POLE... Should I stay or should I go now?

If you got the cash, buy the best toys you can afford. And, if low light is your thang, FF is king. Why furt around? Enjoy life now. A 5D II is much cheaper than a gambling spree, drug habit, GF or new motorcycle. Hell, it almost free compared to those sorts of things.

Ryan, only you can answer some of the questions you pose.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that full-frame DSLRs like the 5D expose any softness or other flaws a lens might exhibit, particularly out near the corners of the frame, the part which is cropped out on 1.6X cameras.

Therefore, depending on your expectations, getting satisfactory results from a 5D might be more costly than you think if it requires lens upgrades.

There is a flip side to everything. 5D is slower ( 3-4 fps, no pop up flash or sensor cleaner ).

A few things to consider. Have you tried a 5D? Its nice and all but really the little extra width will not make you become a better photographer but yes the 5D 24-105 combo is a nice one. I have that lens on a 40D and its just not quite the same but still its very good.

I was considering the same move but decided to just ad a 10-22 to the mix which by the way is my first EF-S lens. The best part of the crop body format is price. I don't mind taking my 40D on say a boat or where ever since replacement is not nearly as expensive as a 5D. I think for that reason and the speed I would never part with my 40D. I would just ad a 5D to my setup.

Few options.

1. wait a bit longer, the 5D price is sure to drop when the 5D2 is out.

2. ( what I did ) Use only EF lenses and get a used or less expensive ultra wide so your not putting a lot of money into the crop format.

There is nothing wrong with the 5D Mark I. It still takes pictures which beat the hell out of most cameras in IQ. I would say go for Mark II but if you can't, go for original 5D.

Ryan, my tastes have generally been along the lines of wide angle photography, so my 5D has been a godsend. If you like wide photography, you'll have a lot more attractive lens options with FF. The opposite is true if you are into extreme telephoto work. When I consider the extraordinary costs of good glass in long focal lengths, I can only conclude that I'm not interested enough in extreme tele work to justify the cost -- not even close. However, with a crop body, all lenses get a lot "longer" for not an extra penny spent.

There are also differences in sensitivity in noise (better for FF cameras), but I think lens options have been the big driving force for me.

Another vote for the original 5D. I love mine. :-)

As far as what does the future hold? I've got two1.6 bodies and two 1DMIIN's 1.3 bodies and they will be the last crop bodies that i purchase. I will simply use these until they absolutly die then i will move on to the FF overings at that time. With the exception of one lens, all my lens purchasas have been full frame lenses. I belive that the crop bodies will eventually fade out over the next 5 years or so. Regardless of your decision, you should have a decent body that offers controls without having to flip through menues. The origional 5D has become a classic that continues to produce some of the nicest images to date. I would bet that it will be the longest withstanding body yet produced by canon. I would think the best decision for you at this point in your investments would be the 5DMII for it is sure to be a long life and liked camera.

Very nice, the opinions are rolling now!

Very nice analogy Puppy Face. Brent- you bring up a good argument againts FF which I never would have thought of. Tommy- thanks for sharing your ideas although speed would not hold me back, I have a 430ex (forgot to mention) and dont like popups. As far as lenses though, if I were to stick with a crop I would have to have a good EF-S lens such as the 17-55 f2.8 since 24mm a long way from 17mm on a crop body, creating to many lens changes for my liking. Zafar- My thoughts exactly, on the original 5D plus it comes with the 24-105L for the price of the 5D MKII! Sarah- I love your rub it my face style! Such a tease!

Still I wonder how much quality is there in the FF sensors and how long of a future will they have? There seem to be a lot more small ones out there.

Cheers, RY

Michael, you slipped one in before my last post! Interest lifespan on crop sensors, I would have thought they would surpass the FF based on the fact that everything is eventually built better in a smaller package. Thankyou!

4:1 for FF, not sure what to classify Brents comment as?

For the sake of the pole...

I currently shoot with an XTi but have borrowed a friend's 5D + 24-105 L IS kit on multiple occasions (a few events, small weddings, parties, etc) and am convinced I will be upgrading! In fact, if there were no news about the 5D2 coming out soon then I would likely have already purchased the 5D.

If you love landscape and low light then FF is the way to go, no question. Plus you'll enjoy the lower noise levels as compared to your XTi. The kit you referred to plus your 50mm 1.4 will be a great combo for a long time.

It's true you will be lugging a heavier kit around (maybe not great for backpacking) and you will lose the option of a pop up flash (which seldom produces great results anyway) but overall I think you'd really prefer the 5D.

Do you know anyone that would let you borrow theirs for awhile? (It would have to be a good friend, of course) That made all the difference for me as far as really getting hands on experience to help me make my decision. So much better than sitting in the store! If you know someone but they're reluctant to let you borrow it you might offer to take some portraits of them and their family (with their 5D, of course). Who knows, they might appreciate having some shots of them for the holidays...