Worth Upgrading from 550D to Mk II now after the Price Drop?

Sniper1154

Sniper1154

Well-known member
Currently the 5D sits at ~$2199 new after its price drop. Having shot mostly video with the 550D I'm contemplating either upgrading to the 5D and getting a Sigma 28mm & 50mm lens, or upgrading my 550D lenses to the aforementioned 50mm, the Tokina 11-16mm, and the Sigma 30mm lens.

I've exhausted looking up the differences between the two and, though I like photography, I wouldn't be getting the MKII for that (though my interest could bloom).

Just looking for a bit of guidance and suggestions as far as standing pat or taking the 5D plunge.

Thanks guys/gals!
 
I think you just have to ask yourself
1. Do you need the extra benefits of the larger sensor for your style- Shallower dof, better low light (which if you decide to stick crop sensor be achieved via certain lenses )
2. Do you need the better build quality (could go 7D for that matter and get HD monitoring, or to a lesser degree 60D and get an articulating screen)

Personally, if I were you (IF you answered no to question 1)...since you aren't all that interested in the 5Ds photo side....I'd get a 7D or a 60D and some new lenses. You'll save a ton on the body, but still get upgrades on feel, build quality, 1/3 stop iso control.
IF however you just LOVE the 5Ds full frame look...go for it and don't look back- since you already know that there won't be another upgrade to the series for a long while yet. Most of the MK3s improvements are on the photo side...video wise they have fixed the aliasing and moire, but at the expense of having to post sharpen, added audio features, HD monitoring and it is better in low light even than the MK2. The MK2 is still an incredible camera.
 
I say no. I had the 5dii. Sold it for a 60d when that came out and I have never really missed having it on a shoot. On the other hand when I had the 5d I wished I had 60p and that is one of the reasons I had to switch. If you do buy one, don't even thing about buying new.
 
Not a lot of point. The 5Dmk2 still has aliasing and moire. 7d is worse than 550d because there is no magic lantern. There will be new aps-c cams coming out that are better for video, and all cinema cam censors are aps-c or just marginally larger, so the sensor is plenty big enough really.
 
+1 for buying used for $1,500. Everyone is dumping their mark II's so good time to buy used. What do you shoot? The difference is minor, so don't expect too much of a difference. I love mine though. I've got a nikon tokina that I'll be posting for sale.
 
I've just been down this road. Picked up a really nice Mk2 and canon grip for 1500...very happy. Still keepng my 60D though, it's a great camera for 90% of my video needs and more usable with the sound & swivel screen. Also keep in mind any efs kit lenses you may have or bought for the 550D won't work with 5d Mk2, and at some point you'll probably need to shell out another 1500+ for a 24-70 2.8 zoom (the FF sister of the great 17-55 EFS zoom).
Love the Mk2, but had to travel to thailand with limited luggage and could only take 1 kit in a small bag. Chose the 60D, more versatile on many fronts.

D

www.sixfoot6films.com
 
if you shoot mostly during daylight and under 400 ISO, keep your t2i and get new lens and save some money
if you shoot anything over 400ISO the 5Dmk2 will be the way to go if you want to get a look thats closer to film
the grain (affects the overall texture of the picture) in t2i,t3i,60D,7D look more video like at any ISO setting. the higher ISO the more video like noise will be there

theres a reason why many films and music videos choose 5Dmk2 over 1Dmk4 is perhaps 5Dmk2 just have better looking grain even tho 1D is better at lowlight and less jello.

5d3 will be the way to go if you have the budget.
buy a use 5d2 now and sell it later for about the same price, upgrade to 5d3 during the next price drop.
but do wait for t4i and see if its 1 stop better at low light
 
Last edited:
gonzo_entertainment said:
'Most of the MK3s improvements are on the photo side..."

Completely false.
Click to expand...
I totally agree. Just looking at the specs doesn't give you the full picture You really need to be a 5D2 owner to appreciate all the extra big & little improvements that make the 5D3 a really significant upgrade over the 5D2 for video work.
 
If you wish to further 'impress' clients, then pro grade gear can attribute alot to the amount of work you get (despite 550d performing just as good). its just the nature of the industry really.

I still use 550d for B cams in good lighting for weddings, and 5d3 is reserved for cinematic narration and the low light period during receptions. But you are a different shooter, so if you are shooting primarily in great light, keep the 550d and upgrade it with ML, and spend the rest on lighting (LED panels, redheads), and a set of SuperTakumar m42 primes.

Dont ever side grade to another APSC canon. Thats what magic lantern is there for. T4i does look very appealing though due to the low light benefits of the digic 5 . But comparing 550d to 7d,60d , it is the same IQ, and as mentioned, ML on 550d supersedes 7D in features.
 
My only video capable DSLR is in fact a 1DMK4, and while it takes great video, it has always seemed to me that DSLR video only really makes sense with full frame. Not that I'd swap it for 5D3 ;-)
 
Trevor Dennis said:
My only video capable DSLR is in fact a 1DMK4, and while it takes great video, it has always seemed to me that DSLR video only really makes sense with full frame. Not that I'd swap it for 5D3 ;-)
Click to expand...

Interchangeable lenses widely available at every imaginable price point and the amazing low light performance are why I switched to DSLR. Full Frame maximizes both those benefits I think.
 
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