Advice on choosing a second body

andrewc

andrewc

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I'm looking for a second body and this is one small (but quite important) factor in deciding what to get.

Heart says 1D and relegate 40D to backup. Wallet says no...
Head says 40D
Wallet says 30D or 400D. Head is thinking about it.

Usage: primarily motorsport with theatre photography second (high ISO & no/lo flash.)

450D discounted because it uses nasty fiddly SD cards and I use butch & manly CF cards.
 
andrewc said:
I'm looking for a second body and this is one small (but quite important) factor in deciding what to get.

Heart says 1D and relegate 40D to backup. Wallet says no...
Head says 40D
Wallet says 30D or 400D. Head is thinking about it.
Click to expand...

eh hem, i would say a 30D :) :) ;)
 
andrewc said:
I'm looking for a second body and this is one small (but quite important) factor in deciding what to get.

Heart says 1D and relegate 40D to backup. Wallet says no...
Head says 40D
Wallet says 30D or 400D. Head is thinking about it.
Click to expand...


Id say it depends what you got in terms of lenses, and how you'd use the backup? I.e if you got very good L lenses then a 1d mk2n maybe a nice bonus, but if you got cheaper glass, then id say you'd be better of upgrading glass, and getting a 2nd hand 30d if it purely just back up, personally i like having the 70-200mm on one body and the 400mm on the second. hence the 2 40d's, i have a friend that brought a 40d as a backup to his 1dmk2n, but found himself using the 40d more then 1dmk2n now. But thats another thread really.
 
Some motorsport events I cover really require two people - one out on the course taking photos of the cars in action, but someone else in the paddock getting static shots, candids and so on. My missus is happy to handle this whilst I'm risking life and limb out on track. I use a Sigma 100-300 with optional x1.4 TC and 24-105IS L

I do a lot of theatre photography as well and this is high iso / no flash territory. I think the 40D is better than the 30D in this regard and I think its a/f is better. I use the 24-105L IS f4 for this as I haven't got a 24-70 f2.8, but a second body could be used with my 50mm f1.8.

Whilst some of the time it will be a 2nd person using the camera, who isn't really that familiar with my 40D, some of the time I will be using it and swapping from one body to another, ease of use is important.
 
Mate recons the 40d is better at higher ISo then 1dmk2n so rule that out, ease of use would be 40d, but the 30d would be fine for pitwork, but not quite upto 40d levels on the track, (better sensor and AF speeds).
 
Having struggled with 2 different user interfaces on 2 bodies in the past, I would say 40D. Two the same, setup the same that you can run with your eyes closed.
 
grumpybadger said:
Having struggled with 2 different user interfaces on 2 bodies in the past, I would say 40D. Two the same, setup the same that you can run with your eyes closed.
Click to expand...

same here - get two the same
 
High ISO in low light in the theatre ?

Paddock shots with the 24-105L?

I'd get a second hand 5D if I were you and keep your telephoto on the crop camera. Wait a couple of months and there be plenty of 5Ds coming onto the market :thumbs: (Not mine though I'm keeping it :D).

I'm in the reverse situation having a 5D but wanting a second body with a crop sensor for nature and sports. 450D seems good - shame about the SD cards - but would like to stretch to a second hand 1 series of some sort.

Ray
 
I reckon the 40D is as good as the 5D in low light - although I haven't been able to do back to back tests as I sold my 5D.

40D would make a great 2nd body to a 5D as the UI is nearly the same.
 
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