Upgrading

[didi440]

Hi All. I am getting ready to upgrade from my much loved, well used Rebel XSi. I am going to either the 5d Mark II or the 5d Mark III. Will the lenses that I currently have for my XSi fit the Mark II. I have only 2 that I am concerned for now -- my 60mm Macro and my 55-102mm. Both are EOS lenses. I haven't purchased lenses such as a fish eye because I was learning -- alot. I still am. But now that I am ready to upgrade bodies, I would like those 2 lenses to come with me. Thanks all.


PS After the camera comes the housing -- working with my dive shop on that one!!!

 

[bvanant]

The 60 mm lens is an ef-s lens so will not work on either of the full frame cameras. The 55-102 lens is totally unknown to me (and canon). If it is the 55-250 then it too is an ef-s lens and will not work with the full frame cameras.
Bill

 

[didi440]

Typo -- it's a 55-250. STINK!!! Thanks for the info. SIGH!!! Back to the drawing board -- maybe.

 

[cbrich]

What housing are you getting? IMHO, Nauticam housings are hands down the best housing for DSLR.

 

[TheDeuce]

All your lenses will fit the 7D. :cool2:

Any particular reason you want to be shooting full-frame below the surface? I shoot a Rebel XTi below the surface (so to speak, I'm just starting my UW photo experience) and shoot a 7D and 5D Mark II up top. If I were to take either the 7D or 5DII down I'd choose the 7D in a heartbeat. The snappy and intelligent autofocus and quality LCD makes that decision easy. Don't get me wrong, I like the 5DII but the only benefit I see underwater would be shooting macro. The DOF advantage of FF is clear when I shoot macro. I like FF for architectural shooting as well but I have limited opportunities to shoot skyscrapers below the surface!

It's a moot point for many but I like the 7D movie mode (and live view) better than the 5D's as well.

Speaking of moot points, all my points are moot if you're wanting to go with the 5D Mark III. But given the cost of the body and and a set of EF lenses I'd be looking subframe if I were in your shoes.


I hope some more experienced UW shooters weigh in here. A good FF/Subframe discussion would be enlightening.




m.

 

[BluewaterPhoto]

Deleted post (will reply later - we have been testing the 5D MK III vs the Canon 7D)

 

[mjh]

Well your 55-250mm is not "useable" underwater so that makes things easy. For the Mark II your options are Aquatica and Ike. For the Mark III you do have Nauticam which is very good housing but I think, Aquatica, Seacam, and a few other folks have quality and price points they can make a case for So for the Mark III you will have more choices, eventually. In general we find it is best you buy the most camera you can afford and that way you are happy with it longer and add parts as the budget allows.

 

[SFLDiver3445]

There's no doubt the Mark III is a nice camera, but as others have already indicated within this thread, it's difficult to make the argument for laying out the additional cash required for that FF camera/housing/lenses setup, if the camera is to be used exclusively for underwater.

Given that you already have a head-start on lenses, for underwater use I'd definitely consider the 60D or 7D. With a few exceptions, once you master the camera you'll be able to accomplish the same shots.

 

[nivla80]

I actually bought a housing for my backup camera (40D). After messing around with it, I realized that I was better off housing my primary (5D2). Ended up exchanging it for the 5D2 housing. Of course, that meant a little more money. However, the FF capabilities really worked for me. I have a 15mm Fisheye for UWA and CFWA shots and a 100mm macro for critters. Also, withe the Ikelite 8" Dome, I was able to put on teleconverter for the Fish for tighter shots. I'm sure the 7D is a MUCH better camera than the 40D, but here's my rationale:

Housing 40D Pros:
Cheaper
Can use Tokina 10-17 Fisheye zoom (flexible focal length)
Tighter macro shots (due to 1.6 crop factor)
Excellent low light focusing

Cons:
No video
Subpar LCD display
Lower Mega Pix count means less cropping
Unfamiliar handling since I am used to the 5D2

Housing 5D2 Pros:
21 Megapixel = blowing up my pictures BIG with good pixel density
Cropping capabilities
Video
Used to the camera since it's my primary one
15mm Fish works PERFECT for WA shots, with enough room behind Dome for a 1.4x TC
For some reason, I get nicer bokeh/DOF on a FF camera
Superior LCD display useful when checking for backscatter

Cons:
Inability to use Tokina 10-17 (inflexible focal length)
More expensive
Not as tight when shooting the 100mm macro
Low light focus poor (countered by SOLA focus light)

Having said the above, I did not really take into consideration the Low light capability since I'm using strobes for most part. Also, I didn't think that the IQ difference between a Prime (Sigma Fish) and Zoom (Tokina 10-17) mattered much since I'm more concerned with getting good comps, getting little to no backscatter and also keeping myself alive. =) My choice in housing the 5D2 is mainly for blowing up prints, cropping capabilities and usability since I cannot make a good U/W image in-camera to save my life!

 

[TheDeuce]

Your points comparing the 40D to your 5D2 are well taken but the cons you mention don't apply to the 7D. The 7D has excellent (by SLR standards) video, a best-in-class LCD, and an 18 megapixel count that rivals the 21.1 MP of the 5D2 AND the 22.3 MP of the 5D3. The 40D megapixel count is a Rebel XTi-like 10.1. Not that MP means much for my shooting - I didn't move to the 7D from my XTi for the resolution but rather for everything else. Snappier autofocus, low light performance, dual controls for manual mode, 8 FPS for sports, and yes, for video - if only so I don't get caught flat-footed and camera-less when our next child takes his first steps!

Strobes or not, I find the 7D focuses more reliably in low-light which would be a definite advantage in the deep. Geez, I'm starting to think I SHOULD upgrade my XTi housing to a 7D housing. My Sigma 10-20 works on both and gives a nice WA rectilinear shooting experience.

Given that the OP has some investment in EF-S lenses I sincerely believe that the 7D is the route to go. I just don't see the case for FF over subframe in an underwater setting. Better DOF control in macro? That's about it. Bokeh is typically a function of the lens not the sensor size and I understand the 60mm macro the OP already has demonstrates a nice, neutral bokeh. Throw that puppy on a 7D and start shooting!




m.