Hi everyone - I just sold my modern gear (from 2020) and bought a Canon 5D. I must be crazy!
So....Yeah, Background. I used to shoot film but with the crazy prices I had to stop and switch over to digital. I bought myself a Lumix G90 and a couple of nice lenses and it's been great - It really has (I adore the whole ethos of micro 4/3s) but long story short, I really started to resent sitting at the computer processing images, since it was something I never had to do with my film bodies and I was missing the simplicity of a camera with no features to speak of. So in a fit of madness I sold everything and bought a camera from 2005! So far, The 5D is amazing...It's helping me reconnect with photography for sure...Oh and the shutter sound is incredibly addictive. Granted, I do actually miss some of the modern conveniences like being able to see exposure changes as you shoot but the things I miss are generally limited to 'nice to haves' and not must haves. In the end, a camera is a camera and extra features won't fundamentally change what it means to take a picture. I do wish it was lighter though!
My plan is to shoot only with the 5D for the next 6 months to a year and then reassess but so far it's lots of fun!
My name's Stuart by the way.
the 5d is still a nice camera, and canon's L lenses are fantastic. if you're not a fan of editing but want something a little more modern, check out fuji & their jpg files. they feel like you're shooting an older camera, but with modern conveniences.
Quote from OrdinaryOwl on August 17, 2023, 1:56 pmSo....Yeah, Background. I used to shoot film but with the crazy prices I had to stop and switch over to digital. I bought myself a Lumix G90 and a couple of nice lenses and it's been great - It really has (I adore the whole ethos of micro 4/3s) but long story short, I really started to resent sitting at the computer processing images, since it was something I never had to do with my film bodies and I was missing the simplicity of a camera with no features to speak of. So in a fit of madness I sold everything and bought a camera from 2005! So far, The 5D is amazing...It's helping me reconnect with photography for sure...Oh and the shutter sound is incredibly addictive. Granted, I do actually miss some of the modern conveniences like being able to see exposure changes as you shoot but the things I miss are generally limited to 'nice to haves' and not must haves. In the end, a camera is a camera and extra features won't fundamentally change what it means to take a picture. I do wish it was lighter though!
My plan is to shoot only with the 5D for the next 6 months to a year and then reassess but so far it's lots of fun!
My name's Stuart by the way.
Nice to meet you Stuart 👋
I know what you mean about old DSLRs. The mirror/shutter slap sound is so satisfying. Looking through an OVF is satisfying. Both are considered "downsides" nowadays because we want quiet cameras, and preview exposures in an EVF. And I won't argue those are nice things, but yeah, I'm with you. Something more fun about the extra physical stuff.
I think it is the digital equivalent of film, about as close as it can get at least. Still not as tactile and the results aren't the same.
Does the Canon 5D give you a lot of settings to tweak JPEGs? Anyway to store those presets? That's one of my favorite things to do when I am shooting JPEGs and don't want to bother with the editing.
Share your favorite pics with us! And anything you like/learn about the 5D. I shot a friend's 5D once but otherwise have never used one.
Quote from OrdinaryOwl on August 17, 2023, 1:56 pmSo....Yeah, Background. I used to shoot film but with the crazy prices I had to stop and switch over to digital. I bought myself a Lumix G90 and a couple of nice lenses and it's been great - It really has (I adore the whole ethos of micro 4/3s) but long story short, I really started to resent sitting at the computer processing images, since it was something I never had to do with my film bodies and I was missing the simplicity of a camera with no features to speak of. So in a fit of madness I sold everything and bought a camera from 2005! So far, The 5D is amazing...It's helping me reconnect with photography for sure...Oh and the shutter sound is incredibly addictive. Granted, I do actually miss some of the modern conveniences like being able to see exposure changes as you shoot but the things I miss are generally limited to 'nice to haves' and not must haves. In the end, a camera is a camera and extra features won't fundamentally change what it means to take a picture. I do wish it was lighter though!
My plan is to shoot only with the 5D for the next 6 months to a year and then reassess but so far it's lots of fun!
My name's Stuart by the way.
I picked up a 5D and a couple of lenses literally a week ago (not gotten rid of any other gear - I just collect too many cameras) and it's a great piece of kit, if you want to try a nice combo set it to 800ISO and shot some images in black and white, the end results are quite stunning.
5D with the 50mm f1.8 II, 800ISO, f1.8 & 1/50, edited in Lightroom classic from raw.
Hi Stuart
I think you're going to enjoy the 5D Classic. It offers a lot of full frame fun for not much money.
A couple of years ago, I was given one by the widow of an old friend, as she wanted to see it continue to be enjoyed and appreciated. This 5D appeared to have seen little use. The menus and handbook were all in Spanish, so I suspect it might have been an impulse holiday purchase that later got put aside and forgotten.
I had one immediate problem which was a dust spot on the sensor and took it along to my local camera repair shop for a clean. The technician also did a basic visual inspection and gave the 5D a clean bill of health. This was £30 well spent.
My other concern was that this camera might suffer with the notorious mirror falling off issue. Canon had specified simply glueing the mirror in place with varying degrees of success. They offered a free recall and fix service but that ended in 2016. The tech that worked on my camera told me that there were production changes to fix the problem which involved fitting small clips to give extra support.
The mirror thing mainly affects 5Ds with serial numbers starting with a O. Using the camera in damp or humid conditions seems to rapidly soften the glue but it can equally well happen anywhere. From serial numbers 2XX, a fix should have been applied at the factory. Possibly. Later production models also had a upgraded LCD monitor. The original LCD could develop a greenish tinge after a few months of use.
My camera has a serial starting 29. I'm told this was in the last production run which carried on into the final 3XX series. So far, I have had no mirror problems and my tech person is available to glue it back if necessary for around £40. There are DIY fixes all over You Tube if money is an issue.
The size of the 5D was a bit of a shock after years of wandering around with a Ricoh GRDIII in my pocket. I usually have a Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens mounted on the 5D. This reduces the bulk and weight when walking about. The 40mm is a cheap lens too. Despite recent price increases, you can still pick one up for around £100 in the UK. Otherwise, I use a Fotodiox Nikon to EOS converter which gives me access to a bag full of F mount lenses - in manual mode, of course.
The best thing is that shutter sound. You'll be going out taking snaps just to enjoy the noise.
