[RyanW]

If shallow DOF is what you are after, you're not going to get there near as easily with a 35mm crop sensor as you would with a 35mm full frame sensor. Getting there with a 35mm crop sensor is going to require spending more on lenses, and hoping for lenses that don't exist.

Check out this thread. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/non-pentax-cameras-canon-nikon-etc/110876...-thoughts.html

Maybe you're right. Maybe it is the field of view. The thing that sucks is that in order to get an equivalent field of view of his 50mm i would have to get a 31mm f1.8 which is $1,000. I could get a 35mm f2.4 but the aperture isn't as large so my dof wouldn't be the same to the 5D.

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Last edited by RyanW; 05-31-2011 at 07:04 PM.

[Ryan Trevisol]

Maybe you're right. Maybe it is the field of view. The thing that sucks is that in order to get an equivalent field of view of his 50mm i would have to get a 31mm f1.8 which is $1,000. I could get a 35mm f2.4 but the aperture isn't as large so my dof wouldn't be the same to the 5D.

Why not an FA35mm f2? You should be able to get that for quite a bit cheaper than $1000?

Edit: I hate to tell you this, but you're never gonna get the thin DOF he's got at a 50mm equivalent on APS-C. At 5 feet from subject on 50mm f1.8, he's got 0.32 feet of in-focus range, less than 4 inches of depth.

Even with the 31mm f1.9, at the same 5ft from the subject, you're going to have 0.56 feet of DOF.

Currently, if you used your 50/1.4 wide open, but were 7.5 feet from the subject, you'd have 0.38 feet DOF, which is just a hair more than him.

When you do your tests, try to compose the subject the same (by you moving further away) and see if you can't get close to the same DOF. If that's not it, then I'd say the perceived DOF thinning from FF is NOT your ethereal "it" factor.

[Rondec]

Samyang 35mm f1.4 will also be available for about 499 (although it seems to be manual focus only). Sigma 30mm f1.4 is out there and seems nice for portaiture -- sharp in the center, soft on the edges, for about 489.

Also, I must say that I never really liked 50mm lenses that much on full frame. I know, I knoww, it is a normal lens and cheap and fast. But, it isn't really long enough or wide enough on a 35mm sensor/film. Now, on APS-C it is a short telephoto, more useful for head and shoulders type portrait shooting.

[yamint]

Why don't you just buy a used 5d mark i without selling your K5? I just bought a used 5d mark i from craigslist with 24-105mm L IS usm for $1400, and I will sell the 24-105mm lens for about $800 so I get my 5d body for around $600, that is pretty cheap for a used 5d mark i . If you can wait and have a little bit of luck, you might find somebody in your area selling 5d mark i body for cheap, even with some lenses and you can sell the lenses if you don't want it.

The reason I want to have a FF body is almost the same as yours plus wide angle full frame lens is cheaper than aps c. I mainly shoot portrait and the more I saw the result from canon or nikon full frame camera , the more I want to try full frame because of the film like look, I don't know how to explain it, but it is different from the result I got from my pentax camera, even if I use my F 50mm.

I will still keep my pentax equipment as I have invested a lot in k mount lenses, mostly manual and buying canon is the most logical choice since I can still use my manual lenses on canon body. Now my pentax 24mm f/2.8 will become 24mm instead of 36mm. For now, I will only buy canon 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8 which are what I need for portrait and a cheap wide angle like tokina 19-35mm.

I think for portrait FF camera is better because of the oof producing capabilities, even with 50mm f/1.8 the 3d look is already there, with aps-c you need a fast 30 or 35mm which in pentax mount is expensive compared to the canon 50mm f/1.8 which you can get used cheaply and if you want 85mm f/1.8 is not really expensive either compared to pentax 77mm f/1.8.

But I don't think you want to use 5d everytime, it is big and heavy, I will only use it if I want to do serious portrait work or wideangle landscape. For wildlife, event, travel I think using aps-c camera is better and pentax aps-c camera is smaller than anybody else. I like using my KX, it is small and lightweight.

So I suggest if you just want FF for portrait, you can become a dual system user and canon - pentax is a logical choice because you can still use pentax lens with aperture ring on a canon body and if you like to shoot portrait and don't mind manual focusing, canon body can be fitted with most manual lens, so you can collect and try many good manual portrait lens which you can get used cheaply.

[liukaitc]

Maybe you're right. Maybe it is the field of view. The thing that sucks is that in order to get an equivalent field of view of his 50mm i would have to get a 31mm f1.8 which is $1,000. I could get a 35mm f2.4 but the aperture isn't as large so my dof wouldn't be the same to the 5D.

Well, you should know canon and nikon has advantage in this segement. If u want cheap large aperture prime, you should choose canon or nikon in the first place.

[TaoMaas]

May be you want to take your brother in laws camera and shoot yourself to see if there is a difference in shooting style.

I think this is the smartest, cheapest, fastest solution offered so far. Set up a shoot with family members and borrow your brother-in-law's camera for an afternoon. See if you see the same thing in your pics that you're admiring in his. If you do, switch to Canon. If you don't, then you may have saved yourself a lot of money. It's worth a shot, IMHO.

[KxBlaze]

I see a specific look to his images, almost like a film movie look..... The K5 is awesome and I love it but it seems the images don't have the look I'm referring to...maybe I'm crazy but I see it with his 5D and it's not the editing since I saw an image he took straight out of camera on his camera screen.

My friend has the 5D MKII so I cannot speak specifically on the 5D but if it's anything close to the MKII then I know exactly what you are talking about. The MKII has the IQ that reminds me of a really sharp, almost 3D image that is hard to describe, so I can honestly say you are not crazy going for the 5D if you really want/need it.

Personally I would rather save the $$$ and get some really nice lenses for the K5 but a big factor for me would be the ergonomics. The 5D is a HUGE camera and pretty heavy, especially with a flash. It's way to big to carry around for extended periods of time. I held my friends MKII for about 25min and was very annoyed at the size and weight.

Either way you go you cannot go wrong. Each camera has its advantages but both are beasts.

[crossover37]

I decided to get a 5D, I can't get over the look I love about the images. I also like the bigger size of the camera, I have large hands so it feels better when the camera is bigger. Thanks everyone for the replies.

[TOUGEFC]

My adivice to you crossover before you sell or buy anything, is rent out a 5d + fast fifty for a week. Then rent out a FA43 + FA31 for a week, then see how you go from there

[Emacs]

My adivice to you crossover before you sell or buy anything, is rent out a 5d + fast fifty for a week. Then rent out a FA43 + FA31 for a week, then see how you go from there

In my expirience any FF will look better, with any decent lens of the same FOV.

[Ryan Trevisol]

awww, so we don't get to see the results of the big showdown?

[Rondec]

I would just tell you that you won't be satisfied until you get a 5D MkII. I don't know if you have lost much money switching equipment, but seems like you would do better getting what you are really going to want in the long run, even if it means saving a little longer.

[stevbike]

This somewhat humorous letter on the online photographer site would be interesting to read: The Online Photographer: Letter to George.

I think this really sums up the power of the marketing people selling the "next best stuff". People really fall for it. I just wish people would just try to learn the camera they have and learn to use it effectively.

[taurus9]

Making image quality judgements on a camera screen is not a good idea.
Especially one that's as old as the one on the 5D.

But the 5D will produce very nice images, no question.

I see a specific look to his images, almost like a film movie look. I saw a picture he took of me yesterday and straight out of camera on his screen the image had that look I like. I also like that he can get closer to get shallower depth of field by scooting up since there's no crop factor. The K5 is awesome and I love it but it seems the images don't have the look I'm referring to...maybe I'm crazy but I see it with his 5D and it's not the editing since I saw an image he took straight out of camera on his camera screen.

Let me know what you all think. Thanks.

[Verglace]

In the photography club I'm in there are a few people with 5Dmk2s that are happy to let us try it and I have to agree they have a great look to them, ISO isn't everything. If I had the money to afford a 5dmk2 with L lenses I would get them, for now I will stick with the cheaper Pentax, so if you can afford it, why not?

Too often people will blame lack of skill as a reason for changing camera... if the camera body is really insignificant then why doesn't everybody just buy the cheapest camera they can get? The camera does make a difference.