XT2 or a Canon 5D mark 3?

[alexne]

As a happy XT1 user with a few Fuji Lenses - I've been wondering about upgrading to the XT2. However - i still have some old Canon lenses and flashes from when i had a 40D. Seeing the Mark 4 come out today - its noticeable people are starting to sell their mark 3s on eBay and else where for a reasonable price that is likely to get cheaper. I've started wondering about switching back to Canon. the 5D is full frame - it has a much more developed ETTL flash system by old kit will work on it some of their new lenses look nice.

What are peoples thoughts?

ok Id loose some money on selling my existing Fuji kit but would the benefits be worth it? (are there any?)

Im a stills man, not a videographer. I like the smaller size of the Fuji kit - but the Xt2 seems to work best with the extra grip so the size isn't that much of an issue. Fuji - while having amazing lenses - still aren't quite there in some ways... (prepares to get shot down)

should i stick with the Fujis and hope even better is to come?

advice - opinion - thoughts? feelings?

i guess people will ask why am i unhappy with fuji -- well the focusing still gets me down on occasion though the Xt2 might solve that.. hence previous questions about how much better is it. the flash system annoys me- i used to use ETTL 2 and 3 flash systems a lot and while i play with cheap manual strobes now... it limited what i do out and about where i cant set the flash to subject difference.

I'm not clear if you are interested in 5Dm3 or 5Ds. Could you clarify?

I'm not clear what additional capability you are looking for in the later the ETTL flash system and what limiting factors you are seeing with the use of manual strobes vs ETTL. Could you clarify? off-camera, on-camera, etc.

 

[10sj03]

As a happy XT1 user with a few Fuji Lenses - I've been wondering about upgrading to the XT2. However - i still have some old Canon lenses and flashes from when i had a 40D. Seeing the Mark 4 come out today - its noticeable people are starting to sell their mark 3s on eBay and else where for a reasonable price that is likely to get cheaper. I've started wondering about switching back to Canon. the 5D is full frame - it has a much more developed ETTL flash system by old kit will work on it some of their new lenses look nice.

What are peoples thoughts?

ok Id loose some money on selling my existing Fuji kit but would the benefits be worth it? (are there any?)

Im a stills man, not a videographer. I like the smaller size of the Fuji kit - but the Xt2 seems to work best with the extra grip so the size isn't that much of an issue. Fuji - while having amazing lenses - still aren't quite there in some ways... (prepares to get shot down)

should i stick with the Fujis and hope even better is to come?

advice - opinion - thoughts? feelings?

i guess people will ask why am i unhappy with fuji -- well the focusing still gets me down on occasion though the Xt2 might solve that.. hence previous questions about how much better is it. the flash system annoys me- i used to use ETTL 2 and 3 flash systems a lot and while i play with cheap manual strobes now... it limited what i do out and about where i cant set the flash to subject difference.

I have the same thoughts after learning the announcement the Canon 5D IV. I still have the 40D and a 70-200mm F4 lens. I do not shoot with that combination a lot but every time I use it, I am still happy with the quality. Just on pure photography enjoyment, I like the Fuji more. The reason I am considering X-T2 vs. another Canon (7DII or 5DIII) is for kids sports photography. I would wait until the X-T2 user reviews come out before making a decision.

Joe

 

[alexne]

As a happy XT1 user with a few Fuji Lenses - I've been wondering about upgrading to the XT2. However - i still have some old Canon lenses and flashes from when i had a 40D. Seeing the Mark 4 come out today - its noticeable people are starting to sell their mark 3s on eBay and else where for a reasonable price that is likely to get cheaper. I've started wondering about switching back to Canon. the 5D is full frame - it has a much more developed ETTL flash system by old kit will work on it some of their new lenses look nice.

What are peoples thoughts?

ok Id loose some money on selling my existing Fuji kit but would the benefits be worth it? (are there any?)

Im a stills man, not a videographer. I like the smaller size of the Fuji kit - but the Xt2 seems to work best with the extra grip so the size isn't that much of an issue. Fuji - while having amazing lenses - still aren't quite there in some ways... (prepares to get shot down)

should i stick with the Fujis and hope even better is to come?

advice - opinion - thoughts? feelings?

i guess people will ask why am i unhappy with fuji -- well the focusing still gets me down on occasion though the Xt2 might solve that.. hence previous questions about how much better is it. the flash system annoys me- i used to use ETTL 2 and 3 flash systems a lot and while i play with cheap manual strobes now... it limited what i do out and about where i cant set the flash to subject difference.

I have the same thoughts after learning the announcement the Canon 5D IV. I still have the 40D and a 70-200mm F4 lens. I do not shoot with that combination a lot but every time I use it, I am still happy with the quality. Just on pure photography enjoyment, I like the Fuji more. The reason I am considering X-T2 vs. another Canon (7DII or 5DIII) is for kids sports photography. I would wait until the X-T2 user reviews come out before making a decision.

Joe

What lens do you intend to use on the Fuji for the kids sports? which sport exactly?

 

[Jenny Tremlett]

I shot Canon cameras since the mid 90s. Up until last year I had a 7D and a 5Dmk3 which I had used for weddings and portraits. Last year I ditched all the Canon gear and went all in with Fuji (and Olympus for macro), because I was only using it for the odd pro job and even then I resented it because of the weight and bulk and the poor dynamic range of the files - always a bug bear.

The only things I have missed with the 5Dmk3 is the better AF in low-light and for moving subjects. That is it. The few times I have had nostalgia for Canon, I have gone back and looked at the RAW files and realised how much better off I am now.

I have an X-T2 on order. A recent test showed the continuous AF tracking was as good as, or better than the Nikon D750 (I'll find you a link if you want to read the article). I believe the AF of the Nikon is on a par with the 5Dmk3.

I have my doubts if the X-T2 AF is really as good as the (pre) reviewers are saying as they raved about firmware 4.0 for the X-T1 and whilst a vast improvement it still wasn't DSLR standard, but if it is near enough to what I once had I will be very happy. Better continuous AF and low-light AF is what I have been really wanting. There isn't much else lacking in the Fujis IMHO.

 

[Jenny Tremlett]

Incidentally, I understand your flash concerns too. I had problems too initially. But I still have my Canon 600EX flashguns. I use them with Cactus V6 triggers and in conjunction with a Cactus flash. The whole system works beautifully with the Fujis. The mk2 versions also have the ability of HSS. The Cactus system doesn't break the bank either.

For a small portable flashgun I use a Nissin i40. Excellent little flash.

 

[10sj03]

As a happy XT1 user with a few Fuji Lenses - I've been wondering about upgrading to the XT2. However - i still have some old Canon lenses and flashes from when i had a 40D. Seeing the Mark 4 come out today - its noticeable people are starting to sell their mark 3s on eBay and else where for a reasonable price that is likely to get cheaper. I've started wondering about switching back to Canon. the 5D is full frame - it has a much more developed ETTL flash system by old kit will work on it some of their new lenses look nice.

What are peoples thoughts?

ok Id loose some money on selling my existing Fuji kit but would the benefits be worth it? (are there any?)

Im a stills man, not a videographer. I like the smaller size of the Fuji kit - but the Xt2 seems to work best with the extra grip so the size isn't that much of an issue. Fuji - while having amazing lenses - still aren't quite there in some ways... (prepares to get shot down)

should i stick with the Fujis and hope even better is to come?

advice - opinion - thoughts? feelings?

i guess people will ask why am i unhappy with fuji -- well the focusing still gets me down on occasion though the Xt2 might solve that.. hence previous questions about how much better is it. the flash system annoys me- i used to use ETTL 2 and 3 flash systems a lot and while i play with cheap manual strobes now... it limited what i do out and about where i cant set the flash to subject difference.

I have the same thoughts after learning the announcement the Canon 5D IV. I still have the 40D and a 70-200mm F4 lens. I do not shoot with that combination a lot but every time I use it, I am still happy with the quality. Just on pure photography enjoyment, I like the Fuji more. The reason I am considering X-T2 vs. another Canon (7DII or 5DIII) is for kids sports photography. I would wait until the X-T2 user reviews come out before making a decision.

Joe

What lens do you intend to use on the Fuji for the kids sports? which sport exactly?

50-140. soccer.

 

[DrNeil]

I'm not clear if you are interested in 5Dm3 or 5Ds. Could you clarify?

I'm not clear what additional capability you are looking for in the later the ETTL flash system and what limiting factors you are seeing with the use of manual strobes vs ETTL. Could you clarify? off-camera, on-camera, etc.

the full story is I've been looking at getting an 80D to replace my ageing 40D - which i haven't really used much since switching to Fuji (i started with a X100 then a X-E1 then a X-T1)

Since all the stories about the Mark4 the price of the Mark3 has dropped and i was really wondering if I should get a MArk3 instead of a 80D.

Why a canon and a fuji.. like one of the posters says - perhaps different cameras are suited to different things? I have a friend who owns a wedding dress shop and i shoot her catwalk demos for her. 5-8 models walking up and down a stage in a dark room - I've been using a setup of 2 Speedlights with umbrellas on each side of the stage in full ETTL mode and it seems to work. 1. its the system i know and 2. the flash to model distance varies so it would be hard to use manual flash. note i don't do a lot of this but i find when i do its easier to reach for the old canon.

then of course the xt2 was announced and i wondered if that would do it all!

the reality is i need to probably use an xt2 - see if it works - perhaps the nissin kit will come out and i might give that a go.

never thought about 5ds or nikon!

 

[DrNeil]

I shot Canon cameras since the mid 90s. Up until last year I had a 7D and a 5Dmk3 which I had used for weddings and portraits. Last year I ditched all the Canon gear and went all in with Fuji (and Olympus for macro), because I was only using it for the odd pro job and even then I resented it because of the weight and bulk and the poor dynamic range of the files - always a bug bear.

The only things I have missed with the 5Dmk3 is the better AF in low-light and for moving subjects. That is it. The few times I have had nostalgia for Canon, I have gone back and looked at the RAW files and realised how much better off I am now.

thats interesting to know - the last thing i want to do is get a 5d3 and not like the images - i guess if it gets me a shot i wouldn't have got.. but i don't want to be carrying both.

 

[DrNeil]

Incidentally, I understand your flash concerns too. I had problems too initially. But I still have my Canon 600EX flashguns. I use them with Cactus V6 triggers and in conjunction with a Cactus flash. The whole system works beautifully with the Fujis. The mk2 versions also have the ability of HSS. The Cactus system doesn't break the bank either.

For a small portable flashgun I use a Nissin i40. Excellent little flash.

Is the cactus firing them in manual or ETTL mode?

yes the i40 is nice for some shots. I'm waiting the upcoming i60 and air system.

 

[alexne]

As a happy XT1 user with a few Fuji Lenses - I've been wondering about upgrading to the XT2. However - i still have some old Canon lenses and flashes from when i had a 40D. Seeing the Mark 4 come out today - its noticeable people are starting to sell their mark 3s on eBay and else where for a reasonable price that is likely to get cheaper. I've started wondering about switching back to Canon. the 5D is full frame - it has a much more developed ETTL flash system by old kit will work on it some of their new lenses look nice.

What are peoples thoughts?

ok Id loose some money on selling my existing Fuji kit but would the benefits be worth it? (are there any?)

Im a stills man, not a videographer. I like the smaller size of the Fuji kit - but the Xt2 seems to work best with the extra grip so the size isn't that much of an issue. Fuji - while having amazing lenses - still aren't quite there in some ways... (prepares to get shot down)

should i stick with the Fujis and hope even better is to come?

advice - opinion - thoughts? feelings?

i guess people will ask why am i unhappy with fuji -- well the focusing still gets me down on occasion though the Xt2 might solve that.. hence previous questions about how much better is it. the flash system annoys me- i used to use ETTL 2 and 3 flash systems a lot and while i play with cheap manual strobes now... it limited what i do out and about where i cant set the flash to subject difference.

I have the same thoughts after learning the announcement the Canon 5D IV. I still have the 40D and a 70-200mm F4 lens. I do not shoot with that combination a lot but every time I use it, I am still happy with the quality. Just on pure photography enjoyment, I like the Fuji more. The reason I am considering X-T2 vs. another Canon (7DII or 5DIII) is for kids sports photography. I would wait until the X-T2 user reviews come out before making a decision.

Joe

What lens do you intend to use on the Fuji for the kids sports? which sport exactly?

50-140. soccer.

I assume coupled with the 2x TC?

 

[Jenny Tremlett]

The images from the 5Dmk3 aren't bad by any stretch - I used it for many years quite happily - it's just that the Fuji files are way more flexible in post.

I shot some candid junior school photos for a brochure two years back. I took both the 5Dmk3 and the Fuji X-T1. Out in the playground the little tikes were moving around at a rate of knots and as it was a sunny day they were moving from shadow to full sunlight rapidly. The Canon kept up with the action, but blown highlights in RAW were blown for good. Shadow detail was also an issue. The Fuji couldn't track the action nearly as well, but recovering highlights was a breeze.

Several people have mentioned it would be better to aim your sights at the 5Dmk4 instead of the 3. I would have to agree with them as Canon appear to have finally nailed dynamic range. However, there is also the X-T2. If it can really track action much better than the X-T1 and be on a par with the 5Dmk3, then that is also a consideration. Cheaper and lighter too.

 

[Jenny Tremlett]

TTL and manual, depending on your setup.

The advantage of the Cactus triggers is that you can use several different brand flashguns all in the one system. So if you have Canon, Nikon, Olympus flashes all kicking around then you can fire them all at the same time from any camera - the V6s are universal - as long as the camera and each flash has a trigger/receiver attached.

Best of all, the V6s are only around £50 each. Much better value than the Canon system

 

[alexne]

The images from the 5Dmk3 aren't bad by any stretch - I used it for many years quite happily - it's just that the Fuji files are way more flexible in post.

I shot some candid junior school photos for a brochure two years back. I took both the 5Dmk3 and the Fuji X-T1. Out in the playground the little tikes were moving around at a rate of knots and as it was a sunny day they were moving from shadow to full sunlight rapidly. The Canon kept up with the action, but blown highlights in RAW were blown for good. Shadow detail was also an issue. The Fuji couldn't track the action nearly as well, but recovering highlights was a breeze.

Several people have mentioned it would be better to aim your sights at the 5Dmk4 instead of the 3. I would have to agree with them as Canon appear to have finally nailed dynamic range. However, there is also the X-T2. If it can really track action much better than the X-T1 and be on a par with the 5Dmk3, then that is also a consideration. Cheaper and lighter too.

So in your experience the Canon blows highlights because the auto exposure metering does not work well? Or are you talking about blown sky for back light subjects?

on sunny days I use my Nikon V2 for sports. It's sensor is 1/8 the size of the FF Canon and has relatively poor DR to match. Yet I'm never had complaints about blown highlights when the main interest in the photo was the action itself. Zipping along at 15 fps with AF-C with a relative large RAW buffer.

If it was for landscape photography with backlighting, maybe it would be an issue. But that's not my use case for its use. Blows my mind that so many pro use Canon to shot the Olympics for so long with the DR issue that you speak of. I don't own any Canon's so I can't really judge how they behave for sports.

btw, my D3s has relatively poor DR range as well. So does the latest D5 from what I understand. Never really had an issue with DR for sports on the D3s either. Never had an interest I guess, it exposes what I want correctly. If I get blown out sky or lights, so be it. If someone is looking at those things, I guess I failed to hold their attention on the action in the photo. That's on me.

My D600 has the best DR of any camera that I own, but it relatively poor for sports. Low fps, small buffer, relatively poor focus compared to the much older D3s and V2. So I guess I am saying that for me, having a relatively high DR for sports is not all that much of problem.. its other important factors which make or brake a sport photo opportunity with the gear that you decide to use. YMMV.

--
reminder to self.
#1 "never explain never complain." -toomanycannons.
#2. keep posts limited to questions only and post of photos for C&C.

 

[alexne]

sorry for the typos... like "brake" instead of "break". getting late.

good night.

 

[DrNeil]

TTL and manual, depending on your setup.

The advantage of the Cactus triggers is that you can use several different brand flashguns all in the one system. So if you have Canon, Nikon, Olympus flashes all kicking around then you can fire them all at the same time from any camera - the V6s are universal - as long as the camera and each flash has a trigger/receiver attached.

Best of all, the V6s are only around £50 each. Much better value than the Canon system

thanks i will have a look at them - i thought they didn't do the TTL over wireless.

 

[Jenny Tremlett]

I'm not quite sure what you are saying or asking. The 5Dmk3 has poor dynamic range. It has been outdated in this department for a number of years now. Of course it is possible to expose correctly given enough time to think, but in the scenario I gave it was very contrasty midday bright sunlight with kids moving rapidly from shadow to full light. The mk3 tracked ok, but exposure wise it was a bit disastrous. This is when the poor dynamic range is most obvious. The Fuji was opposite - it tracked fairly badly, but exposures were much easier to correct.

When I first got the Fuji I was amazed at how far I could pull back the highlights. The shadow detail is good too, though the leeway here is not as marked.

 

[alexne]

I'm not quite sure what you are saying or asking. The 5Dmk3 has poor dynamic range. It has been outdated in this department for a number of years now. Of course it is possible to expose correctly given enough time to think, but in the scenario I gave it was very contrasty midday bright sunlight with kids moving rapidly from shadow to full light. The mk3 tracked ok, but exposure wise it was a bit disastrous. This is when the poor dynamic range is most obvious. The Fuji was opposite - it tracked fairly badly, but exposures were much easier to correct.

When I first got the Fuji I was amazed at how far I could pull back the highlights. The shadow detail is good too, though the leeway here is not as marked.

Auto exposure is for when lighting is changing rapidly like you describe. Was trying to understand if you were saying the auto exposure is poor on the canon or if you were trying to capture max DR because you were concerned about blowing out the sky. The later for sports I personally don't place much value.

However, sounds like you are saying the former, in that the auto exposure let you down or you did not use it. Which is quite surprising.

--
reminder to self.
#1 "never explain never complain." -toomanycannons.
#2. keep posts limited to questions only and post of photos for C&C.

 

[Jenny Tremlett]

Nope nothing to do with sky. I wasn't concerned about sky at all on this shoot. It was faces. Skin tones. And also white school shirts. The auto exposure couldn't keep up with the rapid change from bright sunlight to dark shadow. I couldn't manually expose because there wasn't time to switch from one situation to the next. To be fair most cameras struggle in these conditions. That is where recovery of highlight and shadow detail in post production helps.

 

[KariP]

I have no special need for FF , but i needed some things like really faster focusing and other "gadgets" - and bought Canon 80D - and i have my older Canon lenses and flash systems ...

Fuji is great for many uses - for example the totally quiet shutter and small size... and the lenses are good , but some quite expensive

Keep your Fuji and save some money for the 5DIV ! Best of both worlds . For a stills/landscape shooter

 

[syrcular]

the full story is I've been looking at getting an 80D to replace my ageing 40D - which i haven't really used much since switching to Fuji (i started with a X100 then a X-E1 then a X-T1)

Since all the stories about the Mark4 the price of the Mark3 has dropped and i was really wondering if I should get a MArk3 instead of a 80D.

Why a canon and a fuji.. like one of the posters says - perhaps different cameras are suited to different things? I have a friend who owns a wedding dress shop and i shoot her catwalk demos for her. 5-8 models walking up and down a stage in a dark room - I've been using a setup of 2 Speedlights with umbrellas on each side of the stage in full ETTL mode and it seems to work. 1. its the system i know and 2. the flash to model distance varies so it would be hard to use manual flash. note i don't do a lot of this but i find when i do its easier to reach for the old canon.

then of course the xt2 was announced and i wondered if that would do it all!

the reality is i need to probably use an xt2 - see if it works - perhaps the nissin kit will come out and i might give that a go.

never thought about 5ds or nikon!