Canon 5D Mark II - if you owned

[amatula15]

Hi!

The local camera shop has a used 5D Mark II. 

I currently have a Canon SL1 and was looking to upgrade.
I had been considering the Rebel T8i and the Canon RP (mirrorless full-frame).

I looked at the specs for the 5D II and they seem fine even though they do not have the latest and greatest of anything.

I handled it without battery and with the very light weight 50 mm F/12.8 lens and it did not feel heavy (but would want a heavier/longer lens than that one to help with stabilizing the camera) -- I am petite and use cameras hiking.

If you have owned and used this camera, what are your thoughts on it, especially for landscape?

I am also going to be working with ND (neutral density) filters and maybe seeing if I like astrophotography.

Thank you and all the best!

Annie

[Waddizzle]

It is a great camera.  If you are using the EF 50mm EF 1.8 STM with it, then you have an excellent combo for landscape photography, which is something that I enjoy doing, too.  I really like to capture panorama shots.

One in mint condition with a battery and charger should go for no more than $600, if not much less.  Make them throw in a memory card or two.  Haggle.  I am sure they want to sell it.

[amatula15]

Waddizzle, thank you so much!!

[ebiggs1]

I was a 5D Mk II owner for many years. If I were to have the choice between a new T8i and a used 5D2, I would go for the T8i every time. Simple it is a newer camera.  It has newer tech. It will remain current longer and will have a warranty. Just think the 5D2 is 12 year old tech. All the electronics are better now. Plus there is a lot of baloney about FF being so much better than crop.  Yes, the FF has some advantages but so does the cropper. It depends on whether you need those specific advantages.

My 1D Nk IV is a crop sensor and my 1DX is a FF but I use the Mk IV at certain time and the 1DX for others. 

Digic 4 vs Digic 8 c'mon, that says it all right there. If you are adding it to your bag as a compliment to your SL1, that's a pretty good idea but it isn't when the decision is a 5D2 vs a T8i.

[shadowsports]

Annie,

Stay away from that 5D2.

As you said, you have an SL1 now and small hands.  You'll be a natural for a T8i.

Was the 5D2 an exceptional camera, yes it was.

You have APS/C lenses too.  Maybe not the latest, but they won't fit on a 5D2 either way.

I'm with ebiggs.  As he pointed out consider moving from your SL1 (Digic5) to something much newer Digic 8, which is more technilogically capable and advanced.  The 5D2 is Digic 4.  You get that in a 12 yr old package.  Newer isn't always better, but in the case of a 5D2...  Even Canon knows where it belongs.

If you didn't have a camera now, I'd say maybe.  But you do, and you have some APS/C) lenses too.  This is your chance for a meaningful upgrade.  Just in case there is still any doubt about which camera to buy, here is a side by side:

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-II-vs-Canon-EOS-Rebel-T8i     

Will you pay more for the T8i, yes.  But it will be a do more, get more camera.  Now compare your SL1 to the 5D2... Whats the biggest difference?  The lens mount...  because performance wise from a IQ standpoint, (Digic 5 vs. Digic 4) they are nearly identical, and both are "older" by today's standards.  

[amatula15]

Thank you, Rick!

I actually have an EF lens, Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens.

It is always on my camera. I no longer use the kit lens that came with it.

I purchased that lens too (vs a APS-C lens) because I knew at some point I might want a FF camera.

If I don't purchase it, I might go with the Canon RP; a smaller FF camera with the same sensor (I think!) as the 6D II

I would even go with the 6D II too, although a little heavier. 

I have seen incredible shots with older cameras; and I don't need GPS and WiFi connections using the camera, nor flip or touch screens, so older is OK with me if I am getting a quality product.   I like the weather sealing and better viewfinder. That said, it is heavier and I'd need a flash.... 

Did you own the 5DII? Was there something about it that you didn't like?

All the best!

Annie

[ebiggs1]

" I don't need GPS and WiFi connections using the camera, nor flip or touch screens, so older is OK with me ..."

Those features are glitter and gadgets. Fluff!  That is not new tech of which we speak. It is the internal electronics like the Digic processor.

[ebiggs1]

"Did you own the 5DII? Was there something about it that you didn't like?"

I know you asked Rick this but my thoughts are.  I liked it in 2012 or so but I liked my 5D Mk III in 2014 better or whenever I bought it. 

The real bottom line, kido, if you want it, it is just a camera, buy it.  If it doesn't work out as you hoped the Sun will still come up in the morning. You'll move on and you'll be smarter for it.

[wq9nsc]

I agree with Ernie about the full frame versus crop, either/both take very good photos.  My first quality digital was a Canon 1D Mark II which was a 1.3 "crop" midway between FF and the common APS C 1.6 "crop".  It worked very well and still produces beautiful output as long as there is enough light, high ISO noise was its biggest shortcoming and ISO noise performance and dynamic range are the areas where the greatest gains have come in image quality in the recent past. 

In general, I would go with a newer "crop" sensor over either an older full frame or crop sensor.  I shoot with 1DX series now because I need the speed, AF performance, and low light performance and they are full frame designs but I wouldn't have hesitated to buy them if they were still 1.3X crop sensors like my original 1D 2.  To me, the biggest reason for full frame versus crop is for the same number of megapixels the individual photosites on the full frame sensor are larger with the greater area of the full frame sensor.  For the same generation of technology, the larger light collection surface of the individual cells provides lower noise at lesser levels of illumination but this might not matter to you if you typically shoot with plenty of light. 

Disclaimer, I have never used a 5D II but I do have a 5DS and 5DS R which are largely built on the 5D III chassis.  These were bought through the gray market, something I don't really advise but since my doctoral dissertation was partly in this area and I am fully aware of the risks and benefits I felt comfortable doing so.  For me these are useful when I want a high resolution sensor (50 MP) and I have been happy with their performance.  Once I added battery grips to them I am very comfortable going between my 1 and 5 series cameras, prior to that the lack of duplicate vertical orientation controls really bothered me because I was so used to them from the 1 series.

Rodger

[Tronhard]

If I may throw my two cents' worth in here...

Field of View

In a way it goes back to how the lenses will work with the subjects you want.  I have both FF and crop cameras and frankly, as others have said, they can both do a great job, depending upon what you want to use them for.

You say that you are currently using a Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens on your crop sensor body and that is your go-to combination.  One immediate observation will be that what a FF camera delivers will not match what you are used to in terms of Field of View.  A 24mm lens of your APS-C body has a FoV Equivalent to that of a 39mm lens on a FF body, so your images on a 5DII will be delivered at 24mm, thus they will exhibit a much wider FoV than you are used to - that is neither good nor bad, but it will be different and worth consideration.

Like you, I have had happy experiences with older cameras, but in my case I got all but two of them when they were current models.  The two exceptions to that were the Canon EOS D30 (2000) and D60 (2003) that I got because they were landmark cameras in their time, which fitted in well with some courses I was preparing, and I wanted to make a point that one can get decent photos from older technology.  I absolutely still use all of my older gear on occasion; however that said, would I use them as my normal day-to-day kit?  Given the range of gear choices I have: no, not really.  You, on the other hand, will be assumedly using this as your main unit.

To me the biggest issues with the older technology are:

• The sensor performance and in particular lack of dynamic range, plus slower processing. 
• The video aspects are not relevant to me but might be to you, in which case the 5DIII would be a much better bet if you were going to stick to that lineage.
• Old cameras are often not supported any more, so you should find out if there are issues if you can get the camera fixed, by whom, and how long that would take.
• The direction in which the market is moving

If you are seeing a long photographic timeline ahead of you, then you should consider the fact that the future pretty much belongs to the new EOS R cameras and RF mount- certainly in terms of FF  units.  That is where the body and lens development is has its schwerpunkt right now.  If you see that as significant, then investing in a R-series body to which you can add RF native lenses in the future seems like a prudent consideration.  If you get an R-series body with the lens adaptor you can still use your existing EF24mm unit, but then grow into the R line over time.  The bodies will be smaller and lighter (but not necessarily the lenses), but they should still offer better performance overall than a 12 y.o. camera.