1dx, or d800e?

[Tcapp]

So I have been lusting after a 1dx for a while. Almost, (but not quite), have the funds for it. But I'm not sure I NEED it. I currently have a 7d and 5d3.

I have three options.

Sell the 7d to help fund a d800e purchase, then shoot my 5d3 along side d800e for work and pleasure. I figure they compliment each other pretty well. 5d3 for low light, candid shots (Im a wedding photog) and speed, then the 800e for posed portraits that would print large, and macro. plus i really want to do more landscape work (non paid).

option 2, sell the 5d3 to help fund a 1dx. Its a 1dx. Awesome. Do I NEED it? eh. Would it be a dream come true? YES. SO i would shoot my 1dx at weddings, and almost never touch the 7d. so I'll have one camera and be switching lenses all the time (like I do now, why touch a 7d when i have a 5d3).

Option 3. Buy neither, keep saving, and someday, in the fairly distant future, get a 200 f2. Dream lens. Would use it for posed portraits, but not candids as I love to be able to zoom during ceremony with my 70-200 2.8 is II.


I know shooting duel systems can be a pain, but I like the idea of being able to buy just about ANY lens, no limits, best of both worlds type of thing.

Thoughts? Experiences? Would the 1dx just be SOOOO awesome that I wouldn't even touch a d800e if i had one?

 

[peederj]

Rent the D800e for a weekend and see if it's all that.

If I'm you and money is this much of an object, I'd get the 200/2, maybe selling off the 7D and picking up a used T2i as a backup if you feel you need one.

Having to juggle two completely different systems and mounts would drive me nuts personally. If you're leaving Canon, leave completely.

The D800e has a better sensor and Nikon has the 14-24 and that is certainly a nice landscape kit. You don't have the money it sounds to play in that tool-for-the-job field, so stick with what you have and get more wedding$ till you do.

 

[risc32]

I would hold your ground. I have many makes of cameras, but my digital stuff is canon. It isn't very hard to keep all the little quirks under control when you are dealing with film cameras. but, for me at least, the current state of digital camera tech has gotten so complicated that i'd likely get myself confused if i was swapping between nikon and canon. I would also not like to buy and learn another flash system.

 

[Tcapp]

I would hold your ground. I have many makes of cameras, but my digital stuff is canon. It isn't very hard to keep all the little quirks under control when you are dealing with film cameras. but, for me at least, the current state of digital camera tech has gotten so complicated that i'd likely get myself confused if i was swapping between nikon and canon. I would also not like to buy and learn another flash system.

I have shot nikon digital before, so I realy doubt I would get confused. Plus, you can reverse the controls on the nikon to make them behave like canon.

 

[Ryan708]

5dIII is my dream, you already got it! 1dx is my dream if I were already dreaming and using my 5dIII. Id go for the 200/2, but im also just shooting a 60D, and my best lens was 450 bucks cant go wrong with any of it im sure

 

[cpsico]

It's like comparing a corvette and a dump truck, both are very powerful but have different purposes. Decide on what your real needs are and the answer will be an easy one.

 

[KurtStevens]

You have two awesome cameras already. yes the 1dx is hot but its the lens that makes it. Think of that 200f/2 at f/2 slicing your subject out. Sharp as all get out. You'd be creating photos that not a lot of others will be able to. As a wedding photographer myself, why not set yourself apart by providing higher quality of work with a lens like that? 5d3 is perfect for the wedding world. Yes its not 12 fps, but do you need that? Are you missing the moment by not blasting it to death?

If you got the nikon, you'd have a different set of lenses to deal with as well and I see that as a huge pain in the ass.

 

[pdirestajr]

Pro photographers in the past must have made way more if a profit with their craft. I doubt they bought every new camera model and switch systems on an annual basis. They are just cameras!

 

[rpt]

The only down side to the 1DX I heard on these forums compared to the 5D3 was its shutter noise was louder than that of the 5D3. I think you should consider that...

 

[RLPhoto]

So I have been lusting after a 1dx for a while. Almost, (but not quite), have the funds for it. But I'm not sure I NEED it. I currently have a 7d and 5d3.

I have three options.

Sell the 7d to help fund a d800e purchase, then shoot my 5d3 along side d800e for work and pleasure. I figure they compliment each other pretty well. 5d3 for low light, candid shots (Im a wedding photog) and speed, then the 800e for posed portraits that would print large, and macro. plus i really want to do more landscape work (non paid).

option 2, sell the 5d3 to help fund a 1dx. Its a 1dx. Awesome. Do I NEED it? eh. Would it be a dream come true? YES. SO i would shoot my 1dx at weddings, and almost never touch the 7d. so I'll have one camera and be switching lenses all the time (like I do now, why touch a 7d when i have a 5d3).

Option 3. Buy neither, keep saving, and someday, in the fairly distant future, get a 200 f2. Dream lens. Would use it for posed portraits, but not candids as I love to be able to zoom during ceremony with my 70-200 2.8 is II.


I know shooting duel systems can be a pain, but I like the idea of being able to buy just about ANY lens, no limits, best of both worlds type of thing.

Thoughts? Experiences? Would the 1dx just be SOOOO awesome that I wouldn't even touch a d800e if i had one?

Jeez, I dont know how large you'd want to print with the d800e. You can make huge prints already with the 5D3 and don't see the use for the D800e for just portraits. Landscapes is something else entirely.

As for the 200 F/2L, That lens will take you portfolio to the next level. Its an amazing piece of glass.

 

[Leon]

The 5D3 is probably the best wedding camera out there, thanks to its silent mode. If you do lots of weddings, keep it.
I wouldn't necessarily add a D800E. Ok, it delivers more detail of course, but I'm guessing your customers usually won't notice the difference. After all, it's 5760x3840 vs. 7360x4912 - that's 28% more per edge. It's definitely something, but is it worth 3k$ + probably at least the same in lenses?
The "new toy factor" will fade after a while and for me it fades quicker with camera bodies than with lenses, so that is really where I would put my money - or maybe flashes, dishes, sofboxes, etc.

btw I myself have a D800 and I love it, perfect camera for my needs, so I'm probably pretty much unbiased.

 

[PackLight]

You know, none of you're ideas make goog business sense. I can see that and I don't make my living as a photog.

How ever, all the options look like they would have fun and entertainment value. I would get the Nikon, the 200mm and the 1D X (all of em). If I had to choose Only one this is the order I would go 1D X, then 200mm and last the Nikon.

 

[Tcapp]

You know, none of you're ideas make goog business sense. I can see that and I don't make my living as a photog.

How ever, all the options look like they would have fun and entertainment value. I would get the Nikon, the 200mm and the 1D X (all of em). If I had to choose Only one this is the order I would go 1D X, then 200mm and last the Nikon.

You are right. To be honest, i already have everything I need business wise. Although having two full frame cameras would help with my wedding shooting. But that is the great thing about photography, its not JUST a business. Its also what I love to do for fun as well. So the "new toy factor" is really what I'm interested in. If I didn't have to pay rent, and insurance, and car payments, etc. All my money would be spent on photography on equipment and prints.

And on the 800e idea, I do intend to do a lot more landscapes. I just moved from Florida to the northwest (portland), so for the first time in my life, there are actual landscapes around for me to shoot. There is jack squat in Florida.

But you all make a lot of sense. no matter what I do, I will end up owning the 200 f2, be it this year, next, or 5 years from now. It WILL happen. Just a matter of time.

As for a D800e, what I would do is go nikon for my wide angles and macro, and canon for my telephoto. It wouldn't be too confusing.

But 1dx... God I want you. But not for its framerate. I love the built in grip, the viewfinder, ergonomics, AF, and all those other little bells and whistles that make it such a joy to hold and use. And from what I hear, its AWB is even better, which can cut down on my post processing time.

Decisions decisions...

 

[Greatland]

To put the 5dMKIII and the 7d in the same category as the 1Dx is pathetic....there is no comparison between the 7d and 1Dx for action shooting, and the 5d MkIII is still not near the camera as the 1Dx in those areas where it's strengths are.....if you have the money, what in the world are you waiting for? I had a 7d---in comparison it is garbage. I have a MK IV, great camera, but doesn't come close to measuring up with the 1Dx....

 

[PackLight]

You know, none of you're ideas make goog business sense. I can see that and I don't make my living as a photog.

How ever, all the options look like they would have fun and entertainment value. I would get the Nikon, the 200mm and the 1D X (all of em). If I had to choose Only one this is the order I would go 1D X, then 200mm and last the Nikon.

You are right. To be honest, i already have everything I need business wise. Although having two full frame cameras would help with my wedding shooting. But that is the great thing about photography, its not JUST a business. Its also what I love to do for fun as well. So the "new toy factor" is really what I'm interested in. If I didn't have to pay rent, and insurance, and car payments, etc. All my money would be spent on photography on equipment and prints.

And on the 800e idea, I do intend to do a lot more landscapes. I just moved from Florida to the northwest (portland), so for the first time in my life, there are actual landscapes around for me to shoot. There is jack squat in Florida.

But you all make a lot of sense. no matter what I do, I will end up owning the 200 f2, be it this year, next, or 5 years from now. It WILL happen. Just a matter of time.

As for a D800e, what I would do is go nikon for my wide angles and macro, and canon for my telephoto. It wouldn't be too confusing.

But 1dx... God I want you. But not for its framerate. I love the built in grip, the viewfinder, ergonomics, AF, and all those other little bells and whistles that make it such a joy to hold and use. And from what I hear, its AWB is even better, which can cut down on my post processing time.

Decisions decisions...

You have the best canon landscape camera now with the 5D III.

The 1D X would be a better all around camera, and better telephoto camera. This to me seems like the best option you mentioned.

The D800 would be a real good landscape camera. I wouldn't want it as my second body if you do weddings or anything like that. You might be proficient at both but I think mental focus is important and in anything I have done it is always easier to focus on one tool than two different types. One camera you will use more than the other, even in Canon bodies that can be a problem if you do not get enough repetition. I bought a 1D IV to replace my 7D, some months later I picked up my 7D again and it felt alien. I found myself searching for settings that were once second nature.

Lets face reality for one second, a supertele is fun. I have several myself, but won't this option be more toy than tool? Well of course its not a toy, I really need mine.

 

[bdunbar79]

I own both, 1DX and 5D3. Let me say this. At high ISO, say 12,800, I can still print 8 x 10's or better with very fine detail and no noise with the 1DX with minimal processing, whereras the 5D3 requires a lot more post processing. Also, the 1DX files can pull more shadow detail and highlight recovery. Despite having 3 less MP's, the prints are substantially better. My Nikon buddies who shoot sports, ie D4, say they wish they had a 1DX instead when they look at my RAW files and prints.

I have no experience with the D800/E.

 

[Tcapp]

I own both, 1DX and 5D3. Let me say this. At high ISO, say 12,800, I can still print 8 x 10's or better with very fine detail and no noise with the 1DX with minimal processing, whereras the 5D3 requires a lot more post processing. Also, the 1DX files can pull more shadow detail and highlight recovery. Despite having 3 less MP's, the prints are substantially better. My Nikon buddies who shoot sports, ie D4, say they wish they had a 1DX instead when they look at my RAW files and prints.

I have no experience with the D800/E.

The 1dx makes the D4 look like a toy. Sharper, better focus, better resolution, better lens mount, faster frame rate...

But one thing that the 1dx seems to do that makes me scratch my head is that it exposes differently. I've seen photos that were taken at the same time, same settings, same lens, but the 1dx is about a third stop darker. If I need to expose longer on the 1dx vs the 5d3, to me that defeats the point of the 1dx's cleaner ISO performance. You have any experience with this? Same thing with Nikon cameras, they seem to expose 1/3 to 1/2 stop brighter than canon at identical settings. That would be a pretty nice advantage it seems.

 

[old_york]

As you've said you WILL get the 200L at some point, so why not make that priority one....

then over the next six months as we see where Canon's sensors (and the big MP sensor) are going, have a rethink then...there may be something more 800e-like, that will take your current glass.
(and who knows, if it's in a 1 series body - you'll get all the bells and whistles you're craving now)

 

[Tcapp]

As you've said you WILL get the 200L at some point, so why not make that priority one....

then over the next six months as we see where Canon's sensors (and the big MP sensor) are going, have a rethink then...there may be something more 800e-like, that will take your current glass.
(and who knows, if it's in a 1 series body - you'll get all the bells and whistles you're craving now)

True. I wonder, is there anyone on here that owns that lens that could test something for me? I would love to see the difference in bokeh between the 200 f2 @ f2 and the 85 1.2 @ 1.2 & 1.4. Take the same photo with both lenses and compare. Would be an interesting test I think.

 

[hawaiisunsetphoto]

For what you are doing or plan to do, I'd either pick up another 5D Mark III or 5D Mark II as a backup, AND the 200 f/2L, which is amazing. I'd sell the 7D.