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please help me decide. have 3 full frame cameras but...

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digitaljapan

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HI everybody,

I am new here and this is my first post.

I need your help really bad. I have always used Micro 4/3 Cameras but recently I was able to get 3 amazing full frame cameras from a retired pro for dirt cheap price. The cameras are: 5d mark it, 1D mark iii and 1 D mark it. I paid an equivelant of USD 80. Yep. That's eighty bucks for all the 3 cameras. There was a problem with the 5D mark where the LCD had dust and water inside it, so I took it to canon and they replaced the LCD along with the viewfinder and some internal parts and I paid about USD 300 for the repair. They also cleaned the 1D mark ii and iii sensors but told me that the 1D mark iii has a sensor problem and there are no parts for it any more but I could still use it fine.

Now, I have 3 beautiful almost new cameras (at least the 5D mark ii) and I am torn between selling them (I can get somewhere around USD 1800 for the 3 and then buy a 5D mark III? Or should I keep the 5D mark 2II and sell the other 2 cameras (for about USD 900) and buy good lenses for the 5D mark II?

I am not a pro. And do a bit of everything from portrait to indoors, wildlife and sports. I also do videos. About50:50 between photography and Video. My videos are mainly indoor information, corporate, tutorials kind of videos along with some outdoors nature sometimes.

I really need someone to help me decide.

Happy holidays everyone and happy new year ahead.

Thank you.
 
I can only hope that you initially bought them to use at least one of the three? Why else were you interested?
 
Personally I would get at least half a year experience with it before selling it.
 
Uh.. if I could buy three things for $80, invest $300 in repairs and sell the lot for $1800, I would do it with enthusiasm whether I was interested in the objects themselves or not.

I'm a still photographer, so I would keep the 5D and sell the others to buy a couple of basic prime lenses to mess around with. I don't have any particular interest in moving to FF, especially in the form of a large DSLR, but if one fell in my lap I would definitely experiment with it for a while. If turned out not to be my thing, I'd sell it on.
 
yardcoyote said:
Uh.. if I could buy three things for $80, invest $300 in repairs and sell the lot for $1800, I would do it with enthusiasm whether I was interested in the objects themselves or not.

I'm a still photographer, so I would keep the 5D and sell the others to buy a couple of basic prime lenses to mess around with. I don't have any particular interest in moving to FF, especially in the form of a large DSLR, but if one fell in my lap I would definitely experiment with it for a while. If turned out not to be my thing, I'd sell it on.
Click to expand...
Lol! That was "is" before I posted this asking for advise.! To be honest, I am still having a hard time deciding! I mean, I like having a full frame especially after I tried them and I just love what they are capable of! But also, I don't want to be stuck with them and not being able to sell them at this price if I wait! But yet again, it also makes sense to use them or at least the 5d mk ii and sell the others to be able to buy lenses, then wait till the newer 5d comes out which means cheaper 5d mark iii.
 
Great deal you got there!

If you think Canon offers what you want in a FF camera, then I think you have received good advice here. Sell the 1D's and buy a couple of lenses (Canon makes some very good budget lenses) and then use the 5D for a period to know whether you really want it.

If you know Canon isn't right for you, sell the lot and buy something else.

Good luck
 
PBR Streetgang said:
Great deal you got there!

If you think Canon offers what you want in a FF camera, then I think you have received good advice here. Sell the 1D's and buy a couple of lenses (Canon makes some very good budget lenses) and then use the 5D for a period to know whether you really want it.

If you know Canon isn't right for you, sell the lot and buy something else.

Good luck
Click to expand...
Well, I know that it is Canon that I want! I've tried Nikon and sony before and here I have 3 Canons all of a sudden! and I loved them. It was just a matter of me keeping them (at least the 5D Mark II) or sell them while they are worth something and get the 5D Mark II!
 
Sell them, and get some nice lenses for your m4/3 camera with the proceeds. Take the rest of the $$ and take your wife out to dinner.

TEdolph
 
digitaljapan said:
PBR Streetgang said:
Great deal you got there!

If you think Canon offers what you want in a FF camera, then I think you have received good advice here. Sell the 1D's and buy a couple of lenses (Canon makes some very good budget lenses) and then use the 5D for a period to know whether you really want it.

If you know Canon isn't right for you, sell the lot and buy something else.

Good luck
Click to expand...
Well, I know that it is Canon that I want! I've tried Nikon and sony before and here I have 3 Canons all of a sudden! and I loved them. It was just a matter of me keeping them (at least the 5D Mark II) or sell them while they are worth something and get the 5D Mark II!
Click to expand...
These are already used cameras and not the current models. They are not going to lose much more value in a few months. Almost nothing in the case of the oldest. If I were you I'd sell the two you definitely don't want and, as others suggest, give the 5DII some time. It really isn't going to cost you much in depreciation. You may very well find yourself using it less with time (it happens) and you will learn something no matter what.
 
Thank you! I actually made that decision and I am in the process of installing Magic Lantern now "literally right this moment" on 5D mark II to start using it. It came with aN EF 50mm 1:1.4 ultrasonic. Not bad...eh?

Actually, I tried it along with the 1D Mark III and took some shots while I was out with my family and got some really good ones of my son while he was playing soccer. I tried both, the 5D mark II and the 1D Mark III and they both produced excellent results! The 1D did amazing getting some excellent shots while he was running and playing...he is very fast..but the 1D was faster :)

I decided to cell both 1Ds and keep the 5D MKII cause I do mostly landscape, portrait and studio shots. If I was doing birding or more sports, I would have decided to keep it, but I will let them go to someone else who will use them.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice. Each and every advice had strong impacts on my final decision.

Happy New Year :)
 
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