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What is an old Canon camera with a full frame sensor that you would recommend to a beginner?


Heera
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What old canon camera models would you recommend to someone who doesn’t yet have a camera body but has a 70-200mm lens?

Are there any that wouldn’t break the bank? Under $500 if possible. Also, is a newer APSC sensor worth it if it’s newer than the old full frame body?

edit: Someone is giving me a Canon T6i. When I save up enough money for those cameras you all mentioned I know that the 6D or the 5Dii are the two obvious choices. Thanks to everyone who answered!

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I picked up 5D Mark II last week. 

Great ergonomics. 

 

That's the only thing I truly liked, haha. 

I became so accustomed to electronic viewfinder that I can't stand OVF anymore. It makes precise manual focusing almost impossible. 

Took some photos, recorded some 12 bit raw video (thanks, Magic Lantern!). 

If you're on base ISO (200), then everything is quite all right and there is some latitude to play with in post. 

However, after ISO 1600 things start to fall apart pretty easily. I wouldn't mind grain, but.. 

A lot of colorful sensor noise and banding. Dynamic range isn't the best, either. 

It just feels like a 10-years old tech, unfortunately. 

I got much, much better results with a6000 which costs around 250-300$ used.

 

So, yeah, I wouldn't honestly recommend it. 

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10 hours ago, Heera said:

What old canon camera models would you recommend to someone who doesn’t yet have a camera body but has a 70-200mm lens?

Are there any that wouldn’t break the bank? Under $500 if possible. Also, is a newer APSC sensor worth it if it’s newer than the old full frame body?

edit: Someone is giving me a Canon T6i. When I save up enough money for those cameras you all mentioned I know that the 6D or the 5Dii are the two obvious choices. Thanks to everyone who answered!

What are you shooting?  70-200 sounds pretty long as your only lens.  Unless you're buying some other ones to go with it?

33 minutes ago, mercer said:

@heart0less some of my favorite ML Raw videos were shot with the 5Dii. Check out Northmen on Vimeo for some beautiful samples. For the money, I think you made a great choice. 

The Northmen videos are really nice.  I kind of wish they were pumping them out like lots of other creators.  I think YT has spoiled me!

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@mercer, wow - these are truly remarkable videos.

I'm not saying that this camera isn't able to deliver good quality images and the samples you linked are excellent examples of that.

 

I just didn't feel any chemistry with 5D2. 
 

Considering that I mainly take photos (video stands for maybe 20% of my hobby), I realized my relationship with 5D2 may prove to be a bit troublesome.

Decided to let this one go and look for some all-rounder in similar (~500$) price.
Maybe Panasonic? E.g. G85?


We'll see, it's a process.
( :

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The Black Magic Pocket original is really cheap these days, like sub $500 cheap. Seems like they are quite good up to 800 iso. Still kind of limiting when you are used to cameras that do up to 3200 iso while still looking clean. 

G85 definitely seems like a solid choice. Though if I was going Panasonic I'd go with the GH5 or a used GH5S(can sometimes be found for GH5 prices).

If I was going Canon I'd probably go with an M50 with speedbooster or EOS R if I could get together $2000. 

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2 hours ago, heart0less said:

I just didn't feel any chemistry with 5D2. 
 

Considering that I mainly take photos (video stands for maybe 20% of my hobby), I realized my relationship with 5D2 may prove to be a bit troublesome.

Decided to let this one go and look for some all-rounder in similar (~500$) price.

 

For someone mainly taking photos, the 5D2 (or even 5D1) at sub-$500 is imo one of the best deals as it gives you access to full frame, great color science, decent AF as well as FF FHD & FF Raw video as a bonus.

That said, if it didn't click with you then yeah perhaps move on. it's a big old clunky camera by today's standards. maybe try mirrorless. you can adapt Canon glass to most mounts out there..

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Α7ii with an adapter? Or the new RF Canon? 

Or sell the 70-200 and buy something more modern.

All the older 5DmkII I have used through the years at some point they had sensor issues (dead/stuck pixe, or worstl). I would be very careful with such an old camera, 3 or 4 generations behind these times.

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37 minutes ago, Snowbro said:

The canon eos rp would be a good old one, has the old 6d ii sensor & is cheap lol

lol not $500 cheap though. 
 

 

1 hour ago, Kisaha said:

Α7ii with an adapter? Or the new RF Canon? 

Or sell the 70-200 and buy something more modern.

All the older 5DmkII I have used through the years at some point they had sensor issues (dead/stuck pixe, or worstl). I would be very careful with such an old camera, 3 or 4 generations behind these times.

I wouldn't think there would be many advantages of buying an old full frame camera over something like the EOS M50, which seems good up to 3200 iso. 

 

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48 minutes ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

I wouldn't think there would be many advantages of buying an old full frame camera over something like the EOS M50, which seems good up to 3200 iso. 

 

A7ii is not that old, and I suggested to the op to sell the 70-200 for something even more modern. Selling the lens offers the money to buy an M50 the kit lens, and probably 1-2 more M lenses.

But if he/she specifically wants to use that lens, then it definitely needs a full frame camera, because it is a full frame lens, and we all know how it goes.

Personally, doing mostly video, my sweet spot is APS-C/S35.

 

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Just now, Kisaha said:

A7ii is not that old, and I suggested to the op to sell the 70-200 for something even more modern. Selling the lens offers the money to buy an M50 the kit lens, and probably 1-2 more M lenses.

But if he/she specifically wants to use that lens, then it definitely needs a full frame camera, because it is a full frame lens, and we all know how it goes.

Personally, doing mostly video, my sweet spot is APS-C/S35.

 

Well you can use a full frame lens on APSC and later when you have the money upgrade to a decent full frame camera. 

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8 hours ago, heart0less said:

I just didn't feel any chemistry with 5D2. 

Considering that I mainly take photos (video stands for maybe 20% of my hobby), I realized my relationship with 5D2 may prove to be a bit troublesome.

Decided to let this one go and look for some all-rounder in similar (~500$) price.

If you didn't like the experience then you're right to change.  Film-making is a creative pursuit and it's hard to remain creative if every time you think about your camera it gives you a little bump of negative emotion.  There are so many cameras around these days that are "good enough" that you should be able to find one that gives you a little positive bump throughout the process, or at least doesn't detract or get in the way.

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10 hours ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Well you can use a full frame lens on APSC and later when you have the money upgrade to a decent full frame camera. 

We all know it is not the same. I am pro-native lenses anyway and the 70-200 will be a huge and heavy 105-300 on a croped camera.

Also, he is just looking for something ultra cheap, when do you think he will be able to buy another and more expensive camera? In 15 years?!

He can sell the lens, and with the money buy the M50+15-45mm+55-250mm+the 22mm pancake, and is set!

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If the only lens the OP has is a 70-200mm then they may be able to get some beautiful images but will have to stand a long way back.

14 hours ago, Django said:

 

For someone mainly taking photos, the 5D2 (or even 5D1) at sub-$500 is imo one of the best deals as it gives you access to full frame, great color science, decent AF as well as FF FHD & FF Raw video as a bonus.

That said, if it didn't click with you then yeah perhaps move on. it's a big old clunky camera by today's standards. maybe try mirrorless. you can adapt Canon glass to most mounts out there..

I too would endorse the 5DII for all the reasons that you state.

There is no 5DI & the 5D did not have video.

BTW the guy who said that he didn't like the 5DII was not the OP.

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9 minutes ago, nigelbb said:

The OP specified FF not APS-C.

Why does everyone provide their own solution rather than answering the OP's question?

I'm fully aware of this.

I just used this comparison to point out that in my experience 5D2, even though it's FF, performs worse than APS-C camera that can be bought for almost half the Canon's price.

 

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On 2/8/2019 at 5:30 AM, Heera said:

What old canon camera models would you recommend to someone who doesn’t yet have a camera body but has a 70-200mm lens?

Are there any that wouldn’t break the bank? Under $500 if possible. Also, is a newer APSC sensor worth it if it’s newer than the old full frame body?

edit: Someone is giving me a Canon T6i. When I save up enough money for those cameras you all mentioned I know that the 6D or the 5Dii are the two obvious choices. Thanks to everyone who answered!

Are you wanting to shoot video or stills ( or both?)  Is the 70-200 a native Canon (white lens) and what version is it - F2.8 or F4  with or without IS?

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6 hours ago, Kisaha said:

We all know it is not the same. I am pro-native lenses anyway and the 70-200 will be a huge and heavy 105-300 on a croped camera.

Also, he is just looking for something ultra cheap, when do you think he will be able to buy another and more expensive camera? In 15 years?!

He can sell the lens, and with the money buy the M50+15-45mm+55-250mm+the 22mm pancake, and is set!

I have no idea what his future budget is. Maybe he is shooting nature. A 70-200 will be limiting even on full frame. Good for some things though.

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On 2/8/2019 at 5:30 PM, Heera said:

What old canon camera models would you recommend to someone who doesn’t yet have a camera body but has a 70-200mm lens?

I'd recommend you sell the 70-200mm lens rather than get sucked into the blackhole of disappointment which is Canon. 

 

On 2/8/2019 at 5:30 PM, Heera said:

 Are there any that wouldn’t break the bank? Under $500 if possible.

For what kind of shooting? Stills? Video? Sports? Landscape?

If for photography only then the Nikon D700 can be found for well under $500, or for a little over $500ish then the Nikon D800 can be picked up. 

If going for video, then I'd say forget about so called "full frame"! And go for a Panasonic G85

 

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