5d3 Vs 5d4

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sanj

sanj

Jan 22, 2012
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#1
This is a genuine question, am not wasting your time. If I am not interested in 4k video on this camera or the extra 1fps, what advantages does Mark 4 offer over Mark 3?

I currently have 1dc and 1dx2 but am looking to buy a travel camera which is lighter. I thought long and hard about Fuji Xt2 but am thinking not mainly because my travel photography involves low light situations and crop sensor is not ideal then. Also I will have to invest in new lenses etc.

So thinking 5d4 or 5d3 (Not 6D as I want good focus points). So what advantages of 5d4 over 5d3 in my situation please? Appreciate. Since I have the 2 1D series, I want to save few bucks on a camera which will not be used so much.
 
#4
sanj said:
This is a genuine question, am not wasting your time. If I am not interested in 4k video on this camera or the extra 1fps, what advantages does Mark 4 offer over Mark 3?

I currently have 1dc and 1dx2 but am looking to buy a travel camera which is lighter. I thought long and hard about Fuji Xt2 but am thinking not mainly because my travel photography involves low light situations and crop sensor is not ideal then. Also I will have to invest in new lenses etc.

So thinking 5d4 or 5d3 (Not 6D as I want good focus points). So what advantages of 5d4 over 5d3 in my situation please? Appreciate. Since I have the 2 1D series, I want to save few bucks on a camera which will not be used so much.
Click to expand...


I have a 5D3, 5DSR, 1DX and 1DX2. Honestly, my 5D3 doesn't get that much use anymore. It's a great camera, however, and there should be some awesome deals on it right now.

Not having used a 5D4 extensively, and just going from the broad information that is available online, my assumption of what you'd be losing out on if you went for a 5D3 over a 5D4 is:
- Better focusing and metering
- 8 more megapixels (if you crop regularly, this could be a big advantage)
- Dual Pixel AF (even though you don't shoot video, this feature is still awesome for stills)
- Wifi for tethering
- GPS (I thought this was gimmicky until I started using it regularly on my 1DX2 traveling around Europe)
- Better dynamic range for boosting shadows, etc.

Does any of that stuff matter to you? You seem to be concerned about the AF system, as per your mention of not wanting a 6D. The 5D4 uses the 1DX2 AF system, and I can attest to the fact the 1DX2 AF is better even than the amazingly good 1DX AF. However, the 5D3 is no slouch and is more than capable for most applications.

It all depends on you and what you're really looking for. Both are great cameras. It's just the newer model is better because of advances in technology. If you're not planning on using the camera much, however, maybe it makes more economic sense to go for the older 5D3?
 
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#5
Yes R1-7D these things all add up.

This 'travel' camera is for street/landscapes only. So perhaps one of the full frame Sony with one kit zoom and a 35mm 1.4 type of lens will make a light package? But but I will have to buy the lenses also. So confused I am.
 
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#6
Here is a detailed comparison that concludes the 5DIV is better than the 5DIII in every way (which doesn't mean that the 5DIII is not a great camera) and in some areas beats the 1DXII:
http://arihazeghiphotography.com/blog/eos-5d-mark-iv-field-review/

Any lighter alternative will mean some sacrifices for you. The 5DIV will lose some speed and robustness but where you don't need very high speed it has better image quality. You don't want a smaller sensor but the M5 is great for travel.
 
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#7
As a 5d3 owner i remember the kick when i first tried the 5d3 owning a 5d2 this time, and yes it was iimmediately visible that it s much better and almost every way, except sensor prerformace which was the same.

i tried a 5dIV and the difference is much less obvious, at least in 5 minutes in shop.

For me, the biggest advantage would be the almost ISO invariant sensor, which would allow to underexpose at low iso, brighten in post ans so avoid blowing highlights for night shots. The other upgrades may be there for sure, but they wont save me if i am doing things wrong, or with other words, it's most times users fault if one can not take a good shot with a 5d3.

So i would really like a 5d4, BUT so far, i was not ready to spend 2000$+ for the upgrade, better get a speciality lens for this, or other equipment like a really good tripod, or take some lessons in photoshop.

This question may be a matter of luxury, if you have everything else, have no training needs, have enough money for travelling whenever you have the timee, and still have the money, i am sure you will really like a 5d4, as i would like it
 
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#8
I am a 5DIII owner and borrowed the 5DIV for a few days. I would agree that it is slightly better in most ways. The battery drain issue does seem to be real, where the 5DIII has better battery life.

The biggest advantages of the 5DIV over the 5DIII that I noticed were lowlight focusing, weight (noticeably lighter), better auto WB, and I do like the shutter/mirror slap sound of 5DIV better. It is quieter. I have also seen people pull more detail out of shadows, but, in the shots I took where I tried to view the benefits of extended DR, the 5DIII actually did pretty well, but the 5DIV was better and I do occasionally see banding issues with my 5DIII.

So, overall, the 5DIV is a better camera, except for the battery life. But the 5DIII is an amazing camera in its own.

For a third camera, mostly aimed at lower weight, if you think of cameras as tools, I'd probably save the money and go for the 5DIII. If you liked to geek out with the latest gear, then go with the 5DIV, it is better, and, maybe most importantly, just a bit lighter.

So far, I am staying with my 5DIII. And the further we get from the release of the 5DIV and the more shots I take where I wouldn't have needed the 5DIV features the less tempted I am to upgrade.
 
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#10
AlanF said:
Here is a detailed comparison that concludes the 5DIV is better than the 5DIII in every way (which doesn't mean that the 5DIII is not a great camera) and in some areas beats the 1DXII:
http://arihazeghiphotography.com/blog/eos-5d-mark-iv-field-review/

Any lighter alternative will mean some sacrifices for you. The 5DIV will lose some speed and robustness but where you don't need very high speed it has better image quality. You don't want a smaller sensor but the M5 is great for travel.
Click to expand...

I find the 5D Mark IV to be noticeably better than the 5D Mark III in real world shooting with an emphasis in the low light category. I have a 5DS, but it stays in the office unless I'm shooting specifically for hi-res and want to carry a tripod.
I bought a M5 for casual shooting and I'm really liking it. I took it on a day trip, leaving all other gear behind, and had a great time with reasonably good photos at the end of the day.
It really boils down to the question of what you intend to do with the travel photos. If your goal is to sell large prints of low light subjects, the 5D Mark IV might be the better option.

Here are a couple M5 shots with the 11-22mm lens:

Canon EOS M5 11-22mm testing Bird Houses 0235 Web © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr

This one is a .4 second(!) handheld through a protective grate at arms length

Columbia Fire House 0413 © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr
 
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#11
Luckily you have a first world problem.
The 5D4 is overall a slight improvement on a 5D3.
Recovery of shadows is better. In reality the output of both is so close as to not be significantly different. Both are still quite heavy if were weight is one of your concerns. The Fuji XT-2 is a great option, good fast lens. I went with Olympus , excellent fast primes good output from the camera, small and light , crazy operating system.
 
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#12
Having experience with both cameras, I can echo what most have already said - to me, the biggest advantage of the 5D4 over the 3 isn't so much in resolution (the difference won't be noticed very much in everyday shooting, but does come into play when cropping) as in user experience. Several of my biggest annoyances with the 5D3 were addressed with the 4, such as EC in manual mode, greater flexibility with auto ISO and minimum shutter speed, the addition of Wifi connectivity - and some nice perks such as the "intelligent viewfinder" (I find I'm enjoying knowing what I have set while shooting), anti-flicker mode and white-priority auto WB make the shooting experience overall a bit more enjoyable with the Mark IV. The RAW files do seem to be a bit more flexible when pushed, but I didn't find the difference to be staggering. The Mark III is still a solid camera and I greatly enjoyed it over the 3-4 years I had it.

In my view - it's a question of budget. Either camera will suit your needs just fine.
 
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#13
Act444 said:
Having experience with both cameras, I can echo what most have already said - to me, the biggest advantage of the 5D4 over the 3 isn't so much in resolution (the difference won't be noticed very much in everyday shooting, but does come into play when cropping) as in user experience. Several of my biggest annoyances with the 5D3 were addressed with the 4, such as EC in manual mode, greater flexibility with auto ISO and minimum shutter speed, the addition of Wifi connectivity - and some nice perks such as the "intelligent viewfinder" (I find I'm enjoying knowing what I have set while shooting), anti-flicker mode and white-priority auto WB make the shooting experience overall a bit more enjoyable with the Mark IV. The RAW files do seem to be a bit more flexible when pushed, but I didn't find the difference to be staggering. The Mark III is still a solid camera and I greatly enjoyed it over the 3-4 years I had it.

In my view - it's a question of budget. Either camera will suit your needs just fine.
Click to expand...

Agree with all of that. The Mark IV is an excellent replacement but I'm still using the Mark 3 as a second body and it's still a great camera.
 
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#14
I guess I'll dissent here. I think the 5D4 is significantly better than the 5D3. Owned both. How you judge that will depend, of course, on what you shoot.

The big one for me is the f/8 focusing, allowing me to use a teleconverter on my 100-400 II, and have the autofocus be at least as fast as the 5D3 with the bare lens. In essence, it gave me the crop factor with the image quality of a full frame sensor significantly improved from the 5D3.

The files are much more recoverable as well, with shadows able to be pulled up about 3 stops before it looks at all bad, versus 1.5 stops with the 5D3 in my experience. This isn't something you'd see shooting a floor model in the store.

The extra megapixels are appreciated by guys like me who are often reach-limited and crop significantly.

The difference between my 5d3 images and my 5d4 images was similar to the difference between my 7D2 images and my 5D3 pictures. A little more than a stop better when all is factored in. It's a well-thought-out, balanced camera that you have to use for a bit to fully appreciate. Of course, the 5D3 is at least perfectly adequate for almost everything. In good light in non-challenging conditions, there could be very little difference between the two. But if you're pushing limits, the 5D4 will indeed give you noticeably better images.
 
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#15
What I worry about is if you get the 5Dm3, it will be too big of a drop from you 1Dx2 and not like it. So you will end up just using your 1Dx2. Where the 5Dm4 will be a drop but i think a more manageable drop and have some pluses like an extra 10mp.
A question you should asking yourself what camera will you be happy with?
I would guess it would be a 5dm4.
 
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#16
I updated my very high mileage gripped 5DIII (on its fourth shutter) for a 5DIV a few months ago. The 5DIII was a huge favourite, I loved that camera and the files it generated all the way from controlled lighting 100 iso marketing and advertising projects to high iso stage, industrial and corporate projects.

What attracted me to the 5DIV initially was the consistent reviewers conclusions that the blacks and shadows were way cleaner than the 5DIII, the more advanced and responsive AF, the modest gain in iso performance and the touch screen which I quickly grew to love with my Panasonic GH4. Oh, and the slightly reduced weight is always nice.

But it's proved to exceed my modest expectations. The files are just so darn good and more than up to the task for my fussiest clients and my own personal standards. The more subtle, almost intangible handling improvements of the 5DIV is what I didn't immediately anticipate. It was a bit like the step up from my 1D MkIV to a 1DX. Everything was more responsive and plain satisfying to use. A carelessly shot RAW has a lot more latitude in post. I've been stunned how much I can push a file and still have an image I'm perfectly happy to deliver to a client. Battery life does not seem to be as good as the almost ridiculous battery life in the 5DIII. Still, it's a very big day where I have to switch to a second pair of batteries with the 5DIV.

OP, it depends on your needs, budget and what you plan to do with your images. The 5DIII remains a highly desirable and capable camera that still cuts it against newer competition. But for a travel camera, this is no lightweight. I'd be taking a look at a good APS-C body or even MFT. When I'm traveling for pleasure, it's my Panasonic GH4 that gets the trip.

-pw
 
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#18
The economics work out too I guess. I pay more now but get more when I upgrade. Evens out I think. :)

But now my mind is drifting back to XT2. The size/weight difference really is appealing. But feel insecure about IQ... Don't have enough experience with smaller sensor.
 
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