I am a sentimental person and get attached to things that have been with me for a long time. Thus being that sentimental person, I am now writing a blog post that I never thought I would write. Yup, I am writing post to thank both my workhorse cameras. My two Canon 5D Mk IIIs which have been with me on all my shoots since 2012.
My first DSLR was the EOS 30D…
I bought my first DSLR camera many years ago, I don’t really remember exactly when but I remember that it was a Canon EOS30D. The 30D is a consumer DSLR and I loved it. Unfortunately though, as a consumer camera, its functions and capabilities was lacking it many ways. Especially in the areas of autofocusing and ISO noise control. It was terrible when you needed to autofocus in places which were just slightly darker than optimal. Whenever indoors, the camera behaved as though it needed spectacles to see. The other area where it was terrible, was in ISO noise management; Select any ISO above 400 and the picture is unusable. The picture will be corrupted with so much noise, it would be painful to just look at it.
Then came the 5D MK II…
When I became a professional photographer quite a few years later, I bought my next DSLR camera. And that was the mighty Canon EOS5D MK II. Canon’s all conquering full frame camera which could shoot amazing still images along with video. Moving from the 30D to the 5D MK II felt like I had jumped from driving a small 1 litre Nissan March to a 2 litre Mercedes Benz luxury car. Yes, the difference between both cameras was really that big.
Moving from a 1.6X crop factor camera (30D) to a full frame camera (5D) was a game changing moment for me. I would see so much more in my viewfinder and that suited my style of photography. For the first time, I could frame and compose my images the way I liked them. I fell in love with my 5D MK II the moment I put my right eye to the viewfinder.
It was an amazing camera and at that time, almost perfect in every area. I say almost perfect because it struggled in some areas as well. And one of these areas was the autofocusing function (better than the 30D but still not good enough). Once there is not enough ‘light’ it will struggle to find its focus (but again it was definitely better than the 30D). This is a real problem when you are shooting an indoor wedding or a live event where the quality of light changes every minute. You have no chance for a re-take and everything must be done ‘right’ at that moment and on the first try.
I bought my first 5D MK III…
My First Canon 5D MK III when it was brand new.
From 2010, news of the development of the 5D Mk III was all over the net. I expected a fix to the autofocusing issues that bugged the 5D Mk II and was so looking forward to the release of the new 5D. I kept checking various camera rumour websites for news on the date of release of the new camera. Finally the MK III was released in early 2012. I bought my first MK III the moment it was available for sale. If I remember correctly, it was in July 2012. The new camera was a definite and huge improvement from its predecessor. Canon fixed and improved the focussing problems as well as upgraded the ISO performance. The MK III was the ‘perfect’ camera to me. I was happy with every aspect of its performance and from the moment I bought it, it has always been with me on all my shoots.
then I got my second 5D MK III
In mid 2013, I bought another 5D MK III to use as my second camera at all my shoots. I carried both cameras by my side at all weddings and the second camera served two purposes always. The first as a backup and the second as a camera fitted with a lens of a different focal length. I cannot afford to miss ‘moments’ at any wedding assignment and when I have two cameras fitted with different lenses by my side, I can capture a varied variety of pictures by just switching cameras. There is no need to put down my camera to change lenses and risk missing a ‘moment’ during crucial times at a wedding or event.
Thus, I have used these two cameras since then. We have travelled together and shot so many commercial events and weddings together. I have brought them overseas many times as well, flying to Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia and numerous times between Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. Everything that I experienced on my shoots, they experienced with me.
Showing the wears of years of hard work … capturing memories for so many people …☺️
Ever the dependable workhorses, these two cameras have never once failed me. Their durability have actually amazed me! They have been my tools of my trade for a good 9 years. Even though on the outside, they show some wear and tear and the marks of years of service with me, they still work perfectly. Never a complaint or a missed shot. They are so good and reliable that upgrading my cameras to the newer 5D mk4 model has never crossed my mind. My cameras have done everything perfectly and there was no need for me to replace them.
Father time is undefeated…
Alas, all good things must come to an end and as I step up my video production business. My 5D MK IIIs cannot keep up anymore. Their video capabilities and technology are from 9 years ago and cannot match the cameras of today.
Thus the reason for this post ????. I would like to say “thank you” to my two ever dependable workhorse cameras for all the hard work they have put in all these years. Both cameras have been wonderful and I wish I could continue to use them as my main cameras for another 10 years. But the video work that I am shooting now have forced me to get a new camera with better and more advanced video capabilities.
Thank you my ever trusty 5D MK IIIs ❤️❤️❤️