Is This A Good Price For the 1Ds MKII?

<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span>Hi everyone,<o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span><o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span>Just wanted to ask
your opinion on the following bundle which I was offered for about CAD $3800 to buy (I'm the buyer) (1CAD=0.95 USD currently)<o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span><o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span>Canon 1Ds MKII
(16.8 MegaPixel full Frame)<span>

<span>Canon EF 70-200 L IS USM F2.8

<span>Canon EF 24-70 L USM F2.8

<span>Canon SpeedLite 580EX Flash<o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span>I&rsquo;m not sure
about the going 1Ds MKII used prices but I know the lens and flash prices:<o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span>$1500 Canon EF
70-200 L IS USM F2.8<span>

<span>$1100 Canon EF 24-70 L USM F2.8<o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span>$250<span> Canon SpeedLite 580EX Flash<o:p></o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span><span>Subtract the
above total from $3800, that would make the 1Ds MKII about $1000.<span> Is this a good deal to buy in your
opinion?<span> Thanks.<o:p></o:p>

I think so.

Sounds like a great deal to me if everything is working properly, not dinged up, and not super high mileage. You could part whatever you didn't want out of it and do very well. Is this local so you can inspect it? Just make sure it isn't stolen (does it all come in a nice bag without any boxes or receipts?)

Thanks for the reply. So the generalconsensusis that this is a good deal. Everything is about 5 years old from the talking to the seller. The reason I'm interested in the 1Ds MKII is that if my initial cost of acquiring the 1Ds MKII is around the $1000, I probably won't lose too much money selling it down the road.


From the raw file the seller sent me, the shutter actuation is less than 6000, so the 1Ds hasn't been used all that much. I'm now more confident buying this set, thanks everyone.


One more question, the other reason I'm buying a FF is I'm looking for shallower DOF when shooting outdoor portraits. Is this a good reason to buy FF vs the T2i I already have? Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by darklord

From the raw file the seller sent me, the shutter actuation is less than 6000, so the 1Ds hasn't been used all that much. I'm now more confident buying this set, thanks everyone.


One more question, the other reason I'm buying a FF is I'm looking for shallower DOF when shooting outdoor portraits. Is this a good reason to buy FF vs the T2i I already have? Thanks.

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You can't trust file numbering for shutter actuation count. I'd have a real hard time believing someone owned a 1Ds MkII for 5 years and shot less than 6000. I've shot 40K in a year and a half on my 5DmkII. That said it still is a good deal.


If you like shallow DOF, FF is the way to go. If you like tightly cropped head shots you will be needing a lot of that 200mm. On my 5DmkII with my 85L and about 3ft. min focus distance, the tightest I can get is loose head and shoulders without cropping later.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Keith B

<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]You can't trust file numbering for shutter actuation count. I'd have a real hard time believing someone owned a 1Ds MkII for 5 years and shot less than 6000. I've shot 40K in a year and a half on my 5DmkII. That said it still is a good deal.


<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]

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Thanks Keith. I though the shutter actuation number cannot be manipulated. I wasn't going by the file number but from PS CS5 in the manner described below to get the image number <span style="font-size: 10px;"](Shift-Ctrl-Alt-i)).


<span style="font-size: 11.6667px;"]http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00KFt6

Not trying to rain on any parades here... but I've been following sales of 1Ds mkII bodies for the last year and have never (and I mean never) seen one in good condition go for less than $1700 USD. Something is fishy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IAMB

Not trying to rain on any parades here... but I've been following sales of 1Ds mkII bodies for the last year and have never (and I mean never) seen one in good condition go for less than $1700 USD. Something is fishy.


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Thanks, IAMB. It's always nice to be on the guard for something like this. I plan to do some cap shot and check for dead pixels while I'm at his house inspecting the 1Ds. What else should I watch out for when inspecting the 1Ds?

Well... you should at least take an image file and use Cancount to get the actual shutter mileage. Also, look for damage around the battery door (easy to replace the part, but it'll cost you about forty bucks shipped), around the lens mount and also around the mirror box. You'll want to make the the hot shoe is still good, so take a flash. Also, take both an SD and CF card to make sure it'll recognize both individually and as a 1--&gt;2 backup (some of the used ones have a tough time recognizing two cards at once - I think it's a cleanliness issue more than anything). Beyond that, just make sure all the accessories are with it (both USB and FireWire cable, dual charger, strap, DC connector and dummy battery, etc.). If you have time, see how long the battery lasts as well. You can still good OEM replacements, but be sure to pick them up now as they'll get harder to find every year.





Also, If you know of an online registry for stolen photo equipment, get the serial number off the body and run it.





I'm sure I've forgotten plenty of important things, but it's a start.

Just wanted to report back on this deal as I went through with it. The two L lenses are in pristine condition 9.5/10 by my book and from the date codes of the lenses, they were purchased together with the 1Ds MKii. So if the lenses weren't being used much, the camera body shouldn't have been either.


The rubber parts of the camera body, however, exhibits some greyish white color rather than solid deep black. I'm not sure if it is due to aging or anything else. But the rest of the camera body is fine, shows not signs of heavy usage.


There are people interested in buying the two L lenses I got from this deal from kijiji so I'm confident the 1Ds MKii body will not cost me more than $1K, most likely less than that. So far, I have to say I'm happy to have gone through with this deal to jump into the world of full frame. Thanks everyone for the advice you've given me thus far.