Need your suggestions on buying...

Here is the deal...
I have been a film shooter for a long time, currently for the last few years I have been shooting with a Pentax 67II medium format camera, which I love, but it gets a little heavy after a while to say the least. I am primarily a landscape shooter.

I was planning on buying the upgrade to the 5D this spring but yet as you know it did not come. So who knows how long until the update will come, so this is where my dilemma lies....I want to shoot this spring/summer/fall with digital. I figured what I buy now would serve as a backup to the upcoming 5D replacement. Do I buy a current 5D or do I buy a Canon XSI which has the new Digic III chip, sensor cleaner etc all of which will be in the hopeful 5D replacement. Yes I know the XSI is not a full sensor, it has SD cards, different batteries but neither of those bother me.

I already own a bunch of Canon lens, the only thing I would have to buy for the XSI would be a wide angle 10-22mm or something like that. Whenever the 5D upgrade comes out I plan to buy a Canon Tilt/Shift lens for it. So buying a Canon XSI for now would save me enough cash to get the Tilt/Shift.

I am not totally set on the XSI, I have looked at the 40D but it is twice as much(or close) as the XSI and is almost identical for features except for the memory card, batteries, less megapixels. I don't need more frames per second shooting because I shoot landscape.

Help me please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jody, the 5D is a superb camera and will likely not disappoint you. Still, if I were in a position to buy something new, I'd wait for the next 5D. If there's any truth to the rumors, the improvements in dynamic range will be worth the wait. Canon may be waiting for the fall trade shows to make the announcements so it may be a few months before it's available. An XSI or XTI may tide you over if you need something right now.

Guy

Jody - I have just gone through your same thought processes except instead of changing from a film camera to an Xsi/5D, I wanted to upgrade from an XT. I was also hoping the new 5dMarkII would be out this spring, but once it wasn't released I did not want to want another year (may be announced in August, available by the end of the year, wait a few months for others to test) without a better camera. I decided that instead of upgrading now to an Xsi, I would go for the 5D for 2 main reasons: 1) there really is much more to learn on the 5D to use to to its capacity then the Xsi because the Rebel cameras are not nearly as complicated as the 5D, so I will have this year to be doing the learning and when the new 5D arrives I will just need to learn the new 5D stuff and 2) It's always a good idea to have a backup camera which I believe should be as close as possible to your main camera, so the 5D will be a great backup when I get the new 5D. So I did it! I got my 5D a week ago, love it so far, have tons to learn, will be very happy when the new 5D is released and will be ready to take it on...

Jody, I would defineltly buy the 5D if its affordable. It will make a great back up and it has a full sensor. I noticed the price coming down and you can purchase one for under 2k. Who knows you might not want the upgrade when it comes out. Depending on the price it may not be worth the extra dollars. I have an eos 1v that I bought for under $600. used. its a great camera even if I have to switch to film and between the 5D and Eos1V I have all the backup capability I need for landscapes. Buy the way I just bought a new 40D for 975.00 so its coming down also.

Have you considered buying a used 5D on ebay or somewhere with the intention of just holding it until the upgrade comes out then selling it? Might be an avenue to consider.

I'm with Bill here. Why not a used 5D? Or a used XTi (they should be flooding the market now the XSi is released - but that's only an assumption since I'm a Nikon user and not watching the Canon used market)?

The 5D certainly would lose some value once the MkII is available but it saves you from the struggles of buying an EF-S lens. You might also chose to wait a bit after the MkII release until availability is good and the first price drops, or you might keep it as a backup. Either way, you'd have the full frame sensor with all the qualities associated with that and probably full accessory compatibility, so this sounds like an attractive option.

The XTi should be fairly cheap, and value loss shouldn't be as big. But you'd have to buy an EF-S wideangle.

Basil

PS: You might also wait for the Nikon D3X. 24.4 MP FX at half the EOS 1Ds MkIII price. Well, at least that's what the rumors say. But rumors are rumors.

For a long time I was recommending that you wait until the next generation (and to some extant waiting myself). This was primarily late last summer in anticipation of a new model being released at least for use in Spring of 2008. Obviously, we are still waiting for the camera.

I finally bought the 5D a couple of weeks ago for a couple of reasons. First, it is out and (relatively) inexpensive. The 5D successor isn't out, will cost a lot more at least on initial release and if previous history on most recent higher end Canons hold, it will be a while before I even get one anyway. It is Spring and time to shoot seriously again. The image quality is a quantum leap over my 20D (although it is still on 4x5).

I really don't think that you'll be making a mistake going the 5D route, especially if you can find a good used one.

Just remember when purchasing new released items come the risk of flaws i.e. the latest Canon MK III release had a few problems where users had to send back their bodies for the fix! It's sorted now but it must have been a major pain for those who had that problem. Similar issues may arise with the new 5D MK II and if you haven’t got a back-up then your without anything to shoot with.

Whereas the current 5D, has all the creases ironed out so to speak. Also the dramatic price drop must surely be appetising. If the new version comes out in the fall then it could be as early as spring the follow year that the prices begin to drop satisfactorily.

I agree that a lightly used 5D is the better way to go. No need to purchase an EF-S lens, and the 5D has wonderful IQ. You can either keep it as a backup or sell it to fund the 5D upgrade when the time comes.

I do see that the XSi has incorporated the pixel technology advances first seen in the 1D Mk3. That technology has given the Mk3 phenomenal noise performance, and it's my very large hope that Canon will include that in all future camera upgrades, including the more affordable grades of 5D Mk2 and 50D, whenever they each might come out. I've been waiting to upgrade my 30D bodies, because the 40D offers little extra I care about and I'd be very happy with the new pixel technology.

If the new 5D has that technology, look out!

Does anyone know if that 1D Mk3 technology also was incorporated into the 1Ds Mk3 or was that too far along in the development stage for inclusion?

Steve - I'd guess that the 1Ds MKIII has very similar pixel technology to the 1D MKIII. Check out the Nikon D3 review on DP Review. In the comparison section they have some data on the 1Ds MKIII. I think between that and some other things I've read, the 1Ds MKIII probably loses a stop in noise performance to the 1D MKIII, with the same fantastic other qualities. But that's a guess.

Jody, I have seen your work and I have seen you running like crazy to get those great shots. I sell the xsi in my store and while I love the camera, I don't think you would be happy with it. A full frame sensor would be a real winner for you. I'm hoping to get a 5d or its' repalcement this year. I currently have an xti with a couple good lenses and while I like it, I don't feel it can come close to what I've seen from the 5D. Give me a call someday bud, I wanna go shoot with you sometime when you aren't running full bore up a 14,000 peak!

Jack