Why is the Canon 5D 'THE' Wedding camera?

admirable

admirable

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or is it just because it is?
 
Because the 1DS Mk II or III is too expensive?
 
It doesn't deal that well with fast moving subjects and it's not a desperately rugged camera. It does provide a file that's plenty big enough for A3+ prints, with some cropping if needed but not so big that it will bring your processing machine to it's knees and in terms of overall image quality, until the latest brace of high ISO machines, was ahead of 95% of the alternatives.

If you compare it to all the other options, it offers the best match of function and features over cost.
 
Two of its pertinent features were a wider dynamic range and lower noise signature than its peers. Time has caught up with it and the MkII seems to have failed to offer significant advantages over other current offerings.

Bob
 
So if you were a wedding tog/landscape guy would you upgrade now and if so what to?

1Ds MkIII exception!
 
It light its cheap and handles high iso's well, but if I was a wedding tog I would go for the 1 series body myself.
 
I've got a 5D and a 1DsMKII and I often choose the 5D ahead of the 1Ds. Why? well for one the images stack up quite nicely thank you. I've shot the two side by side and there really is not much to separate the two (unless it's moving in which case contest over) As mentioned the High ISO and noise are more than acceptable and the actual ergonomics of it as a camera are simply superb.

I can happily shoot all day on the 5D and have a wrist that still works the next day. If I use the 1Ds, I find it tricky to hold one handed and get the level of stability and control that I want. That said if I ever want to crop something out of an image I'd take the 1Ds! The images are HUGE!

If I want to shoot with a camera in one hand and a flash in the other then the 5D is my weapon of choice. If I want tripod mounted huge file goodness then I'd take the 1Ds

As it is I put different lenses on them and take both for a wedding. The 5D with something wider and the 1Ds with the 70-200mm on. I can work quickly that way and have minimal lens changes. In case of a disaster I have the backup on me already working. :)

Oh and it's full frame and the skin tones on the 5D are simply yummy :)
 
The guy at our wedding had a 5D and a D700 that he had picked up a few days before.
 
D700 is that a Nokia? :D
 
At the time, it was the cheapest full frame canon DSLR, and I think this has some relevance, A lot of wedding togs have two cameras, so two FF pro bodies, you are talking 8 grand, against 4 grand for 2 5's.

Also, the batteries for 1 series, are a lot heavier than the batteries on non-pro bodies, 5 series batteries are relatively cheap (compared to 1 series) and you can quite easily carry a couple around in your pocket.

At the end of the day, it's probably horses for courses, wedding photography probably doesn't require the AF capabilities or ruggedness of a pro body?
 
I thought the Fuji S3 /S5 pro cameras were regarded as wedding cameras deu to the nice handling of dynamic range in the images, or do the newer cameras offer the same extended range theseday?
 
I have to agree with AliB. They are horses for courses. I have a 5D and a 1Ds lll. The 5D is much lighter and for certain jobs is an ideal camera. On the other hand thre 1Ds is much more rugged and weatherproofed, with a really large file size ideal for large images or crops and it is sharp.

And I can't quibble about the 5D's image quality either. Would be interesting to compare the Mk 1 and Mk11 some day. Not sure more pixels is always a good thing.
 
I tried three 5Ds and got rid of them all within a few days, once you use 1 series cameras then the rest are like toys.
 
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