Anyone own an original EOS 1D?

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DCCD

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Name
Andy
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Hi,

I'm looking for some comparison to this and a modern prosumer (i.e. the 30D).

I'm saving for a 1D MKIIN or if funds stretch, a MKIII.

In the meantime though, I thought about selling my 30D and buying an original 1D.

Would this be a step forward or back purely in terms of image quality?

My thinking is the 1D, old that it is must still have a greater chance of a sharper shot.

Better metering too? Not sure about processors, DIGIC v DIGICII its all new to me as I was shooting film up to a few months ago.

Better autofocus options? One think that annoys me about the 30D is the limit on autofocus points in the viewfinder.
However if technology has moved on and the 30D focus is quicker, then maybe I should stick with it.

Overall, if I went out on a shoot and took 100 shots of runners, which camera will give me the most in focus shots - Original 1D or 30D.

Other things that draw me to the 1D are its weatherproofing and build quality - the 30D is ok, but not a patch on the 1D.

Anyone who has still got a 1D, I'd be looking for some useful feedback.

Thanks for reading!

Confused Andy
 
Hi,

I think that would be a step back, the technology as far as ISO, processing etc in the 30D will be more advanced and best to be patient and wait until you can afford the mk3 or even a used mkIIN which seem to be around £1100 - £1300, they were designed as sports cameras, so high frame rate and fast focussing.

I'm sure some of the older more wise members on here will be able to tell you more.

Mike.
 
Andy, I'd say keep saving until you get enough for a MKII or MKIIn. But also keep the 30D has two bodies might be more benefit. That's what I'm doing at least.

1D is still good as it has weather sealing etc but it is a little step back in IQ over a 30D and 40D etc.

Pete
 
Thanks chaps, you both reckon its a step back and like me both own 30D's.....I hope your not biasing your opinions :)

Be good to hear from some 1D owners too though....and especially any who have a prosumer second body (20D, 30D etc) - how do they compare in the image Q and % keep shots.

So far then........it's keep saving until I'm persuaded otherwise :)
 
While I don't own an original 1D, I have shot with it quite a number of times, mainly for sports. I shot it a couple of time along side a 20D. Here are my comments.

- At ISO 400 and below there is no difference in IQ, infact, if you expose right, I think the images from a 1D is actually better out of the camera.
- I printed a similar frame from a 20D and 1D at A3+ and it was impossible for me to tell which one was which.
- At ISO 400 and above, the 20D has the edge, but with some noise reduction and in print, there would be not much difference.
- The AF and general use of the 1D is so much better then a 20D that I always felt sad to hand it back. (this is probably the reason why I eventually replaced the 20D with a 1D2).
- The battery life of the 20D is 4-5 times better then a 1D. I could never get more then 400-500 frames from 1 battery charge on a 1D, sometimes as low as 200 frames (which at 8 frames a second is not alot of time).
- I am much more confident taking a 1 series out in bad weather then the 20D (or 5D for that matter).

So what should you do? if I was to answer your question on runners, then the 1D would be better for sure (though after a couple of sequences you would have to change the battery).

Seeing that a good used 1D is about £600, and a good used 1D2 can be had for around £1000, then if you were to sell the 30D, then I would probably go for the used 1D2, but if you can't streach to the 1D2, then the original 1D is for me a step up.
 
FranchiseJuan said:
While I don't own an original 1D, I have shot with it quite a number of times, mainly for sports. I shot it a couple of time along side a 20D. Here are my comments.

- At ISO 400 and below there is no difference in IQ, infact, if you expose right, I think the images from a 1D is actually better out of the camera.
- I printed a similar frame from a 20D and 1D at A3+ and it was impossible for me to tell which one was which.
- At ISO 400 and above, the 20D has the edge, but with some noise reduction and in print, there would be not much difference.
- The AF and general use of the 1D is so much better then a 20D that I always felt sad to hand it back. (this is probably the reason why I eventually replaced the 20D with a 1D2).
- The battery life of the 20D is 4-5 times better then a 1D. I could never get more then 400-500 frames from 1 battery charge on a 1D, sometimes as low as 200 frames (which at 8 frames a second is not alot of time).
- I am much more confident taking a 1 series out in bad weather then the 20D (or 5D for that matter).

So what should you do? if I was to answer your question on runners, then the 1D would be better for sure (though after a couple of sequences you would have to change the battery).

Seeing that a good used 1D is about £600, and a good used 1D2 can be had for around £1000, then if you were to sell the 30D, then I would probably go for the used 1D2, but if you can't streach to the 1D2, then the original 1D is for me a step up.
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Super feedback, just what I'd like to hear.

The battery life could be an issue. I didn't consider that area and I could easily be taking over 1000 shots on an event - I'll have to check the price of batteries to see if its viable to have two or three fully charged back ups. Cost wise though, it may just be worth spending the extra £400 - £500 to get a s/h 1D2 and benefit from the other improvements that can offer.

Have you found the 1D2 battery life a major improvement?

Thanks again for your comments, much appreciated.

PS Liked your website too :)
 
I asked the same question when I was using my 10D as I could get one at a good price and the advice then was no wait till you have enough for the 5D
 
Have you found the 1D2 battery life a major improvement?
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With lots of continuous AF, IS, chimping and other nonsense you'd have to shoot a 1000 frames to even put a big dent in the charge.

Unless you get into long exposures, then you will see a dip in 300/400 or so.
 
rickj said:
I asked the same question when I was using my 10D as I could get one at a good price and the advice then was no wait till you have enough for the 5D
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It takes a LOT to beat the IQ from the 5D!

I miss my 5D :crying:
 
rickj said:
I asked the same question when I was using my 10D as I could get one at a good price and the advice then was no wait till you have enough for the 5D
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Thanks for your comments. I was considering a 5D, but the frame rate may not be quite high enough for what I shoot and the outdoor demands good weatherproofing. I like the idea of full frame though, as occasionally I like to shoot wide angle rally shots. I know I'll be losing out a little bit on the wide angle side on the 1D/1D2, but the other benefits are significant.
 
Jonnyreb said:
It takes a LOT to beat the IQ from the 5D!

I miss my 5D :crying:
Click to expand...

Maybe the next generation 5D could be a runner if the frame rate is improved and its weatherproofed.

It will probably still fall short of the build quality of a 1series - will just have to wait and see :)
 
DCCD said:
The battery life could be an issue. I didn't consider that area and I could easily be taking over 1000 shots on an event - I'll have to check the price of batteries to see if its viable to have two or three fully charged back ups. Cost wise though, it may just be worth spending the extra £400 - £500 to get a s/h 1D2 and benefit from the other improvements that can offer.

Have you found the 1D2 battery life a major improvement?
Click to expand...

The battery life of the 1D2 is about the same as my 5D with 2 batteries in the grip (about 1500-2000 frames), and the noise performance is slightly better then the 20Ds I had. You can get aftermarket batteries for under £20 each. Where as you need 3 or 4 spare batteries with a 1D, I never need more then 1 spare battery with the 1D2.
 
FranchiseJuan said:
The battery life of the 1D2 is about the same as my 5D with 2 batteries in the grip (about 1500-2000 frames), and the noise performance is slightly better then the 20Ds I had. You can get aftermarket batteries for under £20 each. Where as you need 3 or 4 spare batteries with a 1D, I never need more then 1 spare battery with the 1D2.
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That's great, thanks.
I think it's going to be 1D2 then, and the 30D will have to go to fund it.
 
I know a few news guys that still use a 1d, but mainly as a second body.

Lots more are still using a mk11, few the mk11n, even fewer the mk111. My advice would be to hold out for a mk11/n.
 
Battery life was the reason I went for a MkII rather than the "classic". Image quality is supposed to be very similar up to about ISO 400, then the MkII takes over. JPEG's out of the camera have a far nicer quality from the 1D than the 20/30D, don't know why, but my post processing is virtually nil.

Strangely enough I often turn down the frame rate, way too easy to just blast away in the hope of getting something rather than anticipating the shot.
 
dod said:
Battery life was the reason I went for a MkII rather than the "classic". Image quality is supposed to be very similar up to about ISO 400, then the MkII takes over. JPEG's out of the camera have a far nicer quality from the 1D than the 20/30D, don't know why, but my post processing is virtually nil.

Strangely enough I often turn down the frame rate, way too easy to just blast away in the hope of getting something rather than anticipating the shot.
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Thanks Dod. More brownie points for the 1D2. A pity really that the battery life is so poor on the original. I agree with the frame rate, I'd be inclined to use a slower setting most times, but there are the odd occassions when you can use its full chunt in the hope of getting a prize shot :)
 
MPB Photographic have a Mark IIN for sale with about 59,000 clicks £1299 plus postage, think they do 6 month warranty

HERE

Mike.
 
And a 1D Mark II for sale on Fred Miranda £950

HERE

Mike.
 
Andy
I have 2 x 1d and also 1 x 1ds and in the past I have owned a brand new 20d so should be able to answer some of your questions, although I would like to ask one fist

What do you want to use the camera for?

If the answer is outdoor daylight sport then (IMHO) if you are going the canon route then you should only consider the 1d or the 1dmk2n. I use mine to shoot sport at between 30 and 40 events each year, with anything from 1500 to 7000 shots being taken at each event.

There are some limitations/advantages to the 1D

1) The battery life issue highlighted above can be addressed by selling the original canon 1600mAh batteries and getting 3rd party 2200 mAh – you should be able to sell on ebay and get 2 or 3 for the selling price of 1
2) High iso is not too good ok till 1000 max
3) It is built like a tank and if you are used to the 30d it will feel heavy, it will last and last – I’ve done 7000 shots in one day with one before and the camera still wants more – I’ve also dropped one from the rear of an estate car onto concrete and picked it up and carried on shooting.
4) It does not support auto rotate or zooming on the rear screen, although this is not really a problem with sport, because if you are “chimping” you are missing shots, although you will need to rotate your shots on the pc (I use thumbs+ select all - rotate)
5) You really need to stick to memory cards that are 2Gb or smaller due to the file system that it uses – there are ways around this but they are just not worth the hassle
6) People will just simply not believe you when you tell them that the stunning 16” x 20” print on the wall was taken with a 4Mp camera – the bit that people always miss is that a pixel in the final image is created by the light sensor on the camera and on the 1d they are huge.
7) You will have get used to the fact that you will have one of the only cameras on the market with a standard sync speed of up to 1/500th (due to the ccd sensor rather then cmos)
8) The 1.3 crop factor (instead of 1.6) means that your lenses will seem slightly shorter/wider, but the larger sensor allows more space for larger light sensors
9) You can use auto focus down to f8 with up to 45 focus points
10) The camera seems to take shots as soon as you think them and seems to be ready to take another before you are – responsive is the word here I think – way, way better then the 20d in this respect



The 1dmk2n is better then the 1dmk2 although the upgrade is small – second-hand the difference is about £100-150 and in my books worth the money. The mark 2 is better in low light/ faster and has a higher resolution. It also has a slower sync speed (1/250th) and smaller light sensors, but ~8Mp instead of ~4Mp

I intend to buy 2 1dmk2N’s this year as I plan to do more magazine work, although I doubt that the increased resolution will make any visible difference to the customers that buy prints from me, as most buy smaller then 12 x 8
 
sportysnaps said:
Andy
I have 2 x 1d and also 1 x 1ds and in the past I have owned a brand new 20d so should be able to answer some of your questions, although I would like to ask one fist

What do you want to use the camera for?

If the answer is outdoor daylight sport then (IMHO) if you are going the canon route then you should only consider the 1d or the 1dmk2n. I use mine to shoot sport at between 30 and 40 events each year, with anything from 1500 to 7000 shots being taken at each event.

There are some limitations/advantages to the 1D

1) The battery life issue highlighted above can be addressed by selling the original canon 1600mAh batteries and getting 3rd party 2200 mAh – you should be able to sell on ebay and get 2 or 3 for the selling price of 1
2) High iso is not too good ok till 1000 max
3) It is built like a tank and if you are used to the 30d it will feel heavy, it will last and last – I’ve done 7000 shots in one day with one before and the camera still wants more – I’ve also dropped one from the rear of an estate car onto concrete and picked it up and carried on shooting.
4) It does not support auto rotate or zooming on the rear screen, although this is not really a problem with sport, because if you are “chimping” you are missing shots, although you will need to rotate your shots on the pc (I use thumbs+ select all - rotate)
5) You really need to stick to memory cards that are 2Gb or smaller due to the file system that it uses – there are ways around this but they are just not worth the hassle
6) People will just simply not believe you when you tell them that the stunning 16” x 20” print on the wall was taken with a 4Mp camera – the bit that people always miss is that a pixel in the final image is created by the light sensor on the camera and on the 1d they are huge.
7) You will have get used to the fact that you will have one of the only cameras on the market with a standard sync speed of up to 1/500th (due to the ccd sensor rather then cmos)
8) The 1.3 crop factor (instead of 1.6) means that your lenses will seem slightly shorter/wider, but the larger sensor allows more space for larger light sensors
9) You can use auto focus down to f8 with up to 45 focus points
10) The camera seems to take shots as soon as you think them and seems to be ready to take another before you are – responsive is the word here I think – way, way better then the 20d in this respect



The 1dmk2n is better then the 1dmk2 although the upgrade is small – second-hand the difference is about £100-150 and in my books worth the money. The mark 2 is better in low light/ faster and has a higher resolution. It also has a slower sync speed (1/250th) and smaller light sensors, but ~8Mp instead of ~4Mp

I intend to buy 2 1dmk2N’s this year as I plan to do more magazine work, although I doubt that the increased resolution will make any visible difference to the customers that buy prints from me, as most buy smaller then 12 x 8
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Great stuff, more amo for the 1D, and from a daily user, thanks for taking the time to reply.

To answer your Q, you're spot on, it will be for high volume daylight sports events, running , cycling , rallying, MotoX etc.
I currently use a setting that generates around 3mg files, so the 1D appealed with up to 4mg.

On the battery side, which seems to be its main stubbling point, how many shots roughly are you getting with the 2200mh batteries? Typically I shoot 1000+ and on the odd occasion, up to 3000.

Noted on the ISO noise, that's worth knowing and can be factored in at events.....just stop shooting or switch to flash maybe :)

Flash sync to 1/500th is useful too. I've got a 580EX, so hopefully no issues marrying it to the 1D? I've also got an older 540EZ I used with my EOS1N, but found it only worked in manual mode with my 30D. Probably same issue with 1D?

The response bit, I can also understand, as I'm more used to my EOS1N. When I picked up the 30D (and even after adding a grip), you dont get that reassurance feeling that the 1 series gives you.

Thanks again for your comments, all great stuff and helping me evaluate my options :)
 
My 2p worth. I agonised long and hard over my recent purchase 1DMk3 what with all the recall issues etc. But compared to the 20D it is awsome. I still like the 20D and use it as a backup. With the BG2 grip and two genuine canon batteries i have shot over 1300 frames. As with the MK2N the MK3 is a professional spec peice of kit and the handling, feel and speed are excellent. Once you make the transition I think you would find it very difficault to go back. I know I would.

:)
 
On the battery side, which seems to be its main stubbling point, how many shots roughly are you getting with the 2200mh batteries? Typically I shoot 1000+ and on the odd occasion, up to 3000.
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this really is all over the place at times - less shots when cold (this is physics) - if you turn auto preview off then it increases the batt life lots - you just press the button to preview - who need 1000+ previews? if you preview a lot then the battery life is shorter - i just listen to the camera - it tells me (sound) when it really needs another battery (you get about 30 shots when the icon flashes) as the mirror return is slower. I have never used 6 batteries - this may sound a lot but i've done 7000 shots on that and at another event - ironman uk ive been shooting from 6 am till midnight (with a few breaks)

batteries are cheap (£10-15) and will last a few years

I use fill-in flash a lot now at running events (550ex + battery pack) set to ttl -2 stops eva - works well most of the time, will be using a metz 45 cl4 with a quantum battery pack this year, as with that i can do 8 frames per second with flash if i need to...
 
sportysnaps said:
this really is all over the place at times - less shots when cold (this is physics) - if you turn auto preview off then it increases the batt life lots - you just press the button to preview - who need 1000+ previews? if you preview a lot then the battery life is shorter - i just listen to the camera - it tells me (sound) when it really needs another battery (you get about 30 shots when the icon flashes) as the mirror return is slower. I have never used 6 batteries - this may sound a lot but i've done 7000 shots on that and at another event - ironman uk ive been shooting from 6 am till midnight (with a few breaks)

batteries are cheap (£10-15) and will last a few years

I use fill-in flash a lot now at running events (550ex + battery pack) set to ttl -2 stops eva - works well most of the time, will be using a metz 45 cl4 with a quantum battery pack this year, as with that i can do 8 frames per second with flash if i need to...
Click to expand...

Excellent! At £15 each batteries are not an issue then (just keeping a stock of charged one's before an event is no differewnt to normal with my 30D - I always have 3 ful batteries and that's never been close to getting used. Yes, use preview only when bored! I also turn off all audio warnings, beeps etc.

Well its really down to funds now and what becomes available first :)

Watch out for my 30D FS post soon. Also will be selling my film bodies - all helps with the funding :)
 
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