1d Mkiii vs 7d... I know, I know

[4jphotography]

I have a 1D3 as a backup to my 1Ds3. I have a chance to sell it for a couple grand, and was thinking of doing so and getting the 7d... Will the iq be as good or better? I shoot with all L glass, for magazine and newspaper print primarily. I'm looking to keep the fps versatility and hopefully increase low light / high ISO over the 1D's. I know the 1D4 would be a preffered choice, but I'd rather wait for the next 1Ds before spending that much.  I klnow this has been covered on other forums, but couldn't find a recent rundown.  Thanks.

[CR Backup Admin]

I have a 1D3 as a backup to my 1Ds3. I have a chance to sell it for a couple grand, and was thinking of doing so and getting the 7d... Will the iq be as good or better? I shoot with all L glass, for magazine and newspaper print primarily. I'm looking to keep the fps versatility and hopefully increase low light / high ISO over the 1D's. I know the 1D4 would be a preffered choice, but I'd rather wait for the next 1Ds before spending that much.  I klnow this has been covered on other forums, but couldn't find a recent rundown.  Thanks.

I sold my 1D MK II and bought a 7D.  I returned it right away.  Then I bought a 1D MK III.  Its a much better camera overall.

[UngerPhotography]

I am off the belief that a good photographer can make the best of most any camera. At the same time, the 1D line is going to be the better camera when it comes to build quality. Though if you are looking to sell you 1D, now may bring you the most money for it, and the 7D is a good camera for what it does. 8 fps, up to 6400 ISO and offers more reach if that is off interest, so if you need that until you wait for the next 1D, it may not be a bad option.

[DRD photo]

I own a 1d mark ii and the canon 7d. I am not sure of the ISO sensitivity or picture resolution on the 1d mark iii, but I can tell you that in low light I am very limited with the 1d mark ii...autofocus speed is off the charts compared to the 7D, the only downside on the 1d mark ii is the write speed, of buffer for continous shooting. In my experience with the 7D, it has never failed me when it comes to picture quality and high ISO speeds. But after iso 3200, noise is prevelant, and some clean up is required, especially in color photos. Now as I said before I do not own a 1d mark iii, but I have been watching them on ebay in hopes of picking up one for a good deal, still selling for $2000.00 used....10fps is amazing. you can shoot a stop motion movie, no problem. so if you do decide to sell, I think the only choice is either up or the 7D, especially if you want a good autofocus system as well as high ISO sensitivity, dual digic 4 processors, and high buffer rate.... Good luck...I hope this helps.

[ontarian]

I had a 7D, then for a second body I bought a 1D3, then I bought a 1D4 and sold the 7D.  The 1D4 was better than the 1D3 in every way so I traded the 1D3 for a 7D (and the other guy gave me an extra 500 bucks) again to get a lighter second body and more reach for telephoto shots and video.

If it was down to 1 body Id have the 1D3 over the 7D.  The 1D shooting experience is so much better as is the high iso performance to my eyes.

for one camera no cost limits I'd get the 1D4 over the 1D3s or 5D2.  I like the extra reach, the shooting speed and the still breathtaking high iso performance.

[Canon Rumors]

I have a 1D3 as a backup to my 1Ds3. I have a chance to sell it for a couple grand, and was thinking of doing so and getting the 7d... Will the iq be as good or better? I shoot with all L glass, for magazine and newspaper print primarily. I'm looking to keep the fps versatility and hopefully increase low light / high ISO over the 1D's. I know the 1D4 would be a preffered choice, but I'd rather wait for the next 1Ds before spending that much.  I klnow this has been covered on other forums, but couldn't find a recent rundown.  Thanks.

I could spam some links saying buy a 7D here, here and here. I won't though.

I'd buy the 1D3.

[noisejammer]

Like Ontarian, I found myself with a 1D4, a 1D3 and a 7D.

I think the 1D3 wins in noise performance while the 7D wins in resolution. By the time I had cleaned up the images to the same noise levels, there was little between them. I found the 7D has a _far_ better user interface.
 
Anyway, I eventually sold my 7D - it was a tough decision but I expect it would have lost a lot more value over the next year than the 1D3 will. Having common batteries and buttons in the same places also played into my decision.

As Ontarian also commented, the weight of the 1D series is driving me to look for something light and compact - I'm finding that I don't have the inclination to pack a pair of heavy cameras - and if it's not in my bag a backup has limited value. (Completely off topic, but I might have found it when I played with the Fuji X100 earlier today.)

Bruce, Toronto

[4jphotography]

Thanks for the insight.
I think I'm going to stick with the 1D3 for a bit longer, and eventually just upgrade to the 1D4. I don't mind the weight of it, in fact I find myself preferring it over smaller bodies. I was mostly looking for improved high ISO and IQ, and it doesn't sound like I'd gain much.
Appreciate the help.