Ahhh the never-ending enticements we face as photographers.  New camera bodies, new lenses, new lighting, new gadgets of all kinds.   What’s a photographer to do???   I am a big believer that the most important ingredient in creating a great photograph is not the equipment.  It’s the photographer.    Yet it is so tempting to say “If I just had a better camera body, or lens or … whatever… I could shoot much better photos.”

I have found it especially hard to be convinced that spending $8000 on a new Nikon D3X (24.5 megapixel DSLR) or Canon EOS 1DS Mark III (21.1 megapixel DSLR) really can deliver enough of a better image to be worth the high price tag.  Sure they offer some great features and are both rugged cameras, but as far as I am concerned there are better things I can spend my money on.

One DSLR that really stands out among the crowd, though, is the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II.   Relative to those higher $8000 price tags, the 5D Mark II is “only” $2698 (street price).   That’s still a chunk of change, but this one appears to be worth it!  

What about this 21.1 megapixel DSLR makes it particularly attractive (to me at least)?   It has a full frame sensor with an amazing 21.1 megapixels with improved noise reduction and excellent performance even at high ISO numbers.   And it’s simply at a more attainable price tag.    If you stretch up to the $8000 cameras, sure you’ll get outstanding pieces of equipment but remember how quickly technology is continuing to advance.  Back in the “old days of film”, there weren’t these rapid advances in camera bodies where you had to buy a new camera body to improve the quality of your images.   You could get a lot more years of use out of your film SLR.   

For whatever DSLR I purchase, I probably would not be using it more than a few years (2 or 3?) and the high end cameras simply will devalue so rapildy because they are outpaced by the newer better models.   The 5D Mark II gets you a lot more “bang for the buck” and delivers an outstanding piece of equipment for your camera bag.

I know numerous pro photographers who are also every excited about the 5D Mark II’s ability to shoot full 1080 HD video as well.   To me, that is just an added “plus” that helps seal the deal.  But even without the video capability, the 5D Mark II is still the best contender out there for their feature / price point.   It is one heck of a camera.

It’s the seemingly “little things” that also matter.   I know some photographers who are buying the old 5D simply because its price has continued to drop.  But with the options out there today, I wouldn’t even consider buying a DSLR that does not have automatic sensor cleaning (a feature found in the 5D Mark II as well as the 40D and 50D).   Dust can be a real problem in digital SLRs and I consider sensor cleaning as a “must have” feature.

You can read the full scoop on the 5D Mark II at Canon’s website.

The 5D Mark II is available for pre-order at Precision Camera at $2697.95 (at the time of this writing).

Kevin Gourley
http://www.kevingourley.com