I am painfully aware of this workaround, and indeed use it in moments of utter desperation. The thing is, ever since I got the 1N, which I believe was in 1994, I didn't have to do any workarounds to see my AF point.

big country wrote:
Stanj, thanks for the great write up, all throughout my years here on FM, your opinion is one that i've respected.

Do you feel the 1dx is worth 2x the price of the 5d iii discounting the fact that you can use it as a weapon?

Ah, yes, the question about "worth". It's like rationalizing being with someone by using a checklist (I actually know two people who seriously set up an excel sheet to decide whether to dump or keep a girlfriend).

If you need 10, 12 fps - yes it's worth it. If you regularly shoot in the Amazon or even in Scotland, probably yes. If your livelihood depends on tracking horses at the Derby, possibly - but then you already have to keep in mind that the 5D3 is better at that than anything else, other than the 1DX.

When the 1DX came out at only 18MP and no crop and no f8 focus, a lot of people, esp. birders, called foul and swore never to upgrade. Newsflash: the only two camps that won't upgrade are those who can't afford it, and those who are stubborn. Personally I would upgrade from a 1D4 to a 5D3 in a heartbeat; to the 1DX is a complete no-brainer. Yes, there's the pixel count, and it's a bitch. Trust me. As I said I'd prefer a very slow 40MP machine myself, it wouldn't even have to be tough as nails. But the 1DX _owns_ the 1D4. All your base are belong to us.

Now, is 2x the price worth it over the 5D3 for the majority of the people? There's something to be said about having two perfectly identical bodies. Then there's something to be said about having a camera that gives you the last squeeze of advantage that you can get. Is that worth $3500 to you? It greatly depends on your bank account, honestly. I stick with my earlier statement that very, very few people _need_ it, putting only the frame rate into the "true need" category.

Now as for high ISO - whether it's 1/3 or 2/3 or 5/3 stops, quite honestly I don't care. I look at photography as a highly subjective area, like art, where I look at a picture and either "like" it or don't. To me, it's about the look and feel to me. I open the image in PS and look at it. I look if I find the pattern offensive or smooth. I don't shoot brick walls or lens caps. The only time I shot a brick wall was to illustrate to Canon that my 28-300 was way out of whack (and they still didn't get it). It's from this highly subjective "look" that I say that the 1DX is noticeably better at 25k than the 5D3, whether it's 2/3 or 5/3 stop I don't care, and I won't use an imaging tool to compute it. It's this same approach that told me that the 7D had a look that I never cared for, that I much preferred the look of the D30, especially adjusted for time and space. I have seen so many truly impressive pictures taken with the 7D that I know it's a fantastic camera. I just "didn't like it" and that's the end. And that's how I hopefully will always look at photography - for me, the day that I look at a DXO mark or something else to tell me which camera looks better, I need a new passion.

I will do a much more scientific ISO test later today, as promised.

Thank you Stan. If you get a chance, how's the amp glow on long night shots compared to the 5D3 and especially the 5D2 since that's what I can relate to. I can't open the raw's since I don't have the new software but I'll take your word for it, thank you.

Ah, amp glow. I'll try that tonight, before shipping off my 5D2.

As for opening raw files - DNG converter is your friend (there's a windows version somewhere too)

Thanks for all this excellent info Stan. I'm pretty happy with my 5D3 and I dont see as a replacment for my 1Dmk4. Using them side by side is perfect for me. If I only had one camera body, I'd go for a 1DX. Looking forward to your scientific tests

Thanks Stan! I have no idea what kind of target you should use. Personally if you say it better worse or the same as those lenses in general is all I was looking for. I try not to obsess about 100% crops (though I have been known to on occasion). I get what you say about shooting the 50L at f2... I agree that it is un-matched at that aperture. I don't have any zooms because I blew my budget on a set of L primes and need to keep the set without gaps (24,35,50,85, 200 1.8 + zeiss 100) for my work with the c-300. I shoot the 50L at all apertures, it is my walk around lens. If it is as good at 2.8 as my 35 and 50, I may get it for a walk around lens.

I want to add a zoom someday ..especially interested in the new 24-70.

Thanks so much for your insights and amazing work!

garyvot wrote:
It's also possible to toggle instantly between One Shot and AI Servo via a programmable button (I use DOF).

Can the 1DIII be programed between One shot and Servo via the DOF button?

Canon CPS said "No" so I decided to ask the experts Thanks

garyvot wrote:
It's also possible to toggle instantly between One Shot and AI Servo via a programmable button (I use DOF).

Psychic1 wrote:
Can the 1DIII be programed between One shot and Servo via the DOF button?

Canon CPS said "No" so I decided to ask the experts Thanks


Not the 1D3. The 5D3 and 1DX, yes.

Here is a 1DX vs 5DM3 ISO 12,800 comparison, based on images I downloaded from http://www.eoszine.nl/336613/Canon-EOS-1DX.html

I downsampled both to 8MP
Crop #1
Crop #2
Crop #3

Stan, I agree with almost everything you've said in this post with the exception of the 5D3 being an upgrade from the 1DIV.

Some of us wnated the 5D3 to be THAT camera, but the 1DIV had too many things to sway it the other way.

RobertLynn wrote:
Stan, I agree with almost everything you've said in this post with the exception of the 5D3 being an upgrade from the 1DIV.

Some of us wnated the 5D3 to be THAT camera, but the 1DIV had too many things to sway it the other way.

I said, or at least I meant to say, that it's an upgrade in terms of AF and overall responsiveness.

Thank you, Enjoy your X

Stan, I enjoy reading your opinions and thoughtful analysis almost as much as I enjoy viewing your shuttle pictures. Good to have you among the contributors here.

You've just made someone very unhappy .

stanj wrote:
I said, or at least I meant to say, that it's an upgrade in terms of AF and overall responsiveness.

Thanks Stan for your candid and informed opinions! I have the both older Canon FFs and lots of lenses. But I shoot low light dance action with my Nikons (D3s/D4). Breathlessly waiting to see if the 1Dx has as good/better hi ISO so I can use that 12fps.

But most all I do is to follow their faces and zoom-frame with the uppermost focus box while nailing the shutter down so as to capture various postures. Can't imagine how I could do that if I couldn't see the, enabled, AF box-is it really that bad?

So I guess I am happy? that you have saved me the difference in price from a 2nd D4 to a 1DX (and I can sell some more Canon lenses I can't use for action shooting).

Stanj,

I am on the fence about the camera, i can afford it, but I am not sure that it would suit me better than the 5d iii does for weddings. For the wildlife birds, i do like the 1d IV 1.3x crop and the option to AF at F/8 if needed...so i dunno what i'll do.

I do appreciate all that you ahve posted.

kewlcanon wrote:
You've just made someone very unhappy .

stanj wrote:
I said, or at least I meant to say, that it's an upgrade in terms of AF and overall responsiveness.

Not me boss. One of the things I've not commented on was directly whether 5D3>/< than 1D AF. I have my questions still, but I'm quite certain that I could make either work...as we all know the 7D is inferior in AF (even though it's a great system) to both and I used that just fine before I bought mkiv's.

stanj wrote:
RobertLynn wrote:
Stan, I agree with almost everything you've said in this post with the exception of the 5D3 being an upgrade from the 1DIV.

Some of us wnated the 5D3 to be THAT camera, but the 1DIV had too many things to sway it the other way.

I said, or at least I meant to say, that it's an upgrade in terms of AF and overall responsiveness.
I understand. You know my big mouth and me though.

I will more than likely end up with 1 or 2 5D3's by next year if I continue to pick up more weddings.

Thank you Stanj. Such a tremendous help as always, with the perspective of humor to make it palatable.

stanj wrote:
RobertLynn wrote:
Stan, I agree with almost everything you've said in this post with the exception of the 5D3 being an upgrade from the 1DIV.

Some of us wnated the 5D3 to be THAT camera, but the 1DIV had too many things to sway it the other way.

I said, or at least I meant to say, that it's an upgrade in terms of AF and overall responsiveness.

Stan, can the 1dx in Manual mode and auto ISO set exposure compensation ?

and is the highest Shutter speed in AVin auto ISO mode still only 1/250 sec?

pompo wrote:
Stan, can the 1dx in Manual mode and auto ISO set exposure compensation ?

No

and is the highest Shutter speed in AVin auto ISO mode still only 1/250 sec?

No. It seems to be moving for me, anyway. This is not a mode I ever thought of using, but it's definitely not fixed at 250 or anything else. I've just shot it between 1/30s and 1/1600s at f2.8 at Auto ISO.