Should i go for the 1DX or the 5D Mk III?

[jrista]

Given that you shoot weddings, I think the 1DX would be better, regardless of what the 5DIII specs end up being. With weddings, your bound to be shooting indoors half the time, probably going to shoot a few dances...solid AF with higher FPS at higher ISO would be a necessity. Regardless what the bulk of the 5D III specs are, its doubtful it will have a high FPS (3-4 at most?) and it won't have solid AF (otherwise it would cut into 7D and 1DX sales). I don't shoot weddings myself, however I have friends that do...I've never seen them print anything that needed high resolution (standard size photos up to 8x10 or so, books), so an 18mp sensor (which IS pretty high resolution, really) is probably perfect.

 

[Meh]

I'm surprised so many people responded sarcastically to the OP or claimed it's a silly or makes no sense.

Let's say a person has a 5D2 today and sees the 1DX as a worthwhile upgrade so is considering pre-ordering it soon to ensure getting one before June next year. It would be reasonable for that person to be wondering if maybe the 5D3, which will be less sophisticated than the 1DX but an improvement over the 5D2, will be a better choice for some reason for example cost.

Most people's camera needs and/or budget will put them squarely with one or the other but some people will genuinely be uncertain based on their individual needs and range of photography. Yes, any discussion involving 5D3 is hypothetical but is a valid a consideration for anyone considering pre-ordering a 1DX.

 

[alipaulphotography]

I'm surprised so many people responded sarcastically to the OP or claimed it's a silly or makes no sense.

Let's say a person has a 5D2 today and sees the 1DX as a worthwhile upgrade so is considering pre-ordering it soon to ensure getting one before June next year. It would be reasonable for that person to be wondering if maybe the 5D3, which will be less sophisticated than the 1DX but an improvement over the 5D2, will be a better choice for some reason for example cost.

The two camera lines are so fundamentally different that it is hard to see why anyone that perceives that they need a 1DX might think that a 5D3 would be adequate. The only people that would be confused or undecided would be those for whom the 1DX has not been "built to order."

Well said. If you aren't sure if you need it. You don't.

 

[Meh]

I'm surprised so many people responded sarcastically to the OP or claimed it's a silly or makes no sense.

Let's say a person has a 5D2 today and sees the 1DX as a worthwhile upgrade so is considering pre-ordering it soon to ensure getting one before June next year. It would be reasonable for that person to be wondering if maybe the 5D3, which will be less sophisticated than the 1DX but an improvement over the 5D2, will be a better choice for some reason for example cost.

The two camera lines are so fundamentally different that it is hard to see why anyone that perceives that they need a 1DX might think that a 5D3 would be adequate. The only people that would be confused or undecided would be those for whom the 1DX has not been "built to order."

Well said. If you aren't sure if you need it. You don't.

Nonsense. Many things are useful, nice to have, etc. but aren't absolute necessities. Is everything in your life a black and white decision, absolute clarity, no lists of pros and cons to consider and weigh various options?

 

[Meh]

I'm surprised so many people responded sarcastically to the OP or claimed it's a silly or makes no sense.

Let's say a person has a 5D2 today and sees the 1DX as a worthwhile upgrade so is considering pre-ordering it soon to ensure getting one before June next year. It would be reasonable for that person to be wondering if maybe the 5D3, which will be less sophisticated than the 1DX but an improvement over the 5D2, will be a better choice for some reason for example cost.

The two camera lines are so fundamentally different that it is hard to see why anyone that perceives that they need a 1DX might think that a 5D3 would be adequate. The only people that would be confused or undecided would be those for whom the 1DX has not been "built to order."

"So fundamentally different". Really? How so?

 

[Picsfor]

My take on this is rather simple.

1DX - why? Because you are being entrusted with capturing the memories that the Bride and Groom will fail to capture themselves.

But what you don't say is - can you afford 2 of them?

A wedding day is about as important as it can get, and you have to have redundancy across the board, 2 bodies, duplication of focal length (as opposed to 2 of each lens), redundancy in flash guns and memory cards.

Have you ever seen a Bride who has been told that there are no pictures for her wedding daybecause the photographer's kit broke or the card failed, and there was no way to get past it.

I'll warn you now - you'll only ever want to see it once - you'll either get paranoid about redundancy or give up wedding photography.

I have 2 5D2's, but i would take 2 1D4's or preferably 2 1DX's every time - because of the redundancy they give.
And yes, High ISO can be a damn good substitute for a broken flash.

 

[wockawocka]

If it's for weddings you want the one that writes to two cards at the same time.

I doubt the 5D3 will have that ability.

 

[wtf1234567]

Wow...i never expected so much response actually...
i currently using 1ds3 and shoot mainly wedding and event as my part time job.
The reason i asked was because i have many friends around me shoot wedding and events using 5d2 without much problem..
At this moment, 1ds3 does everything that a 5d2 can do, apart from video...but when it comes to 1dx vs 5d3(high MP), its no longer the same situation...
and of coz i do aware buying 1dx probaably equal to the cost of buying 2 5d3 or 4 used 5d2...
thats why i have the thought..@@
thanks for opinions.

 

[DynaMike]

ummmmmmm.......should I buy a camera that has just been announced with no release date, or go for the nonexistent model that no one knows anything about? Decisions, decisions..............

I wonder about this board sometimes.

 

[Meh]

ummmmmmm.......should I buy a camera that has just been announced with no release date, or go for the nonexistent model that no one knows anything about? Decisions, decisions..............

I wonder about this board sometimes.

What do you wonder about? Canon Rumors is all about rumors and speculation. It's right in the name. And as for threads that discuss plans to buy now or wait for the next models, this one is actually quite valid. Anyone who wants to be sure to have a 1DX for next year will have to pre-order as soon as they can which means they have to make that decision in the very near future.

 

[Minnesota Nice]

Assuming the 5D Mark III will be a high MP camera, it would be good for weddings, probably won't be the fastest camera, but it could be pushing 30MP+ images.

If you strictly shoot weddings I'd go with the 5D Mark III, but not enough is know about it yet to make that answer concrete.

 

[wickidwombat]

neither, buy a cheap 5D2 now and then you can shoot for the next 6 months while you wait for the 1Dx early adopters to work the bugs out and wait for actual release on the 5D3 then make a decision. Or you can keep dreaming about taking a picture with a fantasy camera....

 

[Meh]

neither, buy a cheap 5D2 now and then you can shoot for the next 6 months while you wait for the 1Dx early adopters to work the bugs out and wait for actual release on the 5D3 then make a decision. Or you can keep dreaming about taking a picture with a fantasy camera....

The original poster (but not in the original post) already stated he currently uses a 1Ds3.

 

[wickidwombat]

ah gotcha, i did actually check the orinal post and didnt see anything there, If he uses a 1D body already it will take some getting used to the reduced features of a 5D3. I would say go for the 1Dx then if he is happy with the bulk, personally i find the smaller form of the 5D one of my favourite features i wonder how a non grip integrated 1Dx would sell at a somewhat reduced cost say $5500 to $6000 full functionality but smaller form factor with 5D size battery. I think they would sell like hotcakes.

 

[briansquibb]

ah gotcha, i did actually check the orinal post and didnt see anything there, If he uses a 1D body already it will take some getting used to the reduced features of a 5D3. I would say go for the 1Dx then if he is happy with the bulk, personally i find the smaller form of the 5D one of my favourite features i wonder how a non grip integrated 1Dx would sell at a somewhat reduced cost say $5500 to $6000 full functionality but smaller form factor with 5D size battery. I think they would sell like hotcakes.

A 1Ds3 will continue to deliver top pictures for a long time. Perhaps a 1D4 might be a good backup in the short term as it handles high iso as good as anything else at the moment.

I find that at weddings big prints aren't needed so high mp can be worked around with full frame composition - as can low light by walking around with a flash on a lightstand to give 2 flash pictures. I have 5 580EXs all loaded with batteries with 4 mounted on PocketWizzards, with two on light stands. I usually commandeer a corner and set up a mini studio where groups can get portraits done. Works for me and avoids issues of poor lighting and white balance with mixtures of lighting, such as tungsten and strip.

I would say wait until this time next year to see how the market settles and the prices come down.

 

[scottk]

I'm a working full time wedding photog. High megapixels does not equal a good wedding camera. I print 40x60 canvases with images from an 18mp sensor. Do you really need more than that? Let's use the dreaded N word - My friends who use Nikon that charge upwards of 10k for a wedding actually shoot them with their D3S, which is something like 12mp, but have incredible high ISO capability and great autofocus. Those that have the much higher megapixel D3X relegate it to their studio camera and it never sees a wedding. Low noise, fast autofocus, and high FPS are much more importsnt features for a wedding camera than megapixles. Most photos will never be bigger than a canvas or an album spread. Wedding pictures don't go up on billboards. Resoution isn't everything. IMHO, the 1DX will be the ultimate wedding camera on the market.

 

[distant.star]

I agree 100%. Unless you're printing highway billboards, I don't think anything in the DSLR world will be superior to the 1DX for any assignment you give it -- at least if it lives up to Canon's hype. I still want to see real world experience.

I'm a working full time wedding photog. High megapixels does not equal a good wedding camera. I print 40x60 canvases with images from an 18mp sensor. Do you really need more than that? Let's use the dreaded N word - My friends who use Nikon that charge upwards of 10k for a wedding actually shoot them with their D3S, which is something like 12mp, but have incredible high ISO capability and great autofocus. Those that have the much higher megapixel D3X relegate it to their studio camera and it never sees a wedding. Low noise, fast autofocus, and high FPS are much more importsnt features for a wedding camera than megapixles. Most photos will never be bigger than a canvas or an album spread. Wedding pictures don't go up on billboards. Resoution isn't everything. IMHO, the 1DX will be the ultimate wedding camera on the market.

 

[leGreve]

I most definitely sincerely think you should sit on your hands and wait for the 5D when it comes out a little less than a year from now........ but if there's something else in the works that is better at that time I think you should wait for that instead.

In the meantime, we'll go out, make photos, and report back to you how fun it was.....

STOP DREAMING for the best.... you will NEVER have the best or the newest. That's the way technology and capitalism works. Things are build to be outdated and be worn down. Just get what the hell ever you need and go out and make those god damn photos.

It's not the camera that does it... it merely captures your work and makes it viewable. The motive doesn't give a S___ what camera you use to capture it.

Now get up and get out.

 

[photophreek]

A high MP 5d 3 (which has not been announced and is just pure speculation) is not going to be a 1D X. As a result, there is no debating which to buy - the 1D X, it's a real camera and will be available in March 2012. If you haven't already, do some research on the 1D X (not just press releases) and you will soon see what this camera is capable of.

 

[Viggo]

Here's one of the reasons I am extremely happy that the 1d X is 18 and not 36mp, and it's a reason no one talks about, but I know it's a fact going from the 10mp mkIII to the 16mp mkIV:

The smaller the pixel the faster shutter speed you need to freeze action, because the subject moves over to the pixel next to it way faster with higher density. This is one of the reasons you often here the 7d is soft when shooting moving subjects. And it's for the same reason I need 1/1600s-1/2000s to freeze action instead of 1/1000s I needed to stop everything with the mkIII. So going back to 1/1000s as a result of 21% larger pixels of the X will be yet another fantastic reason to get one.