Canon 1Ds MkIII or 5D MkII

tattywelshie

tattywelshie

Messages
683
Name
Ian
Edit My Images
No
Hi guys :)

Just after a bit of advice here really, as im a bit confused, as always! :)

My 20D is coming to the end of its long life, so im in the market for a new body. Now i want full frame, no question of that. I shoot mainly pets, so, dont need a massivly quick frame rate, i need it to perform well in low light, have accurate focusing, weight isnt an issue, and i need to be able to take a knock.

I was looking at a new 5D MkII, ive seen awesome reviews, and the photos ive seen from it have been amazing. But...for the same price i have seen a few 1Ds MkIIIs for sale, second hand obviously.

Now, i dont know what to do, do i either get a brand new 5D mk2, or go for a second hand 1Ds mk3?

I know the 1d is obviously a pro level camera, and cost a load more new, but is it a bit older than the 5d mk2? Is the 5d mk2 actually better, or worse then the 1Ds mk3?

Im stuck, any help would be super :)
 
Last edited:
I have not long become a second shooter for a wedding tog who uses the 5D mk1 and MKII he also has a studio and does alot of fashion and makeup shoots.
I have used the MK11 and it quality is stunning, most reviews I have read says that the mkII is the best Camera out at this time. I have not used the 1Ds mkIII but If it was me I would go with a camera that you have 12 months warranty on it,
and not been touched, then a 1Ds MKIII that you may not know the full history of and 5 months down the road my need a repair
 
captainjack said:
I have not long become a second shooter for a wedding tog who uses the 5D mk1 and MKII he also has a studio and does alot of fashion and makeup shoots.
I have used the MK11 and it quality is stunning, most reviews I have read says that the mkII is the best Camera out at this time. I have not used the 1Ds mkIII but If it was me I would go with a camera that you have 12 months warranty on it,
and not been touched, then a 1Ds MKIII that you may not know the full history of and 5 months down the road my need a repair
Click to expand...

Yeah, i mean, thats what im shying away, id rather buy new, and i know the 5d mk2 is pretty awesome, and im thinking a 5d mk3 will be around a year away, and i cant wait, my 20d is dying slowly! :)
 
I'm not sure where you've seen 1DsIII's for £1,680, even second hand, but if you're in to shooting pets (something that does move quite fast) I would recommend the Ds over the 5DII.

I've currently got 1DIIn, shoot motorsport and action but have an increasing interest in event photography so need a higher ISO rather than faster AF. Weighing up how much the loss of a great AF system will effect my images at the moment - but having tried the 5DII it's a great camera, just without the amazing AF on the 1D series.

DB
 
Impspeed said:
I'm not sure where you've seen 1DsIII's for £1,680, even second hand, but if you're in to shooting pets (something that does move quite fast) I would recommend the Ds over the 5DII.

I've currently got 1DIIn, shoot motorsport and action but have an increasing interest in event photography so need a higher ISO rather than faster AF. Weighing up how much the loss of a great AF system will effect my images at the moment - but having tried the 5DII it's a great camera, just without the amazing AF on the 1D series.

DB
Click to expand...

Well maybe not the same price, but close enough to consider if i remember rightly :)

Yeah, thats what i've been reading about, the fact that the AF on the 5d mk2 isnt as good as the 1D series, thing is, i dont want to be faffing about trying to get the camera to focus on what i want it to focus on, dogs etc dont really stay around for long enough for second chances, i need to nail the shot first time, which is why i have been thinking about the 1Ds 2 or 3
 
The only 1DsIII's I can find (secondhand) all come with 6 month warranties and cost upwards of £2,500 - that's a huge difference between the 5DII and 1DsIII.

Maybe you're confusing the Ds3 and Ds2? The 1DsII is more comparable cost to the 5DII.

I don't think you'd struggle too much (if at all) with the AF on the 5DII as you'd generally be shooting in good light and it's perfectly acceptable to use the centre spot AF and then crop to compose.


DB
 
Most S/H 1DsIII's seem to go for between 2.5-3.5K depending on condition.

The 1Ds series are built like a tank and perform well in all conditions. The 5DII is an excellent camera also and it is better in low light high ISO conditions than the 1Ds3. The focus abilities of the 1Ds are better than the 5D2.

Both cameras produce excellent photos, which you choose depends on what your priorities are. I suspect the 5D2 may be a better choice for you and you will have a full 12 months warranty on the camera.

Paul.
 
FWIW I have a 5Dmk1 at the moment and a 1Dmk11. In moments of idleness I ponder what the upgrade for the 5D will be when the time - and funding - comes. That upgrade - to either a 5D11 or a 1Ds mkxx isn't going to cost a hundred or two, it's going to mean a doubling of my investment and more.

Because of this, it's certainly going to involve hands-on touchy-feely as part of the evaluation and I'd suggest you do the same not least for the obvious difference in the bulk of the two bodies. There are times when I persuade myself that the 5D is "handier" especially with the battery grip dropped off but in fact I never drop the grip off so that's argument number 1 out of the window!

Personally I'm not worried by the pre-owned aspect: we buy s/h cars don't we? I've bought pre-owned lenses and bodies privately and through trade (my 1D11 is ex pro motorsport user and it may not no be black all over but it never misses a beat.)

Battery weight/life: obviously the 1D has a great big yorkie bar of a battery compared to the matchbox battery of the 5D1 but actually I get more frames out of the 1D from recharge than I do from the 5D batteries - after-market brands in both cases.

Another good reason for playing with both is the control layout. I can't speak for the newer 1Ds models but there's quite a bit of "push and hold two buttons together" with the 1D11 and frankly it isn't quite as ergonomic. But looks? Feel? Bragging rights?

If my 5D fell off the bench today and I had 10 minutes to grab a replacement body with no chance to play? Easy: 5D1 again. Cracking value for money compared to all the other FF bodies. Or maybe I'd grab a 1DS11 as, I'm told, there's not much to choose between the two and it can come down to the one in your hand and how well it performs.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, actually now i look, it must have been a 1ds mk2 that was for sale, im getting old, my memory is fading quickly! :bonk:

I've always got the battery grib on my 20d, i love the way it handles with that on, and the fact i find it a billion times easier to shoot portrait side up with it.

I think im going to head to the shop and try both of them out, see which i prefer, im thinking image quality, the 1ds mk2 would be pretty much the same as the 5d mk2, i know the megapixelage is a bit different, but does that really make any difference?
 
tattywelshie said:
Yeah, actually now i look, it must have been a 1ds mk2 that was for sale, im getting old, my memory is fading quickly! :bonk:

I've always got the battery grib on my 20d, i love the way it handles with that on, and the fact i find it a billion times easier to shoot portrait side up with it.

I think im going to head to the shop and try both of them out, see which i prefer, im thinking image quality, the 1ds mk2 would be pretty much the same as the 5d mk2, i know the megapixelage is a bit different, but does that really make any difference?
Click to expand...

5d2 will blow a 1d2 outr of the water in terms of high iso noise and I assume general IQ. the screen and moderness will be superior on the 5d2 (inc batter life)

5d2 vs 1ds3 is a more interesting comparison
 
captainjack said:
.....most reviews I have read says that the mkII is the best Camera out at this time......
Click to expand...

Other than HD Video (and weight, if that's an issue), what aspects of the 5DMkII are these reviews claiming that it surpasses the 1DsMkIII in?

Bob
 
I dont use full frame a lot so I sold my 1ds3 and got a 5d2
and apart from high iso and video the 1dsmk3 blows the the 5d2 out of the water in every other way.
 
The build quality, and AF speed/accuracy on the 1 series bodies is the best of any Canon model. They are thoroughly weatherproof as well, and are quite a bit bigger/heavier - this is hard to appreciate until you see it in the flesh. Even the 20D will feel rather cheap and cheerful in comparison.

If you need the phenominal build quality for what you do, the only choice is 1 series. This is why I opted for a very old 1 series over something newer - it doesn't matter what's in it, if it dies from the rough environment its useless, and the environments I use the camera in is challenging. If you don't need it to be bomb proof, then the 5D might be a better option.. and certainly less weight for you and I believe it is better at high ISO as well.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top