Photography on a budget: Part 5 Full Frame Cameras- Canon 5D Classic

[@andrewdoeshair]

I love it. I had a 5Diii that I took all over the world a few times between 2014 and 2020, and I absolutely loved that camera. During 2020 I “upgraded” to an R6 and a few very expensive RF lenses, but I stopped traveling, and started watching the gear collect dust, go mostly unused, and when I did use it I felt like everything was so easy and so technically perfect that it just wasn’t very fun, especially all while worrying about carrying $5,000-$6,000 worth of A camera and A lens at any given time. A few months ago I picked up a 5D classic along with an EF 17-40mm F4L, 50mm 1.8, and a Tamron 70-210 F4 (body and three used lenses all for under a grand) and I’ve been having SO much fun with this budget kit. I sold off most of my RF kit now and I’m thinking of replacing the R6 with something like a 1DX so I can have the speed and snappy response when need be without giving up that intangible magic feeling canon offered from like 2005-2015

[@williamcurwen7428]

I use my Canon 5D exclusively for working with very old manual focus lenses and get superlative image quality. At ISO1600 the digital noise is very attractive for B&W photography. I have no Canon lenses.

[@danieldevries2913]

I LOVE my Canon 5D classic. It's probably my favourite camera fur pure fun shooting and beautiful images. Every time I see one listed used, I'm very tempted to buy a second one.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Yes they are becoming quite limited now and finding one in good condition is a bonus. Thanks for your reply.

[@marycmcnaught]

Really liked the horseshoe fungus shot and the ducks. Hope to get out soon and expirement with my Canon sx60hs. Been picking up a lot from your past videos. Thanks for the help.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thank you I'm pleased some of my videos are acting as catalysts to go out and keep taking photos - it is really the best way to experiment and learn and of course help with mental health.

[@wolfganghnida-eichenlaub2537]

Thank you for your excellent presentation!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks also for your comment

[@williamwinslowhansen]

I have a a7ii and a 6d mk1 . The canon actually wins for lens availability with no adapter needed . It’s more robustly built and the prism viewfinder still is vastly superior to the evf on the Sony . Image quality is tight between the two as well . Recently went out with a friend with the latest canon mirrorless full frame and at the end of the day he was jealous of my images .

[@exurban5207]

Thank you very much. Not only for the helpful information and the convincing photographs, but also for the unexcited style of your video. :-)

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Kelkschiz]

For those who want to do budget full frame photography I'd recommend the original Sony A7: 24mp; because it's mirrorless, it will fit basically any vintage lens plus loads of other cheap options; and it costs only 300-400 bucks second-hand.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

That was one of my options however I didn't have compatible lenses would have made it a little more than my budget definition. Thanks for your comment, might be of interest to others.

[@jameswburke]

The A7 is a great camera - you can use the camera's focus peaking on old lenses and the exposure comp dial is handily placed on top. Adapters are cheap too, for vintage lenses. All manual settings of course, so suits 'slow' photography. A7 now cost from €450 on MPB.

[@IanRei]

Oh yeah! The classic fantastic ff digital camera I ever have.

[@CanoeToNewOrleans]

10:49 Great yellow

[@ootnaboot2]

Great video. I'm currently using a budget Canon 30d which is very similar to the 5d except it's a crop frame sensor. The Canon 30d is a real budget camera selling for approx £50-£60. I'd love to see you compare the 5d and 30d.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

For a lot of people a cropped sensor makes perfect sense. You have the longer focal lengths, more depth of field and the benefit of EFS lenses which are a lot cheaper. Adapted lenses are also easier to use. Maybe the 30d or 40d may be an option to try if I can find one in reasonable condition. Thanks for the idea.

[@marcp.1752]

I have bought the 10D - 50D all in their heyday. The 30D is still my beater camera for unsafe locations (still looking mint btw) and being replaced by my 40D, it does have a few tricks more, ultrasonic Sensor cleaner, 10 MP, more imp, 14-bit RAW (.CR2 format). And you'll get it also for 50-60 nowadays, i paid 1300 EUR for this back then. Together with the 15-85 USM, a great combo with 24-136mm focal length in FF terms.

[@noelslattery4502]

Only Canon DSLR I know of is the original 1D. D30, D60, 10D and 20D are all CMOS sensors. Nice clear video though.

[@y34r]

Original 1d does not have cmos sensor, it was ccd sensor before canon switched to cmos sensor in its successor 1d mark ii

[@chrisj0]

Some of those sample images look soft to me. I've heard that the 50mm 1.4 isn't very sharp until f2.8 or so (which is why I've always stuck with the f1.8 lens). I don't think it's a MP count but maybe a lens issue or maybe they were sharp and just look soft via youtube. Or maybe my eyeballs are mis-calibrated again :) ty I enjoyed the video and love some classic canon cameras!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I'll echo that the 1.4 isn't sharp at the centre good though for female portraits. f1.8 is good and f2.8 perfect.

[@freemanchrisx]

Serious question, iF the 5D was a "serious amateur camera", what was considered a professional camera at the time? 🤔

[@billbromer]

Thanks, very helpful.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jan-martinulvag1953]

eos M100 is my suggestion.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Yes I love the M5, M50 and M6 mk2 EOS M's that I have - this was just to show what a lot of people lament about full frame sensor cameras - they are not for everyone though!

[@borderlands6606]

I recently sold a 5D after owning it for a few years. It's a very well built camera, however the main benefit of full frame over the convenience of smaller formats, is better high ISO performance. Unfortunately it quickly goes downhill beyond base ISO, as you might expect of a 2005 camera.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I'm finding my threshold is about ISO 800 on this camera where it is 6400 on the mk IV. For DOF with full frame lenses >50mm F11 is the minimum I find I can get away with so for lenses without IS the need for high ISO is essential. It still beats the 1-2/3 sensor camera but a lot less convenient when it comes to travel etc. The right tools for the right job!

[@borderlands6606]

@@GrahamHoughton12 It's only recently that full frame cameras have been able to square the circle of image stabilisation, low light performance and relatively small dimensions. I found the 5D performed best on a tripod. At base ISO and optimum apertures, there was little to choose between the 5D and cameras costing many times more, as long as you don't aspire to print too big. As a daily user, there are better choices.

[@borderlands6606]

@M M Base ISO is 100 on the 5D. Any increase in ISO is noticeable compared to a modern full frame camera. What exactly don't you understand about that reality?

[@borderlands6606]

@M M You can LOL as much as you please. If you think 400 ISO (a mere 2 stops) looks the same as 100 on the Canon 5D, good luck to you. On a modern full frame camera they are barely distinguishable. Not to mention differences in dynamic range between a 2005 and a 2022 camera. I say that as someone who shoots old and new cameras in m43, aps-c and full frame.

[@borderlands6606]

@M M Absolutely. At 200 ISO the 5D is noticeably noisier than at 100 ISO, and 400 ISO it doesn't resemble base ISO in noise rendering. From 400 to 1600 the camera requires ETTR and intervention in post to get an acceptable image to current expectations. Added to the 5Ds limited dynamic range, the camera's principle advantage is colour rendering. Which is to be expected a decade and half later in a novel technology. A modern 12 megapixel full frame camera with the 5Ds pixel pitch and current processing technology would offer marginal noise at the 5Ds maximum ISO. This is technologically unremarkable, so your chief gripe is regarding what "downhill" means. I've stated my definition, yours may differ.

[@chakwong]

I am a half-press-then-compose shooter with all my cameras since the Canon AE-1. But I can’t do that smoothly with the 5D. I have to press the * button first! Is there a camera setting that eliminates that extraneous move?

[@ricodeco2139]

Sounds like the back button focus setting is turned on in your camera. It's one of the options available in the custom functions menu and you can go in there and turn it off. If you select custom functions in the main menu and scroll over to #4 you'll probably find that it's currently set to 1 or 2. If you change it back to 0 the shutter button should go back to behaving normally.

[@chakwong]

@@ricodeco2139 Thanks for the reply. #4 was set to 0. So no joy.

[@ricodeco2139]

@@chakwong Interesting, sorry it didn't help. Have owned one of these cameras since they came out, but I'm no expert. Sounds like there maybe is something wrong with yours. You might try asking Canon, they have pretty decent tech support for such a large company. Another option might be learning to love back button focus if that's what you have. My camera's #4 is always set to 1. Best of luck.

[@TTSpeter]

Nah, The Canon D30 was an earlier CMOS camera...

[@killpop8255]

Suggestion for best image quality can that I can use with full frame eos lenses. Tops about 3,000 GBP new. Video, a f not important. Just for still life, considered framing, studio strobe, iso as low as poss, DSLR to save eating batteries on mirrorless with hours of composing etc. Been out of photo life for years so some pointers to models.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Have you considered the Canon 5D mkIV. I upgraded from the mkIII and it is a great stills camera

[@killpop8255]

@@GrahamHoughton12 I haven't considered it but will take a look. Thank you.

[@jameswburke]

The Canon 6D is pretty good.

[@death2putin718]

No video makes it rather obsolete to most.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

There area actually quite a few shooters for whom video is not an essential attribute but of course this is a personal choice. I too need video for my personal style of working.

[@walkwithme2700]

Full talking from the beginning to the end or the video.

[@death2putin718]

It looks heavy

[@GrahamHoughton12]

It's as heavy as a brick, no plastic here!