I'm into my 3rd month with the new camera, and I think I've figured my way around it (mostly).
Yes, I also puchased the 24-105 L series lens with it. I might love the lens even more than the camera, but it's likely that it's the camera that makes me love the lens.
Key loving factors:
- ISO: I'm an ISO freak. The 5D lets me push the ISO envelope, and noise distortion that I would have seen with my old 30D at 1600 or even 2000 is not even a concern. It's not till I push into the 3000 range that I know noise is going to bite me in the bum. This better flexibility takes care of all the dark/indoor/no tripod situations i aways find myself in.
- Custom shutter/exposure: I didn't use this feature at all on the 30D, and that's likely due to the fact it was hidden behind mounds of menus. The 5D puts it right up front, and it's much easier to switch between custp presets.
- HD Video: I was always the type of person who thought they would want a video camera, but never thought I'd get enough use to justify a separate handheld. Now: problem solved.
- Focusing is much crisper, and I don't think that's a feature of the lenses, but of the autofocus on the camera.....
- Actual battery life as a percentage of total battery life. Everyone speculates how many more photos they can take when they've got 1 bar of battery life left. a Percentage is more descriptive :-)
I love the vibrance, it' a night a day difference between the 30D and the 5D -- even when I shoot with an average lens like the 50mm F1.4. I love the battery life. I love the vignetting even.
Things I wish I could change:
- I wish it was easier to get to the HD video enablement - that's a bit of a pain. There should be a button on the camera.
- I wish it was easier to switch between RAW and JPG.
- I wish the shutter speed was a tad faster when I'm in burst shooting mode.... that's the only thing the 30D did well --- FAST burst mode.
Wow - before I wrote this, I would have lost money on the number of features I wish the camera had....
Why someone should get this camera:
- If you HATE a flash, this camera rocks out in crappy light. The only time I'll ever need a flash is if I've got an indoor wedding shoot, and no handy tripod.
- If you want video and superior SLR capabilities.
Check out Digital Photography's Official Review of the Canon 5D Mark II