I am starting to toss around the idea of getting a 1DIII to replace the 40D in my bag. I cant afford new so Ive been poking around the B&S board checking them out. But I have a question.....whats a blue dot? and whats a yellow dot? I see a lot of both so knowing the big differences would be helpful.
I have also seen some 1DIIn's around...whats the big thing about the "n"?
The dots refer to when the camera was fabricated. And are mostly an indication that the camera is from a newer batch that does not have the sub mirror issue.
I don't think there is any diff between blue and yellow dots in practical terms. (some people might disagree with me but there is no proof that one is better than the other)
Personally I would not buy one that was affected by the sub mirror issue as some people have reported that the fix did not improve the problem for them.
I have a 1DIII and love it. It is a powerful machine with great AF and a ton of custom settings that can make the camera work for you. I shoot sports and events and find the high ISO performance has gotten me shots that I couldn't have gotten with my 20D or even my 1D I.
The 1DIII has a learning curve, much more so than any other Canon I have used in the past. Before you decide to buy one rent one or at least play with one for a little while to make sure you are going to like it. I hated mine for the first few days. It took over a month before I felt like I was in control of all the camera had to offer and every now and then I find something new. It is a great camera. But just remember that photographers make great photos not cameras. Good Luck
dnenciu wrote:
Personally I would not buy one that was affected by the sub mirror issue as some people have reported that the fix did not improve the problem for them.
+1
Or you could buy one and test it.
I would buy one that was sold after say May 1 this year, as it seems that the models from the last few months don't have any problems.
Go for it. I swapped from 40D to 1D Mark III this fall, and all I can say is that they are not even comparable - Mark III is that much better. It sure is a much more complicated camera to use, but it's definitely worth learning.
The move from 40D to 1D3 is like going form Ford Mustang to Ferrari 430. Much faster, better handling, much better feel (build, ergonomics), and much, much cleaner files at high ISO.
Buy a blue dot model or a yellow dot that has had the submirror assembly recall performed and you'll have an incredible, incredible machine.
Lord Fluff wrote:
I have tried two bodies, both supposedly fixed, both incapable of accurate focus on stationary objects.
Were those recent bodies?
I'm interested because I'm thinking of buying a 1DIII and it seems that newer bodies have no problems. Until now, I was holding off because of the AF problems.
The first one I tried was early in all respects. Its focussing abilities were shockingly poor. It was early firmware and most likely hadn't in fact been back to Canon.
The one I tried recently had definitely been to Canon and was on the latest firmware (I checked). On entirely undemanding subject matter the focus could be off by 2ft when focussed at 10ft - sometimes, not every time either. The seller said it was fine - I tried it with his 300/2.8 at long range and indeed it was. But focussing with my 35/1.4 and 135/2 was unpredictable at best.
Not wanting to fan the flames but mine is now in for the third time with focusing issues, it is a blue dot. It seems that those sold recently are ok, leading me to believe they might have figured it out by now. With prices dropping on new, I believe if it was me, I'd buy new. When it works right its so good I wouldnt want to sell it.
Lord Fluff wrote:
The issues with both bodies I tried were in One Shot mode.
The tech's idea that Servo mode could not accurately lock on to a stationary object is pretty hilarious anyway.
I believe from all the feedback I had that the ones that had the sub-mirror fix done are only working 50-50. The newer once should be fine. I just got newer one sn 56xxxx and it works just fine in Single shot have not had a chance to test AI-servo yet.
alundy wrote:
Not wanting to fan the flames but mine is now in for the third time with focusing issues, it is a blue dot. It seems that those sold recently are ok, leading me to believe they might have figured it out by now. With prices dropping on new, I believe if it was me, I'd buy new. When it works right its so good I wouldnt want to sell it.
Thanks everyone for the input. I have been wanting to make the move to a 1D series camera and from what I have heard the MkIII would be the best way to get into the series.
It does worry me that so many here have said their AF is still bad. This camera would be side by side with my 5D which has some issues focusing especially in low light. Has anyone had an issue with a yellow dot version? Since I will be buying used, is there a way to verify that the fix has been done to a previous model? can I call canon? is there documentation I can ask for from the seller?
The last one I tried had documentation to prove it had been to Canon for the fix, and yet it had severe issues. I wouldn't buy a used one unless I could test it thoroughly first.
