With all the talk out there from Nikon, Canon and Sony about high resolution and high quality, high ISO performance it’s easy to get caught up in the race to buy new equipment. There have been countless times that I’ve wondered if I should upgrade my 5D to the 5D mkII or the D700, that’s actually what spurred this article. So with that in mind I wanted to take a step back from the constant push to upgrade cameras and always have the newest and the best to see what I’m really missing.
To me before you upgrade any equipment you own you should be asking yourself alot of questions. For me these three have been a good starting point, they make the decision less about want and more about need.
- What shot will this new camera get me that my current one won’t?
- Will X or Y feature lead to more sales or more assignments?
- WIll I take more photos because of it?
But looking at the forums on the internet I see lots of people asking about upgrading their cameras thinking that and that alone lead to better pictures. Looking at my purchases and really asking what has made me better at photography I can honestly say it’s not the camera I’m using now or the camera I was using before. Some lenses have made my shots better, and on occasion I’ve gotten the shot because my lens was fast or my camera nailed the exposure. But those are the rare cases, with modern cameras you can count on your hands the occasions you’ve had where you’ve needed a 1Ds or D3 vs the camera you already own. All current DSLR’s are great at taking photos, you don’t get a huge advantage with one camera body over another for most shots.
I know there are pros and some amateurs out there shooting things where these cameras are necessary, I don’t doubt the uses of these cameras, I just doubt them in the context of every day shooting. Can you honestly tell me that you need to upgrade your perfectly good X or Y DSLR to a new high powered one to shoot the family portrait or the candid of your kids, the evening sunset? I didn’t think so, it just does not make sense to be spending thousands on cameras for use cases where hundreds can do just as well.
Back to the title of this article, is the Canon 5D still good enough in today’s world of the 5D MkII and the numerous other cameras in this category? As a whole I’d say yeah the Canon 5D is just as good of a camera today as it was when it was released 5 years ago. It still shoots pictures just as well as it did then and conceivably will for the next 5 years. So unless you absolutely have to have the latest and greatest, or a specific feature that your camera is missing put it off.
Rather then spending your money spend your time, invest in the time to take the pictures you have always hoped to take, invest in photographic education, in a vacation to take more photos. Do anything you can do to get out and actually take the pictures you’ve always dreamed of taking and don’t let your equipment slow you down.
What do you think? Is it possible to keep up in a photography world that is dictated by the latest and greatest with a 5 year old camera tell us what you think in the comments.
Top 5D image courtesy of nickwheeleroz
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
[New Post] Is the Canon 5D enough? http://www.knowphoto.com/2010/03/is-the-...
I think it depends on what you’re going to use the camera for. I had a 5D up until recently. My 5D was a great camera. It took the shots I wanted (landscapes mostly) but I was missing some features I had on my 40D such as live view. I decided to upgrade to the 7D so that I would have a newer body for sports and that was going to be my wife’s camera. Well after using the 7D for a short while I pretty much took it over from her
. We ended up selling the 5D on eBay and bought her the Rebel T2i which she really enjoys. For me going with the 7D is the better choice for the type of photography I’m doing now which is mostly birds in flight, etc. If I were still doing mostly landscapes I’d be shooting with the 5D. If money were no object I would have kept the 5D and just added the T2i as a third camera to our line up but I was overruled on that idea 
I ‘spose if the tool still gets the job done it really doesn’t matter how old it is.
Hey Zack,
Thanks for the great comment! Your absolutely right that the type of photography your doing plays a gigantic role in the equipment that you use. Everyone will have different needs and different wants, but even in today’s world of the ever new feature the camera your currently using is always a great place to start.
Adam
What I like about this article is that you try to “calm” people down, get them away from the tech craze. That’s exactly what I try to say to people when they ask me what camera they should get:
We are in a golden age for photographers. You can buy a Nikon D1000 for 300€, spend another 250 on a great 50mm and take awesome, sharp, pictures. All criticism of cameras today is really on a high level.
Take my case as an example: I’m not primarily a photographer, but some kind of hybrid. I’m increasingly taking my own photos and had to choose a reliable, all round camera for me.
Photo-Nerds tried to talk me into a 5d Mark II. Great camera. Fat and heavy, not cheap, but still cheap for what it does. But the size and mass would have made it SLOW for me.
I went with a Lumix GH1. Of course, smaller chip, but extremely sharp 12 MP. And more noise in higher ISO. But with a fast prime: not a big deal. It fits MY way of shooting perfectly: it’s almost still too big, but you can really always take it with you. My way of shooting is the reporter style: catch situation fast and without people noticing too much. And with the small GH1 and it’s rotatable display people barely notice me. And if I need to do Studio shots the Lumix does it pretty good to, because THE LENS is key. Up to A2 poster it works very well, when you use a great lens.
Oh, and because it needed video: awesome, awesome video in Full HD. 5D MII is no better.
So, to wrap it up: I agree with you a lot. And, people: we’re lucky. Finally it’s more about the lens and you can always keep that. Concentrate on making photos and keep your camera till it brakes down on you, if it does what you need
P.S.: For the “reporter” in me the GH1 was still too big. So I got me a Sigma DP1s. Every tech nerd would tell you: it sucks. Sucky display, slow, slow, slow, low ISO. But every true photographer would say otherwise. Because it makes awesome photos and fits in your pocket. Second best thing ever to happen to my photography is the DP1s.
Check examples out at my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tm-de
Bye!