Upgrading 5D 3 for weddings/Action Anyone use 5DIV & 1DXII

[prayharder]

Our 5D 3's are getting older (about 5 years) and it's time to upgrade.

I'm looking for low light / high ISO experience with the 5D mark 3 and the 1DX mark 2.

I'm having a hard time justifying putting out the money for the 1DX2 (and having to buy new CFast cards.)

Does anyone have experience with these 3 cameras?

[Joel Eade]

I have a 5D3, 5D4 and 1Dx version 1

My experience is that the 5D4 and 1Dx have very similar low light performance in terms of IQ but the focusing system is better in the 1Dx

Both are somewhat better than the 5D3 although it is very good and you might not be too impressed with the difference

Have you looked at this? I know ratings and lab measurements don't mean everything but you might find it interesting.

https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-IV-versus-Canon--EOS-1D-X-Mark-II-versus-Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III___1106_1071_795

[prayharder]

I have a 5D3, 5D4 and 1Dx version 1

My experience is that the 5D4 and 1Dx have very similar low light performance in terms of IQ but the focusing system is better in the 1Dx



Thanks for the reply!

Yes I have seem the DX0 mark ratings, I was hoping for some real life examples. I haven't found too many yet :-(

I would really rather stay away from the 30MP files, as they really will just take up more space, and aren't really needed. I keep leaning toward the 1DX2 for the ISO enhancements and the focusing system for low light.

[DavidEccleston]

The biggest improvment in Canon sensor tech recently is that the 5D4 has more detail in LOW ISO images, and you can push in detail from the shadows that all previous cameras would have recorded as noise. Oh, and if you shoot video, the 5D4 can record in log mode now... but you'll need to post process your video.

Having used a 1Ds2, I was amazed by how it handled highlights compared to the crop bodies (T1i, 7D, 7D2). I'm not sure such improved highlight handling is in a 5D series, or is 1D specific (I read an ancient article about how the 1D series did gain processing in analog, while other bodies did it digital, which could account for this, but I have no idea if a) it was even really true at the time, or b) if either half of that statement is still true today). This improvement is likely more important than pushing LOW ISO shadows, or log mode video to most shooters.

If you are in the USA, then LensRentals is an affordable way to give the two bodies a brief trial run and judge for yourself.

[Joel Eade]

The dynamic range of the 5D4 sensor maybe slightly improved from previous sensors but it isn't a big issue for me but it could be an advantage for wedding images in low light

The 30 megapixel sensor creates a file size that does make a big difference in processing times and if you edit a lot of images it will be very noticeable. The upside is cropping in that you can still have a high quality image after a significant crop.

I am still working on a 2010 MacBook Pro with 6gb of RAM and the big files really can bog it down on some processes. I will upgrade eventually but I am doing mostly bird pictures and not in high volume so I can live with it. I'll wait until it can no longer function or handle updates to critical software. I despise the process of changing computers.

[prayharder]

If you are in the USA, then LensRentals is an affordable way to give the two bodies a brief trial run and judge for yourself.

I was thinking about renting them, just not sure I want to shell out more money if I cant make the decision by doing research :-)

I might try the Canon loan program too

[prayharder]

The dynamic range of the 5D4 sensor maybe slightly improved from previous sensors but it isn't a big issue for me but it could be an advantage for wedding images in low light

Yes, it has the same ISO range as my 5DIII but less noise, I just am not sure home much less. The 1DXII has a higher ISO range, but I'm not sure about noise.


The 30 megapixel sensor creates a file size that does make a big difference in processing times and if you edit a lot of images it will be very noticeable. The upside is cropping in that you can still have a high quality image after a significant crop.

I am still working on a 2010 MacBook Pro with 6gb of RAM and the big files really can bog it down on some processes. I will upgrade eventually but I am doing mostly bird pictures and not in high volume so I can live with it. I'll wait until it can no longer function or handle updates to critical software. I despise the process of changing computers.

Yes, I have printed 6' before with my old 5D II, so I am not worried about file size as far as print goes, and we rarely need to crop very much.

[Jonathan Huyer]

I upgraded my 5D3 and 1DX to the 5D4 and 1DXII, mostly because of my gear acquisition affliction :rolleyes:. For action shots, the focusing is definitely improved and I almost never miss a shot. The 5D4 with the new 100-400 zoom is a ridiculously sharp combination --- I've been thrilled with the results. I used both cameras for candid shots at a wedding recently and they did very well, although the 1DXII was much too loud in the ceremony for my liking. I probably should have switched to silent mode, although it only helps a little. The 5D4 is definitely quieter. I love the CFast cards in the 1DXII --- they are crazy fast and the buffer never ever fills up. For wildlife shooting it's a dream come true. But yes you'll need to buy lots of cards (and bigger hard drives too) to store all the extra photos you'll be taking when you shoot bursts of 100 shots in a row!

[Kayaker72]

Hi Prayharder,

Reading this over, I am not really sure what traits you are looking for? I only have modest experience (1 week) with the 5DIV but shoot the 5DIII. Right now, new 5DIII's are $1,000 less expensive than 5DIVs. If I was a wedding/event photographer, the traits of the 5DIV that would appeal to me would be:

Better low light AF (EV -3 vs EV-2). That doesn't seem like much, but I could lock AF with the 5DIV in situations where the 5DIII would hunt.
Wi-Fi. I imagine there would be times when either remote shooting, or onsite downloading of images would be a huge benefit.
AWB. Several images, the white balance out of the 5DIV was just a bit better. One of those things that I would not have noticed until I did side by side comparisons.
Extra FPS (7 fps vs 6 fps). Slight, but a bit of an advantage.
Better video (DPAF, 4K, but reviews even have FHD as sharper in the 5DIV). Even if you are 90% stills, if someone suddenly wants video, this would be nice.


The big con against the 5DIV, aside from price, I repeatedly hear battery life is not as long. The week I had a 5DIV I did not consume a full battery, so I did not see it, but I hear that from friends with the 5DIV and online.

Good luck. All good cameras here.

[Minerve101]

Hello Prayharder,

I upgraded from the 5DIII to the 5DIV about 2 months ago. I agree with all the points made by Joel, David, Jonathan and Brandt.

The ability to crop more, to downsample more, and to pull more detail from the shadows are nice. I guess they help 5% of what I shoot. Sometimes the greater downsampling makes a shot of family members at ISO 12,800 look OK. I was seldom happy going beyond ISO 6400 on the 5DIII.

One feature I don't see mentioned here (or very much on line) is the ability of the 5DIV to use exposure compensation together with auto ISO. For a subject that is lighter or darker than the background, but moves around into different lighting ( like my granddaughters) this combination can be helpful. Obviously this is not a feature one needs for landscapes from a tripod.

I also enjoy the WiFi for getting a shot onto my wife's cell phone right on the scene.

I must still confess that the biggest need for improvement in my shots is the photographer and not the camera.

[DavidEccleston]

Minerve101 - Yes that was one major improvement in the 7D2 from the 7D. I tend to shoot M + Auto ISO, and use EC all the time. I have the 7D2's little lever that it supposed to change focus modes set to change the wheel to an EC dial, so it's always handy. It's one of those things I've come to just expect, and would be very annoyed if a new camera didn't support.

[peety3]

I was thinking about renting them, just not sure I want to shell out more money if I cant make the decision by doing research :-)


If you rent from LensRentals and decide that you like it, you can click the "It's a Keeper" button and buy it outright. The buyout price takes into account your rental fee, the lack of return shipping needed, etc., and you know exactly which device you're buying.

[apersson850]

If you shoot in artificial light, the flicker mode on the 1DX Mark II may be worth an upgrade from 1DX.
Better viewfinder information and improved focus system in the 1DX Mark II is nice too.
But in general, at least as long as you stay away from video, the differences between 1DX and 1DX Mark II aren't such that I would have upgraded, if it wasn't for the accident my 1DX had.