is my camera to old

[sebenza]

i bought a 5d , but im struggling to get good photos .

im new to photog , took a 6 month course on cameras and photography and did ok .

but i cannot seem to get good colours or photos out of this , is it to old ?

[dwswager]

i bought a 5d , but im struggling to get good photos .

im new to photog , took a 6 month course on cameras and photography and did ok .

but i cannot seem to get good colours or photos out of this , is it to old ?

There is not a camera in the world that is TOO OLD.  As long as it functions correctly, you should be able to get good photos.  Now, newer DSLRs will give more dynamic range, better ISO performance, less shadow noise, etc.

I'm a Nikon guy, but recommend you factory reset the camera.  I believe their is a Clear Settings menu in the 5D

In the menu. Setup section (Yellow), there's a "Clear Settings" section that allows you to:
Clear all camera settings
Clear all custom functions
Clear registered camera settings

I would also check with Canon for the latest firmware updates and install those.

Then starting from this base, see what you get.  You didn't give a good indication of the subjects and lighting conditions under which you are shooting.  Bad color could be as simple as using the wrong white balance setting.  Starting with the Auto setting would help.

[mbaginy]

Your Canon 5D is surely not too old.  It would be important, that it's functioning properly.  I still use my 5D as a backup and am still very pleased with the results.  The greatest drawback it has is, that the sensor needs to be kept clean.  Make sure you check that regularly and you should be quite pleased with it.

Since you're new to photography, you'll need to learn the basics (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) and then a certain amount about post processing of the images.  Michael and Jeff have a number of very informative tutorials available which will explain the digital workflow.  Countless other sites offer information and aid, also some youtube videos are useful.

Obviously you'll need to know yourself, to which degree you want to pursue photography.  Make sure you enjoy yourself while learning the craft.  And backup your files!

[Lawrence Sheperd]

Sebenza, as you probably have discovered learning the art and science of photography is a life-long process, albeit an enjoyable one! It is tempting after viewing the incredible variety and scope of photographs available on the web to want to make photos "just like those." However a huge segment of digital photography has almost nothing to do with the image captured by the camera and almost everything to do with how that image was manipulated in the post-processing stage.

It seems to me that we may be becoming desensitized to what the actual physical world looks like, preferring instead a "vision" very much outside of reality. This is not a condemnation of such a "vision" - just a realization that reality and photography are not necessarily mutually inclusive.

[NancyP]

You need to connect with a photography club that has beginners' talks and clinics.

[bcooter]

i bought a 5d , but im struggling to get good photos .

im new to photog , took a 6 month course on cameras and photography and did ok .

but i cannot seem to get good colours or photos out of this , is it to old ?

NO

IMO

BC

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Your camera is great, just learn to make best use of it. I would not think colour rendition on newer Canons is better than on the old ones. Probably the other way around.

Best regards
Erik

NO

IMO

BC

[SZRitter]

Nope, unless it has an obviously bad sensor. Assuming it is in proper working order, you just need to learn to use it.

Post some examples of what your results are, and some members may be kind enough to give you a few ideas on how to improve.

[DeanChriss]

Hmmmm... I'm always wondering if I'm too old for my camera.

But seriously, your camera is not too old and there's lots of good advice here.

[logeeker]

i bought a 5d , but im struggling to get good photos .

im new to photog , took a 6 month course on cameras and photography and did ok .

but i cannot seem to get good colours or photos out of this , is it to old ?

Well I got to say it is a really old camera. However, great photographer would get great picture even if they were using iPhone. Please DO NOT blame your camera. Also the color is something about post-production. It won't looks good if you don't edit it properly. Getting the latest camera such as 5DSR won't really help you.

[AlterEgo]

i bought a 5d , but im struggling to get good photos .

im new to photog , took a 6 month course on cameras and photography and did ok .

but i cannot seem to get good colours or photos out of this , is it to old ?

if you use raw then you might want to start with some things that they (I bet) did not teach you  - like www.rawdigger.com (or it's simpler brother - www.fastrawviewer.com/ ) to see that you are exposing properly (for raw, not for camjpeg) and then you need to find out which raw converter works best for your taste/exposure... most people are not knowledgeable/skillful enough to overcome the differences (and sometimes it is not possible technically at all) in raw converters / supplied camera profiles - so that matters a lot...

things like mirror slap / shutter impact / exposure time vs focal length they probably taught you ( but if not - look into that too )

PS: and as it is PDAF - then focus microadjustments too... with those dSLRs you never can be sure that camera+lens is focusing properly by definition, unless you actually test to be sure