1Ds mark iii????

[al-toidz photography]

I recently posted a question about 1ds mark ii. I had a chance to get one for a very low price with low shutter count. Boy, i was amazed with the image quality and just the overall feeling of having a 1d series.

Now, i have a chance to yet own a 1d series. Its 1ds mark iii.

My question is, how does 1ds mark iii hold up against its newer brothers. Hold up, meaning, in terms of image quality, build quality, functionality, and just the overall specs of this camera?

[jonathan7007]

I just bought one to go with my 5DMk3. (I had a 5DMk2, too, as backup which I just sold.) I wanted a low-ISO tank-like machine. Do some reading on the web: See the comparison files offered by www.imaging-resource.com, because they have shot the same setup with many cameras, so I could look at a full-size file of a still life with both 5DMk3 and 1Ds-Mk3. The older camera clear winner at ISO200.

Bought a body for 2300 delivered way out here in the Pacific. Seemed fair. My experience in the last two weeks is good but for two things, one I knew about and the other a bummer. The noise picks up fast at and above ISO400 -- in the shadows. ETTR is really helpful with this sensor. The bummer I have written in a nearby thread about an error 30 message when using the 1Ds with LiveView. I think these cameras have a high rate of issues with LiveView. I admit I am reading between the lines here but the Canon tech guy asked me right away, "Were you using LiveView?" So my copy may be $300 more. That's taking the cost to the same as a low cost or refurb 5DMk3. Some people never have an issue with this camera. I did. "Sample of one" here. And the guy who sold it to me, I know, never used it with tethered LiveView.

Be aware that the focus is not lightning fast... as someone with a not-so-good copy of 5DMk3 I wanted good focus. But at least it always focuses.

On balnce, I may feel the experiment still came out OK. I may never see the error again if I avoid live view. But that's one task that I wanted the camera to do.

[al-toidz photography]

I will use it primarily for portrait. In daytime and in night time. But for the most part i'll be using strobes and ISO below 800. I just like the build quality of 1d bodies. It feels solid and well balanced with my 24-70 and 70-200.

So tell me, what exactly is wrong with the live view mode of 1ds mark iii? I wont say i'll never use it but i found myself using it very seldom with my 60d.

Any other issue/s that i should know in regards of how 1ds mark iii's flaws?

[jonathan7007]

I don't know why LiveView made my camera show me the Error30 warning. Canon doesn't know why either, and they won't say out loud that it a regular problem. Perhaps it isn't, but it was the first question I was aksed 1 second after I told them the error and the camera model.

I can't write down everything I researched for some weeks thinking about buying a 1DsMk3. It's all out there.

[nda]

Love my 1ds3, image IQ is on par with the new stuff except when that iso starts to rise, build quality is first rate, menu is a little dated but everything is in the familiar Canon functionality form. As far as live view goes my 1ds3 has over 200,000 shutter releases with 25% use with live view with no error messages

[gkaefer]

I just bought one to go with my 5DMk3. (I had a 5DMk2, too, as backup which I just sold.) I wanted a low-ISO tank-like machine. Do some reading on the web: See the comparison files offered by www.imaging-resource.com, because they have shot the same setup with many cameras, so I could look at a full-size file of a still life with both 5DMk3 and 1Ds-Mk3. The older camera clear winner at ISO200.

Bought a body for 2300 delivered way out here in the Pacific. Seemed fair. My experience in the last two weeks is good but for two things, one I knew about and the other a bummer. The noise picks up fast at and above ISO400 -- in the shadows. ETTR is really helpful with this sensor. The bummer I have written in a nearby thread about an error 30 message when using the 1Ds with LiveView. I think these cameras have a high rate of issues with LiveView. I admit I am reading between the lines here but the Canon tech guy asked me right away, "Were you using LiveView?" So my copy may be $300 more. That's taking the cost to the same as a low cost or refurb 5DMk3. Some people never have an issue with this camera. I did. "Sample of one" here. And the guy who sold it to me, I know, never used it with tethered LiveView.

Be aware that the focus is not lightning fast... as someone with a not-so-good copy of 5DMk3 I wanted good focus. But at least it always focuses.

On balnce, I may feel the experiment still came out OK. I may never see the error again if I avoid live view. But that's one task that I wanted the camera to do.

if you look at following link: http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/eos1dsm3/firmware-e.html
it rather Looks like error 30 is related to "Malfunctions related to the shutter have been detected."
Georg

[charlesa]

I bought one recently to complement a 1DX but not too happy with the quality of the RAW files compared to 1DX...

[bdunbar79]

I bought one recently to complement a 1DX but not too happy with the quality of the RAW files compared to 1DX...

No Canon camera I have used has as great of RAW files as the 1DX.

[brett b]

Before getting the 1DX I was shooting with a 1DIV for theater & concerts and a 1DsIII for actor/dancer/singer headshots.
I absolutely love the IQ of the 1DsIII! The build quality is what you'd expect from a 1 series...it's a tank. Functionality wise, it's never shot an error code at me. I use live view for interior architecture shots and never had a problem. But I've never shot tethered.
As others have indicated, it doesn't have the high iso capabilities of more recent bodies.
It is slower to focus. When I'm shooting headshots I'm using the 85 1.2L II 85% of the time. This lens is known for its slow focus, so it doesn't bring out the best of the 1DsIII, but I'm not in need of instant focus in this situation. The IQ of that body/lens combination is special. I've never been irritated with the focus speed.
Also, it has fewer focus points.
I sent mine to CPS for a clean & check several months ago and, without asking, they replaced the shutter. I used it one more time and it has been sitting since. I was reluctant to give it up because I wasn't sure if the 1DX could match its IQ for headshots. I still think that the 1DsIII might be better in that regard, but that opinion is anecdotal and could be me overly scrutinizing the 1DX. I recently did an actresses headshots for the 2nd time. Her first shots, 18 months ago, were w the 1DsIII and this time I used the 1DX. She loves them just the same. I don't think you could tell the difference if I handed you both prints.
Good luck!

[al-toidz photography]

How i wish i have money for 1Dx. For now my budget only gets me a 1Ds mark iii. I was looking through flick photos of 1dsiii and it seems that all the photos along with there respective lens combo(which i also have) seems to be really good. I just recently moved from aps-c sensor to FF and boy the image quality is much better.

[bdunbar79]

How i wish i have money for 1Dx. For now my budget only gets me a 1Ds mark iii. I was looking through flick photos of 1dsiii and it seems that all the photos along with there respective lens combo(which i also have) seems to be really good. I just recently moved from aps-c sensor to FF and boy the image quality is much better.

You'll love the 1Ds3.  Just know its limitations and what ISO range to use to maximize its IQ.  It is a studio camera remember, so I wouldn't use it for sports if you can help it.  The ISO's required to shoot high action sports sometimes go beyond what the 1Ds3 is capable of doing.  If you stay ISO 100-400 it's still probably the very best at getting accurate skin tones out of camera.

[al-toidz photography]

How i wish i have money for 1Dx. For now my budget only gets me a 1Ds mark iii. I was looking through flick photos of 1dsiii and it seems that all the photos along with there respective lens combo(which i also have) seems to be really good. I just recently moved from aps-c sensor to FF and boy the image quality is much better.

You'll love the 1Ds3.  Just know its limitations and what ISO range to use to maximize its IQ.  It is a studio camera remember, so I wouldn't use it for sports if you can help it.  The ISO's required to shoot high action sports sometimes go beyond what the 1Ds3 is capable of doing.  If you stay ISO 100-400 it's still probably the very best at getting accurate skin tones out of camera.

Probably at the most i'll be using up to 800ISO and occasionally 1600ISO since my slowest lens is f2.8. I would love to see this beast with my 85 f1.2 and my sigma 50f1.4. I'm already inlove with my 1ds mark ii with all my lenses. I can only imagine how nicer it will get with markiii.

[NWPhil]

I will use it primarily for portrait. In daytime and in night time. But for the most part i'll be using strobes and ISO below 800. I just like the build quality of 1d bodies. It feels solid and well balanced with my 24-70 and 70-200.

So tell me, what exactly is wrong with the live view mode of 1ds mark iii? I wont say i'll never use it but i found myself using it very seldom with my 60d.

Any other issue/s that i should know in regards of how 1ds mark iii's flaws?

HERE (below) - but it's from the European CPS  site:
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/news/eos_1d_series_checks_and_firmware.do

[al-toidz photography]

Thanks for the info. It was very helpful and informative.

[wickidwombat]

the only flaws on the 1Dsmk3 are

- its weight and bulk
- only really good at lower isos
- slow and not very deep buffer even the 5Dmk2 is better
- above point probably because of the older digic 3 processors