the 100-400 L IS for when I need telephoto. Now I need to get off my but and sell my Nikon stuff!
A few samples:
11-17-2006, 07:23 AM
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the third picture is amazing 
11-17-2006, 08:26 AM
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Originally Posted by 530i_msport' post='357305' date='Nov 17 2006, 11:23 AM
the third picture is amazing Thank you!
11-17-2006, 08:41 AM
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WOW. Great shots UUronL!
I'm a Nikon shooter. I'm interested in what you trying to unload.
Great write up...with the shots to prove it. I have friends that are in the Canon camp and we go back and forth just like PC v. Mac v. MB v. BMW, etc. A lot has to do with the person behind the camera and behind the wheel so to speak.
You can't go wrong with any of the L series lenses. I can't imagine the world that has opened up to you going with full frame!
Anywhere I can see more of your pictures?
I'm a Nikon shooter. I'm interested in what you trying to unload.
Great write up...with the shots to prove it.
I have friends that are in the Canon camp and we go back and forth just like PC v. Mac v. MB v. BMW, etc. A lot has to do with the person behind the camera and behind the wheel so to speak. You can't go wrong with any of the L series lenses. I can't imagine the world that has opened up to you going with full frame!
Anywhere I can see more of your pictures?
11-17-2006, 08:41 AM
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Very impressive. 
I'm almost ready to run out and buy an instamatic now.
You were using a lot of techie words in there.
Like camera and focus. 
And more pictures.
I'm almost ready to run out and buy an instamatic now.
You were using a lot of techie words in there.
Like camera and focus. And more pictures.
11-17-2006, 09:35 AM
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Great fotos ! - Welcome to the Canon side 
You don't see that very often, normally a Nikon user stays on that side of the camp. Myself was a longtime Pentax user, also switched to Canon couple of years ago.
The 5D is a serious piece of engineering. Dynamics and resolution will match the best lens Canon can throw at it.
I have the 17-85IS f4-5.6, 17-40 f4 L, 70-200 f4 L, 50mm f1.4 and the 1.4 extender. 420EX flash. Pretty OK. for the stuff I do..landscape, city tours, portraits. Mind you I get good range on the crop factor 20D. Fine machine as well.
The 70-200 f4 is a great workhorse and exeptional value for money - you will like it. Canon just released the same lens in a IS version, go for that one.
A serious review here
For a serious investment, since you like indoor portraits is the 85mm 1.2 L. This lens just brings tears to my eyes...
Not to be missed is the classic 50mm 1.4 USM. Still, one of the best sold lenses from Canon. Cheap and reliable for those indoor/low light shots.
Tip: Try to be aware of dust entering the chamber when you change lenses. Some particles are a bugger to clean from the sensor. I guess the eviromental protection from the L series lenses and your body should help against such predicaments.
You don't see that very often, normally a Nikon user stays on that side of the camp. Myself was a longtime Pentax user, also switched to Canon couple of years ago.The 5D is a serious piece of engineering. Dynamics and resolution will match the best lens Canon can throw at it.
I have the 17-85IS f4-5.6, 17-40 f4 L, 70-200 f4 L, 50mm f1.4 and the 1.4 extender. 420EX flash. Pretty OK. for the stuff I do..landscape, city tours, portraits. Mind you I get good range on the crop factor 20D. Fine machine as well.
The 70-200 f4 is a great workhorse and exeptional value for money - you will like it. Canon just released the same lens in a IS version, go for that one.
A serious review here
For a serious investment, since you like indoor portraits is the 85mm 1.2 L. This lens just brings tears to my eyes...
Not to be missed is the classic 50mm 1.4 USM. Still, one of the best sold lenses from Canon. Cheap and reliable for those indoor/low light shots.
Tip: Try to be aware of dust entering the chamber when you change lenses. Some particles are a bugger to clean from the sensor. I guess the eviromental protection from the L series lenses and your body should help against such predicaments.
11-17-2006, 10:23 AM
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Look at this guy's pic. He's also our member wslam
http://photos.lam.ws/
He uses Canon EOS 1Ds with TSE90 and picture is amazing!
Look at his BMW pic which is 1000x better than ones from BMW itself.
http://photos.lam.ws/
He uses Canon EOS 1Ds with TSE90 and picture is amazing!
Look at his BMW pic which is 1000x better than ones from BMW itself.
11-17-2006, 10:29 AM
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I love the third picture as well!
11-17-2006, 12:39 PM
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well, I'm not a photographer at all, but I can definitely appreciate fine pics regardless! these shots are incredibly vivid, accurate, well colored-balance and so very lifelike. just sort of blows you away looking at them! totally awesome. You definitely have yourself a winner here. ENJOY AND BEST
11-17-2006, 12:58 PM
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My Ride: MY RIDE is DA real .-) HAMANN 5 aka BLACK MAMBA born on 16/06/2005/delivered on 05/08/2005 as following:
530dA (steptronic), Black II (JET), leather Dakota auburn black, mapple trim, head-up display, dynamic drive, active steering, adaptive xenon headlights (auto levelling) with headlight washers, alarm, comfort seats with massage function, advanced A/C, big compartment armrest, aux-in, MP3, Logic 7, Radio PRO, CD in-dash+cd changer, power rear sunshades, rear airbags, park distance control, auto dimming folding mirrors, smoking package, shiny shadow line (individual), fold down rear seats, ski bag, sport suspension, run flats on �116-style� rims (Good Year NCT5+), cup holders, debadged, fire extinguishers, additional permanent power outlet, BMW coat hanger, trunk release button (installed by Hobi), GPS tracking device and a big thx 2 Iceman.
Mods done:
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� Authentic HAMANN new add-on for M pack rear with diffusor for quad pipes -AVAILABLE NOW (http://forums.e60.net/index.php?act=ST&f=22&t=30630&st=0#entry332409)
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� ///M pack rear
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most improtant:
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Ultra-light forged 3-pieced light-alloy wheel, Cross-spoke-design,Spider in black, titanium, screwing,polished flange
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10.5 J x 20 only RA Item No.: 91 207 625
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E60.net Clings
Still to do list;-):
� Our Hobi's camera system from : ww.switchchange.com).
� Individual leather interior (auburn+auburn alcantara)... and drive with sheer drivin' pleasure ... until 2009/2010 F10 comes or E60 possibly a 540d V8 diesel early in 2009 badly juiced!
oh my G.. man that is HOT I was waiting for 40D to come out next year but that is some neat price, here almost twice :'(
please make some pics of your car and post up mate that resolution is amazin and still postable here
please make some pics of your car and post up mate that resolution is amazin and still postable here