Old 1 series cameras

[Dan Fleming]

so out of curiosity I started looking at old 1 series bodies (1D, 1Ds specifically). I am curious as to why they seem to be so sparsely for sale. did they reach the end of their life span already? Or are people just hanging on to them? Have I missed the move from the mk1 to mk2-3 so those who have them now are not so much the pros but the amateurs who couldn't afford them when they came out? It seems to me that someone like me who shoots with an XTi would benefit from an upgrade to a 1D mk1 or 1Ds Mk1. I would like your thoughts responses to all these random musings!

[mpphoto12]

i would like to know the same thing i shoot an xt.. even though its only 4 MPs would a 1DMK1 be a good upgrade for 500 dollarsish on ebay??? is the Dynamic range or quality really much different than that of an xt??? i am also curious

[Daniel Browning]

I am curious as to why they seem to be so sparsely for sale.

Well, in addition to being nine years old, they sales volume was lower than it is today.


That said, I was able to find seven separate bodies that were sold on E-bay within the last three days alone. Mostly 1D, but some 1Ds too. Prices between $250 and $1200:


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did they reach the end of their life span already?

Well, there are certainly many of them that are out there working fine. I would guess that Canon is still doing all types of repair on them, but it's possible that they have run out of some types of parts (you could call Canon to find out).

It seems to me that someone like me who shoots with an XTi would benefit from an upgrade to a 1D mk1 or 1Ds Mk1.

Yes. For some photographers, a used 1D or 1Ds would be better than a new camera. But it depends on your needs and style. For example, if you would like good performance in low light, the 550D will work better than the 1D.

[Dan Fleming]

seven separate bodies that were sold on E-bay

Ah yes, it seems like I didn't do my homework well enough.

For some photographers, a used 1D or 1Ds would be better than a new camera. But it depends on your needs and style. For example, if you would like good performance in low light, the 550D will work better than the 1D.

This may be too big of a project but would you (or someone else) be willing to list out where it would be better to have an old 1 series and where the xxxD (ex my XTi) would be better? I understand the older technology especially in photo processing and things like that, but I would be interested in an explicit list of features. Now, this is just an academic exercise as I am not planning on upgrading my body any time soon, I want more glass first.


Thanks,


Dan

[Oren]

Well, if that interests you and if I'm not mistaken - the original 1D (and I *guess*, but not sure at all 1Ds too) are not weather sealed.

[clemmb]

The 1D & 1Ds have ETTL and your XTi have ETTL-II. If you use flash ETTL-II is better.

[Dallasphotog]

I don't think the original 1D's were bad cameras, but many of the features will look really dated up against new bodies. You'll find the LCD screens, high-ISO noise andmany other IQ measuresreally don'tmatch up very well.


Around Dallas, You can find 1DMKII's at very reasonable prices. I wouldn't go further back than the MKII.