I'm in love.
Even just shooting around the store, I could tell a difference in the feel of the images. Also, the viewfinder is heavenly compared to my XT's, not to mention the LCD screen (how nice to be able to actually see the image you just took).
The guy asked me what lenses I usually shot with, and I told him primes. So what does he bring me? The 85 f/1.2L.
Well! First I took a few shots with my own 85 1.8. Here's one at f/1.8 (no editing except for a crop):
THEN --- the fateful moment --- I put on the 85L. Here's a shot at f/1.2, again, no editing, not even a crop this time:
As Stacy London would say, Shut the front door. That bokeh! So creamy! Such "pop" to the image!
The 5Dii has the top display for ISO, aperture, &c, so it took a moment to get used to how that worked. But my XT actually has a kind of similar display right above the LCD (which is one reason the LCD is so small), so it was really just a change in position and complexity.
The cam is obviously heavier, but with my 85 1.8 attached (my heaviest lens so far), it was not unmanageable. I wish I could have tried it out somewhere other than a fluorescent-lit camera store :)
I also tried a couple of shots with the store's copy of the 24-70L, and I paid attention to the feel of the focal length at 24mm, which is what I think my next lens purchase will be (eventually). It didn't seem too wide on the FF (my main concern), but again, I was shooting in a camera store! I am tempted to rent a FF and the 24L before I make either of those purchases, but I just can't help thinking that that could be money put toward the final purchase that would be a waste on a rental.
I also tried the video briefly, but I'm not sure I uploaded that file correctly to my Mac. Will deal with that later. Not particularly enthralled with video at the mo.
I am still wrestling with the decision about the 5D Mk II. I can afford it (in a few months), but is that how I should spend $2400? Canon is supposed to be making some more announcements on Tuesday, so if they by chance announce a 60D or equivalent that has good high ISO capabilities, reality may win out over emotions. A $1200 body upgrade is much more reasonable for a hobbyist like myself. I just wish they'd make a FF cam with no bells and whistles for under $2000. I get that it's the sensor that makes it expensive in the first place, but I am willing to sacrifice frames per second, fancy LCD screens, &c for an affordable FF body. I'm sure I'm dreaming.
The bottom line is that I want to upgrade to a body that will perform well in low light, and that I can take to ISOs above 1600 without seeing much noise. Am hoping to have a body upgrade by this fall. Until then, I plan to have fun learning lots about my two primes and getting better at post-processing.
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