Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 1080HD video - Official

[Vance]

To Matt .. it tweren't a yes neither!

Wil,
I usually get just the body, with battery grip, and think about lenses later.

[JoePhoto]

Will - The D3x is great, but not for $8k. A brand new 21MP 1Ds Mark III is selling for $6,600 at B&H. I've been shooting Canon for the last 2 years, but still have a few Nikkors and SB800 speedlights laying around, hence my look at the D700. I need to keep balance between quality images and files that are too big for my current workflow and computers.

The 5D2 looks great, although the biggest disappointment (to me anyway) is that they did not upgrade the autofocus mechanism. The 5D2 is actually shipping - a fellow local photographer got her's this week. I'm going to play with it sometime next week hopefully.

As for whether to get the -24-105IS kit lens or not. What other lenses do you have? The 24-105IS is a decent lens and the IS works very well. I'm sure it will come in handy when working with videos as well as stills.

Speaking of videos, I came across some posted 5D2 videos on the interweb.
This one was produced with the 5D by Amy Wilson and David Stephenson of the Lexington Herald-Leader: http://www.davidstephenson.com/rocky_906.mov
This one from ArialPanhas some clips of the 5D on an Aerial Cam rig: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVOqmbOdN0E

[TonyK]

5DII or new Mac Pro desktop. Considering I cannot get Java 6 on my G5 running Tiger 10.4.11 I think the 5DII has to wait. Of course that is assuming I have a job next year. We are easily 1/2 of the size of when I started here 3 years ago and we lost 15 people the week before Thanksgiving.

Its sad to see a business go south. Its worse to be a participant and not to be able to influence the outcome.

Vance, Honda CR-V was paid off last month. Have the free and clear title right here. But the new AT&T plan for the iPhones cost so much more than what I was paying for Sprint that most of what I would have save by NOT having the car payment is being eaten by the new bill. < sigh > some days it does not pay to get out of bed. The iPhones are fun though and infinitely more useful than my old Palm Treo 650.

Take care,

[JoePhoto]

Given the 5DII's apparent "black dot" issue that looks like might be blooming near high contrast points in the image like blown points of light - I'd hold off on buying a 5DII for the moment. This is very disappointing. Check out the 5D forum on DPR for examples.

I was going to wait until next week when I get to play with a 5DII, before I decided on what route I want to go. This news makes the decision easier.

I did 2 client shoots and a lot of Zach photos with the D700 before I delivered the kit back to the owner (my friend) this afternoon. I finally got to dig into the images this afternoon and I have to say I'm pretty much sold. The D700 nabbed AF where my 5D had a good chance of failing. Sharp eyelashes when I expected to see soft ones. I'm not at the studio so I can't share photos (grr!) but I'll make a new post with my comparrisons and findings, but I'll say this - The original 5D's IQ is still easily among the best. The D700 matches it in some areas, pulls ahead in a few, and takes a back seat in others. But the files from the two cameras are very, very similar (diminishing returns anyone?). However, the D700 body sets it apart and is really in another class. That is the difference maker. I think the D700 just won me over.

[TonyK]

While my wife would LOVE for me to switch from Canon to Nikon, the cost of new lenses alone makes that prohibitive. The Nikon is a great camera and there are times I wish I had gone with the D100 when I purchased the used D30 but if wishes were dollars.

Take care,

[JoePhoto]

While my wife would LOVE for me to switch from Canon to Nikon, the cost of new lenses alone makes that prohibitive.

Very true, but my plan is to facilitate a semi switch back to shooting Bi with *zero* out of pocket money spent. I have a few bites on the (now lower priced!) MkIII body and will trade a few Canon lenses for Nikkors. I have a 24-70 Nikkor and D700 grip etc trade lined up for my 85L. The MkIII sale would allow me to buy a D700, SB900, and have a few hundred bucks left over. I still have my 300/4 Nikkor, the TCon and the 17-35/2.8. All I would need is the 70-200VR and another D200 body to have a full Nikon kit. Plus I have my D80IR with 18-70DX and my wife's D70s with 18-70DX (nice for backup) and 3 SB800's also.