Should I wait for the Mark IV, or buy the Mark III at a low price now?

[iso9000]

Hello,

First time poster. I am in the market to buy a new camera, and I am torn between the Mark III and the Mark IV. The Mark III is clearly at the end of the cycle, and the Mark IV is just around the corner. But I do need a camera sooner rather than later. With all these rumored specs flying around, do you think I should wait for the Mark IV, or buy the Mark III at a pretty decent price with deals they have these days?

 

[kelpdiver]

the 7D II was "around the corner" for a couple years. The 100-400 II even longer. And how long did we have rumors about the high pixel 5s?

The discounting on the III certainly suggests a replacement. But it could also be a reflection that this 3 year old model can't sell as well at its original price range given all the others that have come along. The IV will certainly cost more, probably that same sort of $3-4k as the III did on release. So you're getting value here....if the III does what you need. If this is more of a upgrade present for yourself, then waiting is probably the right course.

I've been pretty happy with the III except for the crippled SD slot - it performs much much slower than the CF making the notion of saving raw to 1 and jpg to the other, or copies to both, ineffective in bursts.

 

[perspectivist]

Hi there,

the question you should ask yourself in the first place IMHO is what you do want to use the camera for and whether you really need all the upgrade specs the Mark IV might offer one day. Besides, if you are merely looking for an FF camera, you might as well opt for a used Mark II which still delivers amazing quality at a comparatively low price - but then, this brings me back to my introductory remark

Good luck with your decision and best wishes.

 

[leGreve]

Do you need it now?

You answer to this will answer your own question. You wont see a mark IV until the earliest in september maybe even early 2016.

 

[Maximilian]

... and the Mark IV is just around the corner. But I do need a camera sooner rather than later. ...

Hi iso9000!
And welcome to CR.

You've answered your question already.
Get the 5DIII right now. It is a great workhorse. You can get it for a fantastic price now (consider the right - best - lenses for your needs you can afford). And even in four years it will still take great pictures.

The 5DIV (or 5DX, maybe a new name) release will not appear before the 5DS is shipping for several weeks. so late 2015 or more likely early 2016.
I am not sure if we'll see a 1DX MkII first and then you'll have to wait half a year longer.
And even if the 5DIV performes so much better, that you really need it (not want it, not G.A.S.!) for the first few months it won't sell much below MSRP, so it will be high above $3,000 more likely above $3,500.

And you will still be able to sell your 5DIII then for a reasonable price.

Buy now, have fun now. Yours

 

[wok64]

Hi,

I assume this is one of the most frequently asked questions in any blog about any type of equipment (not only photography ...). In my opinion it always boils down to three questions:
1) Does the price difference matter to you?
2) Are you missing any features in the current model you´re expecting in the new one?
3) Do you need the camera now?

Point 3) has already been raised and doesn´t need further explanation. With a rumored model without any announced date of shipment it´s obviously a very important one.

Point 2) is kind of a trap we all tend to fall into. Of course the new model will have a "better" sensor (higher ISO, maybe a bit more resolution, higher dynamic range), maybe a faster frame rate and some other minor enhancements. For sure there are people who need those improvements but for a lot of us it simple doesn´t matter because our current gear is good enough for our purposes. There are so many pros out there making a living with the 5D Mark III (and even previous models) that I doubt it has any severe lack of capabilities

Point 1) is easy. Always buying the latest and greatest is a lot of fun but a big money burner (been there, done that ...). And don´t forget: What´s the best today is the "old crap" of tomorrow from marketing perspective (but: see point 2). If you´re a wealthy person and money isn´t an issue for you and point 1 is no problem wait for the MIV or buy the MIII now, and exchange it for an MIV later.

Best regards,
Wolfgang

 

[dolina]

Are you getting a paid gig or have a once in a lifetime project to do now?

If so get the Mark III today.

If not, then be like me and wait for the Mark IV.

September's less than 6 months away.

 

[plam_1980]

It is very important what you need it for, as almost everyone above suggested, and also do you have something else to shoot with in the meantime, if you decide to wait. Think of all those things/moments that you can miss meanwhile, if you don't have other good camera. Mark IV is not around the corner, in my view for at least 6 up to 12 months possibly. They announced 5Ds/R in March with availability in July. So I think they will not announce Mark IV before 5Ds are selling well, and then availability will be in a few more months. Can you wait that long?

 

[dak723]

Get the Mark III. There is usually very little (or no) real difference in the IQ of your pics from one model to the next. The price now is a real bargain.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

The best time to buy a camera is always two years from now.

If you wait for the Mark IV to come out, would you then be concerned whether you should wait for the Mk V?

Which would be better, taking photographs with a Mk III now, or not taking pictures with the mythical Mk IV?

What will the Mk III not give you that you believe the Mk IV will?

 

[Hector1970]

This is always the photographer's dilemma.
Go for the cheaper old or better and more expensive new.

I would put it to you this way.
If this is your first full frame and you are not already a fantastic photographer (ie world class , medal winning, super professional) then buy the Mark III.

When you have become a world class, medal winning or super professional photographer with the Mark III then you can reward yourself with a Mark IV (which will be heavily discounted by that point in time).

Slightly tongue in cheek I know but have no fears of buying a Mark III.
It's still a fantastic camera.
My limits are not my camera - they are me as a photographer.
I can never unfortuanately blame my Mark III - It's fantastic (I'm not)

 

[RGF]

Unless you need the camera now, I would wait.

Then after the 5D M4 is announced, check out the rumors for the 5D M5. Perhaps you could wait for that one. And once the 5D M5 is announced, check out ..

Sorry for the tongue in check message, but you could wait forever.

At the end of the day, do you need/want the camera now? This is a harder questions, but do you think that the new features will allow you do to create images that you can not create with the current model? Or perhaps easier?

Yes the price is reduced, and the new model will be premium priced. How important is it to you to have the latest and greatest? You will pay extra for that. The discounted 5D M3 is likely to represent a better value but in the end that is for you to judge (with little to no information about the newer model).

Good luck and let us know what you decide

 

[Yiannis A - Greece]

Dear "ISO9000",

Yesterday morning, 150 souls got aboard flight 4U9525 of German Wings to get to their destination. I'm more than sure that they had plans for today but, today never came for them. Maybe i sound tragic but, nobody knows if tomorrow ever comes; if you want it and you can do it, do it...YESTERDAY! So, i'd friendly suggest you, not to wait for any tomorrow and what better (?) it should bring to the table, go ahead and do it NOW!

And a few more words; i own both 5D Mk3 and 7D mk2 and as i can see from others, once Canon jumped on Dual Pixel AF wagon, although quality of focusing during video is really excellent, focusing during shooting photos has clearly declined. That generally happens to my 7D Mk2 too, with some (3rd party usually) lenses, with aperture faster than f/2.8 (mostly). There are lots of reports for 70D too, which also uses the DPAF system. Being absolutely sure that 5D Mk4 or whatever the successor of Mk3 is, will implement DPAF system (especially after Canon having released EF 24-105 IS STM) will "suffer" the same issue. As an engineer, i strongly believe that DPAF has a bunch of pros and a few annoying cons, single point AF being one of them.

That's my 2 cents, do what you think is best but, remember life is too short to wait forever.

Always be lucky, be healthy and strong, live your life with those you love.

Yours
Yiannis.

 

[meson1]

I had this last year.

[list type=decimal]
[*]You have to get on the proverbial ladder sometime or you'll always be waiting for the next big thing.
[*]When the 5DIV finally comes out, Canon will have hiked the price and it'll be at least a year before decent deals start to emerge.
[*]In contrast 5DIII prices are relatively soft now, and softening further all the time.
[*]Which ever way you cut it, the 5DIII is a cracking camera, even if it has been surpassed in one area or another by other makes and some of Canon's own products. The 5DIII didn't just stop being superb. It's still brilliant and still a very desirable piece of kit.
[/list]

I opted for the 5DIII last year rather than wait. I just thought 'screw it' and just went and got it and I'm glad I did.

 

[candc]

Dear "ISO9000",

Yesterday morning, 150 souls got aboard flight 4U9525 of German Wings to get to their destination. I'm more than sure that they had plans for today but, today never came for them. Maybe i sound tragic but, nobody knows if tomorrow ever comes; if you want it and you can do it, do it...YESTERDAY! So, i'd friendly suggest you, not to wait for any tomorrow and what better (?) it should bring to the table, go ahead and do it NOW!

And a few more words; i own both 5D Mk3 and 7D mk2 and as i can see from others, once Canon jumped on Dual Pixel AF wagon, although quality of focusing during video is really excellent, focusing during shooting photos has clearly declined. That generally happens to my 7D Mk2 too, with some (3rd party usually) lenses, with aperture faster than f/2.8 (mostly). There are lots of reports for 70D too, which also uses the DPAF system. Being absolutely sure that 5D Mk4 or whatever the successor of Mk3 is, will implement DPAF system (especially after Canon having released EF 24-105 IS STM) will "suffer" the same issue. As an engineer, i strongly believe that DPAF has a bunch of pros and a few annoying cons, single point AF being one of them.

That's my 2 cents, do what you think is best but, remember life is too short to wait forever.

Always be lucky, be healthy and strong, live your life with those you love.

Yours
Yiannis.

Dpaf is only used in live view. It is not used during regular af.

 

[9VIII]

It's ISO9000...

"What! 9000!?"

I can't believe that hasn't been taken already.

I suspect you'll be hard pressed to find another body of this quality at this price again. The 7D2 is arguably better for weather resistance, but it's a crop body. The 6D2 will probably have the same AF, slightly better high ISO IQ and wi-fi, but it will also have worse weather sealing and probably slightly less fps.

If the 5Ds sells well I'm betting Canon is going to keep future 5D prices higher as well, not to mention inflation will take its toll.

The 1DsMk3 is still an industry standard seven years running, professionals will be using the 5D3 for many years to come. "Good enough" may be hard for some to swallow but it's easy to forget that the standards we have now are incredibly high from a historical perspective.
Just having any Full Frame body makes a huge difference.

 

[Maiaibing]

Hi there,

the question you should ask yourself in the first place IMHO is what you do want to use the camera for and whether you really need all the upgrade specs the Mark IV might offer one day. Besides, if you are merely looking for an FF camera, you might as well opt for a used Mark II which still delivers amazing quality at a comparatively low price - but then, this brings me back to my introductory remark

Good luck with your decision and best wishes.

I have the 5DII and when I tested the 5DIII when it came out it was clear that it had nothing to offer me compared to the 5DII.

In your case I would therefore get the 6D. Its very cheap and the sensor is better than the 5DIII by all accounts and it at least matches the 5DII on almost all accounts. So the trade off's from the 6D to the 5DIII are in fact marginal for most users and most shooting situations - but of course you should check that the 6D is not missing something essential for your style that the 5DIII has. However, if this was the case you would probably not even be asking for advice here...

The money saved will make it easier to fork over the money for the 5DIV at a later stage - or you may just like it so much that you can wait for the 5DV to emerge(!)

Good luck with your choice.

 

[BLFPhoto]

The odds are that there will be nothing the newer camera will do that will greatly affect your ability to take the photos you want to take. The 5D Mk III makes great images in all but the most specialized of circumstances, and will continue to do so for as long as it operates. Further, it will be supported by Canon service centers for a very long time to come. Unless you absolutely need more resolution (if so, why aren't you mentioning the 5Ds?) or you need 1DX-level FPS you will be more than happy with the 5D Mk III's capabilities. The evolutionary upgrades in a Mk IV version will likely be most useful on the fringes of photographic performance. A few more pixels, perhaps built-in flash RF, incrementally improved AF, that sort. The 5D Mk III is already really strong in most areas needed to make photographs. Save some cash for a good lens or two by buying the III now.

 

[Agent XE-5]

Somewhat similar situation. I'm still using my original Mark I. It's got way more than 100K clicks on it and keeps going like a certain bunny we all know and love, but it's eight years old. I do a lot of low-light shooting in music clubs, so the two new 5D bodies are not gonna cut it (according to the reviews). What I paid for the Mark I in 2007 was a third more than the Mark III is now selling for, so that's not the issue. Neither is video capability.

The big issue for me: what will any of the later Canon bodies do in low light, and where does the noise start to creep in?

Add to that: How much longer do I want to lug around this weighty bag o' gear? (I generally travel with a 28-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8, a 1.4x and some misc stuff. Doesn't sound like much til you've been in 90° heat at Jazz Fest for nine hours, then out at the clubs til 2am.)

I'm sure I'd be happy with a Mark III, and I'd probably hang onto it for years, too. I don't see anything else in the current Canon line-up that's full frame, clean at high ISO, durable, does well in low light and is lighter than a 5D.

Suggestions?

 

[ksgal]

Canon 6D?