Canon 1D Mk III

Ok, here goes my most irrational thought yet ...

I have been looking at camera bodies online for part ofthe weekend. Now, it could be because I am missing my 7d and once I have it back I will not feel the overwhelming desire to own a second body as I do now but I do know I never want to go thru this being without one again!

So, I am looking at possibly getting a used or refurbished 1D Mk III. All I know about this camera is what I've read in Bryan's review. I am hoping this will buy me for one thing,better high ISO results with lower noise and of course the other plus being speed. It seems like a really good camera but the two things that I'm not sure about are #1 - only 10 MP and #2 - How do I know ifthe AF mirror assembly has been corrected to fix the problem with poor AI Servo AF accuracy. With that, I don't know if it is still a step up or not compared tothe 7d.

Only hitch, I would have to sell 2 lenses to help pay for the 1D Mk III. I have thought about this a great deal and I know I would get much more use out of a second camera than I do out of well, one of the lenses anyway...I rarely reach for my 17-55mm.

Any input greatly appreciated! If you own a 1D Mk III, I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Denise

Denise the 1D3 is my wildlife camera, and I

Thanks, Jonathan for the information! The weight of it is definitely at the top of my list of negatives. I thought the 7D was heavy until I got used to it but not so sure I

I'd wait for the replacement 5D2. No way I'd spend the money on a 1D3 or 1D4 unless I was planning to go to Iraq or Afghanistan to do some news work or document a Mount Everest climb.

That

Denise, I'v been thinking getting a 1D body too for a while, I hesitate to buy it just because it doesn't hold that much value when you resell it. I think people using their own money to buy a 1DIV are either very rich or very brave[:D]


anyway, the main reason I want a 1D is that I found the Al Servo AF performance of the 7D seems not good enough. and I got 300mm, 400mm and 500mm three lenses now I do need a second camera body.


if you feel something that the 7D can't do better job and really need a second body for wild life, you should go for it. or maybe get a super tele lens first, but then, 5D3 maybe a better choice who knows.


I'm facing the same problem, Joel mentioned there is a used 1D III for sell for $2000, be brave? maybe you go first Denise[:D]

I am in the same boat as you are, my two current bodies are a 5d2 and a 40d. The significant difference in image quality between the two is why I

Denise


The 1D Mark III and the 7D are diffrent grades of the same animal. Which I think you probably know this, they are the speed action high end versions of Canon's cameras. Where the 1Ds Mark III and the 5D would be the IQ quality high end.


Buying the 1D Mark III would give you a back up camera that does the same thing. Whether the 1D is your main camera or you 7D. IF speed and accuracy are your main and only objectives then go for it.


It would make more sensefor me to have one fast camera and one IQ camera, say a 7D and a 5D, or a 1D Mark III and a 5D, or a 1Ds Mark III and a 1D Mark IV [:P]


I think the the 5D Mark II would expand yourcapabilities more than the 1D Mark III.


But, it might notbe a bad plan to get the 1D Mark III thinking you would trade the 7D off and get the 5D at some point.


Rick

Denise,


I upgraded from the 40D to a used 1D MKIII from Adorama ..... I haven

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Originally Posted by HDNitehawk

It would make more sensefor me to have one fast camera and one IQ camera, say a 7D and a 5D, or a 1D Mark III and a 5D,
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I agree with Rick. When I look at the "post you best birt shot" threads, the best images IMO are shot with the 1DIII or 7D. DxOMark rates the IQ of the 1DIII over the 7D.


If the 7D was heavy for you at first, the 1DIII will be very heavy to you. The 7D is an excellent camera. You have been talking about the 5DII for a while. I think you should stick with that.


A 7D plus 1DIII would be a good tool set but my vote is for the 7D plus 5DIIfor your tool setfor the types of images you seem to enjoy capturing.


Mark

Mark,


Those are good points ....features that seem like an advantage to one person may be a detriment to another.


I can also add that it took me about 2-3 months to get familiar with the 1D MKIII and to be able to start to get comfortable with all it

Denise, I'll echo some of the above comments and say that IMO, the 1D series are cameras intended for a pretty similar purpose as the 7D - action/sports/wildlife shooting, for the most part. Likewise, the 1Ds series and the 5D series are landscape/portrait/etc. bodies. If all you primarily shot was one or the other, it might make sense to have a 1-series as primary and a 7D or 5DII as a backup, for that type of shooting.


Since we both like to shoot lots of different subjects, I don't think it would make sense to have two excellent cameras intended for the same purpose. I could see switching from a 7D to a 1DIII or 1DIV, but not having both.


Also, if you find yourself cropping your 7D images, you may find yourself needing a longer lens with the 1DIII - cropping that just to the angle of view of the 7D means you're left with a 5.6 megapixel image, and if you needed to crop further...


Personally, I really like the flexibility of having both the 5DII and the 7D, and I think you'd be better off adding a 5DII to you kit instead of a 1D body.


--John

Hi Denise,


You did ask for any input so here's mine...


I presume one of the reasons you've been thinking of a 5DII would be to get a full-frame body. Have you considered a 1Ds series? Now these aren't built to be fast sports cameras but that's only the frame rate; the AF is the same as the equivalent 1D series. So you'd get a full-frame camera with very fast AF and the other pros/cons of 1-series.


I don't know the prices or availability, so perhaps a 1Dsmk3 is out of the price range being still the current body. However, it seems that stuff is pretty easy to buy and sell in the US so have you considered trying a 1Ds mk 2 to satisfy your curiosity? Once you're done "testing" you can sell it and decide what type of nice new one you want. The mk2 does differ considerably from the mk3 but you'd still get a good feel for whether you like them.


As for the weight I think you'll get used to it. I'm very small and thin build with small hands but mine is fine. I use an E1 hand strap which allows me to let it hang in my hand without gripping it tightly when wandering around. I don't use long lenses though... 1Ds + 100-400 is pretty weighty.


Paul.

Denise,

One point about the 1D that's not been mentioned here is that you would be able to use autofocus with your 100-400 + 1.4x extender, so this would offset the loss of crop factor if the light is good enough to use f/8 and assuming you are happy carrying such a heavy combination.

I've never used the 1D III but I think my 1D IV is a perfect partner for my 5D II. Trouble is, you are looking for a partner for your 7D. I agree with many others here, I'm not sure that the 1D III would extend your creative opportunities in the same way that a 5D II would. I think that if you got a 1D III, you would rarely use your 7D, whereas the 5D II can do things that the other bodies can't.

With a 5D II you could crop half the frame away and still have more pixels than the 1D III. You could give up your 17-55 and have that range covered by the 24-105 on a full frame body. You would love the wonderful contrast from the 5D in a wide angle image of fall colors. You would be able to use the 85mm and 135mm indoors without finding them too long for many situations. You could get much thinner depth of field to isolate portrait subjects from their background. I also think the 5D II would be easy for you to use out of the box, whereas a 1D will need some time to learn if you want to get the best out of it. The 5D II has amazing high ISO performance, similar to the samples I've seen from a 1D III and much better than the 7D.

If you decide to go for the 1D III and want to check for the focus accuracy issue, this product bulletin tells you which serial numbers may be affected. The repair is free of charge.

Good luck deciding.

Hello,


I recently got a used 1D MK III and love it! i am only a highschool student and i can tell its going to last me many many years to come due to its durability. The fact that you mentioned its only 10MP, doesnt seem like a problem to me. he dynamic range is great! and there is no use for anything above 8MP unless you are making large prints or putting it on a Billboard! Well if it was me i would go for it because i am so glad i made the descicion to get one and with your 7D you have video so your whole range is covered. The ISO is fantastic on the 1DIII. Well good luck with your choicees!

WOW! There is most certainly a vast amount of information here to review and mull over! I sincerely appreciate and thank every one of you that have contributed to assisting me with my decision-making process! Lots to think about!


Thank you Andy for giving me the link to the serial numbers affected on the 1d MK III. When I asked Helen at Adorama a specific question about a used 135L she said it would be hard to know exactly which one I was getting and could not answer my question. So, I guess I still wouldn't know if the camera had been thru the repair until I actually received it I guess. I would assume all refurbished ones from anywhere would have put it thru this I would think. Also, thank you for pointing out about the 1.4ex II! That is a major +! I have been attempting to manual focus with it on my 100-400 before I sent the camera off. It was challenging!


When I mentioned the 7d was heavy to me at first, I was comparing it to my old Rebel T1i and now the 1d is the same amount of increase from the 7d! Yes, that is quite the load and a major negative ...in fact one of the few negatives I can come up with!


Yes, it would make more sense to own a 5d II with my 7d but the used and refurbished price on one hasn't dropped much from the new price yet. But then again, the cropping issue and thinner depth of field that Andy also brought up are things to consider.


Goodness! I think I need to make a list of pros and cons of each before I can decide!

Thanks again everyone!!!!!

Denise

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

Yes, it would make more sense to own a 5d II with my 7d but the used and refurbished price on one hasn't dropped much from the new price yet.
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Hopefully if and when the 5dIIIII comes out the mkII used will come down.


Mark

That

Denise


When will the 5DIII come out? The 5DII came out a year or so after the 1Ds Mark III was released. The 5D really has no where to upgrade to until the 1Ds Mark IV is released. You may be waiting several years.

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Originally Posted by HDNitehawk

You may be waiting several years.

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That would bea stretch, the 5D lasted 3 years. 1 series last about 2 years and XXD 1 year.


So thats a rough idea for you anyway,


John.

I didn

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Originally Posted by Fast Glass

That would bea stretch, the 5D lasted 3 years. 1 series last about 2 years and XXD 1 year.


So thats a rough idea for you anyway,


John.

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John


Maybe we can hope.


The 1Ds Mark IV is overdue from the past release time frames. I just don't see Canon marketing releasing a 5D that would outperform its 1D Mark III. The 5D Mark II is 2 1/2 now? I have been waiting on the mythical 1Ds Mark IV for a year now, unless it is some out of this world price I will have at least 2 used 5D's to sell. If 1D Mark IV is overdue will the 5D Mark III be overdue? Who knows but if I were betting I would take at least another year.


Rick

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

I didn't think it would be quite that long. I would think a new body whatever type it might be would be out within the year and wouldn't it then drop prices on previous models including used and refurbished? I don't know, since I've only been doing this for a year I'm not up on the past history or track record.

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Maybe, but when the 1D Mark IV was released the 1D Mark III didn't drop much of all. Reason is that they priced the new one so much higher. So it really depends on the price structure of the new 5D Mark IlI. They will come down, how much remains to be seen. I have seen the 5D Mark II for $1900 used at the local camera shop.

Hi Denise


Not sure if I mis-communicated somewhere along the line......


With used items for sure we can tell you exactly which unit you are getting - I can even have pictures of it emailed to you.


Refurbs,

Denise,


My understanding is that when a unit goes to Canon for service all know upgrades and issues are also addressed. As far as used, a call to Canon with the serial number should be able to address if it had been updated or not.


Chris

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

Maybe it would be best to wait for two reasons ...to either go with the new model if price is reasonable and it has appealing features or to then purchase the previous model at a lower price.

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That was my thinking as well. But I'm really glad I gave up on waiting and added the 5DII. [:)] As the saying goes...if you need/want it now, get it now rather than waiting for the next upgrade.


Earlier you had mentioned possibly selling the 17-55mm to help fund the new body - I think that's quite reasonable. Keep in mind that the FF-equivalent for that lens is 27-88mm f/4.5, so when comparing the 17-55mm on a crop body to the 24-105mm used on a FF body, the L lens is wider, longer, and faster (although as an f/4 lens it does not use the high-precision center AF point). Personally, I still have my 17-55mm, but honestly I haven't really used it since getting the 5DII. I plan to keep it for a while longer, since when the warmer weather hits I'll be going out more frequently with my 7D. But if it remains little-used by midsummer, I'll most likely consider selling it to fund something else. The current round of price increases should help a bit, there...

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

Yes, it would make more sense to own a 5d II with my 7d but the used and refurbished price on one hasn't dropped much from the new price yet.

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A refurb is 20% less than new - $2,000 direct from Canon. Do you or a family member have an old PowerShot sitting in a drawer? It might be worth calling theCanon Loyalty Program -(866) 443-8002.Reports vary as to whether or not the 5DII is still offered through the program; if so, some have reported trading in an old Canon point-and-shoot and getting a refurb 5DII in the $1600-1700 range.

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

<p sizset="41" sizcache="17"]A refurb is 20% less than new - $2,000 direct from Canon. Do you or a family member have an old PowerShot sitting in a drawer? It might be worth calling theCanon Loyalty Program -(866) 443-8002.Reports vary as to whether or not the 5DII is still offered through the program; if so, some have reported trading in an old Canon point-and-shoot and getting a refurb 5DII in the $1600-1700 range.

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REALLY!? I didn't know anything about this program ...thanks for the info! I not only have a P&amp;S but also a 1 yr. old camcorder that I only used a couple times, I wonder if they'd take that!?

I will have to look into this!

Thanks,


Denise

Denise


When you regester your 135mm at canon

I'm swaying more toward one than the other but I haven't completely decided on which to go with yet until I here from Canon regarding my 7d and 135L.


I am more convinced than ever to get a 2nd body though since my boss just asked me for the first time if I would photograph a company event - our Packer/Bear office party on Friday and I had to tell him I don't have a camera! [:'(] [:'(] [:'(] So now I have to use the company's point and shoot! [:'(] [:'(] [:'(] [:'(]

Miserable in Wisconsin

Denise,


If you call Lensrentals.com on the phone you could probably get a rental camera body by this weekend ... they are in Memphis and the times I have used their services they were very quick .


PS I was born in Milwaukee .... Go Packers!!!!

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Originally Posted by HDNitehawk

The 1Ds Mark IV is overdue from the past release time frames.

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The 1D IV was one year overdue, historically Canon released the 1Ds six months after the 1D. If that patern is true then you won't see a 1Ds IV in about six months. But since Canon has never done that before it's hard to tell when they will release it. It could also be released with thenew super-telephoto Canon was braging about early this year so mabye they will release the 1Ds IV only a couple of months later than the 1D IV and the 5D III won't have to outperforme there 1Ds III. I don't think will be looking at a year, it screws everything up and dosn't make much sense to release it that late.


John.

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Originally Posted by Fast Glass

The 1D IV was one year overdue, historically Canon released the 1Ds six months after the 1D. If that patern is true then you won't see a 1Ds IV in about six months. But since Canon has never done that before it's hard to tell when they will release it. It could also be released with thenew super-telephoto Canon was braging about early this year so mabye they will release the 1Ds IV only a couple of months later than the 1D IV and the 5D III won't have to outperforme there 1Ds III. I don't think will be looking at a year, it screws everything up and dosn't make much sense to release it that late.


John.

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John


I waited a year of the 1Ds IV. It never appeared. But....I know now that next month it will be released. You could bet money on it. Here is the proof.


I gave up and went ahead and bought the 1D IV last week. I would have never bought it if the 1Ds IV had been released. So knowing how things work for me it is inevetable. The 1Ds Mark IV will be announced in February of this year and I will be kicking myself for not waiting one more month.


(You can also bet that it will not be released in the next few weeks, during the 1D Mark IV's return period)


Rick

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

Denise,


If you call Lensrentals.com on the phone you could probably get a rental camera body by this weekend ... they are in Memphis and the times I have used their services they were very quick .


PS I was born in Milwaukee .... Go Packers!!!!
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Oh, believe me I thought of renting but once I looked at the prices (OUCH!), I knew that wouldn't fly with my boss! He sees no difference in a 7d and a p&amp;s! So yep, in 3 hrs., I'm taking photos with the P&amp;S!


BTW - Thanks for being a loyal Packer fan! Right now it is crazy in Wisconsin ...this is bigger than the Super Bowl! <span style="font-size: large;"]<span style="color: #339966;"]GO PACK GO!!!!