Camera Labs

hi guys,im jonathan and im new here. im not sure if i posted on the right forum but i just want to get your opinions about the upcoming canon 5d mark III. im not a pro,but im not a newbie either. i was thinking of getting the 7d or 5d mark II.but then i heard that the markIII is going to be released soon. do you think it would be worth it to wait for the mark III?

hope i could finally decide with your opinions.thansk in advance guys!

Hi catgotyourtounge,

May I wish you a warm welcome to the CameraLabs forum.

I guess it all depends on what extra feature(s) you think a 5D3 will have over the current 5D2 that would make it worth your while to wait. Maybe a few more pixels, maybe a better AF or metering system, or maybe improved ergonomics on the video side? The trouble is that nobody outside of Canon knows what the feature list will be, let alone whether a 5D3 will even be announced this year.

As to whether to go for a 5D2 or a 7D I think it's fair to say they are very different cameras. The 7D is more suited to sports and, with its 1.6x crop factor, it makes telephoto lenses more effective at capturing distant action. Compared to the 7D the 5D2 offers a few more pixels at better image quality and has a brighter viewfinder. I wouldn't swap my 5D2 for a 7D (or be interested in upgrading to a 5D3) but that's just my own preference. If you haven't already done so get down to a store and handle the goods.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

If you want/need a camera now, buy a camera now.

Most likely a 5diii wont be released until after the 1dsiv, so probably until 2012, think of all those shots you'll be missing!

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

If you need a camera, might as well grab one sometime soon. The dollar isn't getting any better with Fed printing monopoly money. =/

As for me, I can't wait for the Mark 3 to come out. Cheaper prices on the Mark 2. =P

(I think the Mark 3 should have the 7D's style of viewfinder, focus points, and its dual digic 4 processors. The 1D Mark 3 does 10x16 MP per sec, and 7D does 8x18MP per sec. No reason to think the 5D3 couldn't do 7x21 or 6x25 MP per sec except marketing. Oooh I hate marketing. They'll keep it artificially slow to protect the 1Ds's margins.)

Which camera do you have now? What are your reasons for upgrading?

I have a 50D and a 60D (for work) and I am holding out for the 5D3, because I can more or less do what I need with what I've got now.

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www.aputure.com/blog

hi guys sorry for the delayed reply and thanks to the warm welcome and to all your replies. you all have good points. and i finally get what you guys said that if i need a new camera, i might as well get one now.as my 350d broke just an hour ago hahaha it could take pictures and everything but after i take a shot(or a couple of shots) it buffers but it never writes into the cf card.it buffers forever. do you have any ideas on how to fix this?because if i can still have it fixed, i would hold on to it and wait for the 5dm3. which will be worth the wait. its either i can buy the mark3 or i would rather go for the m2 as its price will drop( more money for lenses)

Hi catgotyourtounge,

Have you tried using a different card. Once you've read everything on the existing card into your computer (assuming you have a card reader) can you use the 350D to format the card (via the camera's menu)?

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

hi bob.yes i've tried swapping the cf card with another one. i've also tried
1) using my cf card on another dlsr and it works just fine so i think the problem is within the camera. i can still use everything on the 350d.
2) i tried to take more photos using the 350d but it just writes 12kb on the cf card everytime and it doesn't go beyond that
3) ive tried to format using the 350d and it does format the cf card

.
Well, as it probably isn't cost effective to pay for a Canon service my only other suggestions, other than buying a new camera, would be to remove and then replace the battery, reset the camera using the Clear Settings menu item and, lastly, to try and (re)apply the latest firmware, available here. That's assuming that your camera can read the CF card, of course and I've no idea whether the camera would reject the firmware if it already has version 1.0.3.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

I did not plan to wait for a Mark III, and had started making some sacrifices to enable purchasing a 5D Mark II, or perhaps a Nikon D700, but then I had an opportunity to purchase a very clean pre-owned 7D, and went for that, instead, which actually means I now have two 7D bodies.

Well, I did the math, and found that what I paid for the pre-owned 7D, plus where some original 5D cameras are currently priced, is comparable to what a new Mark II costs, so I am actually considering an original 5D, to finally be able to try full-frame for portraits and landscapes, primarily with a tripod, when weather-sealing, fast handling, and fast focusing are less important.

To be clear, I am not recommending that anyone settle for an original 5D, just offering my view on obsolescence. A well-maintained product still does what it did when it was state of the art, so the introduction of a newer model does not make its predecessor obsolete, if the manufacturer (or aftermarket) is still supporting it. If a 5D Mark II does what you need it to do, why wait for its successor?

Moreover, with the epic tsunami of 2011, the wait for a successor may be long.

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

Regarding the 7D, as already indicated, it is a very different camera, for different purposes, than the 5D2. I want weather-sealing, fast focusing, and good ergonomics for my job, plus action and wildlife on my own time, and the 7D does all of that well for me, while being OK for low-light situations. A full-frame camera, on the other hand, is going to be better for portraits and landscapes, and will, all else being equal, perform better in low-light situations.

Any EF-S lenses you may already own cannot be used on the full-frame 5D2, so keep that in mind. EF lenses you may own, of course, will be fine.

To be clear, I only have actual experience with cropped-frame cameras, up to and including the 7D. I have researched the 5D, 5D2, and Nikon D700 full-frame cameras.

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

bob- thanks for the tips.ill try to reapply the firmware when i have time and ill update you

RexGig-hi thanks for the insights. yes i usually take landscape,low light and portrait shots so a full frame cam would be suitable for me.so now there's more reasons to buy full frame hehehe

i've also had experiences in using the 7d and 5d mk2. the 7d's feel is superb!the grip feels great.unlike the 5dmk2, its a bit less.but its the fullframe that im after