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Archive 2012 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?

  
 
Gunzorro
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


I wonder if anyone has similar observations on a couple points, or if they are aware of other idiosyncrasies of the 1Ds3 model?

I've become the proud owner of a nice used 1Ds3 in very good condition. I debated waiting a while longer to buy the more expensive 5D3 (still on my list), or jumping now for an upgrade over my 1Ds2. As I'd hoped, the Mark III provides outstanding picture quality, and i'm very happy with the choice.

I've been reading a lot, starting with the Canon manual, then on to the Magic Lantern Guide and the John Kraus Digital Field Guide, plus forums.

What I'm wondering is: have I just become used to super-fast start-up times? The 1Ds3 is listed as 0.2 sec, and that seems like an eternity for the start-up screen to appear. I haven't got a way to time the interval, but it seems slower than I prefer.

Second, after taking an image, again it seems an eternity for the image to appear for review, longer than a 5D original. Chimping has got me staggering, as I'm ready to take the subsequent shot, but want to see how the first turned out. Is there any setting to speed this process up for RAW images?

Firmware Ver. 1.2.0

Thanks for the help, and please feel free to mention your favorite quirks or features about the 1Ds3.



Dec 15, 2012 at 11:32 AM
dhphoto
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


That's what 1Ds3's are like, if having to wait a whole extra second is too much for you you need a newer camera.


Dec 15, 2012 at 11:39 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


I love mine, got it new in 2008. I never noticed the lag other than when shooting burst mode and the buffer is full.

I never had banding issues like the 5D2. The sensor may be the same but the filter stack above it is much thinner than the 5D2.

With the AF fixes, it has very good AF and I used it for a while with a 500f4 for birding. Even with less reach and speed than my 50D, I preferred it for image quality and af accuracy.

The weak point for this camera is that it is first gen live view and only has USB out (not HTML) lacks live view AF and only 300,000 pixle LCD.

The camera is rugged, very long battery life, excellent WB and exposure.

I wet cleaned mine the first year and broke the top filter. Cost my insurance $2300 to replace the entire sensor assemble which is hermetically sealed and Canon will not replace just the filter as they will on other cameras.

The filter is much thinner than on other cameras plus it has a space between it and the sensor to allow the anti dust feature to work. This makes it much less robust than older cameras where the filter was supported below by the sensor.

Be careful when you clean. I send mine to Canon for cleaning.




Edited on Dec 15, 2012 at 11:50 AM · View previous versions



Dec 15, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Gunzorro
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


dh -- Ha-ha! Good to know that is your experience as well.

I have newer cameras: 5D2 and 60D (had a T2i as well). It seems like my 1D2 and 1Ds2 start up faster and image display faster than the 1Ds3, but perhaps I'm mistaken.

Ben -- Thanks! Mine had a problem with AF irregularities, so I immediately sent to Canon, who repaired it at N/C. Now it focuses very accurately. They gave it a clean while there, and I will only be sending to them for cleaning.

Yes, I like the files very much. They retain the warmth and depth of the lovely 1Ds2 rendering, but with much better rez.

The LV is even worse than you said -- it's 230,000k rez. Same as the 1Ds2, just blown up with bigger pixels. Oh well, better than nothing -- unlike the 5D I used for years without any LV.

I like both the the 5D2 and the 1Ds3 -- still comparing and trying to decide what subjects for which body. I'm thinking the 1Ds3 for more critical or personal work like architecture, tripod shooting, walk-around; and the 5D2 for events and flash photography. IQ on both is very good, but need to shoot the same subjects to get a better feel for how they exactly differ.

I know I'm a generation behind, but I'm still loving these pictures!

Edited on Dec 15, 2012 at 11:57 AM · View previous versions



Dec 15, 2012 at 11:49 AM
dhphoto
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


Gunzorro wrote:
dh -- Ha-ha! Good to know that is your experience as well.

I have newer cameras: 5D2 and 60D (had a T2i as well). It seems like my 1D2 and 1Ds2 start up faster and image display faster than the 1Ds3, but perhaps I'm mistaken.


No you aren't this is a 2008 camera and things were fractionally slower then.

If it's a big deal you do need a newer model.

For me the 1Ds3 was an expensive purchase in 2008 that I have come to cherish, it has earned me many thousands and never missed a beat, it is sheer quality. When a CF card broke on a big location the SD card saved me, the camera paid for itself that day alone.

Ben is right about the LCD but I use liveview every day without a problem, I actually prefer the simplicity of having to focus manually in LV and the ease of use of the thing.

As for the USB connection, it works fine tethered with LR4 and that's all I need.

A great camera.

As for IQ I use the 1Ds3 next to a 5D2 and 5D3 and the low ISO IQ is identical, with no banding on any of them, ever.



Dec 15, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Gunzorro
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


dh -- Yes, it's been a strong desire for me to have a 1Ds3! I'm so glad of the choice I made, and think this will eventually go very well with the 5D3 for my needs.

Another odd thing -- and I don't mean these as complaints, just observations -- the shutter [sound] seems peculiar to me. By that I mean that I have a long background with manual shutters in 4x5 cameras, 120 folders, 6x7 . . . on up through the electronic shutters of today, so I'm used to the particular sounds of the shutter speed as a clue to my shutter setting when using Av mode. The 1Ds3 tricks me in the 1/160 to 1/400 range, confusing me into thinking I'm shooting at a much lower shutter speed -- sounds/feels like 1/40 or 1/50 (slower mirror return?). Again, I haven't used it much, maybe 4k actuations, and only a small amount of these were handheld at those speeds where I felt "off". The shutter is absolutely accurate, so it's not a fault. I've noticed the 1D2 shutter sound/feel as very distinct from the 1Ds2 (naturally, the mirror is different), and the 1Ds2 different from the 1Ds3 as well. I'm pretty sure it's not my imagination. I don't know the ins and outs of the camera guts, so perhaps someone can tell us if these are all different shutters, or some other factors that make them different in sound/feel?



Dec 15, 2012 at 12:20 PM
dhphoto
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


It makes the sound that it makes.

To be bothered by the sound of the shutter is to be being trivial IMHO (as is to be bothered about the 1 second review delay)



Dec 15, 2012 at 12:24 PM
Beni
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


I could never get the AF to work right on mine even with multiple trips to canon and long talks to the head engineer there. Went back to my 5Dc's. Very glad you got yours sorted. The tonality and skin tone of that camera still beats any DSLR available today IMO. My copy also didn't have any blooming problems at all with 2 minute exposures. Given their current prices they are a great deal! Couple of useful tricks I used, exposure simulation in LV (which the 1D3 doesn't have, very useful) and only showing the exposure modes I used (Av/M) for fast changing with my eye to the viewfinder. The quick menu is also very useful. The one thing I found a problem was the small RAW buffer when shooting movement. I can see (unlike some who can never think beyond their own selfish needs and usage) why the image review could be annoying for certain shooters. Depends what you shoot I suppose.


Dec 15, 2012 at 12:28 PM
dhphoto
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


If one is really such a poor photographer that one cannot even wait a single second to see if the picture taken is acceptable or not then clearly you need the newest gear and no-one should tell you otherwise.

There are obviously people here eho just can't manage without that crutch. How they would have managed with film is anyone's guess.

Thankfully, we have a hide me button for them



Dec 15, 2012 at 12:41 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


Not everyone has great vision, or even good vision. I tried film for 20 years eventually giving up because without AF I never managed focus. It is still a problem without every aid possible from the gear.

I have found work arounds, but I am anxious for a better solution.



Dec 15, 2012 at 12:54 PM
dhphoto
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


ben egbert wrote:
Not everyone has great vision, or even good vision. I tried film for 20 years eventually giving up because without AF I never managed focus. It is still a problem without every aid possible from the gear.

I have found work arounds, but I am anxious for a better solution.


Nothing wrong with that Ben, my sight is awful as I've got so old and I rely on AF a lot, but I bet you don't have to refer to the LCD so fast that you're constantly waiting that one extra second with bated breath before the image finally arrives.

We are so lucky to live at the time we do with the unbelievable photographic tools at our disposal, yet someone always has to chirp up with the fact they aren't fast enough or they just simply can't manage without 10 frames per second, or more dynamic range, or more pixels or the buttons placed differently or this or that

I think we should just feel grateful for what we have and not be so petty, especially in a camera from 2008, that's all.



Dec 15, 2012 at 01:17 PM
Gunzorro
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


Beni -- I think this body has some of the very best color correction/AWB available. I love the colors for a wide range of subjects, including those you mention. The DR latitude is very good too -- I make small corrections in PP, and so far, this is the best imaging I've seen.

dh -- Ouch! "Poor photographer" ?

Please, before you hit the "Hide" button, let me give you an example or two where I find a rapid review important:

1) Events -- determining the expressions of speaker or posed groups of people, where you don't want to take unnecessary shots, but you must guarantee the shots are those needed.

2) Testing, or comparison shots of different settings -- comparing the latest version with one you still hold in your mind, to make critical decisions without taking time to hunt for and review previous exposures.

I guess I would sum it up as "time critical" circumstances benefit from quick review times.

I'm sorry if I am coming across as petty. I don't intend it that way at all. As I said, this camera is the pinnacle of my collection at the moment, and I have plenty of older cameras that I use successfully, including film. I was only looking for corroboration for observations I've been making, especially input by more knowledgeable shooters who might be familiar with shutter/mirror function and other behavior.

Being acutely attuned to the behavior of my equipment has always seemed like a positive attribute to me, and keeping note of small variances in my cameras (and cars) has save me much grief and costly repairs or assignment failures. So I pay close attention to breaks in rhythm, speed, or sound as a routine mental inventory.

On the question of review rate: I simply want to know if I've overlooked a setting or memory cache that would improve the review rate. I can certainly adapt to the camera and its functioning or find the best scenario for its use.




Dec 15, 2012 at 01:34 PM
Beni
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


I shot weddings for a year with the original 1Ds. 3 second review. The same commercial photographers without a clue about event shooting would still say that needing a faster review would have been a crutch. I don't think a second is a problem myself but I understand that for some it would be. Shot weddings and events for years with film too, 35mm and 120, didn't need to get the exposures as perfect with film as I did with that 1Ds. Oh and I should never have hit 'view post' on hidden members posts. Especially those hidden for being close minded about any other kind of shooting apart from that which they do which is why they were hidden long ago in the first place. Unfortunately FM does have rather a lot of them.


Dec 15, 2012 at 01:42 PM
dhphoto
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


Funny how poor workmen always resort to blaming their tools in some way or other.


Dec 15, 2012 at 01:52 PM
Gunzorro
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


Ha-ha! Well, this is sort of moving along with unexpected undercurrents!

Beni -- I am sorry you had AF problems. In all seriousness, that must have been a terrible disappointment after buying the best camera available at that time. I know I was very concerned, after weighing against a 5D3, to find focus errors in the AF mode I was using. The previous owner didn't have any problems, but he shot in AI Servo, and I was shooting One Shot. When I tried AI Servo, things were much better, but not 100% as I hoped. So, off to Canon. Now both modes are seeming fine.

I wonder if there was any connection in the AF to the well publicized 1D3 problems? I know they were introduced at near the same time and shared the same Digic 3. The guide by Magic Lantern lists both cameras and their controls as being interchangeable (expect for sensor related issues, mostly).



Dec 15, 2012 at 02:13 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


To correct. AF with the 16-35 (after a trip to Canon) the 24-70mk2 and the 70-200f2.6 IS v1, is great now. Only remaining issues are with the 17TSE and 14 Samyang.

The Samyang can be focused with the focus dial markings. The 17 still requires super critical Live view focus, but when you nail it, nothing compares.




Dec 15, 2012 at 02:25 PM
Beni
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


It was weird, the AF would lock perfectly and accurately, problem was it would not stay locked in one shot with the shutter button pressed half way so after recompose would continue focusing wherever the focus point was now pointing.

I haven't heard of anyone else with this problem, I don't think it was a typical '1Ds3 problem' and more 'my bad luck with cameras'. To put it into perspective over the past month in our Repro studio we have had a Phase One DF whose mirror box died after just 52K shots and now a Schneider 80mm Leaf Shutter lens whose shutter has died after 34K shots. Both have never left the Repro table. Could be that I'm just jinxed for higher end gear! Our Leaf Aptus II -8 back has been back twice for repair, we had one of our Profoto D1 DOA, ditto our IBM LTO machine that they still can't work out how to fix and we have a D800e still in a box and I can't wait to see what goes wrong with it, no doubt on a time sensitive shoot!



Dec 15, 2012 at 02:27 PM
Jeffrey
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


I still believe the 1DsIII is the top quality pro body in the 35mm sensor size field. Maybe I'm lucky, but I've never had a problem with it and it works fine with my 6 Canon and 4 Zeiss lenses (not counting about 5 other Canon lenses since sold.). My vision is not great either, but with live view at full zoom, I can critically focus. If you can't focus at that magnification, then how do you determine if your prints are sharp, and how do you do any processing on a computer?

Edited on Dec 16, 2012 at 05:55 PM · View previous versions



Dec 15, 2012 at 07:47 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


I have a NEC 2690. My LCD looks nothing like that. A properly focused raw needs very little sharpening and what it does is global. What I most notice is not absolute sharpness, but variance from center to edges and corners.

I understand edges and corners are always a bit soft, but when I first saw an accidentally sharp 17TSE image, I have striven to repeat it on purpose. My af zooms now af so all I need to work on is the 17TSE. It is usually not a problem until I start using tilt and shift.

By the way, I also think he 1DS-mk3 is a top DSLR. I will stop being defensive about focusing when people start believing me.



Dec 15, 2012 at 08:08 PM
Paul Gardner
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · 1Ds Mark III Quirks and Features?


I purchased my 1DSIII from the first batch released and the only problems I had were the oil spots. When Canon issued the service letter I shipped the body and all my lens to CPP Virginia for cleaning and adjust check. Everything came back perfect
in September 2009 and have remained so since. Doing landscapes its plenty fast enough for me and will remain my primary camera until the Canon 40MP+ bodies are released. I also use an D800E with a 24mm 1.4 as a stopgap until then.



Dec 16, 2012 at 03:34 PM
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