Canon 1DX vs 5DIII Wildlife Comparison

[East Wind Photography]

For those reading who are new to DSLRs or dont quite understand what jrista is talking about, here is a link to a good article that explains why you should expose right and how to use the histogram to maximize S/N ratio.

He points out that by exposing to reduce s/n this way also effectively reduces your ISO.  For instances where you need fast shutter speeds it may not be worth sacrificing shutter speed to reduce the recorded noise.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

Yes I agree.  These are not the best exposed images.  As I said the lighting was awful and the shot with the 5DIII it had just started sleeting.  It was overexposed by about 2 stops already.  The 1DX was exposed about 1 stop over.  I tried to find a couple of shots that were challenging in comparison. 

I am not sure I would use the word "overexposed", if I understand what you are getting at. If you are referring to the EC scale in the viewfinder that the camera meter updates, then I would say the meter gravely MISS-METERED those images. Keep in mind, the camera meter is rather dumb...it generally aims for an ~18% gray average tone. Given the sky in those photos, the meter was actually underexposing. I would actually say it probably under-exposed by two to three full stops!

We have exposure compensation for a reason, and if we have to boost exposure with EC, then that does not mean we are over exposing....it means we are correcting the meters incorrect automatic exposure settings. I would have happily blown the sky in those images entirely, if it allowed me to get better exposure on the eagle itself. I'd have pushed exposure as far as I could, to the point where the feathers of the eagles head were in the 240 RGB range, then corrected DOWN in post. By literally over-exposing, then pushing exposure down in post, you actually mitigate noise. I have some examples of this with a dragonfly I photographed a while back...I accidentally overexposed the original shots by some three stops, and corrected in post. Compared to the later shots, the corrected ones that were overexposed had almost zero visible noise, while one that was "correctly" exposed in camera had a plenty of visible noise. I'll see if I can dig those up.

Noise is not actually caused by high ISO...it is caused by too little light. The ISO setting simply changes the readout whitepoint, which intrinsically limits the maximum exposure level. If you push to ISO 1000, but then expose such that your whites are below an RGB value of 200...you are simply exacerbating the problem of not having enough light. If you cannot use a longer shutter speed, then the best way to maximize exposure is to increase ISO. It doesn't get any more light down the lens, but it reads out the exposure you have in the least-noisy way. Higher in-camera ISO will almost always trump post-process exposure push. Pushing a noisy exposure in post just makes the noise more apparent. Better to increase ISO, maximize the exposure in-camera (and even blow the sky such that it is entirely white when it is gray and overcast, since the sky isn't the subject and doesn't really matter), then pull the exposure down in post. You'll increase your signal to noise ratio, which is preserved with the post-process pull.

[jrista]

For those reading who are new to DSLRs or dont quite understand what jrista is talking about, here is a link to a good article that explains why you should expose right and how to use the histogram to maximize S/N ratio.

He points out that by exposing to reduce s/n this way also effectively reduces your ISO.  For instances where you need fast shutter speeds it may not be worth sacrificing shutter speed to reduce the recorded noise.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

Here are a couple more links, from Art Morris' blog:

Learning to Think Like a Pro In The Field
Exposure Confusion and Misconceptions Clarified

Intriguingly enough, the notion of using manual and metering off the sky (or any generally even-toned subject) and deriving EC from that actually works quite well. At least, for subjects that have white in them. (I am still having trouble with dark subjects in manual, as I previously used to use Av pretty exclusively.)

[Skulker]

I have a 1dx and a 5D3 so I don't have an angle on this.

They are both great cameras and if you can take good shots with one you will be able to with the other. If I had to choose just one for wildlife it would be the 1Dx, no question or hesitation.

For me the 5D3 has two advantages. First its lighter to carry round so for a days walking about its easier to carry. Secondly the shutter is noticeable quieter, but for me this is no great advantage as I don't find the noise of the shutter a problem even up close. The extra mega pixels is not significant for me so I don't count it as an advantage.

For everything else going that matters the 1Dx is significantly better or has the edge. I'm not going into details or this post will miss my point.

You may or may not find the advantages worth the money. But for me it is definitely worth the cost of the 1Dx. That said I still use the 5D3 for wildlife. I will often take just the 5D3 but if I'm after the best shot I can get for wildlife it will be the 1Dx, probable with the other interested bag with a different length lens on ready.

If you have choose between these cameras you are very lucky as either one will do fine.

[CarlTN]

If you have choose between these cameras you are very lucky as either one will do fine.

Well said, and there are an awful lot of lucky people on here, it seems to me!

[RMC33]

So,

I love the 1Dx (for sports) compared to both my 5d3 and old (very dead) 7D. 12 FPS is very useful (I keep the High and low at 12/8 since the 5d3 fills 6/3 Reason: Faster movement requires higher FPS to get the shot while slower more fluid movement can be caught with lower FPS) for ANY type of transitional motion from say a jump to a rail etc. or a 900 deg + rotation. Build and operation are amazing, never used a 1 series before and it was all mostly intuitive other then a few of the C fn. I had to read up on and test to get a full understanding. I love the old style on off switch for the grip. Memo recording is super cool and very useful, wish it could be mapped to the AF ON button so I could take a memo while shooting. Built in VF curtain is nice (have not used yet but plan on it).


I will be going this weekend on a nature walk (packing: 5d3, 1Dx, 400 f/2.8 II, 1.4 TC and 70-200 II + Versa 33 tripod with a PG-02 FG) with a friend who is a trail guide in the area. Plan on doing a bit of birding and wildlife capture but we are supposed to get some serious snow this weekend so... we shall see. Ill post some images as I get to them.

[CarlTN]

Wtg RMC33!!  Will you really expose your 400 to heavy snow, or do you have a bag or blanket for it?

[RMC33]

Wtg RMC33!!  Will you really expose your 400 to heavy snow, or do you have a bag or blanket for it?

I usually just toss my ski jacket over the whole thing as I hate shooting encumbered. Snow generaly just piles up due to the white coating on the lens not heating up. I have had days where my 7D would be warm to the touch (32 F sunny) but the lens was same as ambient and as such no melt factor. The Nikon shooter I know uses a lens cover because even on freezing days the sun can melt wind blown snow on the big black lenses.

[CarlTN]

Wtg RMC33!!  Will you really expose your 400 to heavy snow, or do you have a bag or blanket for it?

I usually just toss my ski jacket over the whole thing as I hate shooting encumbered. Snow generaly just piles up due to the white coating on the lens not heating up. I have had days where my 7D would be warm to the touch (32 F sunny) but the lens was same as ambient and as such no melt factor. The Nikon shooter I know uses a lens cover because even on freezing days the sun can melt wind blown snow on the big black lenses.

Excellent point, I hadn't even thought of the snow melt factor, I was just thinking of a heavy amount trying to cram its way into the cracks, especially at the camera mount.

[AWSPhotography]

If you have choose between these cameras you are very lucky as either one will do fine.

Well said, and there are an awful lot of lucky people on here, it seems to me!

Not luck here been busting my bottom for 8 months (still got 3 to go) working 6 day weeks to get this camera.... Which is why it's so important to get it right

[CarlTN]

Not luck here been busting my bottom for 8 months (still got 3 to go) working 6 day weeks to get this camera.... Which is why it's so important to get it right

Whatever you want to call it.  Nobody said hard work wasn't involved.

[East Wind Photography]

(OP) An example of the 5DIII at ISO 1600.

[jrista]

(OP) An example of the 5DIII at ISO 1600.

OOH, Very nice! Congrats on a great photo! Any chance you could post a small crop at 100%? I'm curious what the noise level is in the background.

[East Wind Photography]

Another example taken at ISO 6400.  I should add that these are not from RAW but processed in Photoshop using normal workflows.

[jrista]

Another example taken at ISO 6400.  I should add that these are not from RAW but processed in Photoshop using normal workflows.

Wow, looks awesome for being ISO 6400. I think I'm sold on the 5D III. I'll have to pick one of them up this year, assuming I can scrounge up the money.

[East Wind Photography]

Let me work some voodoo

(OP) An example of the 5DIII at ISO 1600.

OOH, Very nice! Congrats on a great photo! Any chance you could post a small crop at 100%? I'm curious what the noise level is in the background.