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Author Topic: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime  (Read 5107 times)

NicolasBelokurov

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Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« on: July 05, 2011, 01:57:25 pm »

Hello board, this is my first post here. I've been reading the forums for quite some time now, very informative.
Here is the deal, I'm currently shooting landscapes and my main camera is a 4x5 field with several lenses. My backup is a Canon 5d (classic) and a couple of zuiko primes I keep for very dynamic light situation or fast scrambles in the mountains. Hopefully I'll be doing a rather long trip soon and was thinking about updating my digital setup mainly for travel photography and color landscape and use the 4x5 for all the BW stuff.
A friend let me test his Canon 5D2 camera for a couple of weeks and while I'm pretty impressed with live view and like the additional pixels I can't see a HUGE difference in real life landscape files.
So my question is, given a sub 2k budget should I keep the 5D and buy a used 24mm TS E (mark 1) and probably a 70-200 f4L ( the basic version with no IS) or it'd be best for me to sell the 5D, buy a 5d2 and keep my zuikos?
Thanks in advance for all the input.
Nicolas

stever

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2011, 04:07:00 pm »

when i got the 5D2 i tested it against my 5D and it has about 20% greater resolution (even with the 24-105 zoom) and about 1 stop lower high ISO noise

originally a liveview sceptic, i find it extremely useful for landscapes.  the ability to focus at 5 or 10x anywhere on the screen is great (fantastic with MF lenses) - and as useful as you would expect with a TS lens

i intended ot keep the 5D but sold it as i didn't use it and it still had value -- even though i was never dissatisfied with the images
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Robcat

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2011, 08:25:38 pm »

So my question is, given a sub 2k budget should I keep the 5D and buy a used 24mm TS E (mark 1) and probably a 70-200 f4L ( the basic version with no IS) or it'd be best for me to sell the 5D, buy a 5d2 and keep my zuikos?
Thanks in advance for all the input.
Nicolas
Hi Nicolas, welcome to the forum.
I've had the 5D since it came out (with 24-70, 24 and 45mm TS/E, and 70-200 4 IS). I've borrowed a friend's 5D2 a number of times for studio still life and figure shoots, and we've also done comparison tests with the same lens and studio set up. We did not see a difference in prints up to 16 x 20 but beyond that you will see an improvement with the 5d2. If you're a view-camera landscaper, I would think that it would be enough to matter (not for a street shooter). Also important, I find it really hard to focus the 24mm TS even without any tilt. With tilt you're just guessing (or at least I am for sure). I would kill for live view with that lens. If you intend to work with TS lenses definitely think hard about the 5d2.
I would buy the 5d2 myself except I'm holding out for the arrival of the perhaps-mythical 5d3  :) There's also the video capability of the 5d2, which, even if it's not a "need" of yours now, might tempt you if it was sitting right there in your hand.
For the tele, I'd go with an IS version as the other gets pretty wobbly.
Have fun and let us know what you decide.
Rob P
« Last Edit: July 05, 2011, 08:39:41 pm by Robcat »
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JeanMichel

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2011, 08:26:14 pm »

Hi,
When i went digital I purchased a 5d and was very happy with it. I was worried about getting it wet and such but never had a problem. The 5d files let me print larger images than I ever printed from 35 film. What did drive me nuts was the amount of time I was spending cleaning and cleaning again the sensor. So when the store I purchased the 5d offered a rather good buy back if one was to purchase a 5d2, I went for it. And there is no going back. There is the occasional dust spot on the 5d2 sensor but it is easy to simply remove the dust with an Artic Brush -- the loupe is also a godsend. If you are happy with the 5d's files but do have dust issues perhaps the $200 that Visible Dust loupe and Artic brush would cost would be a better use of you money than buying a 5d2. But if you have the cash, a 5d2 will give you larger and perhaps better files and a bit more peace of mind regarding minor wet weather and clean images. I find liveview feature extremely useful when documenting exhibitions in galleries or artists' works; almost like working with a miniature view camera but with the image right side up!

Jean-Michel  
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stever

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2011, 11:11:15 pm »

how soon we foget!  i can pretty nearly count the 5D2 dust spots on the fingers of one hand.  on my last trip of 3 weeks with many more lens changes than i'd like' i had one spot.

i don't see a 5D3 on the horizon in less than 12 months since we're still waiting for the next 1ds, and there isn't a Nikon competitor
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uaiomex

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2011, 11:12:00 pm »

No contest, the MarkII is better in every single way. If you like to print big, do video (occasionally) or love to use those wonderful TS lenses, you definitely need the v2. Only problem, the MarkIII may be near the horizon. If it is not announced in August-Sept, most likely it will be in Feb-March. One advice: Try to find a used MkII. Best advice: Forget what I just said. It's this century's best bargain so far. Go for it.
Eduardo
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EgillBjarki

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2011, 05:02:10 am »

Go with the 5D mark II, more resolution and the 5D has a 12bit AD converter compared to 5D Mark II's 14 bit. I agree with uaiomex, I think that we will have to wait at least another 12 months before 5D Mark III, but I could be wrong, maybe we will see it in september along with a new 1Ds? I think Nikon might update the D700 and by that pressure Canon to come out with 5D Mark III.
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NicolasBelokurov

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2011, 02:36:21 pm »

Gentlemen,
Thank you for all the advice given above. It's really appreciated. I have enough food for thought now and will update the status once I decide on something.

NicolasBelokurov

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2011, 12:18:50 pm »

Have fun and let us know what you decide.
Rob P

Well, just a quick update as promised. I got the 5d2 finally and it arrived last Saturday at 1230. I charged one battery up to 30-40% and scrambled for a two days winter mountain trek with a friend. Great camera so far, really happy with the update (knock-knock on wood).
Thank you all for the opinions.

uaiomex

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2011, 08:42:14 pm »

Congratulations Nicolas. You just got a wonderful camera. Mine, after almost 3 years, keeps amazing me over and over for what it can do. Where else can you get a camera that does video, has LV, tethers, works great with tilt/shift glass, converts nicely in ACR, goes to 24X36", nice viewfinder, plethora of accessories, best selection of glass, no LCC needed and cost 2.5 grand?
Best
Eduardo

Well, just a quick update as promised. I got the 5d2 finally and it arrived last Saturday at 1230. I charged one battery up to 30-40% and scrambled for a two days winter mountain trek with a friend. Great camera so far, really happy with the update (knock-knock on wood).
Thank you all for the opinions.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2011, 08:44:08 pm by uaiomex »
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Mark Muse

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2011, 01:59:29 pm »

Get acquainted with live view using your Zukios. Try some medium format lenses with adapters. You can use many manual lenses on the 5D2 with adapters. For wide angle start saving now for a new Zeiss 21mm ZE... it really is worth it.
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NicolasBelokurov

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2011, 01:02:25 am »

Live view has been the greatest novelty for me during these days. Precise focusing, just like a large format GG with a quality loupe. The zeiss line up looks great but I'm more a telephoto landscape guy lately.
Some quick snaps from the new cam


Robcat

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #12 on: August 05, 2011, 08:55:53 pm »

Those are very nice indeed, Nicolay. I trust your initial impression of the camera is good?

Given the recent roasting temperatures in the eastern USA, I presume your shoot was somewhere in the southern hemisphere? Can you share where?

Rob
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NicolasBelokurov

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #13 on: August 05, 2011, 10:33:54 pm »

Those are very nice indeed, Nicolay. I trust your initial impression of the camera is good?

Given the recent roasting temperatures in the eastern USA, I presume your shoot was somewhere in the southern hemisphere? Can you share where?

Rob

Thank you Rob, my impressions are great so far :)
All of these were shot in the Nahuel Huapi National Park, northern Patagonia, Argentina.
The first one using a zuiko 28mm lens, the second and the third using a Canon 70-200 f4L and I think I have a macro shot made with a Zeiss 35-70 using the live view focusing which for me is THE digital tool I was missing with my 5D classic.

Nacnud

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2011, 11:20:27 am »

The first image really floats my boat!
Although I also like the other two, I've seem so many similar shots (two recent hard winters in the UK), that they need something extra to make them stand out.

Back to the kit - leave it a year or two, then get that TSE - but make it a MkII !!!!!

I bought a used Mk1 24mm TSE to see how I got on with tilt / shift and decided that if I was still using it after a year that I would upgrade to the MkII. I upgraded to a new MkII 24mm TSE and it's been my main lens ever since it arrived.  I didn't lose money as the Mk1 held it's value.
Although the Mk1 does some neat tilt / shift tricks, it's image quality is only really up to producing A3 prints and the 5DII really highlights the well know lens flaws (CA and softness).
However, the MkII is amazingly good. Used as a 24mm prime it is the only lens I own that would benefit from having more pixels on the sensor; when it's tilted / shifted the CA and softness have been tamed to such a degree that you now need to go pixel peeping to spot it.
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NicolasBelokurov

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Re: Canon 5d with a TS lens vs Canon 5d2 with WA prime
« Reply #15 on: August 07, 2011, 12:49:18 pm »

The 24mm TS mkII is quite a marvel indeed, but I can't justify the purchase yet. Right now, as (I guess every ) a new VDSLR owner I'm really orienting my camera to subjects my 4x5 can't handle, that is long lenses and filming. Shooting with a 200mm equivalent lens in 4x5 in the mountains and actually getting sharp results is a major logistic project, the tiny almost pocketable DSLR does it comfortably from a small Series 3 Gitzo with no additional support. I also have several filming DVDs on the way as I'd like to learn to create some personal mountain clips and I guess will be buying a quality 50mm prime lens.
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