# 5D MKIII vs 1Ds MKIII



## tomscott (Apr 1, 2012)

So I have £3.5k to spend on upgrading to a new body.

Choice was originally to go straight for the 5D MKIII because I think it is pretty much the perfect camera they are currently selling for £3000 in the UK body only.

Question is a fairly low actuation second hand 1Ds MKIII is around £2500. 

So what do you think the 1Ds with extra pro features (extra weather sealing etc) and 1 less FPS or the 5D MKIII.

Or save £500 and get some more glass. (been after an 85mm)

Currently shoot on a 40D because I haven't seen a massive improvement to upgrade it to any of the newer bodies and don't need to print bigger than A3 and most of my stuff is for newspapers so the res has been fine. 50D wasn't a good upgrade. I was keen on the 7D but I have mastered the shortcomings of the 40Ds AF and IQ in the 7D didn't seem much better apart from the much much better high ISO quality and the AF was amazing but like I said i get the shots I need and didn't get many more keepers from the 7D. I also felt that the 7D was slightly noisier at ISO100-200 and shoot a lot in this range. But didn't feel the need to spend £1500 on the upgrade when I didn't feel it added much to my 40D. I also wanted the 5D MKII but again the AF put me off having the same as the 40D although the IQ is amazing the other shortcomings didn't fit my need I need an all-round fairly quick camera. Again wasn't worth the £2500 upgrade and if it had the benefit of the better AF I would take it. The 60D is a massive disappointment so not even a choice.

So basically been waiting for the perfect affordable camera which has arrived.

I want to upgrade to FF and the 1Ds was out of my budget until recently, and now the 5D MKIII has been supercharged and is basically a full frame 40D with much better AF, ISO and IQ in my budget I was like perfect. Until I was looking around and saw the 1Ds at this price point.

My 40D is seriously ready for retirement it needs a big service and replacement shutter as it is about 140,000 actuations. Don't really want to spend any money on it.

In relation to what I shoot. A bit of everything professionally - Weddings, motorsport, automotive and advertising photography mainly. But also shoot a fair amount of fine art photography.

But for personal usage I shoot pretty much everything so looking for an all round camera. I shoot with a grip atm but like taking it off for street photography and generally chuck it in the bag less weight etc.

Lenses - 
EFs 17-55mm 2.8 IS
EFs 10-22mm
EF 70-200mm 2.8 IS
EF 50mm 1.4
EF 100mm 2.8 Macro
EF 2x extender MKII

Will be selling the 17-55 and the 10-22 for FF equivalents. If i got the 5D I would buy the lens kit with the 24-105mm for the saving.

So what you guys think!?? 

Thanks for the help in advance 

Heres a few shots.




Royal Opera House, London by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Women, St. Pauls, Millennium bridge, London by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Couple, Covent Garden by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Conison Water Feb 2011 by tom_scott88, on Flickr




BMW Z4M Coupe by tom_scott88, on Flickr




IMG_5504colour by tom_scott88, on Flickr




IMG_9407 by tom_scott88, on Flickr




320si BTCC by tom_scott88, on Flickr




M3 by tom_scott88, on Flickr


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## danski0224 (Apr 1, 2012)

The low light performance of the 5DIII appears to far exceed the 1DSIII.

Given a choice between those two, I'd get the 5DIII unless you need something that the 1D model offers.


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## wickidwombat (Apr 2, 2012)

great shots mate!

I really like the second one, was this set up or a candid street shot?
also the BMW shot looks like a sale brochure promo

nice work 

but to answer your question
wait a while and keep th money in your pocket until the issues get sorted out
1Ds3 prices are only going to go down
and better off seeing how these 5Dmk3 issues shake out

you can clearly produce great work with what you have so just chill out 
grab some pop corn and see how it all shakes out over the next few weeks


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## tomscott (Apr 2, 2012)

Cheers for the replies!

Thanks very much! All those images were candid street photos I shot recently in London with a 50mm 1.4. Love street photography and around covent garden and the millennium bridge gives some nice backdrops and some interesting people!

The BMW Z4Mc was a rig shot, I do a lot of work for clients who are interested in automotive and/or like to have some pics of their cars. The Z4Mc is a really nice car to shoot because they are very rare and have some great lines.

Ye well I have been waiting for a long time had the 40D since release so its been around 5 years and the camera is about to keel over lol. Im sure the 5D MKIII will be a big upgrade for me anyway, the IQ argument with the 5D MKII and MKIII seems a bit futile because even if it is slightly softer adding sharpening in PP surely will solve this I always PP so straight out the camera can be improved shooting raw? and from a 10mp digit 3 to a 22mp digic 5+ I'm sure I will be blown away! Theres always some teething problems, but it would be nice to see a small decrease in price maybe £2800 or somewhere around there. 

I might rent one and see how I get on with it. Hopefully your right about the prices of the 1Ds its just finding ones that haven't been hammered by pros, I like to keep my gear so it kind of maximises profit. Always a believer that a poor craftsman blames his tools but I do feel like I have hit the wall with what the 40D can do.


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## tomscott (Apr 3, 2012)

Bump


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## PhilDrinkwater (Apr 3, 2012)

Hmm.. toughie. Generally I consider the body to be less important than lenses so I'd probably get the 1ds3 unless you need to use ISO3200 regularly. 

You'd also need to look at the grip situation - if you want a grip you'll need to add £300 onto the 5d3 price for that.


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## briansquibb (Apr 3, 2012)

As a 1Ds3 owner (and happy one at that) I would recommend the 5DIII as being the better all round package. The 1Ds3 has too many limitations in comparison

I would have moved had I not got the 1D4 as well


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## expo01 (Apr 3, 2012)

Hi Tom

The 5D3 is about 4 years newer than the 1Ds3. That said, there better be some super feature upgrades (that you should be able to see in pictures) in the newer one. 

I have had a 1Ds3 since late 2007 and i'm still using it as my go to image quality camera. The 1Ds-series just doesn't let you down, regardless of what harsh environments you throw at it. Two or three years ago i was photographing at the Zürich Streetparade. One whole day in a massive rainshower. I was literally wet to the bones, yet I didn't fear for one second for my camera. I've also never emptied a battery in one day. The stamina of the LP-E4's in combination with the 1Ds is just amazing.

What the new 5D is like. I, honestly, have no idea.

You said you would be getting rid of some lenses. One adjustment I would strongly suggest is trading in the 70-200 2.8 IS for the version II.

Those just my experiences with the above gear.

@briansquibb: Do you concur with my experiences? Another question in your direction. How satisfied are you with your 1D4? I have upgraded from the 1D3 to the 1D4 using it next to my 1Ds and I am not very happy. While the AF is pretty damn good, the overall image quality is far below the 1Ds. For critical work, I'd never pull out the 1D4. I'm using the 1D4 for sports though, national league hockey and national league and UEFA football.


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## 7enderbender (Apr 3, 2012)

Good question. I'm not in the market at this point for any upgrade from my 5DII but for the same kind of money I'd always prefer the 1DsIII. It depends on what your priorities are. I don't care about video, I like the vertical grip, high ISO is not important to me. So the 1DsIII would be the ideal EOS camera for me and I'd prefer if over the 5DII or III and even the 1Dx.


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## briansquibb (Apr 3, 2012)

expo01 said:


> @briansquibb: Do you concur with my experiences? Another question in your direction. How satisfied are you with your 1D4? I have upgraded from the 1D3 to the 1D4 using it next to my 1Ds and I am not very happy. While the AF is pretty damn good, the overall image quality is far below the 1Ds. For critical work, I'd never pull out the 1D4. I'm using the 1D4 for sports though, national league hockey and national league and UEFA football.



I had the pleasure of using the 5DIII(not mine) on set and the IQ from it is excellent - pretty much the same as the 1Ds3. As an all round camera now I would choose the 5DIII as there is more functionality and no less in picture IQ

As for the 1D4 I use it for faster moving shots and as such it is very good. I feel the 1Ds3 has the edge but not by much when using iso 100/200 but after that the 1D4 soon catches up. I upgraded from the 7D to the 1D4 and that was a major upgrade in functionality and IQ - as you say the weatherproofing is very reasuring.

I use both the 1D4 and 1Ds3 for sports and perform well. Likewise I sometimes use the 1D4 for worse light such as theatre. I am considering buying a second 1D4.

Here is a method that I use to keep the iso down on the 1D4 - quite key for best IQ

Objective: Set set a minimum and maximum shutter speed. In Av mode if the shutter speed dropped below the mimimum then the ISO would be bumped up so that the minimum was reached again.

Method:

- enable safety shift (iso speed) C.Fn 1 - 8
- set shutter speed range C.fn 1 - 12 ( set the minimum shutter speed )

In the field:

- set the Av value
- set the base iso value (can be L so then it acts as auto iso)
- set exp comp as needed (yes we get exp comp and auto iso this way)

I have photographed karts so I set the minimum Tv to 1/500, Av at f/4 and iso100 which was about the critical point. ISO went up and down as expected, Tv went above 500 when the cloud lifted

So there you are - how to get auto iso with iso and Av limits set.

This applies to the Series 1 only


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## tomscott (Apr 3, 2012)

Thanks for all the really helpful information.

I suppose the thing with the 1Ds is that it is massive and quite intrusive. Thats the nice thing about the 5D MKIII it is still a small format camera and you have the option of adding the grip.

I would like the 70-200mm IS II but the extra £500 at the moment will go on a wide angle lens like the 17-40 mm to replace my 10-22. In time I hope to, but I want to re-complete my kit before upgrading my lenses.

The 17-40 like the 10-22 will be really helpful in the pit lane.

ATM I am thinking the 5D MKIII but im pretty sure the 1Ds MKII will still be a huge upgrade form my 40D but I think maybe the best thing to do is wait until the fire dies down on the 5D and we get some proper reviews of the camera and comparisons between the two. TBH I would prefer to have th newer tech because I will use this nxt body for 5 years or so similar to my 40D.


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## briansquibb (Apr 3, 2012)

The 1Ds3 is about the same size as the 5D33 + grip

I wouldn't say it is intrusive though


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## helpful (Apr 3, 2012)

tom, I think you should get the 5D3. The other camera you mention was good for its time period. But it's like a Pentium 4 computer vs. a Sandy Bridge computer. I don't know if this analogy rings any bells, but I'm trying to say that the 5D3 is a revolutionary improvement compared to the 1Ds MKIII.

If you were comparing the EOS-1D Mark IV vs. the 5D3, then I would say it is more of a wash, although the 5D3 sensor is twice as good even compared to the EOS-1D Mark IV.

All these people talking about "barely a few stops better" need to realize that even one stop is twice as good, i.e., 100% better. After a week with the 5D3, I would rather have it than any three camera bodies prior to the EOS-1D Mark IV, and it is also easily worth more than the $5,000 EOS-1D Mark IV.

So even for $3,500 (or whatever the price is in your country), the 5D3 is the only choice that I would consider if I were in your situation.


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## tomscott (Apr 3, 2012)

I mean intrusive as in it is a big camera, people see it and instantly feel like ooo whats he doing. Especially with street photography, those candid ones slightly less likely. Also I like the understatement of the smaller bodies.

A grip will be a definite purchase. I find them very useful to balance the camera with heavier lenses, but also because I like to use it without too with primes like a nifty 50 shooting some street photography. Best of both worlds.

I agree with you on the age and the performance, although like I said both will be a huge upgrade in IQ compared to the 40D im used to. I think the best thing to do is to get hold of a 5D and put it though its paces and see how I like it.


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## zhap03 (Apr 3, 2012)

I have both the 1Ds3 and the 5d3. I highly recommend getting the 5d3 over the 1ds3. It's just more responsive and the IQ is better. If you are used to shooting the 40d without the battery grip, you may appreciate the form factor of the 5d3 over the 1ds3 as well. Higher fps, better sensor, better AF, better ergonomics in my opinion. As for battery life... yes the lp-e4 charge lasts longer than the lp-e6. Just carry an extra lp-e6. Unless you need extreme weather sealing and ruggedness, skip the 1ds3 and get the 5d3. And don't underestimate the value of the Silent Shooting mode of the 5d3, it really is super quiet. I'm sure I don't have to elaborate on the many applications of the silent mode.


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## briansquibb (Apr 3, 2012)

helpful said:


> tom, I think you should get the 5D3. The other camera you mention was good for its time period. But it's like a Pentium 4 computer vs. a Sandy Bridge computer.



The IQ of the 1Ds3 is on a par with the 5DIII - so it delivers at iso 100/200 with about the same dr and possibly less noise

However as a general purpose camera the 5D3 package is better - and that is why I would recommend the 5DIII over the 1Ds3

The 1D4 vs the 5DIII is a different story altogether - I would not buy a 5DIII over a 1D4. The 1D4 package is superior to the 5DIII in almost every way as a general purpose camera. The 5DIII has more mps and possibly a better IQ, but for everything else the 1D4 is as good as or better than the 5DIII


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## tomscott (Apr 3, 2012)

Ye the 1D 4 maybe a great camera but I personally think the 1.3x crop factor is awkward and produces a strange focal range with lenses that I don't feel benefits my shooting. I prefer the apc with efs lenses and the crop with longer ef lenses. 

I think the camera is very useful if you use it in combination with a cam like the 1ds as you get the best of both worlds but still feel that for me the 1Ds or the 5D would be the better all round camera! If my budget stretched think I may pair it with a 7D because to get the 1.6x on my longer lenses and use the 5d wider and more standard focal lengths. As the 7D is a great cam per £ but not good enough to replace as my main camera.

But my budget doesn't stretch atm so it's a 5D or a 1Ds has to be full frame no crop of any kind


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## briansquibb (Apr 3, 2012)

tomscott said:


> Ye the 1D 4 maybe a great camera but I personally think the 1.3x crop factor is awkward and produces a strange focal range with lenses that I don't feel benefits my shooting. I prefer the apc with efs lenses and the crop with longer ef lenses.



The 1D4 is far, far superior camera than the 7D - the 1.3 allows a shallow DOF, wonderful bg blur that is only a dream with the 7D on longer lens

I feel that a 300 becomes a 390 with a 1.4, a 400 a 520, a 600 becomes a 780. Nothing stange about that - just numbers you may not be familliar with - doesnt impact the composition. A 7D on a large white is very unbalanced.


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## tomscott (Apr 4, 2012)

No doubt it is a better camera.

I just mean for general shooting the regular focal lengths are awkward like a 24-70mm is 31-91mm etc etc.


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## briansquibb (Apr 4, 2012)

tomscott said:


> No doubt it is a better camera.
> 
> I just mean for general shooting the regular focal lengths are awkward like a 24-70mm is 31-91mm etc etc.



Just take a step or two backwards.


Personally I dont even think abot the focal length - it is the composition that matters - certainly matters even less on a zoom


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## tomscott (Apr 4, 2012)

Depends if your shooting in tight spaces you need all the width you can!!

Which is kind of why I like the APC, you can get the length with EF lenses on the 1.6 crop. But you can also use the dedicated awesome lenses like the 10-22mm which offer the width and the quality. Similar to the 17-55mm I use this instead of a 24-70 or 24-105 because it offers a good range, quality, quick aperture and IS.

In hien-sight it would have been better to buy the FF equivalent but that 17-55mm is a cracking lens!

The crop bodies don't offer the quality of the FF but they are a good compromise!


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## briansquibb (Apr 4, 2012)

I have a 8-15 and a 14mm for wa. I dont use the 1D4 for tight spaces or portraits - that is what the 1Ds3 is for.

The 10-22 does not get close in IQ to either of those two lens or to the TS-E24

The 1D4 is the ultimate compromise body, having the best features of the series 1 plus a 1.3 crop


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## tomscott (Apr 4, 2012)

Yes but what im saying is I need an all round camera the 1.3 crop doesnt give me this. For my uses the 1D4 isnt what im after, although if money wasnt a problem I would use one in conjunction. But as I dont a crop would probably be my second camera. IMHO I think the 5D MKIII is a much better compromise than the 1D 4 and the 1D 4 is more specialist and generally used by sports photographers. Im not a sports photographer but do shoot motor sport but have found 6fps fine for this.

Hence why im not looking at the 1D4 but the 5D MKIII and the 1Ds MKIII as the title. That is my compromise between speed and quality.


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## wockawocka (Apr 4, 2012)

The 5D3 is a better camera but still feels very unprofessional in use and ultimately I like to feel at one with my equipment. 
I don't feel this with the 5D3, yet put a 1Ds3 or 1D4 in my hands and all is good.


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## tomscott (Apr 4, 2012)

Im used the the XXds so should feel quite at home with it. Probably a learning curve with the 1Ds MKIII.


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## briansquibb (Apr 4, 2012)

tomscott said:


> Im used the the XXds so should feel quite at home with it. Probably a learning curve with the 1Ds MKIII.



IMHO the 5DIII is a better all round camera


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## DarkKnightNine (Apr 4, 2012)

You guys have some interesting opinions about the 5D Mark III. It was one of the most anticipated camera upgrades ever and now that it's out, people seem to shun it. I've heard people talk about "issues with it". I'm interested to know what issues everyone is talking about because so far (with the exception of native RAW support for Aperture or LR), I haven't had any. Personally I took the plunge and sold my 1D4 to pay for it as I also have (2) 1DXes on order to cover my action photography. I couldn't be happier with the IQ. I was so tired of looking at nasty noise in the shadows of images off my 1D4. That noise is all but gone on my 5DIII images. And the focus is just spot on! About the only things I miss from my 1D4 is the incredible battery life, simplicity with less button clutter and fast fps.


BTW Tom, I love your shots that you posted. Very nice indeed.


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## V8Beast (Apr 4, 2012)

I'm about to plagiarize myself from another post, but here goes.

The 5DIII vs. 1DsIII debate is a tough one. I think I'm committed to the 5DIII at this point, but the 1DsIII is awfully tempting for roughly the same money. I shoot cars, and the highest I pushed the ISO was 3,200 on my last shoot, and most of the time ISO was 400 or less, with the occasional tick up to 800-1,600. That's another way of saying that if the biggest advantage of the 5DIII over the 1DsIII is ISO performance, I didn't push it hard enough on this last shoot to benefit from it. That said, I do have some ideas on how to really push the ISO for creative effect in the future, so perhaps that will change my opinion once I fully utilize the 5DIII's potential.

IQ aside, the 5DIII does handle very well. I still prefer the handling of my 1DII, but the 5DIII's ergonomics and responsiveness are very good. Most the second-hand 1D bodies I've seen for sale are beat to hell, probably since many are used by sports photogs and journalists that are on the go. However, I've seen many 1DsIII's on ebay that are in outstanding condition. Perhaps they've lived a more coddled life inside a studio


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## briansquibb (Apr 4, 2012)

The 1Ds3 is better at iso 100/200 than the 5D2. Native max is 1600 at which point it is still very good.

It wont lead a soft and pampered life with me - it is now my walkabout camera - Sunday was a day at MotorX which it performed very well at - not quite as good as the 1D4 at locking on - but not far behind

This photo was the 1Ds3, iso200, 70-300L, 1/640, f/5 uncropped - looks softer here than on my PC


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## tomscott (Apr 5, 2012)

DarkKnightNine said:


> You guys have some interesting opinions about the 5D Mark III. It was one of the most anticipated camera upgrades ever and now that it's out, people seem to shun it. I've heard people talk about "issues with it". I'm interested to know what issues everyone is talking about because so far (with the exception of native RAW support for Aperture or LR), I haven't had any. Personally I took the plunge and sold my 1D4 to pay for it as I also have (2) 1DXes on order to cover my action photography. I couldn't be happier with the IQ. I was so tired of looking at nasty noise in the shadows of images off my 1D4. That noise is all but gone on my 5DIII images. And the focus is just spot on! About the only things I miss from my 1D4 is the incredible battery life, simplicity with less button clutter and fast fps.
> 
> 
> BTW Tom, I love your shots that you posted. Very nice indeed.



Thanks DarkKnightNine, your opinion is very welcome and thanks for the kind words on the images.

I dont think there any problems with the 5D MKIII in terms of specification if anything it is pretty much the perfect camera for me a supercharged 40D. But I will wait until the niggles are ironed out before a purchase. Then I saw the 1DsIII I have found one locally to me with less than 20k actuations for £2500 which is a steal IMO. So thats why I started the thread. Again the 1D4 would be nice but is currently £500 more than the 5D MKIII with the kit lens secondhand and most are pretty used! As I described I dont like the 1.3 crop. I dont really have need for the 10fps 6 is fine for what I do.



V8Beast said:


> I'm about to plagiarize myself from another post, but here goes.
> 
> The 5DIII vs. 1DsIII debate is a tough one. I think I'm committed to the 5DIII at this point, but the 1DsIII is awfully tempting for roughly the same money. I shoot cars, and the highest I pushed the ISO was 3,200 on my last shoot, and most of the time ISO was 400 or less, with the occasional tick up to 800-1,600. That's another way of saying that if the biggest advantage of the 5DIII over the 1DsIII is ISO performance, I didn't push it hard enough on this last shoot to benefit from it. That said, I do have some ideas on how to really push the ISO for creative effect in the future, so perhaps that will change my opinion once I fully utilize the 5DIII's potential.
> 
> IQ aside, the 5DIII does handle very well. I still prefer the handling of my 1DII, but the 5DIII's ergonomics and responsiveness are very good. Most the second-hand 1D bodies I've seen for sale are beat to hell, probably since many are used by sports photogs and journalists that are on the go. However, I've seen many 1DsIII's on ebay that are in outstanding condition. Perhaps they've lived a more coddled life inside a studio



I also shoot cars so understand the problems. I agree with the temptation £500 cheaper for the one im looking at, but the 1Ds III is about the same performance noise and IQ wise as a 5DMKII? Which would also be a huge upgrade in IQ to my 40D. I do or would like to go up higher in the ISO range but my 40D doesn't really allow me to do this and if I do Noise ninja is my first port of call and it does a pretty good job tbh!

I would say the only reason I don't get as many shots as I should is by trying to keep the ISO in the lower end of the scale and risking a bit of blur rather than being confident in ISO performance that I can go up higher and not worry.

Its not that I will push it hard enough in the high ISO range but to know its there is what is attractive. Like everyone i prefer to shoot in the lower rnage for IQ. I do shoot in a vast amount of situations and generally my shoots are not comparable in terms of light, which is the problem for most of us as photographers so having confidence that the camera will be able to deal with anything I throw at it is the main benefit for me.

Going back a few years the 40D was a game changer and did everything I wanted but now I am much more demanding and so are the clients so either cameras would be great! The 1Ds or the 5D MKIII just deciding which!!! :-\

At the moment it is the 5D MKIII because of its size and relative usability to be an all round monster. But I always wanted a 1Ds and im sure we've all been there!!


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## briansquibb (Apr 5, 2012)

tomscott said:


> I dont think there any problems with the 5D MKIII in terms of specification if anything it is pretty much the perfect camera for me a supercharged 40D. But I will wait until the niggles are ironed out before a purchase. Then I saw the 1DsIII I have found one locally to me with less than 20k actuations for £2500 which is a steal IMO. So thats why I started the thread. Again the 1D4 would be nice but is currently £500 more than the 5D MKIII with the kit lens secondhand and most are pretty used! As I described I dont like the 1.3 crop. I dont really have need for the 10fps 6 is fine for what I do.



I paid £2500 for my 1Ds3 and £2750 for the 1D4 (both secondhand). Both had less than 20k actuations, which on bodies that should make at least 200k makes them nearly new.

I cannot make up my mind whether to buy another 1D4 or a 200 f/2 - it is a tough call.


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## Alker (Apr 5, 2012)

> I cannot make up my mind whether to buy another 1D4 or a 200 f/2 - it is a tough call.



Tough call.......lenses lenses lenses.....
For me easy the 200mm


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## briansquibb (Apr 5, 2012)

Alker said:


> > I cannot make up my mind whether to buy another 1D4 or a 200 f/2 - it is a tough call.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The problem is that my OCD might kick in as I would have the 200/400/600 so the 800 would become an obsession  Hard when you are on a pension :


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## Alker (Apr 5, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> Alker said:
> 
> 
> > > I cannot make up my mind whether to buy another 1D4 or a 200 f/2 - it is a tough call.
> ...



Well 200/400/600 and indeed the 800 must be there


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## V8Beast (Apr 5, 2012)

tomscott said:


> I agree with the temptation £500 cheaper for the one im looking at, but the 1Ds III is about the same performance noise and IQ wise as a 5DMKII?



I don't have any first-hand experience comparing those two bodies, but considering the 5DII and 1DsIII share the same sensor, I'd imagine that noise and overall IQ would be pretty darn close between them. I believe brainsquibb has experience with both the 1DsIII and 5DIII, so he can probably offer some better insight. 



> I would say the only reason I don't get as many shots as I should is by trying to keep the ISO in the lower end of the scale and risking a bit of blur rather than being confident in ISO performance that I can go up higher and not worry.



Been there, done that, and as an old film fart, I can certainly relate  That said, although I felt I was always pushing the ISO limit of my 5DC, I never found it lacking in that department. The 1DsIII would be far better. As you can relate, car interiors can be like a cave, and this is usually when I push the ISO the hardest. I know many pro car photogs that are far better than I am that have been shooting with the 1DsIII since it was brand new. I don't think you'll feel that it's lacking in terms of ISO or overall IQ. 



> At the moment it is the 5D MKIII because of its size and relative usability to be an all round monster. But I always wanted a 1Ds and im sure we've all been there!!



How about purchasing a 5DIII, giving it a go, and if you don't like it, you can always send it back. In the interim, you could always purchase something along the lines of a 1DII just to get the feel for a 1-series body, then sell it without incurring much or any loss of money at all. Of course, if you get spoiled by the 1-series, then it might be a sign to go with a 1DsIII


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## briansquibb (Apr 5, 2012)

On the 1Ds3:

- 'normal' max iso is 1600, high is 3200 (and that is it)

- 1600 is still very good

- the sensor is NOT the same as the one in the 5DII


Use flash in the interior of cars - why not?


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## Kernuak (Apr 5, 2012)

I've considered the 1Ds MkIII in the past, as I shoot a combination of wildlife and landscape mainly. However, I was looking for improved low light capability, so that was more important than the better build, AF and frame rate, as the 7D covered 2 of those 3 and sort of covered the third (i.e. build/weatherproofing, although in reality it isn't a contest). Because of that, I went for the 5D MkII then instead. If I hadn't needed the improved low light capability, then I would probably have chosen the 1Ds MkIII. Now it isn't as clear cut, as the 5D MkIII has improved weather proofing, better AF and frame rate than the the 1Ds and better low light capability.
I think the two key factors are how important the build quality is to you (with the lessened gap) and how often you need better low light capability (it sounds like not very much). The you have to balance whether the extra $1000 for the new technology or saving money on the 5D MkII compared to the 1Ds MkIII is worth it to you.


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## JR (Apr 5, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> Alker said:
> 
> 
> > > I cannot make up my mind whether to buy another 1D4 or a 200 f/2 - it is a tough call.
> ...



Glad to see I am not the only one with OCD around here and sharing the same passion to get every freaking new prime lens I dont yet have! My advantages is I have yet to play with long telephoto, so it is a bit less expensive for me   

These days my OCD is kicking in to get BOTH the 5DmkIII in addition to me pre-order of the 1DX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## V8Beast (Apr 5, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> On the 1Ds3:
> 
> - the sensor is NOT the same as the one in the 5DII



I stand corrected. 



> Use flash in the interior of cars - why not?


Car interiors are a contrast nightmare. Even so, I use flash on interior photos all the time, in just about every shot, actually. It's always a balancing act between ambient light and flash. Personally, I prefer to use flash for fill and accent lighting. Go too crazy with flash and kill the ambient too much, and the images look too moody for my taste. Getting the lighting even with flash in a car interior can get challenging as well, since there tend to be a mix of lots of highly reflective objects (gauge lenses, chrome trim bits), very dark blacks, and uneven surfaces and textures. Get the light soft enough with flash modifiers, and it's easy to get an image that looks too flat. 

Of course, some very basic techniques can turn this...






....into this, all with natural light. 





This gets you pretty darn close to what you could achieve in a studio with megapower strobes, all while shooting on location.


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## pwp (Apr 6, 2012)

Interesting question posed by OP. It's not a cut and dried issue. 1Ds3? It's 1-series qualities ARE compelling.

But looking at the AF, low light capability, video, buffer depth, Digic 5+, monitor, burst and so on, the 5D3 has got to pull ahead of the now aging though very respectable 1Ds3. 

If you are a very heavy shooter you'll still be ahead if you need to spend a few hundred $$ on a replacement shutter after the rated 150,000 cycles. But a used 1Ds3 may already have a couple of hundred thousand on it. 

(BTW my 5D classic is still on its original shutter at well over 300,000.)

Paul Wright


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## smithy (Apr 6, 2012)

This is the exact same dilemma I've been facing these past few days... whether to upgrade my 40D to a used 1Ds3 or a 5D3. To compound the issue, my wife/financial controller said that if I wanted the 1Ds3 I could buy it now, but if I wanted the 5D3 I'd have to wait a few more months (because the 1Ds3 was on auction). She actually wants me to get the 1Ds - because she knows I won't be satisfied until I have a 1D-series body!

Currently I'm leaning more towards the 5D3, because the used 1Ds3 I was looking at has never been serviced and I don't want to spend such a huge amount of money on something that could have the dreaded 1D AF problem (or the shutter problem, for that matter). You'd think that anyone who owned such an expensive camera would get it serviced... 

Regardless of which body I get, I think I'll have to sell my 10-22mm EF-S lens and replace it with the 17-40mm (can't afford to stretch to the 16-35mm).


----------



## briansquibb (Apr 6, 2012)

smithy said:


> This is the exact same dilemma I've been facing these past few days... whether to upgrade my 40D to a used 1Ds3 or a 5D3. To compound the issue, my wife/financial controller said that if I wanted the 1Ds3 I could buy it now, but if I wanted the 5D3 I'd have to wait a few more months (because the 1Ds3 was on auction). She actually wants me to get the 1Ds - because she knows I won't be satisfied until I have a 1D-series body!
> 
> Currently I'm leaning more towards the 5D3, because the used 1Ds3 I was looking at has never been serviced and I don't want to spend such a huge amount of money on something that could have the dreaded 1D AF problem (or the shutter problem, for that matter). You'd think that anyone who owned such an expensive camera would get it serviced...
> 
> Regardless of which body I get, I think I'll have to sell my 10-22mm EF-S lens and replace it with the 17-40mm (can't afford to stretch to the 16-35mm).



The main downside is the max iso at 1600 (or 3200 as H)

Perhaps you are thinking of the 1D3 AF problem - the 1DS3 has always had good AF.

You will need to update to the latest firmware - 1.20 - has a fix to use the joystick to move the focus point.

The 1DS3 is a straightforward stills camera with no video etc - but the IQ is stunning. It has a shutterlife expectancy of 1/4 million so should last a long time.

For a landscape camera it has all the features you want including firstclass weather sealing, it is also pretty good at sports and fast moving subjects.


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## smithy (Apr 7, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> Perhaps you are thinking of the 1D3 AF problem - the 1DS3 has always had good AF.


I always knew about this problem with the 1D3, but read in a forum elsewhere that the 1Ds3 also had this problem - it's possible that that person didn't have their facts straight.



briansquibb said:


> The 1DS3 is a straightforward stills camera with no video etc - but the IQ is stunning. It has a shutterlife expectancy of 1/4 million so should last a long time.
> 
> For a landscape camera it has all the features you want including firstclass weather sealing, it is also pretty good at sports and fast moving subjects.


Arrghh now I really don't know what to do! :-\

Useable ISO1600 images are fine for me, and I have NeatImage Pro for anything a bit too noisy.


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## 4jphotography (Apr 7, 2012)

I have the 1ds3, 5d2 and 5d3. The 1ds3 has felt "blah" ever since I got the 5d2. I have to say though that the 5d3 doesn't feel like much of an upgrade from the 2. As someone who mostly uses manual focus, and doesn't venture much above 3200 ISO, it seems a bit gratuitous. Fingers are crossed on the 1dx.


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## smithy (Apr 7, 2012)

4jphotography said:


> I have the 1ds3, 5d2 and 5d3. The 1ds3 has felt "blah" ever since I got the 5d2. I have to say though that the 5d3 doesn't feel like much of an upgrade from the 2. As someone who mostly uses manual focus, and doesn't venture much above 3200 ISO, it seems a bit gratuitous. Fingers are crossed on the 1dx.


Just out of curiosity, given that you don't go over ISO3200 and only use manual focus, why did you buy the 5d3? (Seeing that its two biggest features are its new autofocus and high ISO capability).


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## 4jphotography (Apr 7, 2012)

Haha itchy trigger finger, I think.


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## 4jphotography (Apr 7, 2012)

And I think I wanted it to be a bit cooler than it is. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing it in any way – it's a great camera, and if you're in the market to upgrade to ff and will use the features, it's likely your best bet for the money. I would definitely pick it over a 1ds3.


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## briansquibb (Apr 7, 2012)

4jphotography said:


> And I think I wanted it to be a bit cooler than it is. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing it in any way – it's a great camera, and if you're in the market to upgrade to ff and will use the features, it's likely your best bet for the money. I would definitely pick it over a 1ds3.



If I was buying now - I would buy the 5DIII with the grips - because I also have the 1D4


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## smithy (Apr 7, 2012)

Thanks - I think I'll buy the 5D Mark III, as recommended by nearly everyone here. I just wish it had the same build quality as the 1 series cameras (including the top button layout). Well, I suppose I can always use my 1v when I'm shooting in bad weather!


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## tomscott (Apr 10, 2012)

Cheers for all the advice. After all the comments on here and also a lot of digging around else where I feel that the 5D MKIII is far superior to the 1Ds for the way I shoot. So will be making a purchase soon. Shame that in the UK the 5D MKIII with lens kit is £3650 in america the same kit works out at £2550. Going to NYC soon so may just drop in for one  The saving will pay for a pretty sweet week in NYC! haha


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## DavidRiesenberg (Apr 10, 2012)

How much does it cost on digital-rev? They include everything in the price: Product + shipping + taxes. I read that quite a few people from the UK buy camera gear from them.


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## BillyBean (Apr 10, 2012)

DavidRiesenberg said:


> They include everything in the price: Product + shipping + taxes.



They don't include VAT and import duty - they used to 'guarantee' you would not pay it, by marking the parcel as a 'gift', and refunding you if HMRC (customs) caught on, but they are more reputable these days, and HMRC have got wise. In any case, this is illegal.

I don't believe there is import duty on camera bodies (only lenses) but you will certainly pay 20% VAT on delivery, plus a handling charge from Royal Mail or whoever the handler is - normally £20 or so on top. If you don't pay up, you don't get the goods.

If you work it out, prices from DigitalRev are therefore higher than the UK at present on a 5D3.

They are nice, reliable people though. 

Of course this advice applies to all non-EU vendors when you are importing into the EU, for example Adorama, B+H, etc.


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## tomscott (Apr 10, 2012)

Well I did think about going down that route and the risk wasn't really worth it for me although I did buy my 40D from digital rev back in the day and didn't pay any import tax, got it for a complete steal less that £700 when it had just come out I seem to remember.

5 years later most 40Ds seem to be going for £350-400 so it owes me nothing. Although it was a Jap spec camera and came with no English instructions or english plug but easily resolved at minimal cost.

But seen as tho im in NYC might as well.


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## DavidRiesenberg (Apr 10, 2012)

BillyBean said:


> They don't include VAT and import duty - they used to 'guarantee' you would not pay it, by marking the parcel as a 'gift', and refunding you if HMRC (customs) caught on, but they are more reputable these days, and HMRC have got wise. In any case, this is illegal.



They state on the site that:


> Once you have paid the Import Handling Fee, we will handle all the following costs should they occur during customs clearance:
> Any Import Tax and/or Duty in your country
> Any courier's Free Domicile handling charge (Duties and Tax Forwarding Surcharge)
> Any Local Customs clearance fee


http://www.digitalrev.com/help/import-handling-for-non-hong/MTQx

Does that not mean it is everything? I'm not familiar at all on taxes (and their names  ) in the UK. 

And their price for the UK is 3200GBP for the kit.


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## briansquibb (Apr 10, 2012)

Body only from Digital Rev is 2549ukp - no extra taxes or hidden costs - already £400 lower than when introduced


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## smithy (Apr 11, 2012)

Since I have an ongoing interest in this topic, I was wondering about AF performance. Would the 1DS3's higher battery voltage (which drives lenses faster) mean that 'overall' it provides better AF performance (think AI servo, etc) than the 5D3?


----------



## danski0224 (Apr 11, 2012)

DavidRiesenberg said:


> BillyBean said:
> 
> 
> > They don't include VAT and import duty - _they used to 'guarantee' you would not pay it,_ by marking the parcel as a 'gift', and refunding you if HMRC (customs) caught on, but they are more reputable these days, and HMRC have got wise. In any case, this is illegal.
> ...



David-

Note the wording in bold in your website quote.

Note the part in italics from BillyBean.

I would interpret your part in bold to mean that we won't charge you, but if it gets caught while being imported, you will pay. The seller, DigitalRev, no longer guarantees that the parcel will make it through customs duty/tax free. Their "import handling fee" must be an internal item to pay for filling out the form.

$.02


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## Razor2012 (Apr 11, 2012)

Good thread Tom. I'm in the same dilema. I also use a 40D and was going to upgrade to the 5DII, but hesitated because of the AF. Now that the 5DIII is out, it almost seemed a no-brainer until I seen some used 1DsIII's at a good price. There's something about a 1 series, but since I want video also, I'm leaning towards the 5DIII. Hmmm, I could still live with a MKII and spend the extra on glass.


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## briansquibb (Apr 11, 2012)

Razor2012 said:


> Good thread Tom. I'm in the same dilema. I also use a 40D and was going to upgrade to the 5DII, but hesitated because of the AF. Now that the 5DIII is out, it almost seemed a no-brainer until I seen some used 1DsIII's at a good price. There's something about a 1 series, but since I want video also, I'm leaning towards the 5DIII. Hmmm, I could still live with a MKII and spend the extra on glass.



I would choose between the 5DIII and the 1Ds3. The 1Ds3 blows away the 5dII particularly with the AF which is up to pro level sports (think 1D3).

The 40D and the 1Ds3 is the same technology except of course the 1Ds3 gives a much superior IQ.

The 5DIII and the 1DS3 give about the same IQ and about the same mps

Personally I would, now, get the 5DIII unless you had a need for the series 1 features. Both bodies are very good and you will get excellent pictures from both.

The 5DIII really scores in low light - the 1Ds3 is great to iso 1600 and OK to 3200, and that is that.


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## Razor2012 (Apr 11, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> Razor2012 said:
> 
> 
> > Good thread Tom. I'm in the same dilema. I also use a 40D and was going to upgrade to the 5DII, but hesitated because of the AF. Now that the 5DIII is out, it almost seemed a no-brainer until I seen some used 1DsIII's at a good price. There's something about a 1 series, but since I want video also, I'm leaning towards the 5DIII. Hmmm, I could still live with a MKII and spend the extra on glass.
> ...



Exactly, plus video is a big bonus for me.


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## Tcapp (Apr 11, 2012)

helpful said:


> tom, I think you should get the 5D3. The other camera you mention was good for its time period. But it's like a Pentium 4 computer vs. a Sandy Bridge computer. I don't know if this analogy rings any bells, but I'm trying to say that the 5D3 is a revolutionary improvement compared to the 1Ds MKIII.
> 
> If you were comparing the EOS-1D Mark IV vs. the 5D3, then I would say it is more of a wash, although the 5D3 sensor is twice as good even compared to the EOS-1D Mark IV.
> 
> ...



+1


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## smithy (Apr 12, 2012)

I think one of the facts that I can't ignore is that a used 1DS3 is cheaper than a new 5D3 (by about $500). How does that factor into the equation? For me personally, I'm still likely to purchase the 5D3 just to get the warranty. I just hope I don't kill it when shooting in the rain. :-\

It's interesting to see that there are a few of us in the identical situation - the 40D has obviously lasted well.


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## keithinmelbourne (Apr 12, 2012)

I upgraded my 1D3 to 1Ds3 in December because they were going at half price (new). I may upgrade my 5D2 to a 5D3 next year, but I really have no compelling reason to upgrade at all. The IQ and focus of the 1Ds3 is still very good, and unless the IQ of the 1DX is a startling improvement I may skip that as an upgrade. I should say that having got the 1Ds3 my 5d2 is now gathering dust. Here are some recent festival shots with the 1Ds3


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## briansquibb (Apr 12, 2012)

keithinmelbourne said:


> I upgraded my 1D3 to 1Ds3 in December because they were going at half price (new). I may upgrade my 5D2 to a 5D3 next year, but I really have no compelling reason to upgrade at all. The IQ and focus of the 1Ds3 is still very good, and unless the IQ of the 1DX is a startling improvement I may skip that as an upgrade. I should say that having got the 1Ds3 my 5d2 is now gathering dust. Here are some recent festival shots with the 1Ds3



+1 My feelings too - look at the problems the 5DIII is having at the moment and we are taking top pictures on our old faithfulls


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## Alker (Apr 12, 2012)

> look at the problems the 5DIII is having at the moment and we are taking top pictures on our old faithfulls



There are problems but Come on....
5D Mark III owners are also taking top pictures.

I can still remember the oil spots on my sensor of the 1Ds mark III....do you ?

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/news/EOS_oil_spots.do

In other words stay calm


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## briansquibb (Apr 12, 2012)

Alker said:


> > look at the problems the 5DIII is having at the moment and we are taking top pictures on our old faithfulls
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No oil spots for me - because I didn't buy an early model. Nor did I get the 5DII banding problem because I waited .....

I am calm, very calm, with a big smile on my face because I made the right purchasing choices in 2011 

Now instead of running out for a 5DIII I am going to get some good glass instead, roll on Tuesday when the 200 f/2 arrives 8) 8) 8)


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## keithinmelbourne (Apr 13, 2012)

Now instead of running out for a 5DIII I am going to get some good glass instead, roll on Tuesday when the 200 f/2 arrives 8) 8) 8)
[/quote]

Way cool Brian!! I would love that lens


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## Aglet (Apr 13, 2012)

Sekonic 558 and 758(?)
rarely use them as much since digital and built-in metering is quite good now, especially with the color-based EV sensors.
They were invaluable when using mixed ambient and flash fill, especially if you were shooting film.
Occasionally still use one when shooting a difficult scene with tough lighting but camera's color histogram provides me with enough feedback from a shot that the light meter's really only useful now (for me) for checking how even lighting is across a scene.


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## smithy (Apr 16, 2012)

Okay, I can't let this topic rest just yet...

Now that I'm seeing excellent condition used 1DS Mark IIIs for $1000 less than a 5D Mark III, I'm thinking that I'll forgo the two things I thought I might someday want from the 5D (high ISO capability and video), and plunge for the 1DS's features (weather proofing, built-in grip, faster AF drive).

Is there any compelling reason why I should still consider the 5D?


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## briansquibb (Apr 16, 2012)

smithy said:


> Okay, I can't let this topic rest just yet...
> 
> Now that I'm seeing excellent condition used 1DS Mark IIIs for $1000 less than a 5D Mark III, I'm thinking that I'll forgo the two things I thought I might someday want from the 5D (high ISO capability and video), and plunge for the 1DS's features (weather proofing, built-in grip, faster AF drive).
> 
> Is there any compelling reason why I should still consider the 5D?



These are what I think are the major items

Pro 5DIII: - better and higher iso ie > 1600
- auto iso (not on 1DS3)
- 6fps instead of 5fp
- video

Pro 1DS3: - AF point metering (for me that is the dealmaker)
- f/8 AF
- better weatherproofing
- flash sync at 1/300 instead of 1/200
- no bugs as all sorted now (like pw hss etc)
- series 1 configurability
- battery is good for about 2000 shots as opposed to 800(???)

Personally I find the 1DS3 IQ slightly better than the 5DII so I doubt if there is significant IQ difference between the 1DS3 and the 5DIII


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## smithy (Apr 16, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> These are what I think are the major items
> 
> Pro 5DIII: - better and higher iso ie > 1600
> - auto iso (not on 1DS3)
> ...


It's funny how the 5D has auto ISO. My consumer-grade Fujifilm X10 has auto ISO (and video, for that matter), which to me makes that feature on the 5D seem very much like the all-auto 'green box' mode. We're supposed to know what we're doing when it comes to ISOs, right? 

The f/8 focussing of the 1DS is something I had pondered, since my 70-200 lens is the f/4 version and one day I might decide to get a 2x extender.

My knowledge of flash sync is somewhat limited. Does that mean that the 5D's fastest shutter speed when using a flash is 1/200s?


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## altenae (Apr 16, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> smithy said:
> 
> 
> > Okay, I can't let this topic rest just yet...
> ...



AF AF AF of the 5D mark iii. 
Try it yourself. 
Yes I know the 1Ds is also good,but please try the AF of the 5D mark III. 
For me worth the upgrade !!!!


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## smithy (Apr 16, 2012)

altenae said:


> AF AF AF of the 5D mark iii.
> Try it yourself.
> Yes I know the 1Ds is also good,but please try the AF of the 5D mark III.
> For me worth the upgrade !!!!


Yes the 5D's AF is reported to be good. But the 1DS drives lenses at a higher voltage (from what I understand), meaning they physically respond more quickly. Unfortunately you don't gain this capability when adding a battery grip to the 5D either.

I have played with a couple of 5D IIIs in my local camera shop, but I've never handled a 1DS (I don't know anyone with that much money to spend on a camera). But considering I shoot with a 1V film camera, which is built the same way, I think I'm comfortable with the general feel, and I vastly prefer the push buttons on the top of the camera rather than a dial.

The biggest factor in the 5D's favour is its low ISO capability. Looking at comparison images of ISO 1600-3200 between the 1DS and the 5D Mark 2, even the Mark 2 outperforms the 1DS in some situations, so I can only imagine what it would look like comparing it with the 5D Mark 3.


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## briansquibb (Apr 16, 2012)

altenae said:


> AF AF AF of the 5D mark iii.
> Try it yourself.
> Yes I know the 1Ds is also good,but please try the AF of the 5D mark III.
> For me worth the upgrade !!!!



Clearly you haven't used a 1DS3 then - you would be hard pushed to tell the difference - 4ms if I remember correctly. Same with the 1D4 as well - the 5DIII AF is not significantly better than the series 1 but the metering in the 5DIII is significantly worse if you are not using the centre AF point


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## briansquibb (Apr 16, 2012)

smithy said:


> It's funny how the 5D has auto ISO. My consumer-grade Fujifilm X10 has auto ISO (and video, for that matter), which to me makes that feature on the 5D seem very much like the all-auto 'green box' mode. We're supposed to know what we're doing when it comes to ISOs, right?
> 
> My knowledge of flash sync is somewhat limited. Does that mean that the 5D's fastest shutter speed when using a flash is 1/200s?



- the 7D and 1D4/1DX (not sure about the 1D3) have 'full' auto iso. 
- the 5DIII fastest shutter speed is 1/200, the 1DS3 is 1/300. Of course both support high speed sync if the speedlight does


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## Stu_bert (Apr 17, 2012)

smithy said:


> briansquibb said:
> 
> 
> > Perhaps you are thinking of the 1D3 AF problem - the 1DS3 has always had good AF.
> ...


IIRC, 1Ds MK III had/has the same AF issues as the 1D3, hence why one of the Canon fixes for AF was for both 1D & 1Ds (I had both my bodies adjusted).


----------



## smithy (Apr 17, 2012)

Those of you who have the 1DS III (or 1D III) - are people generally intimidated by its size? Do you believe that people respond differently to having it pointed at them than they would with a standard sized body?

It's just something I've been pondering. My 1V has the flexibility of being able to add the battery grip if you *need* it (which adds 10fps performance to the body at the same time), but you can't exactly remove the grip from a 1D...


----------



## Tcapp (Apr 17, 2012)

smithy said:


> Those of you who have the 1DS III (or 1D III) - are people generally intimidated by its size? Do you believe that people respond differently to having it pointed at them than they would with a standard sized body?
> 
> It's just something I've been pondering. My 1V has the flexibility of being able to add the battery grip if you *need* it (which adds 10fps performance to the body at the same time), but you can't exactly remove the grip from a 1D...



I would say no. I'd think a big lens is more intimidating. Plus, its all about how you interact with your subject, its your job as a photographer to make them feel at ease.


----------



## altenae (Apr 17, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> altenae said:
> 
> 
> > AF AF AF of the 5D mark iii.
> ...



Yes I have used the 1Ds.

Most of the Deer images on my website where made with the 1Ds. 
Have you used the 5D mark III ?

Initial focus is faster on the 1Ds. 
But the AF on the 5D mark III is more accurate. 

Do you really think nothing has changed in the AF since 5 years ???
Sometimes a 1D series can be outperformed by a not 1d series. 
Especially a 5 year old 1D. (1ds was released later then the 1d,but have the same AF system)



www.wildlife-photos.net
http://www.birdpix.nl/album_search.php?search_type=pic_username&search=Edward+van+Altena
http://www.nederpix.nl/album_search.php?search_type=pic_username&search=Edward+van+Altena


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## briansquibb (Apr 17, 2012)

altenae said:


> briansquibb said:
> 
> 
> > altenae said:
> ...



So you are saying that the 1DS3 is faster but less accurate - how would you define less accurate then?


----------



## briansquibb (Apr 17, 2012)

I have been through www.wildlife-photos.net and the 40D was the highest used followed by the 1D4


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## smithy (Apr 17, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> I have been through www.wildlife-photos.net and the 40D was the highest used followed by the 1D4


I noticed that too - although it's nice to see what the 40D can do with a giant lens attached! 

I wish I knew someone with a 1DS so I can try it out for myself. Not much chance of that though. I even contacted the largest camera store in my city to see if they had any left, and the answer was a definite 'no'.


----------



## briansquibb (Apr 17, 2012)

smithy said:


> briansquibb said:
> 
> 
> > I have been through www.wildlife-photos.net and the 40D was the highest used followed by the 1D4
> ...



Where do you you live?


----------



## tomscott (Apr 17, 2012)

People really underestimate how good the 40D is. Just getting long in the tooth now.


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## briansquibb (Apr 17, 2012)

tomscott said:


> People really underestimate how good the 40D is. Just getting long in the tooth now.



I loved my 40D and have only just passed it on to a good friend who is making good pictures with it.


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## Razor2012 (Apr 17, 2012)

I was so tempted the other day, almost went for a 1DsIII...and under 10k clicks. But going for the 5D3.


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## briansquibb (Apr 17, 2012)

Razor2012 said:


> I was so tempted the other day, almost went for a 1DsIII...and under 10k clicks. But going for the 5D3.



I think the 5DIII is the better all round package. 

The 1DS3 has some dealmaking features if you need them, in my case:

- AF point linked metering
- F/8 AF


----------



## 7enderbender (Apr 17, 2012)

It comes down to price and budget of course, but I still think that the 1DsIII is the most ideal camera on the market. I was "only" able to afford the 5DII but I would chose the 1DsIII over any of the others, including the 5DIII and the 1Dx. I still don't see how the 1Dx is an "upgrade" from the previous top shelf pro model.


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## briansquibb (Apr 17, 2012)

7enderbender said:


> I still don't see how the 1Dx is an "upgrade" from the previous top shelf pro model.



I feel that the 1D4 is better value for money for sports/wildlife, 5DIII better as a general purpose body

There will be a few people that need the extra fps and better low light of the 1DX


----------



## Razor2012 (Apr 17, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> 7enderbender said:
> 
> 
> > I still don't see how the 1Dx is an "upgrade" from the previous top shelf pro model.
> ...



So what do you think, Canon coming out with a high MP camera? Just like the 1DsIII when it was king of the hill for res. Canon has been ahead up to now and nothing was said until the 800 showed up with 36MP, lol.


----------



## smithy (Apr 17, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> Where do you you live?


I'm in New Zealand. 

I find myself shooting in bad weather from time to time (as seen in these photos), and needless to say, my 40D started to experience problems that day due to the rain. Which is why, if the 5D3's weather proofing is poor, I need to keep looking at a 1-series body. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any quantifiable way of testing such a thing.


----------



## GL (Apr 17, 2012)

In that sort of rain I'd always use a rain sleeve like the Think Tank Hydrophobia or one of the Canon versions. There's just no point taking a chance - even a small nick on the sealing of a lens (as happened with my 70-200 II) will compromise the weatherproofing on a 1-series body. Unless you're a PJ or in a war zone, why not just use simple protective gear for your camera?


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## smithy (Apr 17, 2012)

GL said:


> In that sort of rain I'd always use a rain sleeve like the Think Tank Hydrophobia or one of the Canon versions. There's just no point taking a chance - even a small nick on the sealing of a lens (as happened with my 70-200 II) will compromise the weatherproofing on a 1-series body. Unless you're a PJ or in a war zone, why not just use simple protective gear for your camera?


That's a valid point - although can you change lenses with one of those sleeves attached?


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## ronderick (Apr 19, 2012)

smithy said:


> GL said:
> 
> 
> > In that sort of rain I'd always use a rain sleeve like the Think Tank Hydrophobia or one of the Canon versions. There's just no point taking a chance - even a small nick on the sealing of a lens (as happened with my 70-200 II) will compromise the weatherproofing on a 1-series body. Unless you're a PJ or in a war zone, why not just use simple protective gear for your camera?
> ...



Nah, there's velcro straps that wraps around your lens to keep the rain sleeve in place.

If you're going to change lens, either find a sheltered position from the rain or carry two cameras - each with a rain sleeve.


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## Razor2012 (Apr 20, 2012)

I have to get the 1DsIII out of my head now, even though there are some great prices out there. I need video too, so 5D3 it is.


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## cpsico (Apr 20, 2012)

briansquibb said:


> expo01 said:
> 
> 
> > @briansquibb: Do you concur with my experiences? Another question in your direction. How satisfied are you with your 1D4? I have upgraded from the 1D3 to the 1D4 using it next to my 1Ds and I am not very happy. While the AF is pretty damn good, the overall image quality is far below the 1Ds. For critical work, I'd never pull out the 1D4. I'm using the 1D4 for sports though, national league hockey and national league and UEFA football.
> ...


Wonderful tip , I wonder if it works on 1 d III ?


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## briansquibb (Apr 20, 2012)

For those potential 5DIII owners - just remember the 1D4 high iso is pretty good - the 5DIII isn't the only body that delivers clean images at high iso. It was on the dark side in the stables

Camera Model	Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Shooting Date/Time	20/04/2012 14:08:17
Shooting Mode	Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed )	1/500
Av( Aperture Value )	9.0
Exposure Compensation	0
ISO Speed	12800
Auto ISO Speed	ON
Lens	EF200mm f/2L IS USM
Focal Length	200.0mm


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## smithy (Apr 21, 2012)

I'm now wishing that I had bought the used 1DS Mark III when I had the chance. Someone else bought the copy I wanted, and then my choices were taken away from me. 

Oh well, I'll just probably go for the 5D III afterall and hope it's somehow going to be worth $5135. The used 1DS for $4000 sounded so much better. So does the new D800 at $4500. But my wife has forbidden me from even thinking about switching to the Nikon ha ha. Not because she knows anything about camera systems, but because she knows how much it costs to replace lenses.

Brian, could you tell us the story of your photo? On its own it looks a bit odd, but I'm sure with some context it would make more sense!


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## briansquibb (Apr 21, 2012)

smithy said:


> I'm now wishing that I had bought the used 1DS Mark III when I had the chance. Someone else bought the copy I wanted, and then my choices were taken away from me.
> 
> Oh well, I'll just probably go for the 5D III afterall and hope it's somehow going to be worth $5135. The used 1DS for $4000 sounded so much better. So does the new D800 at $4500. But my wife has forbidden me from even thinking about switching to the Nikon ha ha. Not because she knows anything about camera systems, but because she knows how much it costs to replace lenses.
> 
> Brian, could you tell us the story of your photo? On its own it looks a bit odd, but I'm sure with some context it would make more sense!



I am a volunteer at our local goat sanctuary - and also the resident photographer 

The sanctury relies on donations to keep functioning so we provide constant streams of pictures to keep public awareness high. 

Every month we have an open day where we get up to 1000 people. Now as much as goats are nice we also make up themed displays - for example showing newcomers since the last open day, spotlights on individual and interesting goats, etc etc. 

Our next open day is at the beginning of May so we are focussing on the youngsters, either from this year or last - about 10 kids. The message that we always push forward is a positive one - that the sanctuary takes in abused, neglected or abandoned goats and gives them the best treatment and care. We DONT show cases where they in bad shape when they arrive - we show them in better shape, with just a few words describing their background - telling the people how their money has turned around the lives of the goats.

At the open day the visitors and goats mingle freely in the fields - we have about 150 goats of all shapes and sizes at the moment. The visual images of the names goats on our displays gives people a way of connecting with and identifying the goats. 

The picture is one of a series that I took showing how we care for the goats - in this case the interraction between goats and keepers. I always take pictures that the visitors can relate to when walking round - in this case a stable. The kid is now about 1 year old and arrived with us when a few weeks old when it was dumped at our gate overnight. This is the keeper that had to bottle feed it - it was painfully thin.

I have a goat that follows me round the field that I use as a rest for the camera when taking pictures. As I avoid getting close to a lot of newcomers (they are usually jumpy on arrival) I kneel down behind my goat and rest the 400 f/2.8 across her back - gets me to the right height as well  My goat gets well fed by me

Goats are great subject to take pictures of - technically difficult due to the high contrast coats, long faces that need a deep DOF, eyes that reflect flash from most angles and they are constantly on the move.

Here is another of this series - and one from two years ago


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## smithy (Apr 21, 2012)

Thanks Brian, I like this story.  My wife loves goats. Even before we were married (a good decade and a half ago), she wanted her own pet goat. I showed her your post and she appreciated it!


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