1D III or 1Ds II or 5D II ??

J

johngccfc

Messages
49
Name
John
Edit My Images
Yes
These all seem to go for around about the same price second hand.

What would you upgrade to?

I'd be moving from a 550D which I can keep for C-crop/video etc and wouldn't mind trying a 'proper' camera.
 
What sort of photography do you like to do ?

For example - 5D2 wouldn't be my choice if the autofocus was key.
 
Well, I guess I was looking to be able to shoot what I don't shoot much of at the moment which is landscapes (I've seen your site, lots of nice pics, i wouldn't mind getting some like these).

Also I want to benefit from better AF and generally better IQ for the things i currently shoot.

I'm still learning to spread my wings a little in the photo game and thought that before I start getting a landscaping lens, as I don't want to get an EFS wide angle, I'd need a fuller frame body (I know the 1D III is not FF and only an H crop).
 
fastworldimages said:
Even though the 1d has a far far superior AF system?
Click to expand...

I suspect you misread the original poster saying that 5D2 'wouldn't' be his choice but this is a good point. The improved AF and also weather sealing are two things I think I do care about.
 
To add, from my extensive reading this weekend I was leaning towards the 1Ds II (FF, AF, 16mp, weather sealing) as the 1Ds III cost double and so like the 5D3 (I can dream) is not possible and so the other two (1D2 and 5D2) are the nearest rivals, hence my holding them up as competition.
 
My tuppence worth, if it's purely landscapes get the 5D, for anything else the 1dmkIII
 
vmlopes said:
My tuppence worth, if it's purely landscapes get the 5D, for anything else the 1dmkIII
Click to expand...

That's put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Thanks for that, are you able to elaborate?

What is it about the 5D that is good for landscapes (over the 1s) and why the 1D3 over the 1Ds2?
 
I've had all of these at one time or another and having sold all three for a 1Ds3 I am now back to a 5D2. The 1Ds2 is lovely and produces stunning shots but I find it a bit slow to operate and the buffer isn't great. AF is excellent though. The 1D3 is the only one I'd trust for fast moving fast shooting scenarios but I've stopped doing those. The 5D2 has the advantage of a smaller size and producing equally fantastic but larger files. I cannot see a huge difference between the 1Ds2 and 5D2 but the latter is more nimble, handles better (though this is very subjective) and I can work round the weaker AF by focus-recompose which was always my prefered way of shooting.

Bottom line - each one is a fantastic camera so you cannot make a bad choice, but there are pretty large handling differences between the three meaning you ought to think carefully about how you want to use them.

My view would be - if you subjects will be moving fast and you will be shooting fast get a 1d3. If not, and you are going to be chucking your camera around and leaving it out in the elements then get a 1Ds2. Otherwise get a 5D2.
 
1D3 for faster AF and frame rate. (1.3 crop factor)

5D2 Full Frame and better at higher ISO (Not the fastest AF and slower frame rate, 3.9FPS)

Judge for yourself which is more suitable to your needs.
 
vmlopes said:
My tuppence worth, if it's purely landscapes get the 5D, for anything else the 1dmkIII
Click to expand...

johngccfc said:
That's put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Thanks for that, are you able to elaborate?

What is it about the 5D that is good for landscapes (over the 1s) and why the 1D3 over the 1Ds2?
Click to expand...

Well, my 1D3 spends most of the time in the cupboard waiting for events, while 1DsII gets used just about every time. It is simply much better IQ, larger files, and nicer colours, at the cost of less fps. 10MP is getting problematic for agencies, except news of course.

5DII is a landscape camera, and in pretty good weather too. In the last month I would have reasonably killed one twice over, the 1-series didn't even take the notice of the excess moisture and water (thanks Bristol council).
 
Thanks for your responses, which have spawned more questions.

I'm guessing that AF is a separate issue but on purely FPS the following shows the values for each camera (with 1D2 added for comparison).


1D Mk III 10

1D Mk II 8.5

1Ds Mk II 4.5

5D Mk II 3.9

550D 3.7 (current body)


If I were to choose a 1D3 for faster AF and FPS, which has been mentioned, how much (anything) would I lose by getting a 1D2 (half price of the 1D3). Is it possible to explain how much improved the AF is on the 1D3 over the 1Ds2. I can see that it has Dual DIGIC III over DIGIC II but don't really understand what that brings.

I have no real concept of how the improved AF or framerate would transfer into better shots. I would call unblurred motion a nice shot.

Would a faster AF track any moving object better? (moving side to side like a bird and moving towards me like a car/bike)

Also, I have no understanding of what a smaller buffer size means. Does it mean that after I've a shot, the camera needs a couple of seconds to get itself ready again?

ianmarsh, your answer was interesting because you've had all three cameras, you said;

>> if you subjects will be moving fast and you will be shooting fast get a 1d3.

I understand how the moving fast could be handled by better (faster) AF, could you please explain about shooting fast, and how the 1D3 helps with this?

>> If not, and you are going to be chucking your camera around and leaving it out in the elements then get a 1Ds2.

does the 1Ds2 have any different build quality or weather sealing over the 1D2?

Finally, is the 1Ds2 a sort of best of both/trade off between the 5D2 and the 1D3


daugirdas, you commented;

>> 5DII is a landscape camera, and in pretty good weather too.

does this mean that you'd be paranoid taking it out in anything except nice weather?

Also, when you take your 1Ds2 out, what situations would make you wish you'd bought your 1D3 with you, and what compromise would your shots show for having to have muddled along with your 1Ds2 instead

Thanks all for your time and patience, i really appreciate it.
 
Fast moving needs good AF, shooting fast needs both high FPS and a good buffer (and good ergonomics if you need to change settings fast). The 1D series are designed for sports shooting so are ideal, the 1Ds and 5D series are more limited in this respect. I found the 1Ds2 would slow down a lot afer taking a moderate amount of shots in RAW waiting for the data to write to the cards. I might have been using less than the latest cards (but I use the same ones in 1D3 and 5D2) and you might not always want to shoot RAW but it was my main gripe against the 1Ds2.

I don't think there is much to choose between the build quality of any od the 1D/1Ds cameras. They are all solid as rocks.

I didn't want to add to your confusion by suggesting a 1D2 but for me they are the best value cameras around at the moment. I've just sold mine for £410 but I am looking at three of the four photos framed above my desk that came from a 1D2. Not many pixels but lovely quality and a cheap entry into 1D cameras. I moved from a 1D2 to a 1D3 and then back again. The 1D3 is a better camera but not that much better and for ocassional use I thought the 1D2 better value. Since moving away from sports shooting though it has just lived in a case.

The 5D2 isn't anywhere near as robust as a 1D(s) but as long as you are careful it is perfectly fine to use in moderate rain. I used mine in awful conditions in the US (it got soaked at waterfalls, covered with dust in deserts) and I had no problems. If you are that concerned you can always get a raincover for it. But if you *have* to shoot in rain and snow regularly then it makes sense to use a sealed body.

I think the 1Ds2 is a trade-off between the 1D3 and the 5D being rugged, full-frame and having very good IQ. But it also gets the worst of both being slower to handle (than both, for me), slower to shoot than a 1D3 (buffer speed especially), and bigger and heavier than the 5D2.

I wouldn't rely on paper specs or our thoughts though, to be honest. See if you can try them out (local camera club, local TP members) and see how you find they handle. I watch a lot of photo training videos and follow blogs. All three - 5D2, 1Ds2 and 1D3 - are in regular professional use, or at least were a couple of years back. They are all good cameras.
 
I bought a 1Ds MKII last year from the classified sections here and it is a great camera.

It's a lot heavier than most other cameras I've had but once you've tried FF I doubt if you'll go back to anything less.

It has quite a large pic size which means it can be cropped easily and still retain quality.

I don't know how fast the AF is compared to the latest cameras but it's fast enough for what I do.

And contrary to what many people say I find that my walkabout lens, the Canon 28-135mm IS USM lens gives excellent pics at least as good as I need especially at the longer end and the AF locks on fast enough for what I need.

But of course better glass will give even better results.

All in all, as far as I'm concerned, all round an excellent camera.

EDIT:

Oh and the slower buffer speed might be a problem if you shoot sports in RAW but since I shoot in JPEG (Large) even with third party batteries it can still do approx 15-20 continuous shots at what I presume is about 3 FPS (Since I rarely shoot like that I've never bothered to check)

It also uses SD cards and CF cards and accepts up to 32GB SD cards (I haven't tried larger) and you have the option of creating a back up onto the other card for additional safety.

.
 
Last edited:
johngccfc said:
Finally, is the 1Ds2 a sort of best of both/trade off between the 5D2 and the 1D3

No, that would be 1DsmkIII or 5D mkIII, or 1DX. Seriously, 1DsII is a nice all-rounder

daugirdas, you commented;

>> 5DII is a landscape camera, and in pretty good weather too.

does this mean that you'd be paranoid taking it out in anything except nice weather?

I certainly would be more careful near the sea :D or in the drizzle or in Bristol council organised events (I had a lot of filthy water come down on me thanks the their fountain from the boat). Google and search here for damaged 5D's, you'll find a few too many for my liking.

Also, when you take your 1Ds2 out, what situations would make you wish you'd bought your 1D3 with you, and what compromise would your shots show for having to have muddled along with your 1Ds2 instead

sports, very fast action - something I don't normally shoot anyway, or perhaps at ISO3200 or above.

Thanks all for your time and patience, i really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
 
Guys, thanks for all your responses. As I don't have anything FF and doubt that I'd need a sports body first, I'd likely not get the 1D3. I also like the thought of something more robust than the 5D2. I think I like the idea of the best of both worlds of the 1Ds2 (and part of me just wants to own a 1 series).

Once again, thanks for your time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top