5D MKIII vs 1Ds MKIII

[briansquibb]

tom, I think you should get the 5D3. The other camera you mention was good for its time period. But it's like a Pentium 4 computer vs. a Sandy Bridge computer.

The IQ of the 1Ds3 is on a par with the 5DIII - so it delivers at iso 100/200 with about the same dr and possibly less noise

However as a general purpose camera the 5D3 package is better - and that is why I would recommend the 5DIII over the 1Ds3

The 1D4 vs the 5DIII is a different story altogether - I would not buy a 5DIII over a 1D4. The 1D4 package is superior to the 5DIII in almost every way as a general purpose camera. The 5DIII has more mps and possibly a better IQ, but for everything else the 1D4 is as good as or better than the 5DIII

[tomscott]

Ye the 1D 4 maybe a great camera but I personally think the 1.3x crop factor is awkward and produces a strange focal range with lenses that I don't feel benefits my shooting. I prefer the apc with efs lenses and the crop with longer ef lenses.

I think the camera is very useful if you use it in combination with a cam like the 1ds as you get the best of both worlds but still feel that for me the 1Ds or the 5D would be the better all round camera! If my budget stretched think I may pair it with a 7D because to get the 1.6x on my longer lenses and use the 5d wider and more standard focal lengths. As the 7D is a great cam per £ but not good enough to replace as my main camera.

But my budget doesn't stretch atm so it's a 5D or a 1Ds has to be full frame no crop of any kind

[briansquibb]

Ye the 1D 4 maybe a great camera but I personally think the 1.3x crop factor is awkward and produces a strange focal range with lenses that I don't feel benefits my shooting. I prefer the apc with efs lenses and the crop with longer ef lenses.

The 1D4 is far, far superior camera than the 7D - the 1.3 allows a shallow DOF, wonderful bg blur that is only a dream with the 7D on longer lens

I feel that a 300 becomes a 390 with a 1.4, a 400 a 520, a 600 becomes a 780. Nothing stange about that - just numbers you may not be familliar with - doesnt impact the composition. A 7D on a large white is very unbalanced.

[tomscott]

No doubt it is a better camera.

I just mean for general shooting the regular focal lengths are awkward like a 24-70mm is 31-91mm etc etc.

[briansquibb]

No doubt it is a better camera.

I just mean for general shooting the regular focal lengths are awkward like a 24-70mm is 31-91mm etc etc.

Just take a step or two backwards.


Personally I dont even think abot the focal length - it is the composition that matters - certainly matters even less on a zoom

[tomscott]

Depends if your shooting in tight spaces you need all the width you can!!

Which is kind of why I like the APC, you can get the length with EF lenses on the 1.6 crop. But you can also use the dedicated awesome lenses like the 10-22mm which offer the width and the quality. Similar to the 17-55mm I use this instead of a 24-70 or 24-105 because it offers a good range, quality, quick aperture and IS.

In hien-sight it would have been better to buy the FF equivalent but that 17-55mm is a cracking lens!

The crop bodies don't offer the quality of the FF but they are a good compromise!

[briansquibb]

I have a 8-15 and a 14mm for wa. I dont use the 1D4 for tight spaces or portraits - that is what the 1Ds3 is for.

The 10-22 does not get close in IQ to either of those two lens or to the TS-E24

The 1D4 is the ultimate compromise body, having the best features of the series 1 plus a 1.3 crop

[tomscott]

Yes but what im saying is I need an all round camera the 1.3 crop doesnt give me this. For my uses the 1D4 isnt what im after, although if money wasnt a problem I would use one in conjunction. But as I dont a crop would probably be my second camera. IMHO I think the 5D MKIII is a much better compromise than the 1D 4 and the 1D 4 is more specialist and generally used by sports photographers. Im not a sports photographer but do shoot motor sport but have found 6fps fine for this.

Hence why im not looking at the 1D4 but the 5D MKIII and the 1Ds MKIII as the title. That is my compromise between speed and quality.

[wockawocka]

The 5D3 is a better camera but still feels very unprofessional in use and ultimately I like to feel at one with my equipment.
I don't feel this with the 5D3, yet put a 1Ds3 or 1D4 in my hands and all is good.

[tomscott]

Im used the the XXds so should feel quite at home with it. Probably a learning curve with the 1Ds MKIII.

[briansquibb]

Im used the the XXds so should feel quite at home with it. Probably a learning curve with the 1Ds MKIII.

IMHO the 5DIII is a better all round camera

[DarkKnightNine]

You guys have some interesting opinions about the 5D Mark III. It was one of the most anticipated camera upgrades ever and now that it's out, people seem to shun it. I've heard people talk about "issues with it". I'm interested to know what issues everyone is talking about because so far (with the exception of native RAW support for Aperture or LR), I haven't had any. Personally I took the plunge and sold my 1D4 to pay for it as I also have (2) 1DXes on order to cover my action photography. I couldn't be happier with the IQ. I was so tired of looking at nasty noise in the shadows of images off my 1D4. That noise is all but gone on my 5DIII images. And the focus is just spot on! About the only things I miss from my 1D4 is the incredible battery life, simplicity with less button clutter and fast fps.


BTW Tom, I love your shots that you posted. Very nice indeed.

[V8Beast]

I'm about to plagiarize myself from another post, but here goes.

The 5DIII vs. 1DsIII debate is a tough one. I think I'm committed to the 5DIII at this point, but the 1DsIII is awfully tempting for roughly the same money. I shoot cars, and the highest I pushed the ISO was 3,200 on my last shoot, and most of the time ISO was 400 or less, with the occasional tick up to 800-1,600. That's another way of saying that if the biggest advantage of the 5DIII over the 1DsIII is ISO performance, I didn't push it hard enough on this last shoot to benefit from it. That said, I do have some ideas on how to really push the ISO for creative effect in the future, so perhaps that will change my opinion once I fully utilize the 5DIII's potential.

IQ aside, the 5DIII does handle very well. I still prefer the handling of my 1DII, but the 5DIII's ergonomics and responsiveness are very good. Most the second-hand 1D bodies I've seen for sale are beat to hell, probably since many are used by sports photogs and journalists that are on the go. However, I've seen many 1DsIII's on ebay that are in outstanding condition. Perhaps they've lived a more coddled life inside a studio    

[briansquibb]

The 1Ds3 is better at iso 100/200 than the 5D2. Native max is 1600 at which point it is still very good.

It wont lead a soft and pampered life with me - it is now my walkabout camera - Sunday was a day at MotorX which it performed very well at - not quite as good as the 1D4 at locking on - but not far behind

This photo was the 1Ds3, iso200, 70-300L, 1/640, f/5 uncropped - looks softer here than on my PC

[tomscott]

You guys have some interesting opinions about the 5D Mark III. It was one of the most anticipated camera upgrades ever and now that it's out, people seem to shun it. I've heard people talk about "issues with it". I'm interested to know what issues everyone is talking about because so far (with the exception of native RAW support for Aperture or LR), I haven't had any. Personally I took the plunge and sold my 1D4 to pay for it as I also have (2) 1DXes on order to cover my action photography. I couldn't be happier with the IQ. I was so tired of looking at nasty noise in the shadows of images off my 1D4. That noise is all but gone on my 5DIII images. And the focus is just spot on! About the only things I miss from my 1D4 is the incredible battery life, simplicity with less button clutter and fast fps.


BTW Tom, I love your shots that you posted. Very nice indeed.

Thanks DarkKnightNine, your opinion is very welcome and thanks for the kind words on the images.

I dont think there any problems with the 5D MKIII in terms of specification if anything it is pretty much the perfect camera for me a supercharged 40D. But I will wait until the niggles are ironed out before a purchase. Then I saw the 1DsIII I have found one locally to me with less than 20k actuations for £2500 which is a steal IMO. So thats why I started the thread. Again the 1D4 would be nice but is currently £500 more than the 5D MKIII with the kit lens secondhand and most are pretty used! As I described I dont like the 1.3 crop. I dont really have need for the 10fps 6 is fine for what I do.

I'm about to plagiarize myself from another post, but here goes.

The 5DIII vs. 1DsIII debate is a tough one. I think I'm committed to the 5DIII at this point, but the 1DsIII is awfully tempting for roughly the same money. I shoot cars, and the highest I pushed the ISO was 3,200 on my last shoot, and most of the time ISO was 400 or less, with the occasional tick up to 800-1,600. That's another way of saying that if the biggest advantage of the 5DIII over the 1DsIII is ISO performance, I didn't push it hard enough on this last shoot to benefit from it. That said, I do have some ideas on how to really push the ISO for creative effect in the future, so perhaps that will change my opinion once I fully utilize the 5DIII's potential.

IQ aside, the 5DIII does handle very well. I still prefer the handling of my 1DII, but the 5DIII's ergonomics and responsiveness are very good. Most the second-hand 1D bodies I've seen for sale are beat to hell, probably since many are used by sports photogs and journalists that are on the go. However, I've seen many 1DsIII's on ebay that are in outstanding condition. Perhaps they've lived a more coddled life inside a studio    

I also shoot cars so understand the problems. I agree with the temptation £500 cheaper for the one im looking at, but the 1Ds III is about the same performance noise and IQ wise as a 5DMKII? Which would also be a huge upgrade in IQ to my 40D. I do or would like to go up higher in the ISO range but my 40D doesn't really allow me to do this and if I do Noise ninja is my first port of call and it does a pretty good job tbh!

I would say the only reason I don't get as many shots as I should is by trying to keep the ISO in the lower end of the scale and risking a bit of blur rather than being confident in ISO performance that I can go up higher and not worry.

Its not that I will push it hard enough in the high ISO range but to know its there is what is attractive. Like everyone i prefer to shoot in the lower rnage for IQ. I do shoot in a vast amount of situations and generally my shoots are not comparable in terms of light, which is the problem for most of us as photographers so having confidence that the camera will be able to deal with anything I throw at it is the main benefit for me.

Going back a few years the 40D was a game changer and did everything I wanted but now I am much more demanding and so are the clients so either cameras would be great! The 1Ds or the 5D MKIII just deciding which!!! 

At the moment it is the 5D MKIII because of its size and relative usability to be an all round monster. But I always wanted a 1Ds and im sure we've all been there!!