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Hello all. I began what I call my "serious" photography journey when I was in the Air Force, stationed in Greece in 1986-87. I was on a remote tour and bored out of my mind most of the time. One day, when I was in the BX at Helenikon AB in Athens, I decided to buy a camera and learn photography as a way to fight the boredom. I ended up buying a Canon T-70 as I had read that, at the time it was quite technologically advanced. (I've always bee a gadget guy and loved the many features and modes of the T-70). It was the first "real" camera I'd ever owned and certainly the first with interchangeable lenses. I still have that T-70 and still shoot film with it.
A few years later, when Digital cameras started to hit the market, initially they were priced out of my range...until Canon introduced the first generation "Rebel". It was touted as the first consumer camera you could buy for under $1000 (it was $999 LOL). Anyway the Canon Rebel became my first move into the world of digital photography in the 1990's. That Rebel (which I also still own) was only a 6MP camera. It was ok for taking pictures to post on the internet or share in emails, but forget about printing a decent print larger than 5x7!
Eventually, better cameras were coming out with higher megapixels. I ended up buying a Canon 7D as a Christmas present to myself in 2010. This is when I started to get more serious about learning photography and started watching tons of YouTube videos and taking online courses. This is also about the time I got Lightroom and Photoshop and started learning more about post processing.
That 7D served me well until the 7D Mark II came out. The Mark II was a higher MP camera and would shoot at more FPS - I had a GAS attack and had to have it. So I sold the 7D and pre-ordered the 7D Mark II in October 2014. Wow, did I love that camera (wish I still had it to be honest). Two years later, in April 2016, I decided I needed a full frame camera in addition to the crop sensor 7DII, so I ended up buying a 6D from the Canon Refurb store. Both of those cameras were great (the 6D was amazing in Low Light.).
Then, in October of 2017, during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Canon announced that they were going to have some of their new cameras available for loan on a first-come-first served basis, including the newly announced 5D MarkIV. Well, I felt compelled to try and be one of the lucky few to get one of these loaners for a day. We ended up arriving at the Canon Tent at the Ballon park at 4AM and I stood in a long line in hopes of being one of the lucky ones. To my amazement, when it was my turn, they had ONE 5D Mark IV left to loan and, well, that was the beginning of more GAS! I just had to give them my Driver License to hold until I retired the camera at the end of the day. I used that camera all day at the Balloon Fiesta (operation was similar to my 6D so the learning curve wasn't too bad, plus I had watched a lot of videos before hand). I knew that someday I was going to get the 5D Mark IV, but with it still being very new, the cost was just out of range for me at $3500, body only (or at least what I was willing to spend).
Fast forward two years later and, just s few days before Christmas 2019, one of the big box camera stores (B&H) sent me an email with one of their "Flash" deals. It was a deal that was only going to last a few hours. The price of the camera was too good to resist. I was able to buy the 5D MarkIV, with a Canon Battery Grip AND a 64GB SanDiak Extreme Pro SD card, all for $1999 before taxes (shipping was free). That 5D Mark IV was a fantastic camera that I hated to sell, but did eventually in order to buy some RF glass for my current camera, the Canon R5. I bought the R5 with the RF 24-105 lens as a Christmas to self gift in December 2022.
I currently have the R5 with three RF lenses, then 24-105 F4, the 70-200 F4 and the 85 F/2. I also have several EF lenses that I use with the adaptor.
That's my story and glad to be here.
CJ
A few years later, when Digital cameras started to hit the market, initially they were priced out of my range...until Canon introduced the first generation "Rebel". It was touted as the first consumer camera you could buy for under $1000 (it was $999 LOL). Anyway the Canon Rebel became my first move into the world of digital photography in the 1990's. That Rebel (which I also still own) was only a 6MP camera. It was ok for taking pictures to post on the internet or share in emails, but forget about printing a decent print larger than 5x7!
Eventually, better cameras were coming out with higher megapixels. I ended up buying a Canon 7D as a Christmas present to myself in 2010. This is when I started to get more serious about learning photography and started watching tons of YouTube videos and taking online courses. This is also about the time I got Lightroom and Photoshop and started learning more about post processing.
That 7D served me well until the 7D Mark II came out. The Mark II was a higher MP camera and would shoot at more FPS - I had a GAS attack and had to have it. So I sold the 7D and pre-ordered the 7D Mark II in October 2014. Wow, did I love that camera (wish I still had it to be honest). Two years later, in April 2016, I decided I needed a full frame camera in addition to the crop sensor 7DII, so I ended up buying a 6D from the Canon Refurb store. Both of those cameras were great (the 6D was amazing in Low Light.).
Then, in October of 2017, during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Canon announced that they were going to have some of their new cameras available for loan on a first-come-first served basis, including the newly announced 5D MarkIV. Well, I felt compelled to try and be one of the lucky few to get one of these loaners for a day. We ended up arriving at the Canon Tent at the Ballon park at 4AM and I stood in a long line in hopes of being one of the lucky ones. To my amazement, when it was my turn, they had ONE 5D Mark IV left to loan and, well, that was the beginning of more GAS! I just had to give them my Driver License to hold until I retired the camera at the end of the day. I used that camera all day at the Balloon Fiesta (operation was similar to my 6D so the learning curve wasn't too bad, plus I had watched a lot of videos before hand). I knew that someday I was going to get the 5D Mark IV, but with it still being very new, the cost was just out of range for me at $3500, body only (or at least what I was willing to spend).
Fast forward two years later and, just s few days before Christmas 2019, one of the big box camera stores (B&H) sent me an email with one of their "Flash" deals. It was a deal that was only going to last a few hours. The price of the camera was too good to resist. I was able to buy the 5D MarkIV, with a Canon Battery Grip AND a 64GB SanDiak Extreme Pro SD card, all for $1999 before taxes (shipping was free). That 5D Mark IV was a fantastic camera that I hated to sell, but did eventually in order to buy some RF glass for my current camera, the Canon R5. I bought the R5 with the RF 24-105 lens as a Christmas to self gift in December 2022.
I currently have the R5 with three RF lenses, then 24-105 F4, the 70-200 F4 and the 85 F/2. I also have several EF lenses that I use with the adaptor.
That's my story and glad to be here.
CJ
