Canon 1DX vs 5DIII Wildlife Comparison

[garyknrd]

How does it stack up to the 1D mark IV? I picked up a mark IV and was hoping the reduced pixel density would not be noticeable but it is very noticeable. When the AF hits on the 7D it smokes the IV. Or at least mine does. As far as detail goes. I only shoot birds and only have had the 7D and mark IV.
I was going to try the 5D III but with the poor performance in resolving of the IV I am a little hesitant.

[East Wind Photography]

I have not tried the 1DIV but I can say the 5DIII smokes the 7D even losing the 1.6 crop factor, it still is better than the 7D both in resolution and in lower noise...not to mention the vastly improved AF capabilities.

How does it stack up to the 1D mark IV? I picked up a mark IV and was hoping the reduced pixel density would not be noticeable but it is very noticeable. When the AF hits on the 7D it smokes the IV. Or at least mine does. As far as detail goes. I only shoot birds and only have had the 7D and mark IV.
I was going to try the 5D III but with the poor performance in resolving of the IV I am a little hesitant.

[Northstar]

Having both cameras for some time now I would agree with something bdunbar wrote earlier in this post.....the 1dx shadow recovery is noticeably better than the 5d3 at higher ISO's.....and the AF system is better for catching action/movement... no doubt about it. 

The extra mp's of the 5d3 do come in handy in good light if your subject isn't moving much, and if that is the only type of wildlife photography that you're doing then yes, the 5d3 would be better.   

But...I've seen a million shots of a bald eagle or bear or wolf...etc, just sitting still in good light...cropped in close.  My point is that those shots get pretty boring pretty fast.....BUT:

1. If you saw two bald eagles fighting in mid air (as Gary samples has shown in the 1dx sample images section) you would want the speed of the 1dx

2. If you saw any big cat trying to capture prey...you would want the 1dx

3. If you saw a mother bear caring for her new cub in the shadows of a forest....you would want the 1dx.

4. If you saw two alpha timberwolves fighting for control of the pack at sunset...you would want the 1dx.

For me, these are the great wildlife photos/moments that I would want to capture because they are so much more interesting and special.....and the 1dx simply does it better. 

[NWPhil]

wonder if you have a bad battery.
I got a loaner from CPS, and took it along a snowshoeing hike yesterday. I had it powered on the whole time, exposed to single digit temperatures - wind chill driven, and powdery snow. The is on the mounted 24-105 was on too.
Took 100 shots or so, and even after checking all the shots later in the comfort of a local bar, the charge was still above 85%
I find the grip ergonomics better than the 1dsmk3 or the 5Dmk2 with grip
Yes, the shutter it's a loud and solid clunk - and 12 fps scares nearby P&S shooters 

[East Wind Photography]

It's possible.  It was a loaner.  Prior to getting the eval 1dx, I used a 5DIII.  With the grip and two batteries it yields 3600mAH at 7.2V.  LP-E4N for the 1DX is 2450mAH at 11.1V.  Also considering that the 1DX does drive the AF systems faster and likely drains the battery faster than on a 5DIII, I did get used to shooting 1000+ shots before the battery would get anywhere near 50%(about 1 to 2 weeks of shooting +chimping).

Not saying the 1DX has a bad battery life but it does only accept one at a time (it's easy enough to just swap batteries when you need to) not that it even needs to be compared.  Having the two batts in the 5DIII grip is just a convenience more than a practicality.

wonder if you have a bad battery.
I got a loaner from CPS, and took it along a snowshoeing hike yesterday. I had it powered on the whole time, exposed to single digit temperatures - wind chill driven, and powdery snow. The is on the mounted 24-105 was on too.
Took 100 shots or so, and even after checking all the shots later in the comfort of a local bar, the charge was still above 85%
I find the grip ergonomics better than the 1dsmk3 or the 5Dmk2 with grip
Yes, the shutter it's a loud and solid clunk - and 12 fps scares nearby P&S shooters 

[acoll123]

wonder if you have a bad battery.
I got a loaner from CPS, and took it along a snowshoeing hike yesterday. I had it powered on the whole time, exposed to single digit temperatures - wind chill driven, and powdery snow. The is on the mounted 24-105 was on too.
Took 100 shots or so, and even after checking all the shots later in the comfort of a local bar, the charge was still above 85%
I find the grip ergonomics better than the 1dsmk3 or the 5Dmk2 with grip
Yes, the shutter it's a loud and solid clunk - and 12 fps scares nearby P&S shooters 

Ha Ha  - a few weeks ago I had a referee jump for cover when I first started firing the 1DX off behind him at a basketball game - he said he thought it was gunfire . . . glad he wasn't packing . . .

[Nazareth]

old post I know, just wanted to give my experience with the 1DX and battery drain, and to ask if this is normal or not-

I shjoot landscape, on tripod, with mirror lockup enabled, and self timer set to 10 seconds to ensure tripod settles compeltely before shot is taken. I shoot around 50 to say like 100 or so shots per day at most- and about 1/2 of them with hte lcd view activated because camera is at wierd angle and I can't see through hte viewfinder for some shots- I get about 2 day's worth of shootign htis way before batteries need recharging-  This just seems like an aweful quick drain to me- with my 7D camera, it seems like I'd get several days out of a charge and shooting the same way- and those batteries in the 7D are liek 2 years older with lots more time and many more charges on them than my 1DX batteries (Note, in addition to the tripod shots durign htese two days time, I do take aroudn 100 or so more handheld shots without the timer, and mirror lockup- of various subjects where tripod isn't needed- but htis shoudl contribute terribly so to the battery drain)

I generally shoot for abotu 2 hours a day, moving from scene to scene, turnign off the LCD live view between shots, although sometimes I forget, but it quickly turns itself off after a minute or so-, and liek I said, I'm not taking tons of photos- and it just seems like I should be gettign quite a bit more shots between charges? Or is this about on par with other folk's experiences with htese batteries?

[CarlTN]

Having both cameras for some time now I would agree with something bdunbar wrote earlier in this post.....the 1dx shadow recovery is noticeably better than the 5d3 at higher ISO's.....and the AF system is better for catching action/movement... no doubt about it. 

The extra mp's of the 5d3 do come in handy in good light if your subject isn't moving much, and if that is the only type of wildlife photography that you're doing then yes, the 5d3 would be better.   

But...I've seen a million shots of a bald eagle or bear or wolf...etc, just sitting still in good light...cropped in close.  My point is that those shots get pretty boring pretty fast.....BUT:

1. If you saw two bald eagles fighting in mid air (as Gary samples has shown in the 1dx sample images section) you would want the speed of the 1dx

2. If you saw any big cat trying to capture prey...you would want the 1dx

3. If you saw a mother bear caring for her new cub in the shadows of a forest....you would want the 1dx.

4. If you saw two alpha timberwolves fighting for control of the pack at sunset...you would want the 1dx.

For me, these are the great wildlife photos/moments that I would want to capture because they are so much more interesting and special.....and the 1dx simply does it better.

Interesting thoughts.  However, the 1DX might not be able to achieve autofocus in very low light.  Depends on the situation.  The 1DX is no doubt the best autofocusing camera in the world, overall.  Makes me wonder what the future holds.

[MarkyB]

I have owned my 5d iii for over a year now.  Before that I had two cameras, a 1D mk iii and a 5d mk ii

I am a serious amateur rather than a professional so my requirements are less demanding than others on this forum

My 1D iii was so far in advance of my 5D ii for wildlife that it was unreal.  I had a later body of the 1D so never had the AF issues.  I was so in love with the 1D, that I rented a 1 Dx body and took it to a falconry display for a workout.

My view is this, it is a better camera than the 5D iii period. For air displays and birds the 12 fps I actually find really useful.  I don't notice an increase in AF speed, but I perceive better tracking performance on bif when I have got an initial lock, probably because the Dx dedicates a separate processor to AF and also tracks colour.  Yes, it's louder, but that doesn't cause a problem for my use.  High ISO is awesome when the files are exposed correctly, a bit better than the 5D.

Almost bought it, but changed my mind when I realised what I could have instead.  I was using the 70-200mm mk ii lens with 1.4 and 2.0 extenders.  I decided to invest in the 300mm f2.8 mk ii instead of the 1Dx. The Dx is awesome but the 5D gives me 90% of the more expensive camera, whereas the 300mm opens up a new world of possibilities.

You guys who can afford both the top end bodies and the super teles should go with the Dx, if you can only afford either the lens or to upgrade your body from the 5D iii, well it ended up being a no brainer for me.

[neuroanatomist]

Interesting thoughts.  However, the 1DX might not be able to achieve autofocus in very low light.  Depends on the situation.  The 1DX is no doubt the best autofocusing camera in the world, overall.  Makes me wonder what the future holds.

I notice you carefully not pointing out that the 6D can AF down to -3 EV, whereas the the 1D X can only manage to AF down to -2 EV.   Of course, -2 EV is like shooting in the light of the full moon, which is far, far dimmer than the sunset light or forest shadows that were being discussed.  I've never had an issue with my 1D X being unable to lock on in the light I have available, even very dim indoor lighting where I can barely see my kids, much less when I'm shooting birds/wildlife. 

We'll probably see more AF sensors with -3 EV (or lower) sensitivity in the future - that's more about the amplification circuitry rather than the sensor line layout. 

old post I know, just wanted to give my experience with the 1DX and battery drain, and to ask if this is normal or not-

I generally shoot for abotu 2 hours a day, moving from scene to scene, turnign off the LCD live view between shots, although sometimes I forget, but it quickly turns itself off after a minute or so-, and liek I said, I'm not taking tons of photos- and it just seems like I should be gettign quite a bit more shots between charges? Or is this about on par with other folk's experiences with htese batteries?

Sounds like your battery is draining faster than it should, or at least faster than mine seem to - with usage as you describe, I'd expect several days on a fully charged battery.  Just to confirm, you're using the LP-E4N battery charged in an LC-E4N charger?  The -N batteries are outwardly the same as the older ones, and can be charged in the old 1-series battery charger...but doing so, they will not be fully charged even when they appear to be based on the LED lights on the charger.

[takesome1]

Having both cameras for some time now I would agree with something bdunbar wrote earlier in this post.....the 1dx shadow recovery is noticeably better than the 5d3 at higher ISO's.....and the AF system is better for catching action/movement... no doubt about it. 

The extra mp's of the 5d3 do come in handy in good light if your subject isn't moving much, and if that is the only type of wildlife photography that you're doing then yes, the 5d3 would be better.   

But...I've seen a million shots of a bald eagle or bear or wolf...etc, just sitting still in good light...cropped in close.  My point is that those shots get pretty boring pretty fast.....BUT:

1. If you saw two bald eagles fighting in mid air (as Gary samples has shown in the 1dx sample images section) you would want the speed of the 1dx

2. If you saw any big cat trying to capture prey...you would want the 1dx

3. If you saw a mother bear caring for her new cub in the shadows of a forest....you would want the 1dx.

4. If you saw two alpha timberwolves fighting for control of the pack at sunset...you would want the 1dx.

For me, these are the great wildlife photos/moments that I would want to capture because they are so much more interesting and special.....and the 1dx simply does it better.

Interesting thoughts.  However, the 1DX might not be able to achieve autofocus in very low light.  Depends on the situation.  The 1DX is no doubt the best autofocusing camera in the world, overall.  Makes me wonder what the future holds.

Non issue compared to the 4 points Northstar made.

A real world experience for me, there are no Eagles where I live but I went on a trip years back and had the chance to take some photos of Eagles.
A baby eagle, its two parents sitting on a perch 50 yards away. I had a 500mm with a 5D II. An Osprey flies by, one eagle takes off directly at the Osprey, the second circles the tree line behind it and for about a minute I watch a beautiful fight.
Of course afterwards I am thinking about what I missed. The 5D II AF system did ok. Slow frame rate cost some of the action but most of all the buffer filled and wouldn't recharge fast enough.

I switched to the 7D, then to a 1D IV because of this one event. As one who enjoys wildlife photography, when the one chance that only presents itself once in your life time you do not want to miss it.

[Vern]

Apologies for not reading all the prior posts, but just incase this hasn't come up before - I have both bodies and use the 1Dx for BIF but prefer the 5DMKIII for working from a blind for mammal photography because the silent shutter setting, is in fact, pretty quiet. The 1Dx silent mode is much too loud for skittish game if they are close and the woods are quiet. If the 1Dx shutter was as silent, I would use if always for the other advantages.

[canon1dxman]

I changed from 1D III to a 7D when it first came out as I was frustrated with so many out of focus shots, despite 2 returns to CPS. 7D replacement was impressive but noise at highish ISO was a problem sometimes so I took the plunge, buying a 1DX in Dec 2012. 10,000 plus shots later and I never get tired of using it. Simply astonishing body.

As someone mentioned, the quiet mode could be better ( I once startled a spectator at an event.....good job he didn't hear the machine gun mode!) but overall, just an amazing piece of kit. I will never forget "shooting" jumping Red Squirrels and Osprey fishing in the Highlands a few months ago.

Yes, it's expensive, way more than I wanted to spend, but after a year of using it, best I have ever owned and I don't regret the purchase one iota.

Oh yeah I dont even use the 7D any more.  My images are so much better with the 5DIII even when I crop to make up the APC-C size loss.  The 7D is just a backup now.

Here are the two crops.  The ISO 6400 one could have been exposed more to the right but things were happening fast and well.....  The 1600 one the head was already bleeding past the edge but it worked.  Only a small highlight was blown out.

Overall I'm very happy with the result...though the 6400 one could have been better.

Well, those results, at a pixel level, are much better than the 7D. On a normalized basis the 7D is probably as good as the ISO 1600 result, but the ISO 6400 is just amazing. Thanks for the crops!

[Eldar]

I have both bodies and I am happy with both. But when I go out and I don´t know exactly what I´m up to, I take the 1DX, because it can handle more situations than the 5DIII. In some cases, good light being one, I benefit from the higher resolution of the 5DIII and I also appreciate the lower weight, when combined with the 600/4 II. I have the battery grip for it, but I very seldom use it. To me it is the perfect combination having both.

[Northstar]

I have both bodies and I am happy with both. But when I go out and I don´t know exactly what I´m up to, I take the 1DX, because it can handle more situations than the 5DIII. In some cases, good light being one, I benefit from the higher resolution of the 5DIII and I also appreciate the lower weight, when combined with the 600/4 II. I have the battery grip for it, but I very seldom use it. To me it is the perfect combination having both.

I agree Eldar, and I do exactly the same thing you do....having one of each is great for the reasons you stated.

Looking forward to a big MP to replace the 5d3....but I don't see the 1dx leaving my bag for quite some time.