1Ds Mark IV & 3 Lenses in August?

[UncleFester]

I've got a %100 reliable source that told me  Nikon is having real bad time s/p tsunami. So much so that a couple of new items (not revealed) that they had planned on releasing have either scrapped or going on longer than expected delay.

Someone mentioned in another thread that Canon and Nikon tend to wait for each other.

[motorhead]

I'd like to believe common sense will rule when the 1Ds mk4 finally becomes a reality. I would normally wait until full independent tests are made public and others have exposed the various gremlins.

However I have been holding my breath for so long now that my good intentions might be difficult to live up to. As always, everything depends on the camera specs. 

[J. McCabe]

We’re told August will be a major announcement month. The 1Ds Mark III replacement and 3 lenses will be announced. No detail into what lenses.

Possibly includes the 300mm & 400mm primes already rumoured to be announced on late August ?

[macfly]

DGS, you seem to be very certain of this, yet board admin won't even give this rumor a reliablity rating. Can you divulge a bit more, how do you know this is not just more of the same wishful thinking?

Stone, don't know what you're thinking with your comment "People are just not gonna pony up $8k to buy it, pro or otherwise."  I make my living on 1Ds cameras, and have $12k ready to go as soon as it is real. With the 100% tax rebates on working equipment this year I think you'll find Canon USA at least will be very motivated to get a lot of these units into the hands of those of us who make our living using them, and are hungry for the next step in the digital revolution.

Canon, get a move on, we're a year or more late at this point!

[motorhead]

macfly,

I agree. the money is not a killer issue, or at least not as big an issue as some might think. Yes, the camera needs to deliver, but provided it comes with the rumoured improved DR and 40 MP I will be splashing out.

Professionals need the camera and are able to make a solid business case, while amateurs have never worried about the cost of whatever hobby they pursue. As a sailing instructor I know how much boats cost, trust me its frightening at the top level, photography is cheap in comparison.

[Stone]

macfly & motorhead,

I'll have to respectfully disagree with you guys.  While I'm sure there are alot of pros waiting for the 1Ds, I think at best, you make up less than 3-5% of Canon's customer base worldwide, I'll humbly apologize to you both if I'm proven wrong.  I'm not discounting your need for such a body, my rant was simply that a far larger number of pros/semi-pros and amateurs are waiting for and ready to buy an updated 5 series body either as a replacement for aging equipment, exploration of DSLR video or crop shooters moving up to their 1st FF body.

I've made very little money with my photography, I consider it as a hobby that occasionally pays for itself, and my day job allows me to buy pretty nice gear up to and including a new 1Ds.  I say it's not on the radar because It doesn't register as a value compared to a 5D or 1D4 depending on what one likes to shoot.

Ken

[macfly]

Stone, Canon needs to supply 'us' because if they didn't then we'd be using Nikon, Sony or maybe Leica. Canon wants the cache of being the pro choice even though we may not be the largest market segment. By our patronage we prove Canon is THE brand, the one that everyone else should desire.

I can't tell you how many of my shoots these days have B-roll crews, filming me working for such and such magazine/product/advertiser website, so a lot of people get to see what is in my hands. Beyond that I seriously get asked 'What camera should I/my wife/son/daughter/granny get?' ten times a week, and I always say Canon. I think I alone have sold a thousand of thier cameras, and the same is likely true for every other pro. We are more than the icing on the cake, we are Canons proof of excellence.

If Nikon bring out the D4 and it betters what Canon have on the market I'll switch in a heartbeat because I'll have to. I can't make excuses for my gear, I have to have the best equipment, and if I don't my clients will not remain clients for long. The onus is on Canon to stay ahead, and by leaving us out in the cold for much longer they risk loosing their pinnacle spot in the very important Pro FF SLR market.

How would you feel when you go to a game, an event or whatever, and all the pros are shooting Nikon because it is better? You'll start feeling your on the loosing team. Trust me. I know, that is what happened to me when the EOS came out back in 1991. I was all Nikon until the F4 dropped the ball, and Canon grabbed it and made a home run. It took about one year for every camera at the sports events, concerts, fashion shows, you name it, to go from Nikon to Canon.

We have to have to best, because we can't let our competition have anything better, and trust me, you'll want what we're using, even if you think we don't matter.

[macfly]

PS: Motorhead, I was the only photographer behind the scenes the year Team New Zealand won the Americas Cup in San Diego, so I know a little of boats and money! ;-)

[jrahadi]

I really hope that 1Ds4 can be released on August 2011, so many pros will dumped their 1Ds3 at $2K range :-)

[Stone]

Stone, Canon needs to supply 'us' because if they didn't then we'd be using Nikon, Sony or maybe Leica. Canon wants the cache of being the pro choice even though we may not be the largest market segment. By our patronage we prove Canon is THE brand, the one that everyone else should desire.

I can't tell you how many of my shoots these days have B-roll crews, filming me working for such and such magazine/product/advertiser website, so a lot of people get to see what is in my hands. Beyond that I seriously get asked 'What camera should I/my wife/son/daughter/granny get?' ten times a week, and I always say Canon. I think I alone have sold a thousand of thier cameras, and the same is likely true for every other pro. We are more than the icing on the cake, we are Canons proof of excellence.

If Nikon bring out the D4 and it betters what Canon have on the market I'll switch in a heartbeat because I'll have to. I can't make excuses for my gear, I have to have the best equipment, and if I don't my clients will not remain clients for long. The onus is on Canon to stay ahead, and by leaving us out in the cold for much longer they risk loosing their pinnacle spot in the very important Pro FF SLR market.

How would you feel when you go to a game, an event or whatever, and all the pros are shooting Nikon because it is better? You'll start feeling your on the loosing team. Trust me. I know, that is what happened to me when the EOS came out back in 1991. I was all Nikon until the F4 dropped the ball, and Canon grabbed it and made a home run. It took about one year for every camera at the sports events, concerts, fashion shows, you name it, to go from Nikon to Canon.

We have to have to best, because we can't let our competition have anything better, and trust me, you'll want what we're using, even if you think we don't matter.

macfly,

Well put and all points taken.  I've never stated that you guys don't matter, my post was more related to the ROI Canon would realize by releasing a body that's attractive and in the reach of a much larger demographic.  I understand that the 1Ds has been out since 2007, almost a full year longer than the 5DII and that the D3x has a lead that Canon needs to address if they want to remain the go to choice for the best photogs.

[Cannon Man]

I agree with macfly and motorhead, the money isn't an issue for pro photographers.. we need the best camera available,
Even if i wasnt shooting full time i would still spend the same amount of money for a camera.

that's why there is a 5D Mark II, because it's more affortable. The 1Ds is a camera without compromises on size, weight, built guality.. those who want/need those features dont care how much money they have to whip out to get it.

[Flake]

I'm not sure that's right.  Currently many pro photographers have said why should I pay that much?  The feature set isn't worth that much more and as for the shutter life I can afford 3 x 5D MkII for the price of a 1Ds.

With the 5D MkII and the 1Ds MKIII there simply isn't enough between them to justify the higher cost, and Canon will have to do something pretty special to make such a gap again.  In the early days of digital more money bought noticeably better images, but that's no longer the case, and I believe that Canon will struggle to make any new camera produce noticeably better images than the current crop, that leaves them with the feature set to differentiate with.

I think these cameras are being bought by companies for staff photographers, or people who had the previous 1Ds and have bought the new one simply because of that.  The price is just too close to medium format and they are impressive to show clients!

Of course having a bigger camera than the client is part of the light & magic show impressing them is a big part of that, (probably explains why some still like to shoot film).  Any new 1Ds will sell, but not in the quantities the 1Ds MkII did, it is possible that the 1Ds MkIV will be the end of the line, especially if it shares the same sensor with the 5D MkIII and can Canon justify developing a high end FF sensor which will only sell in very low numbers?

[motorhead]

PS: Motorhead, I was the only photographer behind the scenes the year Team New Zealand won the Americas Cup in San Diego, so I know a little of boats and money! ;-)

macfly,

I'm very jealous. Was that the year that the wing keels were the big talking point, or was that still to come? Now that is an area of the sport where being paranoid is considered normal, what with the spying, court cases and constant intrigues.

Nothing to do with the subject under discussion, but I had planned that this year was my last as a Yachtmaster Instructor (I am 64). Sadly it looks like a serious (and sudden) health issue has taken it from me. Never mind, thats one hobby that turned into a career 15 years ago, maybe the time is right to see where my photography can take me?

[macfly]

Flake, I think you'll find Canon have already learnt that lesson. If all the rumours are correct, the 5D Mkll will be 28mp, the EOS 42, that right there is the difference that the EOS line needs. They won't make the same mistake twice, because using the same sensor almost completely destroyed the 1Ds market.

Motorhead, it was 1995, I have a few pix of it up on my site here - http://macfly.com/speed/nz_index.php - click on the image to go to the next one. Good luck with the health issue, the joy of photography is that everyday it teaches us to have a hungry eye, and satisfying it is still my greatest joy.

[unruled]

I'm intrigued into the justification of the cost of 1series camera's.

Purely from a business/profit point of view. Would a camera with more megapixels and maybe 1-2 stops of more usable high ISO really justify spending 5k+? I'm not saying we wouldn't all want it, but  from a business standpoint, would it actually deliver significant ROI? How many months/years to recoup the cost, and then start making those extra bucks with the new camera? the way i see it, that would entail either being able to get more business, or charge more after switching.

I find that hard to imagine, but I'm just a hobbyist. If  it does recoup its cost (and deliver more), I would imagine it to be a niche case. I would like to be proven wrong though.