1Ds3 vs 5D3

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1Ds3 vs 5D3

ctrout
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p.1 #1 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

I recently re-entered the world of full frame (grew up with 35mm) by purchasing a 5Dc. I purchased my first digital eos brand new (D30) back in 2002 for about $2800 and have not been able to justify such a purchase since. I am relegated to used cameras once they drop significantly below the $1000 mark. I am already planning my next FF purchase that will not likely happen until I retire in about three years. There are currently two Canons that look like they would suit my needs (wants) and they should both be approaching my price range at the time I retire. Even if they are a bit higher, I will buy one of them anyway because I'm retiring darn it, and I have earned it!

I love the images from my 5Dc but I really wish that it had the higher frame rate and Live View of my 40D. I also wish that it had at least three user customizable shooting modes like the 40D. I guess to boil it down, I wish my 40D had the 5D's sensor.

So the two models I am considering are the 5D3 and the 1Ds3. I know that the frame rate of the 5D3 is one fps faster and the AF might be a bit better but how much better? Also, I use a 70-200 2.8L IS frequently in a dimly lit auditorium taking pictures of my kids on stage and even with this great lens, my current useable ISOs are a limfac for good photos. For that reason, high ISO performance (3200 minimum, 6400+ would be great) is a priority. I like the smaller form of the 5D but I have a grip on my current 5D and am getting used to it but I still like that I can take it off if I need to. I love the build quality of the 1Ds3 though and the weather sealing. Video isn't a deal maker or breaker for me.

My general use requirements would be driven by how I use my current equipment.
Kids theater and choir (dimly lit)
Landscape and scenic (detail)
Dogs (speed)
Kids soccer, basketball, cheerleading, etc (speed)
Family portraits
Family camping
Macro

I am so torn between which one would be the better option for me.

1Ds3
rugged/weather sealed +1
lower price +1
Bulky -1
frame rate -1/2
High ISO performance

AF performance

overall image quality

5D3
Size +1
Frame rate +1/2
Not as rugged -1
higher price -1
High ISO performance

AF performance

overall image quality

Can anybody fill in the question areas for me or point me to a thread where this has already been hashed out?

Aug 22, 2012 at 08:43 AM

Ralph Conway
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p.1 #2 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

- I guess with your ISO needs/wishes, 1Ds III will not make you happy.
- Concerning AF performance the actual system looks world leading to me (except "illumination issues)
- 5D II already overcame 1Ds IIIs IQ (imo). Even it enhances only marginal with 5D III it should still offer the (marginal again) better IQ, shouldn´t it?

What I do NOT see is your +/- concerning the price: Used 1ds IIIs (here in germany) are still as or more expensive than a new 5D III is. New 1Ds IIIs are around 1500 Euros over a new 5D III.

Ralph

Aug 22, 2012 at 08:58 AM

jasonhupe
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p.1 #3 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

if you spend lots of time in ISO 3200 and beyond, the 5D mK III is the ticket. Way ahead of the 1ds MK III, MKIII iso 1600 is good, 3200 ok with noise reduction. 5D MK III can do 10000 no problem. Plus the 5D MK III has the silent shutter feature which is fabulous and desecrate. The smaller form factor is a plus.

Aug 22, 2012 at 10:48 AM

RobertLynn
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p.1 #4 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

5d3.

Aug 22, 2012 at 11:42 AM

ctrout
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p.1 #5 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

Cool. Thanks for the input. I figured out how to do a very detailed search of just this site through Google and I have been discovering that the 5D3 can do up to like 12800 with no banding and very useable IQ. Also seeing that it has much better DR in the higher ISOs. It looks like now I just need to decide how important the weather sealing is to me. I have heard that the 5D3 is no slouch in this area either, true?

Aug 22, 2012 at 12:09 PM

pinball_pw
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p.1 #6 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

Why wait three more years. If you want a full frame sensor with the tech from your 40D, you could get a 5D2 for pretty close to your price requirements now. Just tossing that out there. - Paul

Aug 22, 2012 at 12:16 PM

Sneakyracer
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p.1 #7 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

I have both. Image quality wise they are very close. Even though the AF in the 5D3 is better overall the one in the 1DS3 is very good and Canon's best AF before the 5D3 and 1DX. The battery and body build of the 1DS3 is better. Feels much better in hand. The shutter also feels higher quality in the 1DS3 although the silent mode in the 5D3 is much quieter. Honestly you will love either camera. Both whip the 5Dc silly. In ALL aspects.

Aug 22, 2012 at 12:29 PM

molson
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p.1 #8 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

Ralph Conway wrote:

What I do NOT see is your +/- concerning the price: Used 1ds IIIs (here in germany) are still as or more expensive than a new 5D III is. New 1Ds IIIs are around 1500 Euros over a new 5D III.

Nice, clean, low-use 1Ds Mark III's are going for about $1000 less than a new 5D Mark III now... which makes them very tempting.

Additional factors you might consider:

1Ds III
- battery life +1
- size/weight compared to 5D III with grip +1/2
- interchangeable focusing screens +1
- flash sync speed +1/2
- built-in viewfinder cover

5D III
- rear LCD +1
- Live View implementation +1
- in-camera lens correction +1/2
- in-camera HDR (if you like that sort of thing) +1/2

Aug 22, 2012 at 12:42 PM

ctrout
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p.1 #9 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

Interchangeable focusing screens is really a non-issue for me but the built-in viewfinder cover would be nice for the many pictures taken with my eye away from the VF. In-camera HDR is more of a novelty because I can do this in DPP anyway if I ever wanted to. Is in-camera lens correction applied to the RAW data or only to jpegs? I love lens correction in DPP, especially the peripheral illumination. If this could be done in-camera, it might save me a lot of time PP. I do love my live view on the 40D and I have read that the ability to focus critically on the LCD is much better on the 5D3.

I have given more thought to what factors have most frequently caused me to lose shots throughout my history as a photo hobbiest and two factors stand out as the overwhelming cause, missed focus or inability to focus in low light, and not enough light hitting the sensor. I hate getting those shots back from my daughter's plays and discovering that they are not sharp due to subject movement because I had to shoot at ISO 1600 at 1/30 F2.8 200mm. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes to get the 5D3. I also hate taking pictures of my spaniels or my 4 and six year old girls running through the yard and only 1 or 2 out of a burst of 15 is in focus. Another memory is a camera that hunts for focus at the first kiss of a bride and groom at the altar. Yep, I think the 1Ds3 would be a great way to fix these problems but the 5D3 is the better way to fix them. Of course the 1Dx would be the best way to fix them but an E-7 with 4 kids, one in college, one starting college as I retire, I'm not made of money.

Aug 22, 2012 at 01:27 PM

Wahoowa
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p.1 #10 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

I used 1Ds III before and I can tell you that, if you don't really need a rugged body, 5D III is the way to go. There are several things that 5D III is way ahead of 1Ds III and one thing is the rear LCD. So, I'll put it like this:

1Ds III
- rear LCD -2

Aug 22, 2012 at 02:04 PM

Ghost
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p.1 #11 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

One thing that I find myself increasingly wanting is AF-linked metering. It's not available in the 5d-series.

Aug 22, 2012 at 03:44 PM

jerrykur
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p.1 #12 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

3 years is a long time to be planning ahead on a purchase. By that time Canon will likely have introduced other FF bodies at a lower price point that the 5DMK3. You might also follow along with the developments in the M line. The later versions of this line may be a better choice.

Aug 22, 2012 at 03:46 PM

mbrakes
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p.1 #13 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

I had the 1Ds3 but sold it, prefer the 5D3. The only respects where the 1Ds3 beats the 5D3 is in build quality. Having said that, the 5D3 is a marked improvement over the earlier 5D models. Get the 5D3 unless you get an insanely good deal on the 1Ds3 - or really need the rugged build.

Aug 22, 2012 at 04:17 PM

ctrout
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p.1 #14 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

jerrykur wrote:
3 years is a long time to be planning ahead on a purchase. By that time Canon will likely have introduced other FF bodies at a lower price point that the 5DMK3. You might also follow along with the developments in the M line. The later versions of this line may be a better choice.

And the 5D3 at that time will cost significantly less on the used market than whatever is available new at that time. Unfortunately, from my economic position, that is how I have to plan for these things. If it was not a matter of economics, I would just buy the 5D3 now and be done with it.

Aug 22, 2012 at 04:23 PM

campyone
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p.1 #15 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

Ralph Conway wrote:
- I guess with your ISO needs/wishes, 1Ds III will not make you happy.
- Concerning AF performance the actual system looks world leading to me (except "illumination issues)
- 5D II already overcame 1Ds IIIs IQ (imo). Even it enhances only marginal with 5D III it should still offer the (marginal again) better IQ, shouldn´t it?

What I do NOT see is your +/- concerning the price: Used 1ds IIIs (here in germany) are still as or more expensive than a new 5D III is. New 1Ds IIIs are around 1500 Euros over a new 5D III.

Ralph

I've owned both the 5DII and the 1DsIII. No way is the image quality of the 5DII better. And that's ignoring the banding problems with the 5DII (sent mine to Canon twice before they were corrected). I'm not saying the OP should buy the 1DsIII, the 5DIII is certainly better in some respects for some purposes. And maybe the 5DIII IQ is better than the 1DsIII, I don't know because I've never owned the 5DIII and have no plans to do so. But I have owned the 5DII and IMHO based on a lot of experience with both, its IQ isn't better than the 1DsIII. At best it's as good and IMHO even that's a stretch.

Aug 22, 2012 at 04:40 PM

skibum5
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p.1 #16 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

molson wrote:

Nice, clean, low-use 1Ds Mark III's are going for about $1000 less than a new 5D Mark III now... which makes them very tempting.

Not surprised at all.

I bet some are though. I recall that around when the 5D3 came out some of us said the 1Ds3 (used) would soon be priced noticeably lower than the 5D3 were called crazy. Many said that there was no way it would suddenly drop much from $5000-6000 to sub $3000.

Aug 22, 2012 at 07:34 PM

skibum5
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p.1 #17 · 1Ds3 vs 5D3

campyone wrote:
Ralph Conway wrote:
- I guess with your ISO needs/wishes, 1Ds III will not make you happy.
- Concerning AF performance the actual system looks world leading to me (except "illumination issues)
- 5D II already overcame 1Ds IIIs IQ (imo). Even it enhances only marginal with 5D III it should still offer the (marginal again) better IQ, shouldn´t it?

What I do NOT see is your +/- concerning the price: Used 1ds IIIs (here in germany) are still as or more expensive than a new 5D III is. New 1Ds IIIs are around 1500 Euros over a new 5D III.

Ralph

I've owned both the 5DII and the 1DsIII. No way is the image quality of the 5DII better. And that's ignoring the banding problems with the 5DII (sent mine to Canon twice before they were corrected). I'm not saying the OP should buy the 1DsIII, the 5DIII is certainly better in some respects for some purposes. And maybe the 5DIII IQ is better than the 1DsIII, I don't know because I've never owned the 5DIII and have no plans to do so. But I have owned the 5DII and IMHO based on a lot of experience with both, its IQ isn't better than the 1DsIII. At best it's as good and IMHO even that's a stretch.

at high iso 5D2 should be slightly better than 1Ds3 and since 5D3 is 1/2- 2/3rds stop better than 5D2 at high ISO is might be 2/3 to 1 stop better than 1Ds3. At ISO100 the 1Ds3 is better than both thanks to less banding junk and a bit less random read noise and stricter color filters.

Aug 22, 2012 at 07:36 PM

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