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Advice on DSLRs

Non-aviation photos, camera equipment and photography in general.
 

Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 01 Jun 16, 16:49Post
Hey,

So my Canon 60D failed utterly and spectacularly last year, just 9000 shutter actuations into its life.

Now that I have "better than military pay," I'd like to get a new DSLR in the 500-800 USD range. I appreciated the solid construction of the 60D, and I like having a top screen to look at settings, as well as good low-light performance.

Given the state of the markets now, what do you think would best suit my needs? Another 60D?
vikkyvik 01 Jun 16, 18:33Post
Lucas wrote:I appreciated the solid construction of the 60D


Well I have to admit, that's the first time I've read that! They went from the customary magnesium-alloy bodies of the 50D and previous, to plastic on the 60D (I don't know that it made a whole lotta difference in practice, but reviews always commented negatively on it).

Lucas wrote:Given the state of the markets now, what do you think would best suit my needs? Another 60D?


No. If you want really good low-light performance, full-frame is the way to go. You should be able to get a used 5D2 for around $800 or less. Maybe even a 5D3 at this point, though I might be wary of a 5D3 being sold for under $1000.

I always recommend buying used - better value for the money. Though I think it's "safer" to buy lenses used rather than bodies, because you can quite literally see any issues. But I haven't had any issues with my used bodies, and I bought both my 50D and my 5D2 used.

Come to think of it, wasn't Vic selling a 5D2?
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 01 Jun 16, 18:43Post
I let my 7D go for 800.00.

I have my 5D2 as a backup now. If the going rate is 800, I'll keep mine. But Vik is right, step up into the full frame world. Amazon has a 5DMk2 for 850.00. Not sure how many clicks it has on it.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 01 Jun 16, 23:02Post
I should clarify: the 60D sucked compared to my 20D, but is way better than my Rebel.

Thank you both. I will look into the 5DMk2 and maybe a 7D. I hike a lot and like taking night sky pics.
vikkyvik 02 Jun 16, 03:37Post
Lucas wrote:the 60D sucked compared to my 20D


Interesting. For what reason (aside from the very early spectacular failure)?

Lucas wrote:Thank you both. I will look into the 5DMk2 and maybe a 7D. I hike a lot and like taking night sky pics.


I like those photos too (as you can probably tell). And full-frame is great for that for two reasons: 1.) less noise allows you to crank the ISO to capture more detail, and/or to keep shutter speed down to avoid star trails; and 2.) you can get a much wider view of the sky without an ultra-wide-angle lens.

Of course there are disadvantages, especially for someone like me who takes a fair number of zoomed-in shots of planets, nebulae, etc. - you do lose length on the long end.

The 7D also has a reputation for somewhat noisy photos, even at low ISO. I personally haven't used it, so can't offer any personal experience, but the number of people who've mentioned it leads me to suspect it's true.

Also keep in mind, I don't know about newer APS-C cameras, but most of Canon's full-frame bodies don't have a built-in flash. I had to buy a Speedlite. Not too big a deal for me, since I don't use a flash much. But something to bear in mind.
Zak (netAirspace FAA) 02 Jun 16, 11:15Post
vikkyvik wrote:The 7D also has a reputation for somewhat noisy photos, even at low ISO. I personally haven't used it, so can't offer any personal experience, but the number of people who've mentioned it leads me to suspect it's true.

It is - sort of. But it's usually blown out of proportion, if you ask me.

By my experience, the 7D does show a little noise, even at ISO 100. But it's really not that bad and can easily be fixed in post-processing, without any notable loss of details.

OTOH, the camera does have a fairly good noise performance at higher ISO levels. Even at ISO 1600 or 3200, some shots still come out okay.

This one was taken at ISO 1600, for example:



Here is an ISO 100 example:



At full res, you can tell there is a tiny bit of noise in the sky, but I don't think it's dramatic.
Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 02 Jun 16, 23:01Post
Vik—the workmanship came across as a lot less solid than the 20D; at one point a little screw thingy came out, too. Easy to fix, but really? I'm very gentle with my cameras. And then of course the mirror mechanism just failing...seriously crap.

To both you and Zak, the 5DMk2 says that it came out in 2009. That seems seriously old. Is it really going to be better than something like an 80D?

Full frame does seem enticing for the night sky shots. (OTOH, the added weight on a 70-mile hike seems kinda...ugh.)
vikkyvik 03 Jun 16, 04:34Post
Lucas wrote:Vik—the workmanship came across as a lot less solid than the 20D; at one point a little screw thingy came out, too. Easy to fix, but really? I'm very gentle with my cameras.


Gotcha. I wonder if a lot of that was due to the plastic body versus the magnesium-alloy.

Lucas wrote:To both you and Zak, the 5DMk2 says that it came out in 2009. That seems seriously old. Is it really going to be better than something like an 80D?


Well, all I can really tell you is it's the camera I still use (I bought it used in December 2014).

Even with advances in APS-C sensors, I think even a slightly older full-frame will still likely beat it. I haven't used any newer cameras, so can't offer first-hand experience. But in general, the 5D2 does pretty much everything I need it to do.

If you have a camera store somewhere near you, see if you can rent a couple bodies and try them out (I don't know if stores rent bodies or not - I've only rented lenses before).

Lucas wrote:Full frame does seem enticing for the night sky shots. (OTOH, the added weight on a 70-mile hike seems kinda...ugh.)


Added weight? I don't think my 5D2 is noticeably heavier than my 50D.
CO777ER (Database Editor & Founding Member) 05 Jun 16, 16:56Post
I've put my 5D3 to hell and back and it still works great.
 

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