Mid-priced upgrade from Canon 5D Mk ii

This site is reader-supported. When you buy through links on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn More

Return to Main Site

Mid-priced upgrade from Canon 5D Mk ii

rlmccormac

Hey! Long-time listener, 1st-time caller...

We have a Canon 5D Mk ii. For obvious reasons, I want to upgrade the camera to something newer for interviews & storytelling but not spend $2-3k for a camera body. I looked thru the buyer's guides but didn't see a good option in the sub-$2k range where we can use the EF lenses we have.

Thanks!
Robbie Mac

joelwsmith

rlmccormac

Robbie! What up, man? Been too long... I hope you and the family are well.

Thanks for reaching out. And great question.

Do you need the camera to do photography as well, or just video?

rlmccormac

Smitty! We're doing good down here in the San Antonio area. How's Sarah and the kids?

Photos would be nice, but we can always dedicate the 5D Mk2 to photos.

joelwsmith

rlmccormac

Good to hear! We're doing great. I will hit you up next time we're in your area. We're in the transition phase to full-time nomad living in a travel trailer, so we'll probably be through San Antonio at some point soon.

Here's a few of (probably) the best options I can think of off the top of my head:

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
- Probably the best video-centric option
- Best image quality and recording formats for the price
- Poor audio, but that was the same thing for the 5D Mark II so it probably won't hurt your workflow
- Huge user/support base and accessory market
Canon EOS R with an EF to RF lens adapter
- Great mix of photo and video features/quality
- Good EF lens adapters are fairly cheap now
- Will match closer to the 5D Mark II in terms of color science
Sony a7C or Sony a7 III with an EF to Sony E lens adapter
- Excellent mix of photo and video features/quality
- Better all-around performance compared to the EOS R
- The a7C has no recording limit (the a7 III does), so that can come in handy for many things

rlmccormac

Thanks, Joel! Yes, next time you're down here let me know! There's lots of hiking, fishing, and river stuff to do around Boerne.