Camera Crossroads :)

[bdunbar79]

Keeping a 5d3 will be valuable for its silent shutter if you shoot golf, tennis anything where someone might brain you with a club or raquet if they get the sh!ts on also if you are mainly shooting with 2 1 series bodies then you just keep it in you bag with a wide lens on to grab the odd total scene shot

Tennis is a concern yes.  I've not done tennis before.  Basketball is loud anyways and football, well...

I'll probably, no matter what, hang on to the 5D Mark III, whether I end up with a pair of 1DX's or not.  I would really like to keep one of my highest mp cameras.  If I had just a bit more money I'd hang on to the 1Ds3 but economically it may not make sense.

[expatinasia]

Do you not think three cameras is overkill? Unless you plan on linking them all wirelessly and trigger them that way two would suffice wouldn't it?

Reach is always good, so I would keep the 1D Mark IV and 1D X and sell the rest and buy new glass.

I like Mt Spokane Photography's idea of the new 200-400 lens.

How did you end up with so many cameras anyway?

[bdunbar79]

Do you not think three cameras is overkill? Unless you plan on linking them all wirelessly and trigger them that way two would suffice wouldn't it?

Reach is always good, so I would keep the 1D Mark IV and 1D X and sell the rest and buy new glass.

I like Mt Spokane Photography's idea of the new 200-400 lens.

How did you end up with so many cameras anyway?

I guess as time went on, I replaced all my old cameras with a new one.  Had a 7D and 5D2, and got a 5D3 in place of those two.  Then I stopped actually replacing them.  Kept the 1Ds3 when I did that.  However I did a few weddings and got another 5D3 because I was using that heavily and the convenience of two helped.  The 1D4 I got in May to pick up the end of the track season.  Oh and you can see how it went.  Should have sold, much like I did my 7D and 5D2, as I went along. 

I don't think 3 is overkill.  I take two to every event.  Sometimes the 3rd has a greater strength at one thing than another.  So it could be A/B, A/C, or B/C, depending on what I'm doing.  In THIS case though, sports is going to be it.  I always carry two bodies to every event.  But I'm only doing sports, then yeah, why have 3?  I guess I'm not thrilled with the 1D4's IQ compared to the 5D3 or 1DX, but it certainly has that extra reach.  In track the 400mm lens I have becomes 520.  That's tough to beat, especially at low ISO.

[briansquibb]

Are you planning to do anything other than sports? If not then it would be worth getting more specialist kit.

If you are planning to do other things then versatility needs to be factored in.

3 bodies are fine - means one can be repaired whilst the other two are being used.

I just sent both 1Ds for cleaning/service, the 1D4 will go on their return, by which time the 1DX should be here.

I can always fall back on the 10D/5Dc combo if needed 

[bdunbar79]

Well, since yes, things have changed for me and it looks like it'll be a full sports contract for a university this whole school year.  I have ONE wedding on November 3, which by this time I'll have to cut all weddings out.  My question is whether I will need the 5D3 at all.  Or should I keep the 1D4 and pickup another 1DX.  I refuse to use the 1D4 for indoor sports if the 1DX is in my kit, I mean why not?  I don't need the reach but I do need the high ISO capabilities.  Outdoors, at low ISO though, I can use the reach.  I always carry two bodies, so my decision will be two 1DX's with either 1. 5D3, or 2. 1D4.  It is certain the one of my 5D3's and the 1Ds3 has to go.  Maybe the 1DX is so good I only need the 1DX and 1D4, two bodies.  Of course then I would only bring one body to volleyball, basketball, wrestling, and indoor track.  I'm thinking the 1DX is an okay replacement for the 5D3 even in resolution.  That's what I'm trying to determine.  It appears as though, when you take shots of say a wheat field, the detail is greater from the 1DX whereas the 5D3 seems to sort of blend the grass blades together.  This is irrelevent in sports though.

I'll probably at first keep a 1DX, a 1D4, and a 5D3 and if I need to do anything else later I will.  I will not be shooting tennis with a 1DX, way too loud.

[bdunbar79]

Well, thought I would close out this thread with the following.  Since I'll be shooting only one wedding in November and nothing but Ashland U sports all year, and now I got into some HS sports in Mansfield, I'll be doing some 30 games/events per fall, winter, spring.  That's going to be a lot of sports.  So I made the decision to sell my 1D Mark IV, 1Ds Mark III, and a 5D Mark III.  I picked up another 1DX and so have two of those and will have also a 5D Mark III.  This way I can shoot at events with two 1-D bodies.  My lesson is that the bodies you have now lose very little value.  To sell those 3 cameras was roughly $9k.  So if you purchase an expensive camera and feel apprehensive, don't worry at all.  You can get it back.  My past purchases actually were investments that you could argue ended up being a free 1DX plus change.  That change will go towards a lens perhaps.  I'm not saying to go spend a ton of money without care, but if you get worried don't because I sold the stuff no problem at all.

[bdunbar79]

Are you planning to do anything other than sports? If not then it would be worth getting more specialist kit.

If you are planning to do other things then versatility needs to be factored in.

3 bodies are fine - means one can be repaired whilst the other two are being used.

I just sent both 1Ds for cleaning/service, the 1D4 will go on their return, by which time the 1DX should be here.

I can always fall back on the 10D/5Dc combo if needed 

Yes, take your 10D to your weddings and then go shoot some indoor volleyball

[briansquibb]

My 1Ds3 had to have a new shutter fitted On holiday a couple of weeks ago I had a small number of pictures with the tell tale white line down one edge. Glad to say the service and repair has given me an as new camera, plus of course the shutter is now under warranty.

The good news is that the annual clean and service means I get a calibration done so AFMA is pretty much not needed.

It is good to be clear what direction ones shooting is going towards as it allows the kit needed to worked out and put out of your head.

I am on a full frame, slower moving route where I am taking portraits of humans and animals (big demand for animal portraits) plus architectural photos of older buildings, so that is the domain of the 1Ds2/3

I still enjoy the occasional sports/wildlife shoot so I will be keeping the 1D4 for that

I expect to do more close-up/macro work so my 7D will be useful for that - as well as for general backup/street

The 1DX that is expected shortly may push out the 7D. The 1DX I see more as a general purpose body which I expect to use as a walkabout/default body. Until PW get their act sorted then it will be limited as I use a lot of flash most of the time .

With the move to ff I have plans for a 300 f/2.8 II in order to compensate for the loss of 1.3 crop - until now I have been using the 200 on the 1D4 - which is clearly going to be shorter on ff. 200 on the 1D4 is a combo which I use a lot, so the new lens will be desirable. The 200 f/2 on ff is my favourite portrait combo - it is flattering for the subject  - and the bokeh is just stunning

[bdunbar79]

Brian,

If I had the time and money, believe me, I'd keep the 1Ds3/1Ds2 combo and go shoot landscape for a week at a time.  It's hard when you spend all your time doing one type of shooting because money comes into play and you sort of lose some of the fun of the hobby.  But I guess it was my choice.  No demand here for portrait work as heavily as you have it; it's all sports.  There are no sports photographers to be found for universities for some odd reason.  EVERYONE is doing weddings/senior pictures, so the current demand is sufficient, but the supply of photographers is also very high.  I can honestly say that I am more skilled at sports/action than portrait/landscape.  It would take me a lot of studying and practice to do those types of works.  Weddings are a tad different as you can approach as photojournalistic. 

As you can see, I sometimes miss my histogram and WB in indoor lighting.  This is something I will have to get better at, but with gyms for basketball and volleyball the lighting is so even, it hasn't been a problem at all, whereras indoor events with mixed lighting is tough.