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Archive 2012 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)

  
 
Nozzleforward
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I'm starting to look at trying to do some more serious wildlife photography, and would like to see about making my second body work double duty as a pj body and wildlife body. I have a 5D now, so I'm thinking that either a 7D or a 1D3 would fit the bill nicely. What I'm wondering is this...

While both obviously have their advantages in ISO, frame rate, megapixels, etc, does either one stand out among the crowd when it comes to either wildlife or journalistic shooting? I have had a 1D before, and really liked the body, but to be honest, I could go either way.

Also, currently all I have are EF lenses, and I plan on sticking with my 5D for wide shooting.



Aug 10, 2012 at 06:46 PM
rprouty
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I think the 1D3 is the way to go. A lot of folks like the 7D but I just never got to like it.

Rod



Aug 10, 2012 at 06:49 PM
Jonathan Huynh
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Agree with above .
1D III , 1D IV even better.



Aug 10, 2012 at 06:53 PM
Mescalamba
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I would prefer 1DMK3. Depends a bit if you want 1.6x crop or not. And ofc buy only from verified sellers and only 1DMK3 with good or fixed AF.

1DMK3 are quite cheap these days so I think its pretty good choice.



Aug 10, 2012 at 06:57 PM
Nozzleforward
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Yeah, the recent price drop is what has peaked my interest in the 1D3. My budget for a second body is up to $1500 or so, which obviously both cameras fit the bill on. I'm not particularly crazy about the 1.6x sensor now that I've had a full frame for a while, and I'd be more interested in the 1.3x, plus I really like the control, feel and performance from the 1D bodies.

I've messed with a 1D3 for a bit before selling it on here, and fell in love with it. But given the two years newer technology in the 7D, plus it's strong popularity with wildlife shooters on here, I figured it was worth a look (Didn't hurt that it is available for $500 or so less than the 1D3 )

I appreciate the input from everyone, it's always welcome. I'm figuring that I will probably be bolting a 300 f4 on this body to start out with, then looking to go up from there if it turns out to be something I enjoy and am good at.



Aug 10, 2012 at 07:15 PM
RikWriter
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I've taken both cameras to Yellowstone the last three years in a row and they each have their strengths and weaknesses. The 7D focusses very accurately and is better if you have to crop some images to get some length. The 1D3, however, is much better at high ISOs, which is very important for wildlife.


Aug 10, 2012 at 07:26 PM
uz2work
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I'm currently using a 1D Mark IV and 7D primarily for wildlife shooting, and I previously used a 1D Mark III.

While I loved my 1D Mark III and got lots of excellent shots with it, I wouldn't sell the 7D short. If I was shooting in situations that were not focal length-limited, I'd probably say that the 1D Mark III has more going for it, but, in focal length-limited situations, the 7D has some significant advantages. If you have to crop a 1D Mark III image down to the same field of view as that of 7D image, you will be down to fewer than 7 MP on the cropped 1D Mark III image. Even if, on a per pixel level, the 1D Mark III pixels are of a higher quality, if you have to up-rez to make a decent-sized print, that advantage is lost.

I know that there are some who really enjoy bashing the 7D, but I think that the bashing comes largely from people who fail to accept the fact that, with a high pixel density sensor, especially if you are going to crop, you need to keep your shutter speeds at significantly higher levels than you would with other cameras and from people who insist on comparing noise in a totally invalid manner by looking at images at 100%, instead of looking at them at the image level.

I'm currently finishing up a 5 month long project where I've been visiting an eagle nest virtually every day and documenting the nesting progress. While the single chick was in the nest and the action was all around the nest, I shot from a tripod with my 1D Mark IV and 500/4. Once the chick fledged from the nest, I have continued to follow it out of the nest for the last 6 weeks. When following it through the marsh, brush, etc., a more mobile camera/lens combination has been an asset. So, I switched to using the 7D and my 400 DO (which is another piece of equipment that those with "internet wisdom" love to bash). The 7D/400 DO combination has not let me down in any way. Its AF has been completely up to the challenge when I've been shooting fast moving action with busy backgrounds, and, if I didn't know which images were taken with which camera and lens, I wouldn't be able to guess because, in actual prints, I don't see any visible difference whatever in the image quality of what I got from the 1D Mark IV/500 combination and what I am getting from the 7D/400 DO combination. And, since many of the images have required significant cropping, I know that I could not have gotten the same images with a 10 MP 1D Mark III.

If you are interested in seeing some of the nest pictures from the 7D, I can provide a link to them on my site.

Les

Edited on Aug 10, 2012 at 07:52 PM · View previous versions



Aug 10, 2012 at 07:37 PM
Nozzleforward
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Les, I'd certainly like to see your shots.


Aug 10, 2012 at 07:52 PM
uz2work
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Nozzleforward wrote:
Les, I'd certainly like to see your shots.


The nest galleries are here.

http://www.wildlifeimagesbyles.net/Eagle_Nest/Eagle_Nest_2012/eagle_nest_2012.html

The presentation is divided into a number of sub-galleries. They are in chronological order. Again, the 7D/400 DO images are the ones after the chick fledged from the nest.

Note that there are a handful of images where I might have been shooting directly into the light or from such a distance that extreme crops were needed. Those are images that I'd normally throw away, but I have included a few of them in this presentation only because I thought that the behaviors that they showed were important to documenting the nesting process. For example, there are a couple of shots of the fledgling with the first fish that it caught for itself. They were taken from quite far away and required a very severe crop, but, again, they were showing something that I wanted to make sure I included. Otherwise, there are some nice action sequences that show how well the AF performed and other more static shots both from close up and from further distances.

Just as an added note, I think that the story of the nest is a pretty neat one. The text that accompanies each sub-gallery tells some of that story.

Les


Edited on Aug 10, 2012 at 08:05 PM · View previous versions



Aug 10, 2012 at 07:57 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I have owned both and preferred the 7D. It is lighter and has spot AF, which the 1D3 does not. I did not find the 1D3 to be one iota better with high ISO's.






















Aug 10, 2012 at 08:05 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


*






















Aug 10, 2012 at 08:06 PM
uz2work
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Imagemaster wrote:
I have owned both and preferred the 7D. It is lighter and has spot AF, which the 1D3 does not. I did not find the 1D3 to be one iota better with high ISO's.


Going along with what I said above, the per pixel noise of the 1D Mark III is better, however, when you need to crop, you are also magnifying noise, and, in that situation, the advantage of the 1D Mark III disappears.

Les



Aug 10, 2012 at 08:09 PM
Fred Meebley
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I think it is up to you if you want the cleaner files from the 1d3 or the reach and price of the the 7d. When it comes to wildlife I say glass is more important than body. If I was in your situation and was limited to 300mm, I would get the 7d now for the extra reach and use the $500 you save towards a 400 5.6 when the budget allows. Maybe a 1.4 extender if you don't already have one. It kinda depends on what kind of wildlife you plan to shoot. Some tend to be more nocturnal than others and some are more approachable than others. I tend to be more reach limited than light limited, but your mileage may vary.


Aug 10, 2012 at 08:12 PM
Pixel Perfect
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


It's a tough choice no doubt. If it were just a matter of IQ or best AF then 1D III is the pick, but as others have alluded to, when you take FL limited situations into account things start to favour the 7D. The pixel density of the 7D is such that it effectively has 1.7x the reach of the 1D III. That's a huge advantage and not one to dismiss lightly. They are both terrific cameras and if you have access to long glass like 600mm or more, I'd say take the 1D III, but if you are on a budget and say have 400mm as you max, the 7D is a no brainer for wildlife. Both can deliver fantastic results, the 7D needs a little more care with technique, but good technique gives rewards on any camera.


Aug 11, 2012 at 04:12 AM
Nozzleforward
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Pixel, thanks for the input on that. I'm figuring I will get a 300 f4 and 1.4tc to start with, the 400/500/600's are really awesome lenses, but are out of my price range for the time being.

I'm going to be upgrading my CPS membership here pretty soon, anyone happen to know if they loan 7D's? Edit: (Did a little looking on the site, sure enough they do...)



Aug 11, 2012 at 08:25 AM
Yakim Peled
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


7D. It just got upgraded and finding 1D3 with reliable AF might be time-consuming.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.



Aug 11, 2012 at 09:45 AM
Pixel Perfect
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Yakim Peled wrote:
7D. It just got upgraded and finding 1D3 with reliable AF might be time-consuming.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.


If you can buy from a seller that used their 1D III for wildlife as well, you should be fine. Let me say that my 1D III was the best camera I had used for AF. I'm still not sure if my 1D IV is as good and I haven't used my 5D III for wildlife yet, that comes next week when I should be able to put it through it's paces.

If the 1D III had of even had say 12MP and the much better lcd of the 1D IV I probably would have never sold it for a 1D IV. Even then I only did because of the great price I could get the 1D IV through work.



Aug 11, 2012 at 09:54 AM
anthony whitmo
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


I have owned the following ALL and nearly all of them at the same time

Mark III
Mark IV
7D
5D II

and now the 1Dx

Sold the Mark III after having my Mark IV for a few months
And bought the 7D and 5 D II to act as spare's for the Mark IV and Landscapes from the 5DII.

If you can't pick up a 1Dx or a Mark IV I would strongly suggest the Pro Body Mark III

Hi ISO performance beats the 7D hands down. AF tracking of the Mark III is better than the 7D also. And even at lower pixel count I found I preferred working with the Mark III files over the 7D files any day.

Opinions will vary > But I'm right : )

Tony gave some excellent examples of what the 7D can do. But he sits in a blind and his images are probably pretty close to full frame. If you plan on taking ONLY FF Images
( Don't we all ) then the 7D can work well.

The only problem I see with the 7D is at higher ISO the fine feather detail is pretty much mush and smooth vs the Mark III. The Pro body will maintain finer detail at higher ISO's..

Just my thought

Here's an image with the 1Dx at ISO 6400

http://www.pbase.com/anthony_whitmore/image/144740175/original.jpg

The Mark III won't do that..... But it will do it better than the 7D

Here is a HEAVY HEAVY EXTREME Crop of the 1Dx at ISO 3200

NO NOISE REMOVAL on this image

http://www.pbase.com/anthony_whitmore/image/145319907/original.jpg

There's a reason the Pro Body Mark III is more expensive than a Non Pro body and it WILL outperform the 7D.

Just my thought YMMV

Ant






Aug 11, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Nozzleforward
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Man, I think the thing I like most when I post a thread like this is all of the awesome example shots everyone posts up!


Aug 11, 2012 at 11:23 AM
Jase1125
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · 7D vs. 1D3 for wildlife work (input needed)


Personally I fail to see why a pro body will do better simply because it is pro. Fact is I have owned the 7D along with a 1D3 and 1D4. While noise is *slightly* better with the 1D3, the 7D resolves more detail and is a better choice for focal length limited shooting. With that said, your post processing technique will have to be adjusted for the 7D. Proper post processing will yield more detailed images over a 1D3 in my experience.


Aug 11, 2012 at 08:46 PM
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