Considering buying a 1D MKIII, but concerned about QC issues - Advice required.
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Well, are you undecisive by nature or are your expectations too high?
You don't say what type of togging you do but here's my tuppenceworth.
My 1D MKIII came out of warehouse express in Feb this year. I bought it 2nd hand. It is the latest spec with the latest firmware and it is post all the focus probs.
I have a 40D so you could say I was in the same boat as you at the time.
Machine gun mode is superb, The focus is great but I had my doubts a few times. Now that I've had it a while and set it up to my requirements it's superb. There are quite a few settings on this camera!
I used my 40D at the weekend for a while and it's not until you go back that you appreciate the difference.
The one singular thing that stands out is the low light ISO performance! This is where I agree with Kipax, even at speed it is outstanding, the 40D was good but the 1D leaves it for dead.
There are thousands of these cameras out there in use all day long, many peeps on here have them and Kipax is the only, unlucky, person I have heard of having any serious probs and as far as I'm aware it's all sorted now and he is happy with the product/service.
You have to remember these are a mass produced product and there isn't a mass produced product in the world that has a 100% perfect ''works out of the box'' hit rate!
I would love to know the ratio of happy/unhappy 1D owners!
Is it worth 4-5 times the money of the 40D? I would have to answer Yes!
Funily enuf I'm not too sure about one of my lenses so I'm getting it checked this week and while I was on the phone to them I asked about any probs or updates on the 1D, they said there was none but if I had any doubts I could bring it in with the lens and they would check it over while the lens was in, for free of course, so I might take them up on that.
If I was you I would just go and buy one, what's the worst that could happen? If you don't like it the resale value is still high so you will only take a small hit. If you delay, we could be having this discussin this time next year.
Lets face it, there is no-one, even on this board, :nono:that has a clue when the 1D MKIV will come out, so it's all hype and speculation!
ps, the battery life is amazing!
You don't say what type of togging you do but here's my tuppenceworth.
My 1D MKIII came out of warehouse express in Feb this year. I bought it 2nd hand. It is the latest spec with the latest firmware and it is post all the focus probs.
I have a 40D so you could say I was in the same boat as you at the time.
Machine gun mode is superb, The focus is great but I had my doubts a few times. Now that I've had it a while and set it up to my requirements it's superb. There are quite a few settings on this camera!
I used my 40D at the weekend for a while and it's not until you go back that you appreciate the difference.
The one singular thing that stands out is the low light ISO performance! This is where I agree with Kipax, even at speed it is outstanding, the 40D was good but the 1D leaves it for dead.
There are thousands of these cameras out there in use all day long, many peeps on here have them and Kipax is the only, unlucky, person I have heard of having any serious probs and as far as I'm aware it's all sorted now and he is happy with the product/service.
You have to remember these are a mass produced product and there isn't a mass produced product in the world that has a 100% perfect ''works out of the box'' hit rate!
I would love to know the ratio of happy/unhappy 1D owners!
Is it worth 4-5 times the money of the 40D? I would have to answer Yes!
Funily enuf I'm not too sure about one of my lenses so I'm getting it checked this week and while I was on the phone to them I asked about any probs or updates on the 1D, they said there was none but if I had any doubts I could bring it in with the lens and they would check it over while the lens was in, for free of course, so I might take them up on that.
If I was you I would just go and buy one, what's the worst that could happen? If you don't like it the resale value is still high so you will only take a small hit. If you delay, we could be having this discussin this time next year.
Lets face it, there is no-one, even on this board, :nono:that has a clue when the 1D MKIV will come out, so it's all hype and speculation!
ps, the battery life is amazing!
dod
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To be fair I think a lot of the MkIII's problems are down to users as well. I delete a fair amount of shots but lately I've been shooting a lot wide open (F2.8), 70-200 and 130mm and longer. With 3-5 metre shooting distances you've got dof of about 10-20cm. Tring to catch focus on something doing 30MPH that close to you is a real challenge for any system and the MkIII beats the MkII in my experience.
I'm very decisive and I like to make educated decisions, hence why I'm trying to get my head around the problems present in this camera.
I'm not sure my expectations are too high - for my £2500 I want a camera that will deliver the shots I require - this won't be 10fps with every shot in focus, but say I'm tracking a BMX around a skatepark and I squeeze off three or four frames as it hits the jumps I want them to be in focus as they are with my current camera. As a benchmark I would like it to perform no worse than my 40D, obviously.
I shoot a lot of mountainbikes, BMX and action sports. As well as editorial and commercial work.
That's what I like to hear.
No doubt, but this isn't a question of a few cameras not nailing shots 100% of the time, this is a large number of complaints and evidence that this camera has quite a serious AF flaw.
Which lens is this out of interest? What issue are you having?
The worse thing that could happen is that I spend £2500 on it now and 6 months later they announce a MKIV, when really I could put up with waiting 6 months for a better model.
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What problems?
You're talking like this camera still has huge AF probs!
Also, it now has a 2 year warranty.
If they do announce a new 1D, sell that one and buy the new one! What's the problem?
FWIW, the lens is a 70-200 2.8 L IS and I think it is front focusing!
dod
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My 1Dmk3 is nearly a year old. It hasn't missed a beat since I got it.
I shoot a lot of action sports, mainly polo and rugby, but also a good amount of landscape & other stuff. Mostly though its lots of fast moving things changing direction rapidly and unpredictably.
It constantly amazes me with the image quality, ease of use, adjustability and versatility. It's just brilliant.
To get the best from it, use top lenses that can drive the focus as fast as the camera demands it at 10fps.
I shoot a lot of action sports, mainly polo and rugby, but also a good amount of landscape & other stuff. Mostly though its lots of fast moving things changing direction rapidly and unpredictably.
It constantly amazes me with the image quality, ease of use, adjustability and versatility. It's just brilliant.
To get the best from it, use top lenses that can drive the focus as fast as the camera demands it at 10fps.
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I have the 1Ds Mk III so cannot comment on the 1D Mk III. However what I can say is this. Sometimes in life you just have to bite the bullet. Either decide to buy it.....or decide to not buy it, and live with that decision. It is called life. There will always be new models that come out to supercede what you have bought. This is called progress. You then have to decide whether to buy the new model.....ad infinitum. Life is for living now.....not waiting for what tomorrow may....or may not bring.
My wife has been seriously ill for the last three and a half years, and sadly her tomorrows may....or may not be limited, so I do know the dilemna faced, but on a much larger scale. I also know that waiting for tomorrow can be severely counter-productive, and turn you into a stale person. I am not plying for sympathy, merely trying to put things in perspective. Enjoy what you have today, let tomorrow come and then deal with it. If you are so happy with the 40D, why change at all. Whatever your decision, I hope you enjoy it.
Bob
My wife has been seriously ill for the last three and a half years, and sadly her tomorrows may....or may not be limited, so I do know the dilemna faced, but on a much larger scale. I also know that waiting for tomorrow can be severely counter-productive, and turn you into a stale person. I am not plying for sympathy, merely trying to put things in perspective. Enjoy what you have today, let tomorrow come and then deal with it. If you are so happy with the 40D, why change at all. Whatever your decision, I hope you enjoy it.
Bob
Okay a bit of an update, I've just bought a 70-200f2.8 IS and a 17-40L (in preparation for having to ditch my EF-S Sigma 10-20mm.
I think I'm going to wait until next March before I consider upgrading from my 40D, that way I'll have A) more money and B) It'll be closer to Canon releasing the MKIV.
I think I'm going to wait until next March before I consider upgrading from my 40D, that way I'll have A) more money and B) It'll be closer to Canon releasing the MKIV.
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If you are going to get one get it NOW to take advantage of the 2 year warranty offer which expires in Decemder..
I am on my 3rd and just loving it. I was an early adopter and my first copy June 2007 died of err99 which was the shutter box, my second had serious AF issues and was changed on 24th Dec 2007 for my current copy which has not missed a beat and is used for Birds in Flight amongst other nature work.
I do recommend the 1Dmk3 and I am getting a second this month (well Dec) to take advantage of the 2 year warranty deal which ends Dec 31st with registration to be completed before 31st Jan 09.
http://canon2yearwarranty.onlinerebates.com/faq.aspx
I am on my 3rd and just loving it. I was an early adopter and my first copy June 2007 died of err99 which was the shutter box, my second had serious AF issues and was changed on 24th Dec 2007 for my current copy which has not missed a beat and is used for Birds in Flight amongst other nature work.
I do recommend the 1Dmk3 and I am getting a second this month (well Dec) to take advantage of the 2 year warranty deal which ends Dec 31st with registration to be completed before 31st Jan 09.
http://canon2yearwarranty.onlinerebates.com/faq.aspx
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I'll echo some of the comments above, I think a good part of the problems has been user rather than hardware. It works differently from the mkII and it took a while for people to adjust. The focus on mine is great and any errors are mine not the camera.
As for skin tone issue I've not had any nor have I seen the problem reported elsewhere but shooting sports in Auto WB isn't going to do you any favours as far as colours are concerned :nono:
As for skin tone issue I've not had any nor have I seen the problem reported elsewhere but shooting sports in Auto WB isn't going to do you any favours as far as colours are concerned :nono:
Current rumour on the replacement is either an announcement in early February next year or the end of next year with the 's' version following along about 6 months or so later. The MK3 will be 2years old at the beginning of next year so its coming to the end of it life cycle. For more rumours try:
canonrumors.com
While i appreciate that there are people who have problems i think the robgalbraith series is slightly flawed IMHO and the amount of adjustability and calibration of lenses is more important than some may think. But just because it is a professional piece of equipment doesnt guarantee you'll get better shots in the same way that an F1 car doesnt make you a better driver.
Cheers
Nat
B->
Currently still with a MK2N and looking to get a 3.
canonrumors.com
While i appreciate that there are people who have problems i think the robgalbraith series is slightly flawed IMHO and the amount of adjustability and calibration of lenses is more important than some may think. But just because it is a professional piece of equipment doesnt guarantee you'll get better shots in the same way that an F1 car doesnt make you a better driver.
Cheers
Nat
B->
Currently still with a MK2N and looking to get a 3.