Price/quality used Full Frame

[Rick1779]

Which is the best bargain to get an used Full Frame DSLR?
Key feature: iso range 100-800 at least

[Aanything]

I can't find a used one, sadly, but I'm searching for a sony a850.
Performance up to iso 800 is on par with the 5d mkII, IIRC, and it costed sensibly less when new.
But, as I said, since there seem to be very few used ones around (here in Italy at least), figuring out an average price now is quite hard.
It doesn't have live view, though.

[visualopsins]

EDIT: WRONG!!! [[[Sony a850 has shortest register -- can adapt the most MF lenses -- but]]] there are more used Canon 5D, first version, in the marketplace. 5D doesn't have live view for critical focusing, however big viewfinder works fine for me.

[Aanything]

[visualopsins]

[Rick1779]

the sony a850 would be a great deal... would be a great deal to find one also, never seen one on used market

[ManualFocus-G]

[Rick1779]

the canon 5d is 12.8 megapixel
the a850 is 24

[ManualFocus-G]

[Aanything]

[Frogfish]

It really depends on what you need it for and what you are going to put on it .. the D700 comes to mind, superb camera.

[rbelyell]

at 100-800 the 5d classic is hands down the best value. you cannot get what i would term pro IQ in FF up to iso800 for less.

i had a 5d and found it did not need 'live view' because many of the mf lens adapters for EF mount (m42, contax c/y) come with focus confirmation chips that work great with the 5d. i relied exclusively on this focus confirmation setup for years and misfocused very very few times.
tony

[LucisPictor]

I'd second the recommendations for the 5Dclassic.

It's still an amazing cam and a great performer. The 12 MPix are "very good" megapixels that will give you excellent results.
All the RAW converters are optimized for that cam meanwhile - so no problems there. It can definitely keep pace with much newer 18 or 20 MPix APS cams. And the used ones come at a price that is hard to beat by any DSLR nowadays! Up to ISO 1600 is no problem at all and it's very reliable.

I still have the 5Dclassic and will definitely not buy another fullframe DSLR before the 5D it some day stops to work. I just see no reason to, never mind the excellent 5D Mk II/III, 6D or Nikon D700, D800...

Whenever I put my Leica or Nikkor lenses on the 5Dclassic, my heart starts to jump with bliss.
And my Sigma EX 15-30 gives me a genuine 15mm perspective! That's priceless.

Sometimes, I do not bring the 5Dclassic but not because I'd not like it, but only because I don't want to haul around heavy gear.

The 5D sensor in a cam as compact as the NEX-7, as fast as the V1 and with haptics of the M8 - THAT would be my perfect cam!

[ZoneV]

5D classic!
This is a camera that is rugged enough to work since several years in my hard use.

Furthermore it has very good noise, when ISO is set very high, or post processing is extreme. Some call it "film like".
It works with many many lenses that are adaptable, and even for lens conversion the camera accepts many lenses. Mirror shave could be performed, many people have done this. But most cameras work well after a mirror hit.
There exists list which lenses work without problem on the EOS 5D. Not sure about other manufacturers 24x36mm DSLR cameras and their protrusion acceptance.
Many positive things for manual lens users - the camera is well known and tested with manual lenses.
And there is the easy exchangable EE-S screen.

Furthermore the EOS 5D has pretty good microlenses in terms acceopting fast lenses!
Most if not all newer cameras use fast lenses not as good (microlens shading).

[hoanpham]

What can you consider as ok price for a 5d classic?

[ZoneV]

[hoanpham]

Thank you. Good to know when i see one.

[mzzyhmd]

[iangreenhalgh1]

5D is FF, yes.

The cheapest FF is the old Kodak DCS Pro 14n, but I don't know how good it is, it's a Nikon film body adapted by Kodak and very big and bulky. You can find them for 300-400ukp.

[SonicScot]

[hoanpham]

that's great. Thanks Gary.
I forgot about ML.