1Dx vs 5D M3

[RGF]

I have heard that the 1Dx AF system is better than the 5D M3. Is that true?

I have 1D M4 and 5D M3 and I missed the ergonomics of the 1D series but not the price. Thinking of adding 1Dx though that means I lose the 1.3 crop from the 1DM4.

Any thoughts?

 

[expatinasia]

Simple answer is yes. They are similar but the 1D X has its own Digic 4 processor dedicated to AF/metering, that's on top of the 2 Digic 5+s, the 1D X also has spot metering linked to the AF point and EOS iTR which helps with tracking depending on the mode you are in.

The 1D X can AF at f/8 though that is said to be coming to the 5D Mark III in April, or May (forget which).

 

[DarkKnightNine]

I own both cameras and in my daily usages I've found the AF performance to be very similar with the 1DX having a what seems like only a slight edge.

Where the 1DX shines for me is in the low noise of the files that come out of it. Simply amazing camera in low light situations and clearly superior to my 5DMkIII. I often shoot at ISO 10,000 with my 1DX but won't go above 6,400 on my 5DMkIII (just personal taste). Other than that, they seem to lock focus about the same, so if AF is your only concern, I'm not sure the 1DX's price is justifiable for your needs. However if you care about low noise and super fast fps e.g. shooting sports etc... indoors, then the 1DX is your camera.

 

[sanj]

I will address the AF question, crop factor is for you to decide.

I prefer the AF of the 1dx. I have used both cameras in situations that required ultimate responsiveness and I MUCH trust the 1dx not to miss out shots. No doubts.

5d3 will deliver but 1dx will deliver better.

Have a nice day.

 

[Saurus]

Check out the review of either, e.g.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-DSLR-Camera-Review.aspx

This gives a good listing of pros of each body over the other.

 

[brad goda]

I am happy with the 1DX...
focuses fast and accurate... amazing on multi point focus + servo... amazing.

image quality is good and fabulous at high iso 10000 still very usable.

one shoot went right through heavy rain... 1DX 70-200II and radio transmitter did not fail.
not even 600EX in small box that also got soaked...
I am so happy with the camera and system... good IQ and Durable system.

 

[pedro]

I own both cameras and in my daily usages I've found the AF performance to be very similar with the 1DX having a what seems like only a slight edge.

Where the 1DX shines for me is in the low noise of the files that come out of it. Simply amazing camera in low light situations and clearly superior to my 5DMkIII. I often shoot at ISO 10,000 with my 1DX but won't go above 6,400 on my 5DMkIII (just personal taste). Other than that, they seem to lock focus about the same, so if AF is your only concern, I'm not sure the 1DX's price is justifiable for your needs. However if you care about low noise and super fast fps e.g. shooting sports etc... indoors, then the 1DX is your camera.

The 1Dx sure has the high ISO edge over the 5D3. Well, for me, budgetwise and as an amateur, the 5D3 serves perfectly. I even dare to go 51k...;-)

 

[RGF]

Thanks for everyone's reply. A follow up question about AF - is the 1Dx AF shine (vs the 5D M3) on moving objects such as a flying bird?

 

[photorockies]

I have used both cameras for sports and wildlife. The 1DX has superior focus tracking. The 5dMKIII is no slouch but when the 1DX locks on, it stays on. The 5DMKIII tends to jump in and out a little. The 12 FPS on the 1DX comes in handy when shooting sequences of birds flying or sports images. Image quality is very good from both although I find dynamic range lacking. Blown highlights can be an issue on properly exposed images from both cameras. The 1DX is about 2/3 of a stop better at high ISOs. I would say the 5dMKIII is clean through IS 4000 and the 1DX through ISO 6400. The 1DX seems to underexpose images by about 1/3 of a stop compared to the 5DMKIII. The 1DX is a tank but handles really well. The build quality of the 5DMKIII is miles ahead of the previous version but it still feels unresponsive in certain situations. Shooting baseball, for example, I really had to anticipate a batter's swing to get a ball in the image; otherwise, the camera would fire a hair late. Hope that helps.

 

[brwphotoinc]

I just shot these for a client this past weekend. The scenario was my back to a 9 foot jump, them launching over my head, and the 5d III picking them up within nano seconds of hitting the jump. Most series had 4 out of 5 tack sharp images. Mind you, my back was to the jump, so I literally had to rely on the sound of them getting closer and judge the launch timing. I've owned 3 1 series cameras, and you will have to pry my 5d III from my cold dead hands at a huge price difference for 98% of the same performance.

It was bitter cold and the battery level never budged after 3 hours.

Shot/strobed with 4 600EX-RTs off camera.

 

[bdunbar79]

I own and shoot with both, and the 1DX AF is pretty much better in all cases. Where the 1DX really whips the 5D3 is in low-light AF situations. Overall though, the 1DX has much better Servo tracking.

 

[rpt]

I just shot these for a client this past weekend. The scenario was my back to a 9 foot jump, them launching over my head, and the 5d III picking them up within nano seconds of hitting the jump. Most series had 4 out of 5 tack sharp images. Mind you, my back was to the jump, so I literally had to rely on the sound of them getting closer and judge the launch timing. I've owned 3 1 series cameras, and you will have to pry my 5d III from my cold dead hands at a huge price difference for 98% of the same performance.

It was bitter cold and the battery level never budged after 3 hours.

Shot/strobed with 4 600EX-RTs off camera.

Fantastic pictures! What lens did you use?

 

[bornshooter]

i use both too the 5dmk3 is a remarkable camera but the 1dx is certainly better with af tracking and low light focussing also the buffer which is awesome compared to the 5dmk3.

 

[RGF]

I just shot these for a client this past weekend. The scenario was my back to a 9 foot jump, them launching over my head, and the 5d III picking them up within nano seconds of hitting the jump. Most series had 4 out of 5 tack sharp images. Mind you, my back was to the jump, so I literally had to rely on the sound of them getting closer and judge the launch timing. I've owned 3 1 series cameras, and you will have to pry my 5d III from my cold dead hands at a huge price difference for 98% of the same performance.

It was bitter cold and the battery level never budged after 3 hours.

Shot/strobed with 4 600EX-RTs off camera.

Great pictures. Lens?

 

[DarkKnightNine]

I just shot these for a client this past weekend. The scenario was my back to a 9 foot jump, them launching over my head, and the 5d III picking them up within nano seconds of hitting the jump. Most series had 4 out of 5 tack sharp images. Mind you, my back was to the jump, so I literally had to rely on the sound of them getting closer and judge the launch timing. I've owned 3 1 series cameras, and you will have to pry my 5d III from my cold dead hands at a huge price difference for 98% of the same performance.

It was bitter cold and the battery level never budged after 3 hours.

Shot/strobed with 4 600EX-RTs off camera.

Really nice shots bro.
The 600EX-RT is amazing! I have three myself.

 

[bdunbar79]

I just shot these for a client this past weekend. The scenario was my back to a 9 foot jump, them launching over my head, and the 5d III picking them up within nano seconds of hitting the jump. Most series had 4 out of 5 tack sharp images. Mind you, my back was to the jump, so I literally had to rely on the sound of them getting closer and judge the launch timing. I've owned 3 1 series cameras, and you will have to pry my 5d III from my cold dead hands at a huge price difference for 98% of the same performance.

It was bitter cold and the battery level never budged after 3 hours.

Shot/strobed with 4 600EX-RTs off camera.

Those pictures are really awesome! Don't lose that thought when I say this. Of course the 5D3 can do that. Now, go into a low-lit gym and try to shoot fast action with both a 5D3 and 1DX, to compare, and the 1DX wins by a rather huge margin.

The 5D3 is great though, as I use it for tennis and golf where I must be quiet. But soccer, football, volleyball, etc., etc. I use the 1DX because I get a lot more keepers.

If you don't shoot a ton of sports and need "magical moments" all the time, and are not a pro sports photog, the 5D3 is sufficient and I argue better than the 7D.

It's a really fun time to be in this hobby/profession because there are so many great cameras to choose from at a wide range of budgets.

 

[Click]

I just shot these for a client this past weekend. The scenario was my back to a 9 foot jump, them launching over my head, and the 5d III picking them up within nano seconds of hitting the jump. Most series had 4 out of 5 tack sharp images. Mind you, my back was to the jump, so I literally had to rely on the sound of them getting closer and judge the launch timing. I've owned 3 1 series cameras, and you will have to pry my 5d III from my cold dead hands at a huge price difference for 98% of the same performance.

It was bitter cold and the battery level never budged after 3 hours.

Shot/strobed with 4 600EX-RTs off camera.

Awesome shots. Congrats!

 

[TrumpetPower!]

I think it safe to suggest that, in most performance-related matters, the 1Dx will marginally to significantly (though never greatly) outperform the 5DIII.

There are, however, actually a few areas in which the 5DIII outperforms the 1Dx, and they're worth keeping in mind.

First and foremost is price, of course. You can buy two 5DIIIs and have money left over for the price of a single 1Dx. And there are a lot of situations where a second body is far more important than the marginal differences between the two models.

Next, the 5DIII has a silent mode that's not quite believable. For settings where you need to be unobtrusive, such as weddings or contemplative sports, the 5DIII's silent shutter alone will win the day over the 1Dx, all the other superiorities of the 1Dx be damned.

In a similar vein, the 5DIII is a lot smaller. You can slap a Shorty McForty on it and it doesn't look a whole lot different to the non-photographer from a high-end P&S -- especially in comparison to a 1Dx with a 35L. And, yet, the smaller combo will give you comparable results in all but a few extreme and not-especially-common situations. (And, yes, yes, I know...there're people here who think f/2 is slow...you're extreme and not especially common. Congratulations!)

At the same time, the 5DIII works great with the grip (though, obviously, not quite as well as the 1Dx with its integrated grip). Point is, it's very versatile, in that it's equally at home at the party and hung off of a Great White; the 1Dx just can't slim down, while the 5DIII bulks up pretty damned well.

Not to be overlooked, the 5DIII has a few more megapickles than the 1Dx. At lower ISOs, that can (marginally) give the image quality edge to the 5DIII, especially if you're cropping.

In general, if you're considering both and there's a serious question in your mind about which to get, then the 5DIII is for you. It's definitely for you if any of the cases where it does better than the 1Dx are particularly important to you.

The 1Dx is the action photography monster powerhouse. If you're shooting for SI, you'd be an idiot to not be shooting with one. And it's better than any other 1-series camera Canon has ever made, so it's the best choice for all those other photographers for whom that sort of thing is built. If you're shooting in a war zone and you need to be able to club a renegade rebel to death with your camera and still be able to use the camera to take pictures of the steaming corpse, the 1Dx is for you. If you're shooting wildlife in the deep jungle and you never know when you'll have to use your camera to chip off some flint to use to start a fire because your matches got washed down the river, the 1Dx is for you.

But, really...if you're not sure that the 1Dx is for you, then the 5DIII almost certainly is.

Cheers,

b&

 

[bdunbar79]

Yes I still owe you files! Do not worry, I have already shot some, I just need to finish them up, as basketball season just wouldn't end.

 

[DarkKnightNine]

I think it safe to suggest that, in most performance-related matters, the 1Dx will marginally to significantly (though never greatly) outperform the 5DIII.

There are, however, actually a few areas in which the 5DIII outperforms the 1Dx, and they're worth keeping in mind.

First and foremost is price, of course. You can buy two 5DIIIs and have money left over for the price of a single 1Dx. And there are a lot of situations where a second body is far more important than the marginal differences between the two models.

Next, the 5DIII has a silent mode that's not quite believable. For settings where you need to be unobtrusive, such as weddings or contemplative sports, the 5DIII's silent shutter alone will win the day over the 1Dx, all the other superiorities of the 1Dx be damned.

In a similar vein, the 5DIII is a lot smaller. You can slap a Shorty McForty on it and it doesn't look a whole lot different to the non-photographer from a high-end P&S -- especially in comparison to a 1Dx with a 35L. And, yet, the smaller combo will give you comparable results in all but a few extreme and not-especially-common situations. (And, yes, yes, I know...there're people here who think f/2 is slow...you're extreme and not especially common. Congratulations!)

At the same time, the 5DIII works great with the grip (though, obviously, not quite as well as the 1Dx with its integrated grip). Point is, it's very versatile, in that it's equally at home at the party and hung off of a Great White; the 1Dx just can't slim down, while the 5DIII bulks up pretty damned well.

Not to be overlooked, the 5DIII has a few more megapickles than the 1Dx. At lower ISOs, that can (marginally) give the image quality edge to the 5DIII, especially if you're cropping.

In general, if you're considering both and there's a serious question in your mind about which to get, then the 5DIII is for you. It's definitely for you if any of the cases where it does better than the 1Dx are particularly important to you.

The 1Dx is the action photography monster powerhouse. If you're shooting for SI, you'd be an idiot to not be shooting with one. And it's better than any other 1-series camera Canon has ever made, so it's the best choice for all those other photographers for whom that sort of thing is built. If you're shooting in a war zone and you need to be able to club a renegade rebel to death with your camera and still be able to use the camera to take pictures of the steaming corpse, the 1Dx is for you. If you're shooting wildlife in the deep jungle and you never know when you'll have to use your camera to chip off some flint to use to start a fire because your matches got washed down the river, the 1Dx is for you.

But, really...if you're not sure that the 1Dx is for you, then the 5DIII almost certainly is.

Cheers,

b&

Love your examples (lol) and your explanation seems spot on from my experiences with both cameras. Because I mainly shoot fashion and portrait, my 5DMkIII is the camera that is in my hand 90% of the time. I only reach for my 1DX when I get hired to shoot events e.g. fashion shows, wedding parties, sports etc.... where I know I will encounter low light and/or fast moving subjects and gotta bring home the shots.