I keep meeting people and reading about people who intend to purchase a Canon 5D Mk II. I still don't know anyone (in real life) who has one in their possession. I was at a party the other night. While there, I was introduced to a guy who is a photographer for the U.S. Navy. He isn't a member of that particular branch of the armed services, instead, he has a contract with the Navy to provide still photography services. He's been doing this for most of his working life and he's a 70-year-old dude. A very cool dude with tons of fascinating stories to tell.
This guy, I can't remember his name, told me he's about to buy a 5D Mk II. He still shoots a lot of film and, when it comes to digital, he's been working with a Canon Rebel XTi. It's gonna be quite a jump from an XTi to a 5D Mk II!
I've considered purchasing a 5D Mk II but, frankly, I'm okay with my original 5D. It gets the job done. For me, getting the job done, and getting the job done right, is job priority #1. If I'm gonna spend some dough, it will probably be on glass, "L" glass, that is. For me, more (and better) glass will go further in terms of getting the job done right than a new camera body. That's not to say my 5D is the last dSLR I'll ever own, I'm sure it won't be, but for now I'm opting to hang in there with my 5D. Besides, available cash (or lack of it) makes that decision an easy, no-brainer decision to make.
There's some cool improvements included in the 5D Mk II, not the least of them is the new LCD (the LCD on the back of the 5D is pathetic, especially in daylight) and not the best of them being the Mk II's HD video capability. Sure, it's nice being able to shoot video with those Canon prime lenses but, frankly, being able to shoot video with a hybrid isn't at the top of my wish list.
Uber-photographer, Vincent Laforet, is making a lot of noise with his use of the Mk II as a video capture device but, IMO, a lot of this has to do with a still photographer suddenly discovering the joys of video while utilizing a tool (an SLR still camera) that he is supremely comfortable with using. Please don't take that as a 'dis' to Mr. Laforet, it's not intended that way, it just is what it is and it is, I'll repeat, simply an IMO thing.
Interestingly, the people I've spoken with, i.e., those who intend to purchase a Mk II, aren't saying much about the plethora of megapixels the Mk II's sensor uses to capture images. Perhaps they believe 21MP is overkill for most of the pictures they intend to capture? Maybe they're asking themselves, "Is more really better?" I don't know. I'll leave that question for the photo-geeks.
As 2009 arrives and evolves, I'll keep shooting with my original 5D. Sure, if I suddenly come into some serious cash I might consider upgrading but, for now, my 5D is what I have and I'll keep working to take it to the wall.
The pretty girl at the top is my friend, Devin, from some time ago, shot with my 5D and an 85mm prime.
13 comments:
with regards to a new camera body, I'm in a similar situation. I've been shooting with a nikon d40 for almost two years now. It works. I've used it to get some really good photos. But I'm at the point where I want something new: either a d300 or some higher-end glass. It's a tough decision for me because I honestly don't know which would be a better investment for me *right now*. Decisions, decisions.
Rich has made exactly the same decision...of course he gets the Iwantitis occasionally, but there's always going to be something bigger and better to tempt, isn't there?
Photography is so much more than just a camera (no I'm not going to launch into an arty waffle...I'm jus' sayin')
@Travis: I'm not too familiar with Nikon's cameras but, IMO, better glass usually trumps better camera bodies for producing better images.
@Lin: Arty waffles are becoming your specialty. (In addition to railing against totalitarianism.) So go for it!
Hi Jimmy,
I have followed your blog now for a while, so first I would like to say hats-off, I really enjoy reading your posts.
Let me also put in a quick disclaimer, my company is organizing a workshop with Vincent Laforet this summer on Lake Como, Italy. In this workshop, Vincent will share his approach to video production using the Canon 5d Mark II as the main 'capture' tool.
We are very excited to have Vincent teach our 'Masterclass' this year, especially amid the buzz he has created with his use of the 5DII to produce some incredible videos. He is currently in Hawaii working on a film about surfer Jamie O'Brien.
Personally, and IMHO, I think your statement about 'a still photographer suddenly discovering the joys of video' is a little short-sighted, the true value of this new tool goes well beyond that. The camera really represents a sea change in the photography industry.
On the technical side, there is no other video camera currently available that can produce the images that the 5DII can produce. Even the RED ONE cannot reproduce many of the images that the 5DII can manage (with the range of available Canon lenses) and it surely cannot match the low-light performance. I also think that the reason people are not talking about the MPs on this camera is that they are more interested in the video.
On the commercial side, this camera is going to open a lot of doors and opportunities for wedding, editorial, documentary, PJ and sports shooters (to name only a few). It may not be the right solution for you, in your work, but I know a lot of guys who can't wait to start putting bids into their clients for combined photo/video shoots, me included.
Vincent is a very smart and very lucky guy. In regards to his first film with the 5DII, 'Reverie', he was simply in the right place at the right time. But what he did with the camera was to show, very effectively, how easy it is for a skilled photographer to create stunning video, with this new tool.
The truth is that traditional media is dying a slow death, the internet is becoming the preferred source of news and entertainment, and multimedia/video on the web is gaining is popularity and prevalence. Personally, I believe that this camera represents a gateway to a new frontier for photographers.
I apologize if this came off as a rant, it wasn't intended that way. I am very excited about the work that Vincent is doing and I am really looking forward to having him be part of our workshops in Como this June. If you want to know more about us, please visit http://www.onlocationworkshops.com.
Have a Happy New Year, I look forward to reading more of your posts in the new year.
I had the lusts for the Mk2 for a little while, but i've seen some not great video come out of it (choppy-looking pans, similar to bad BBC telecine pulldown). I think I'll hold off until the video is better on these hybrids. I've got a camera that pretty much replaces film in terms of quality (for the size of prints that I'm making), so if I replace it, i'll want one that can shoot video that pretty much replaces film for small applications, and i don't think the Mk2 does that yet.
Though the 60% increase in megapixels is still definitely tempting, I'm with you on the glass. I only have a 100macro and 24-70, so I am really hurting for a wide and a telephoto zoom.
Maybe if it had IS in-body (then I could also get a 70-200 2.8 instead of the f/4 IS I'm aiming at).
@Byron: First, let me say I'm a big fan of Vincent Laforet's work and have been for some time.
I can understand how my statement might seem shortsighted but I think there's truth in it. The problem is that it's a very brief, and (no doubt) incomplete statement in terms of Laforet embracing video as a medium and him doing so with a dSLR.
I viewed "Reverie" almost as soon as it was available on the web and it was a breathtaking example of what can be accomplished with the 5D Mk2 and Canon prime lenses.
But to say that "Reverie" shows how "easy" it is for a photographer to "create a stunning video" with the 5D Mk2 is a bit of an overstatement. Helicopter shots aside, there was a a ton of production value, as well as production and post-production skills (in addition to Laforet's) thrown at that video. I say that as someone who has spent decades shooting and editing pro video.
I agree with your contention that traditonal media is on its deathbed and that hybrids are, most likely, the future. Hybrids will certainly be responsible for big changes in many areas of image capture and in the way it is captured, i.e, in the acquisition of still as well as motion images.
While the 5D Mk2 might seem a great choice for event photographers to expand their businesses--and it probably is--they might also consider the fact that, for the most part, one device capable of capturing both still and motion images is probably not going to cut-it in terms of adequate coverage of an event. One or the other (that is, either still or video coverage) is going to suffer. One shooter simply can't be in two places at the same time and, often enough when these events occur, there's a lot of things going on at the same time, all worthy of being captured either as stills, as video, or sometimes with both.
If I were a wedding shooter, I would already have figured out that buying a 5D mk2 isn't going to effectively and simultaneously put me into the wedding photography *AND* wedding videography business. Purchasing two of these cameras, however, might do the trick. Of course, to some extent buying two Mk2s might require purchasing two sets of glass... one for each camera... although certain, less-used, lenses won't need to be owned in pairs.
Thanks for the kind words about the PGS blog! Good luck with your workshop. With an instructor and workshop leader like Vincent Laforet headlining your event, I doubt luck will need to play a major role in its success.
I must be in the minority but all I want is the remarkable ISO range that the M2 provides.
I don't see the video feature as tempting as others, but if I had it I know I'd play with it. Whether I would be as happy with the vid as I am with the stills is yet to be seen.
The additional pixels are also tempting but you only need 5 MP to get published. It seems likes more than a few MPs go to waste unless you're shooting billboards.
Honestly, I'm more tempted to buy lighting gear that a new body. Where I live, a mag cover pays $100 whether you have 5 MP or 21 MP. It would be pearls before swine...again.
Happy New Year Jimmy!
Jimmy,
I have the new Mark II and I received it the week before Christmas. I purchased it with the L series 24-70 glass and I love it. I have only played with it thus far but I am liking what I see.
The reason I bought the camera is because I was shooting a 40D which was a huge step above my 20D, but I wanted full frame. I wanted the full frame because I shoot weddings and sometimes in tight spaces the crop factor prevents me from getting the image I want.
I shot a couple of images at iso 6400 and the low noise is amazing.
Carroll
I agree with JimmyD on this one. If you don't have good glass yet, a new body is meaningless. Besides as we saw with the 40d 50d the upgrade from one to the next didn't take allot of time. Glass will surpass many bodies before being exchanged or upgraded.
I have mixed feelings about the video feature with the 5d mk2, and as JimmyD put it I can't be a photographer and videographer at the same time. Its good that its there but if it didn't have it I would not care.
Jimmy,
Many valid points you've made.
I happened to have picked up a mark II a couple weeks ago and can tell you it requires skill and practice to shoot "GooD" video with this thing. I come from a video background and thought I would get more use out of the camera then I probably will.
But there is one thing I absolutely love about this camera and it's the high ISO range. Here's a link to some recent snapshots I took at 6400 of the Girls Next Door.
http://www.pbase.com/siriusdoggy/the_girls_next_door
Of course ISO6400 is not going to be of much use for someone like yourself that is usually shooting with studio lights at ISO100 but it soes show there is more to the camera then HD video.
I have to agree that it is the low light shooting capabilities of the camera that attract me. The increased megapixels will require an increase in storage and processing power to process the resulting files. It is not a cheap or trivia upgrade to all your workstations.. I wonder if the software is all there for tethered shooting in Windows VISTA also. A lot of photographers may be disappointed short term, if the release is similar to the Rebel XSi. There is still no way to shoot tethered with that camera and it has been on the market for while.
As much as the video aspect is interesting and will get many photographers to move over to that side of their business, I don't expect them to be using their 5D Mark II as their primary video camera. The workflow is just not there. From what I understand you need to manually focus if you use the 5D Mark II in video mode. I also don't know that there is much gear for stablization of the camera as already exist for many digital video camera. As a form factor I can't see the 5D Mark II being optimal. Its small size relative to a professional video camera does not make it easy to hand hold.
I do agree with the idea that the nature of the business seems to be changing though. The days of only offering still image services may be numbered. Photographers may have to offer both to have their businesses thrive due to the declining margins.
I don't think the move from print to web based access to information will totally kill the need for still images though. Websites stil rely heavily on graphics. While some pieces of information are better presented as video, I don't
think the impact of a single image in defining an event will disappear.
I was at a photowalk in Salt Lake and a stock photographer there had one. He said he bought it to be able to sell a bigger size on iStock. He also said that he was able to up the ISO and still get the images approved. So it sounds like it's going to make him more money. So it sounds like it was a good choice for him. As for others who knows. That's up to the individual photographer to decide.
As for the title "Is the Canon 5F MkII the RNd-All Be-All of dSLR's" the answer to that is no. There will never be a perfect camera and I'm sure Canon and Nikon don't want to make one. They'd all be out of job if they didn't make new cameras to entice everyone to upgrade.
Hi Jimmy,
Happy New Year and congrats on the Fluffy.
Ok, I agree that my statement may have been a over-simplification of reality, but is video production ever really 'easy'? I come from a professional production background myself, I have worked on shoots all over the world and I have encountered a lot of headaches trying to get even the simplest things on video.
I wasn't trying to say that a 5DM2 will solve all your problems, and certainly, getting used to a new tool will cause growing pains, learning curves, etc... And, as one of your commenters noted, there is no 'end all, be all' camera', I completely agree with that, the same way I agree that there is no perfect cel phone, laptop, tv, video game player, motorcycle, etc. There will always be something better, that's why engineers exist.
However, what I see with the 5DM2 is what I would call a transformational product. I believe that many photographers will use this camera (and future cameras like it) to transform their businesses beyond still photography. Vincent has done just that already.
Now, you can argue that Vincent is a great photographer and he hired a heli, he got his friend to edit the movie, he hired a director to help him setup the shots. That's fine. However, he still made that movie in a weekend, using predominantly available light and for less than $5000. Let's assume that does not include crew fees and agree that it would have probably cost $10,000 to make that film.
Personally, my clients would green light a lot of projects of that quality on that budget. I have a drawer full of about 20 Canon lenses, ready to go, I already have the stands and grip gear, and a few hot lights to boot. If I had a 5DM2 body, a microphone and fluid head, I would pretty much be ready to go gear-wise and notwithstanding learning curves, etc.
Now, I may be in a different situation than you or most of your readers. I shoot nudes for my artistic pleasure, the rest of the time I am shooting commercial and editorial work for corporate clients and running my workshops. However, I have other friends who are chomping at the bit to get this camera, including fashion, wedding and editorial shooters. I even know an independent film-maker who can't wait to buy one.
I still stand by my statement, this is a new tool, that, in the hands of the right photographers, is capable of producing some outstanding video — or should we call it motion-based photography? Vincent may make it look easy, but I believe that in the next six months to a year, we could see a surge in HD video uploads to sites like vimeo.com. I know that I am going to be pushing video on my clients in this new year.
All the best and keep up the great work.
______________________
Bryon Paul McCartney
Fashion/Fetish/Fine art nudes: http://www.imsirreal.com
Workshops in Italy 2009: http://www.onlocationworkshops.com
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