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Current 5D IV owners - Would you buy it again today?

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Last week I bought my second 5D4 to use as a backup, so that probably answers it. It might be useful to say why...

I was looking at getting the 6D2, 5DSR or 5D4 as a backup. Had the 6D2 not had image quality deficiencies relative to the 5D4, I would have gone with that to same cost and for the flippy screen. Came very close to getting the 5DSR. Tested one out from Canon. But my backup needs to shoot fast and in low light. If I'd been trying to expand my capacities, I certainly would have diversified with the 5DSR.

It really wasn't a consideration for me to go with the Nikon D850 or a Sony. My lens collection is more important than the body I shoot. Will say that the D850 appears to beat the pants off the 5D4, as is evidenced by the few and lame objections to that statement you see from my Canon brethren. It's all good. More pressure on Canon the better.

People still don't quite understand that the IQ you get with the 5D4 is better than the tests show, as the files are much more malleable in post production than those from previous cameras. I own a 1DX, and I almost always favor the 5D4 for low light. That says a lot. Had Canon not nerfed the 5D4 with a 7 frames per second frame rate, I'd sell the 1 series. Still might. Would be interested in the 7D3, depending on what ADC does with that sensor. It would be nice to get rid of the overly large 1 series in favor of a 5-series-type body for fast frame rate.
 
Kunisawa said:
If you had to buy a new camera today, would you still buy the 5D IV? Why/Why not?
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Probably not, but I feel, after fairly extensive use, that it is a truly fantastic camera.

My uses have changed since I bought the 5D Mark IV and if my uses were the same as they were a year ago (lots of event shooting), I'd probably still buy it.

Additionally, if the A7RII was as capable today as it was over a year ago, I wouldn't be relying on it for all of my photography instead of my 5D Mark IV. Firmware updates have made the A7RII much more useful on its own, and in combination with the Metabones IV (which also needed firmware updates), Canon lenses also function quite well in non-action, normal-to-great lighting scenarios.

For my current needs (almost entirely portraiture and candids), my A7RII is simply a better camera and it produces better results with less effort (the colors are even better which was tough to acknowledge after buying into the common perception that Canon colors are the best). It can also do things I like/want/need that the 5D Mark IV can't. In my opinion, if you're a good-to-great light portrait shooter, the A7RII is the best camera there is. The 5D Mark IV can get great results, but the A7RII gets great results, easier.

Finally, I believe the 5D Mark IV is, hands down, the best all-around camera Canon makes and anyone who has one can and should be very happy with it. There are deficiencies compared to the competition, though. Anyone who is objective will acknowledge that. But, those differences may be irrelevant. Additionally, the unique specs of the 5D Mark IV might make it the very best option in the entire market for certain people.
 
Kunisawa said:
If you had to buy a new camera today, would you still buy the 5D IV? Why/Why not?
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I upgraded from a 6D1 to the 5D4 six weeks ago because the sensor of the 6D2 was not what I expected. Do I regret the 1,5k€ more? No. Would I do it again? Yes.

While the 6D was a nice camera the 5D4 is a working tool. I really like to take pictures with this great piece of engeneering.
 
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I would buy it again today and here are the reasons why:

Canon look

Dual Pixel AF, I actually do shoot 4k video with this thing, I don't see 1.7x crop being any different really than a 1.5x super 35mm mode in the Sony cameras.

Just got c-log put in my 5D Mark IV and I used to have a Sony and wow C-Log is way easier to grade than S-Log.

30 megapixels seems like the sweet spot.

The only other camera that would compete with this camera in my world would be the D850 but I wouldn't go D850 because dual pixel AF is worth a lot to me. So is Log for video.
 
I say it depends on what you are coming from and what you want to do? Do you have an investment in Canon glass or is switching to mirrorless or Nikon an option?

So, for me I am heavily invested in Canon glass and had no desire to switch. My other bodies were a 1dx and a 5dmkIII and I shoot primarily sports and wildlife. The 1dx is a great camera but I found that for birding, 18 mp fell short when one had to crop heavily. The 5dmkIII was just inadequate in terms of AF and it was frustrating at times. So, I plunged into a 5dmkIV and have been very pleased with the capabilities. It doesn't track quite as well as the 1dx but I would say that it is 95+% of the way there. The added mp have allowed for greater crops and it is a better all around utility camera.

But, if I were into portraiture or landscape perhaps a 5dsr would have been a better choice or going to a mirrorless or medium format if I had the dough. Does that answer your question?
 
Kunisawa said:
If you had to buy a new camera today, would you still buy the 5D IV? Why/Why not?
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Yes. The 5DMIV has the focusing speed and accuracy, durability and high ISO capability that I've wanted, coming from the original 6D. Despite the cropping, its 4K video produces astoundingly detailed results especially with the right lens, for which Canon spoils us with the best choices.
 
Kunisawa said:
If you had to buy a new camera today, would you still buy the 5D IV? Why/Why not?
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I am wondering which confirmation bias you are seeking here, honestly. What is the point of this question? I'm honestly curious.

Anyway, not sure how I'd be forced to buy a camera today, the situation at hand probably would influence my decision. Did my camera get destroyed but the other xxxxx$ worth of photo gear is ok? Did my entire camera/lighting/lens collection somehow get destroyed, like in a fire or something? Do I have insurance to cover the loss?

Not sure I could create a scenario and tell you honestly how I would respond. I will write that the 5D4 is an amazing photographic machine and I quite like mine a lot. The only other camera that I would even consider is the d850, so the situation above MIGHT make a difference, but Canon is certainly well positioned to be around for a while in the market, and I have no complaints about my 5D4. I would likely buy another one if I had to, but who knows?
 
I am a wedding photographer. I got my Mk IV last year and added it to my fleet of a 6D and 5D Mk III. The difference was night and day between both the other cameras, in image quality, sharpness, DR, ISO range and especially, and crucially, focus accuracy and consistency. The ability to reliably catch focus again and again, no matter the light has been a revelation. So it was a bit weird to be shooting two cameras, the 2nd one being the Mk III, but avoiding using it because I don't trust it as much.

Not to mention the new button setups that are possible with the Mk IV (See
) meant that I wanted to use this camera in a whole different way, and having an older camera was just not easy to deal with during a wedding.

So I sold both the 6D and 5D Mark III, and am now the proud owner of two identical Mark IVs. It is the best camera I've ever used.
 
Kunisawa said:
If you had to buy a new camera today, would you still buy the 5D IV? Why/Why not?
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I guess if I had to buy a new camera today, I would be in a quandary because there are features both the Sony a9 and the Nikon D850 offer that make the 5D Mk IV seem like its an obsolete product. The 5D Mk IV is a better camera than the 5D Mk III but the improvements came at a premium price and hardly met the current levels of features other cameras offered. There's nothing technology wise on the 5D Mk IV that's better than either the Sony a9 or the Nikon D850. Sure, the Canon has DPAF but its missing many desirable features.
 
My favorite feature is that focusing in Live View is more accurate than via the viewfinder. I love framing the shot in Live View, and to focus all you do is touch the area you want the focus centered on, and presto, bingo you have just obtained arguably the best auto focus available in a DSLR. For that alone I would buy the camera.
 
I have at least 10 canon lenses and 3 canon flashes but can easily afford to change systems/brands if I wanted to. However, I do not have the time to sell all my gear and research and learn a new system. More importantly I do not have the desire to change bodies or systems. Yes, the Sony and Nikon bodies look great on paper but the 5DIV is an awesome camera with enough features/performance to satisfy all of my shooting requirements with exception of possibly shooting a high resolution scene that I would want to print large. I would absolutely purchase another 5DIV if I were shopping for a body today. I am not sure what the purpose of the OP is other than trying to create conflict as it seems to be an indirect way of asking how many members are unhappy with their 5DIV with the recent release of the D850 and A9.
 
Jonathan Brady said:
For my current needs (almost entirely portraiture and candids), my A7RII is simply a better camera and it produces better results with less effort (the colors are even better which was tough to acknowledge after buying into the common perception that Canon colors are the best). It can also do things I like/want/need that the 5D Mark IV can't. In my opinion, if you're a good-to-great light portrait shooter, the A7RII is the best camera there is. The 5D Mark IV can get great results, but the A7RII gets great results, easier.
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Do you find A7RII's focusing better for candids and portraits?
 
rkodama1 said:
I have at least 10 canon lenses and 3 canon flashes but can easily afford to change systems/brands if I wanted to. However, I do not have the time to sell all my gear and research and learn a new system. More importantly I do not have the desire to change bodies or systems. Yes, the Sony and Nikon bodies look great on paper but the 5DIV is an awesome camera with enough features/performance to satisfy all of my shooting requirements with exception of possibly shooting a high resolution scene that I would want to print large. I would absolutely purchase another 5DIV if I were shopping for a body today. I am not sure what the purpose of the OP is other than trying to create conflict as it seems to be an indirect way of asking how many members are unhappy with their 5DIV with the recent release of the D850 and A9.
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This was my thinking as well, seems like OP wants to hear people say they'd not buy the 5D4 for some reason or other. The A9 and D850 look great, but the 5D4 is great, certainly "good enough" for me to stay in the Canon system in which I've been satisfied and have accumulated quite a bit of product.
Occams Razor said:
--
Randy
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Of course I would buy it again. I have too much Canon gear to do otherwise. Plus, Canon has more of the lense I want (not counting the ones i currently have).

If I were starting from zero on gear right at this moment in time, it would be hard to iqnore Nikons offerings.

I would never buy into a Sony system. In fact, I won't buy anything that Sony makes.
 
KLO82 said:
Jonathan Brady said:
For my current needs (almost entirely portraiture and candids), my A7RII is simply a better camera and it produces better results with less effort (the colors are even better which was tough to acknowledge after buying into the common perception that Canon colors are the best). It can also do things I like/want/need that the 5D Mark IV can't. In my opinion, if you're a good-to-great light portrait shooter, the A7RII is the best camera there is. The 5D Mark IV can get great results, but the A7RII gets great results, easier.
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Do you find A7RII's focusing better for candids and portraits?
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I think it's at least as good, depending on how you use a camera. Face detection is very good and very fast and when combined with the tracking abilities of the on-sensor AF, is very impressive and easy to use. That plus eye AF, the wide spread of focus points vertically and horizontally, and IBIS make the A7RII a better choice for me.

Single point AF, especially in combination with pre-focus is very fast. It worked for me capturing my kids appearing at the bottom of a covered water slide/tube (with a variable aperture 70-300). Any misses were my fault, entirely.

Believe it or not, I use the camera away from my eye quite frequently and just press the shutter when I'm ready to take a picture. This has made candids SO much more fun! And easy! I've found that with my kids, not hiding my face is a bonus. I'm not having to constantly say "look at me" (which defeats the nature of a candid) as I can keep eye contact with them and rely on the camera to track their face or their eye.

This and the option to use small, modern lenses, has really endeared the A7RII to me in a very short period of time. The 85mm f/1.8 Batis lens from Zeiss is just incredible and I like the 55mm f/1.8 as well. If someone were dipping their toe into the A mount to see if it works for them for portraits and candids, I'd recommend one of those 2 to start with.

I picked up the body with less than 100 shutter actuations and with 3 batteries for $2100, the 55mm for $615, and the Batis 85 for $850. Everything was used but indistinguishable from new. If I decided to sell it all today, I'd lose very little. Less than the cost of a 1 or 2 week rental, for sure. And I've had it all for a month and a half (or more?) at this point. Both lenses are light weight and balance quite well with the body. I don't see me ever using f/2.8 zooms with the A series, and probably not the super fast (large/heavy) primes either. The IQ from this camera is so good that I'm okay with higher ISO and more dof from the optically superb, but slightly slower primes.

I also have the 16-35 f/4 and 70-300 variable aperture zoom and the latter is probably at the limit of weight/size for me given the infrequency with which I will use it. If it were a lens I relied upon frequently, I'd dislike the size/weight, greatly.

I didn't think this camera would work well enough for my needs that I could rely on it for everything, but it has. I still plan to upgrade to the A9R (assuming it ever exists) but I don't feel like I'll need to do it right away like I thought I might because the A7RII is that good.

My complaints... This camera is begging for a touchscreen. I rarely use the one on my 5D Mark IV but I find myself wanting one with the A7RII all the time. A better menu layout would be nice, but for me it's mitigated quite a bit by the customization options and the Fn button. Battery life does suck, as you've likely heard. I'd like 2 card slots and a thumbstick too. An articulating/multi-angle screen like the Pentax K-1 would be awesome, especially because I'm using the camera in portrait orientation far more frequently now due to the AF point spread allowing freedom with compositions. But that won't happen with a successor but the rest of my complaints will be addressed by an A9R (or A7RIII, possibly).

Hope that helps!
 
Kunisawa said:
If you had to buy a new camera today, would you still buy the 5D IV? Why/Why not?
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The 5D IV is fantastic and enjoyable to use, no doubt.

If I lost mine right now, I'd miss it and may well get another -- but I also may wait for the 5Ds II, since rumors continue to swell that it will be released next year. I have an 80D, which is fantastic, and i don't have anything coming up immanently that requires two cameras or full frame. I like every camera I buy to be an upgrade over what I had before. I've experienced the Mark IV now. :D

Too many Canon lenses for switching systems to be an option.
 
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