Hunk'a Hunk'a Burnin' Love....

[kuzano]

Just picked up a nice Canon 5d. Have been desirous of trying out Full Frame. Just got it yesterday, so this weekend is somewhat planned out.

Let me first say this.... you have to love this camera to haul it around. Canon designed this camera originally to be a smaller FF camera. CaNikon have downsized other FF cameras, I'm sure, but not likely much smaller than this I suspect. I think I'll be OK because my favorite film camera is my Fuji medium format GL690, which is truly not much bigger than this 5D.

It occurred to me that some on the forum might be interested in relative sizes of cameras from 35mm RF to the Big Fuji.

Up til now, for digital I have primarily been shooting Olympus 4/3 and M4/3. I don't mind the 2X crop factor, since I don't have many high caliber 35mm legacy lenses, and I've appreciated the ability to turn relatively inexpensive but high quality longer lenses into really long manual focus telephotos...ie, 300mm in an older manual focus Oly, Canon, or Nikon (or many other lenses) reach out 600mm on the Olympus 4/3 sensor.

So, here are some pics of example:

The camera setting the RF stage is a Kiev Kneb 35mm with a Jupiter 8 lens for average old style rangefinder
Second camera going right around the circle is an Olympus E-500, last of the Kodak sensors for marvelous color.
Third camera, upper right corner, Fujifilm S2 Pro, build on a Nikon body for Fuji.
Middle top, friends Canon XSi (12Mp) with a Canon L series 24-105 and battery pack grip.
Left top, The Canon 5D with Canon FF 28-135 IS lens and battery pack grip.
Last... Fujica GL690 (6x9 MF) with the autoexposure AE100 EBC lens (Only EBC coated lens in the interchangeable lens line. All fixed lens Fuji Rangefinders had EBC coating)

Canon 5D (w/o grip) to Oly E500

5D back to Oly 4/3 back

5D side w/grip to Oly E500 no grip

Kiev Kneb to 5D

Last... Kneb to Fujica GL690

Back to studying the 5D manual and perusing internet 5d info.

Note: People often ask me what it's like to shoot "street" with these bigger camera's. I don't. I shoot "street" with Large Format 4X5!

 

[-doomed-]

I swapped all my Leica gear for a 5D and I don't regret it. Enjoy yours, mine has been the best thing I've gotten in a while. Paired with a 17-40 F4L it goes pretty much everywhere with me.

 

[kshapero]

I swapped all my Leica gear for a 5D and I don't regret it. Enjoy yours, mine has been the best thing I've gotten in a while. Paired with a 17-40 F4L it goes pretty much everywhere with me.

Pretty brave thing to say on the RFF.😎

 

[gavinlg]

Take off that battery grip and the clunky zoom lens and pop on a 35mm f2, and it becomes not that much bigger than a 35mm rangefinder.

The 35mm f2 is very small but a fantastic lens, and the 5d is the classic workhorse of the canon line. I'm sure that you'll find it's a fantastic no nonsense camera with still relevant IQ. Mine has been my staple camera for the last few years and has never let me down.

 

[kuzano]

Thanks for the responses

Thanks for the responses

Thanks for the affirmations of this acquisition.

In fact, being an Olympus fanboy for a long time, and shooting Olympus DSLR, I am finding this D5 acquisition to be a good move for a couple of reasons...

First, I have a lot of Olympus OM lenses (legacy on 4/3) and have been using those on the Olympus DSLRs for some time, happily. However, those are multiplied by the 2X crop, so the advantages to this old wonderful Oly OM glass is primarily in long lens result, not wide.

It turns out that a very inexpensive adaptor also makes all my Oly inventory usable on the FF 5D with no crop factor. This makes wides and fast lens in Oly primes quite usable on the 5D.

It occurs to me that the Canon 5D for many would be the natural extension to owners of large stables of Leica and other lenses in Leica mount. No crop factor, 12.8 Mp, and excellent image quality on a proven camera currently selling for approx $1000. The adaptors are available and split image focus screens are available.

I also think this is one of the best moves I have made for Digital in a long time. I will probably still shoot mostly medium format in my big Fuji's. But, the 5D, my Olympus E-500 and the Oly glass will fill a wide range in digital.

Also, it is correct to consider that the 5D without the battery grip, and with the Oly primes is actually a very small and portable package, not that much bigger than my Olympus DSLR.

 

[gavinlg]

In fact, being an Olympus fanboy for a long time, and shooting Olympus DSLR, I am finding this D5 acquisition to be a good move for a couple of reasons...

I actually used an olympus e-3/12-60mm swd and e-410 for about a year... I was mainly interested in the reported benefits of the 4/3 lenses and optical performance. It was ergonomically a lovely system and the lenses are very good, but in terms of outright performance the full frame 5d blows the 4/3 system out of the water in pretty much every way. Do yourself a favor and try some of canon's cheap prime lenses with the 5d - they're very small, light, and cheap, but optically they're great. It's a luxury not available to 4/3 users unfortunately.

 

[kuzano]

Thanks...

Thanks...

I actually used an olympus e-3/12-60mm swd and e-410 for about a year... I was mainly interested in the reported benefits of the 4/3 lenses and optical performance. It was ergonomically a lovely system and the lenses are very good, but in terms of outright performance the full frame 5d blows the 4/3 system out of the water in pretty much every way. Do yourself a favor and try some of canon's cheap prime lenses with the 5d - they're very small, light, and cheap, but optically they're great. It's a luxury not available to 4/3 users unfortunately.

Thanks for that... Probably something I should do anyway to utilize lenses designed for the system.