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Jman13
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 2, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 8013
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Review Date: Apr 17, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,700.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Incredible image quality, wonderfully accurate AF, beautiful, large bright viewfinder, rugged build
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Cons:
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Two handed operation?
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Best deal in DSLRs right now. I got an incredible deal on a high mileage, but excellent condition one from eBay. Works perfectly. The images are so detailed, with beautiful tone gradation, and great dynamic range. Almost two stops of data is available for highlight recovery in RAW. Noise is well controlled and is usable all the way to ISO 3200.
Autofocus is dead on accurate...It almost never misses when I do my job...even in low light with shallow DOF. Spot on every time. The viewfinder is very big (approaching the size of some of the older manual focus only SLRs of the 70s and 80s) and very bright, even with slower lenses. The camera is wonderfully responsive and the metering is exceptional....much more accurate than my 30D.
The two handed settings changing is a little odd, but I'm used to it by now. The LCD is also a little smaller than I'm used to, but at 2", it's large enough. Ultimately, it's all about the images, and the 1DsII produces images that have a very special quality to them. Basically, I know that any failings in an image are because of me, not the camera, and I'll be keeping this for a LONG time.
With prices the way they are now, this is the steal of the century. While most won't get them for what I paid, it's a steal even at $2300. It's practically imaging perfection.
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 Apr 17, 2009
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mspringfield
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Nov 2, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 781
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Review Date: Dec 29, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build quality, AF speed, IQ, Low Noise at High ISO, beautiful colors.
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Cons:
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Smallish LCD if you want to nit pick.
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I picked up this camera used a fow months ago intending to use it as a backup to my 1DMkII. However the image quality and extremely rich colors that come out of this camera has made it my primary camera and relegated my 1DMkII to backup duties. It is without a doubt one of the finest, it not THE finest cameras that I have ever owned or used.
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Dec 29, 2008
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baumgarten0712
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Oct 12, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 723
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Review Date: Dec 27, 2008
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Recommend? |
Price paid: $2,400.00
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Pros:
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AF, Metering, Build, IQ, Shutter Response, ISO
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Cons:
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LCD
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I picked up this camera used about 2 months ago and continue to be amazed. I started with the Rebel XT, then upgraded to the 40D, and now this camera. I have also been able to compare this camera to the 5D and 5D Mark II. My thoughts.........
This camera has superb AF ability. When tested against the 40D & 5D II (newer technology), the 1Ds II is superior - no questions asked! While the 40D had a 6.5 fps capability, the 1Ds II has a 4 fps capability. It is much slower than the 40D, but the AF makes up for the slower speed. The 1Ds II has an amazing shutter response time. I had no idea how slow the Rebel and 40D were in response time. When you want to take the picture, it happens! I find that this helps when hand holding lenses without IS at slow speeds. The LCD screen is lacking, but I just use the histogram when shooting. The 1Ds II also has some locking features that one has to get used to. You have to hold down buttons to get around the camera menu/settings. I wasn't sure when I tried the camera out, but I am now flying through it without problems. I can adjust settings very quickly now. The build quality of the 1Ds II is simply awesome! If you pick it up, you won't want to put it down. It has a solid feel. As for ISO results, I tested this camera against the 5D II. I would give the 5D II a stop advantage (maybe a little more) over the 1Ds II. However, the noise with the 1Ds II is very smooth, even at 3200. I have printed 16 x 20 photos at 3200 and the noise is almost invisible. I will say that the 5D II is impressive all the way up to 3200 and very usable at 6400 and it also has very smooth noise. Lastly, the 1Ds II has 16.7 mp, which is quite a jump from the 40D. I am blown away at the detail when looking at 100% crops. Wow, it is just awesome!
Overall, I have to give this camera a 10/10. It just has too many advantages to outway the older technology. If you are planning to upgrade from the 5D to 5D II, I would seriously consider the 1Ds II. You will not be disappointed.
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Dec 27, 2008
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baumgarten0712
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Oct 12, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 723
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Review Date: Dec 27, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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AF, Metering, Build Quality, 16.7 MP, Shutter Response
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Cons:
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Small LCD (not a huge issue)
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I picked up this camera used about 2 months ago and continue to be amazed. I started with the Rebel XT, then upgraded to the 40D, and now this camera. I have also been able to compare this camera to the 5D and 5D Mark II. My thoughts.........
This camera has superb AF ability. When tested against the 40D & 5D II (newer technology), the 1Ds II is superior - no questions asked! While the 40D had a 6.5 fps capability, the 1Ds II has a 4 fps capability. It is much slower than the 40D, but the AF makes up for the slower speed. The 1Ds II has an amazing shutter response time. I had no idea how slow the Rebel and 40D were in response time. When you want to take the picture, it happens! I find that this helps when hand holding lenses without IS at slow speeds. The LCD screen is lacking, but I just use the histogram when shooting. The 1Ds II also has some locking features that one has to get used to. You have to hold down buttons to get around the camera menu/settings. I wasn't sure when I tried the camera out, but I am now flying through it without problems. I can adjust settings very quickly now. The build quality of the 1Ds II is simply awesome! If you pick it up, you won't want to put it down. It has a solid feel. As for ISO results, I tested this camera against the 5D II. I would give the 5D II a stop advantage (maybe a little more) over the 1Ds II. However, the noise with the 1Ds II is very smooth, even at 3200. I have printed 16 x 20 photos at 3200 and the noise is almost invisible. I will say that the 5D II is impressive all the way up to 3200 and very usable at 6400 and it also has very smooth noise. Lastly, the 1Ds II has 16.7 mp, which is quite a jump from the 40D. I am blown away at the detail when looking at 100% crops. Wow, it is just awesome!
Overall, I have to give this camera a 10/10. It just has too many advantages to outway the older technology. If you are planning to upgrade from the 5D to 5D II, I would seriously consider the 1Ds II. You will not be disappointed.
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Dec 27, 2008
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Zalllon
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jun 5, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 364
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Review Date: Dec 13, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Build quality, AF speed, viewfinder brightness (wow), grip comfort, weather sealing, small RAW files for 16.7 mp, shutter sound, battery life, image quality, still good ISO performance
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Cons:
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Button layout on top (2 buttons pressed to change ISO setting???), menu navigation, weight (which of course is to be expected at this level)
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After being on a list since early October waiting for the 5D MK II, and having a price increase from Canon Canada ... I decided to look at what else the same buckaroos would get me. I was considering the Nikon D700, but realized it had very large RAW file sizes for 12mp. Then I saw someone on here considering a 1Ds MK II. I didn't even think of that, so I did my research to see what advantages it had of the new 5D.
For me, the gap between 16.7mp to 21mp is not an issue as far as print resolution. I'm not a big cropper and like to compose my photos properly to save time in PP. In actuality, I'm better off getting the 1Ds MK II because of the smaller RAW files, plus in order to use the 5D MK II RAW files, I'd have to upgrade from Photoshop CS3 to CS4, upgrade Lightroom to 2.0 and probably increase my CPU horsepower along with motherboard. SO there is a real cost savings in upgrading to this older model
AF focus is very fast with my prime lenses. Camera is heavy but feels great to hold. I can't wait to get a 70-200mm for snowboard shoots.
Image quality for my test shots so far (literally got it last night) are awesome. High ISO seems better than the 5D body I recently sold.
All in all, I really like this camera. LCD is crap compared to today's large screens, and the menu navigation is a bit of headache too. I'm not a fan of having to press 2 buttons to change ISO speed and some other settings, but I'm hoping this can be customized with one of the other buttons.
All in all, the image quality I've seen are awesome ... so from a sensor performance, this camera will continue to make me money.
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Dec 13, 2008
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bocaminus
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Apr 19, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 486
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Review Date: Nov 28, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Resolution & built
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Cons:
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None
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This is by far the best body I ever used. I can't really think about any major flaw although it's quite demanding when comes down to lens you mount on it. Pro grade built quality .... overall this is 10 out of 10 for me. I'm pretty sure when time comes for an upgrade my 1Ds MII won't be for trade or sale .... keeper for good.
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Nov 28, 2008
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Matt Kerby
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Jun 9, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 497
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Review Date: Jul 8, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,200.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Image quality, AF, build
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Cons:
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None, well, 2" LCD
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Everyone else have summed up my positive experiences with this body already. I have owned two, both have been really great bodies. In some respects I like this better than my 1Dmk3. I guess the extra MP's and the FF are a couple reasons I say this. To put it in a nutshell, the 1DsmkII is as solid of performer as you could ask for, it just does what it's supposed to do...Zoom into 100% and blow youself away...perhaps the best body I've shot with.
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Jul 8, 2008
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webman06
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: May 21, 2004
Location: France
Posts: 50
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Review Date: Jul 3, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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16.7 MPix Full Frame
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Cons:
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May i say it's heavy...
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Got this one used and it sure needs the best lenses that you can get. Aside from that, for my use, it's almost the best money can buy.
A highly recommanded choice per say !
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Jul 3, 2008
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Pablo Vicente
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Apr 24, 2007
Location: Belgium
Posts: 160
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Review Date: Mar 4, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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resolution, out-of-cam jpg's, focusing system, battery life, dynamic range, shutter life, full frame ,feel in hands
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Cons:
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weight for my hand luggage
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Bought this camera 2nd hand with a new shutter after using the d30, 20d and 5d.It delivers, end of story.Controls are familiar after a few shoots, the resolution is great and the photo sharpness and quality of the jpg's are satisfying clients that need files right after the shoot.The focusing system delivers, concert shoots on Ai servo have proven that, magazines buying the images too.
Do you want to pay almost double the price than a second hand 1ds II for a bigger screen eating the battery, live view useless to most, disputable sensor cleaning and slightly wider/larger photos on the 1ds III ? I don't.
Love my 1ds II !
greetings,
Pablo
www.pablovicente.com
www.digitalpixels.net
www.talentlaunch.com
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Mar 4, 2008
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sivrajbm
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Mar 15, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2772
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Review Date: Feb 20, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,000.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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16.7 mp, large bright viewfinder, dual memory slots, Handling, AF, IQ, Custom features, Size and Weight, Solid, long lasting battery, 4fps
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Cons:
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None really, if I had to be picky no dual writing like my Mk2N, 4fps
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Ok after going up the Canon food chain I've reached the top. I decided last year to shoot with 1-series only after getting spoiled by the performance of the original beast (1D). That led to a Mk2N and now this, man I've got to get more work now  .
The images and the detail that this camera puts out are just AWESOME. I'm glad I went with the 1DsMk2 instead of a 1DMk3, I just don't think it could get much better than this. I rarely used the 8.5 fps so 10 really meant nothing to me. Resolution and detail is what I wanted and this camera delivers in SPADES. I can now get much larger prints with much less work and have lots of cropping room.
I doubled the ram in my computers to help handle the extra load this camera brings to the table and all is well. Recently did a school dance and some portraits with this camera and all I can say is WOW. Great upgrade, great camera. I bought it from another FMer who upgraded to the Ds3. The camera had just come back from Canon after being cleaned and adjusted to factory spec.
He gave me a great deal with everything in the box, 2-4gb Extreme cards & a RRS bracket plus the service warranty.
I'm a very happy camper.
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Feb 20, 2008
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Hugo B.
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Feb 15, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 15, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Super High resolution pictures rivals Hasselblad 6X6, unbelievable! 48.7 mb tiffs files. Wow! Feels like a camera should in your hands, good ergonomics.
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Cons:
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Needs large Hard Drive for computer.
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I love it, wish I could get the Canon EOS 1DS Mark III though 21 mega-pixals, but I can't afford it yet. People complain about the weight of it, but I guess they don't know weight is. How about lugging it in the woods with a Canon 600mm f/4 EF IS USM lens, 8.5lb. Gitzo tripod and Wimberly Head for 4 miles in search of little tiny birds that don't sit still. Any of my other lenses I consider light compared to that even my Canon 300mm f/2.8 EF IS USM, no sweat. So the camera in my opinion is light. Stop Whining, "It's too heavy".
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Feb 15, 2008
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tcphoto
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Mar 29, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 743
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Review Date: Jan 14, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Resolution, build quality, processing speed, full frame sensor.
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Cons:
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The DPP software.
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I upgraded from the original 1Ds to the 1Ds2 recently. It's amazing how much faster this camera writes files compared to the previous version. The buffer empties faster, no long waits for the camera to catch up. The files are very clean, even in the shadow areas.
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Jan 14, 2008
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condrup.eu
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jul 21, 2006
Location: Denmark
Posts: 38
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Review Date: Dec 15, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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1D series design and build. Resolution, full-frame.
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Cons:
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You kidding me ? None!
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I have always dreamed of having the 1Ds Mark II. However due to the heavy pricetag, i went for the 1D Mark II N instead.
Now that the new 1Ds Mark III has shipped out, i was on the lookout for a 2nd hand 1Ds Mark II instead.
I found one! It is in good condition has a 130K shutter count and works like a charm! My EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens is even more amazing now, on the full-frame sensor.
If you are looking for 1D series design and build, huge resolution and full-frame, now is the time to go look for 2nd hand bodies and with some luck, you will find the camera of your dreams!
1Ds Mark II is not bad, just because a new version has been released, this camera rocks !
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Dec 15, 2007
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TomRA
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 5, 2007
Location: Norway
Posts: 245
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Review Date: Oct 25, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Bright clear viewfinder, build quality, ease of use, image quality - very, very, very sharp given that the lens used is up to it (no chain is stronger than itīs weakest link). Ergonomics.
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Cons:
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Price, display, a bit cumbersome AF point selection.
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I just recently bought my copy second hand, pretty much two days before the 1DsmkIII was revealed. Beeing a Nikon shooter throughout some 20 years this is my first Canon body.
After reading numerous articles on the web and then some i certainly expected a certain level of frustration getting used to how a 1D operates compared to a Nikon D2. I was so wrong, after browsing the menus for some 20 minutes, occasionally peeking in the manual i was ready to go. No "doh!" moments, only "ok, good".
The physical feel of a 1D body just has to be experienced, if you like things buildt solid like i do this body will leave you with a grin on your face lasting for days to end. Personally this camera sits much better in my hand compared to itīs Nikon counterpart...this is obviously a matter of taste and personal preference. Not intending to say anything bad about Nikon PRO bodies because they are magnificent but in my opinion the 1D is just as good in the ergonomic department. So far i have not put it through itīs paces when it comes to bad weather and rough handling and i probably wonīt for what i intend to use it for but it seems clear to me that this body will handle pretty much anything you throw at it.
Getting to the really interesting part now...the image quality. I have tried some high ISO shots just for fun, itīs not what i intend to do, they look fair enough, nothing impressive, just ok. Mounting it to a solid tripod, 100 ISO, MLU pared with a good lens really makes it shine, itīs sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. Colors are excellent. Contrast excellent. Not really happy with how it deals with WB but this body is still new to me and like most digitial cameras it certainly got a personality of itīs own. Takes some time to learn how to tweak it to taste. Did i mention the sharpness?! File size is large when shooting RAW, not too large but be prepared to have a pair of decent HDīs and a decent software to handle the files.
Not gonna make this into a lengthy essay as it is an "old" camera and most things about it has already been said but thereīs one thing i would like to point out...if you would like a FF body in a 1D package and canīt afford the new hotness (1DsmkIII). Donīt hesitate if you can afford this baby second hand (or new), itīs all that and then some!
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Oct 25, 2007
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bryPT
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 9, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 230
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Review Date: Sep 22, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $6,400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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brilliant piece of equipment. Everything about it is positive.
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Cons:
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nothing.
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You have all read the reviews, so there is really not much more that I can say. I will throw a wrench into the comments about weight. I absolutely love the weight of this camera. First off, it is not a toy, so it should not feel and weigh like one. In 3 years, I have gone from a Digital Rebel, to 30d, to this, and every jump has been large, but the 30d to this was huge. The weight is perfectly balanced with my 100-400 and my walk around 24-105 works great with it as well. I rarely wear it on a strap, so I ain't got it dangling and choking me due to the supposed heaviness. The menus are set up nice, a step back from the 30d, but I like them just as much in other ways. Sure, no mirror lockup, small screen, blah blah blah, but we all knew that going in, so.... LOVE the battery life. Brilliant battery life. LOVE the AI Servo focusing, LOVE the ISO, and absolutely LOVE the image results. This is by far the finest piece of equipment I have ever used in photography (for the short time I have been doing it seriously), in I.T. (a computer geek by trade) or anything else I can think of. If you can get your hands on one of these new, Canon has phased it off their site, and want the most serious piece of camera hardware you can get your hand on (until mid November), I would definitely buy it. I carry it everywhere I go in a Slingshot 200 AW and could not be happier.
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Sep 22, 2007
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davidmarsh
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Oct 26, 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 133
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Review Date: Sep 15, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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The finest DSL I have ever used, and I have used most of them!
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Cons:
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None, but I feel I should say something so here goes...its too high
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I am always amazed that when reading the reviews on Canon DSLRs that everyone say they are heavy. Young children are heavy when little babies but we carry then everywhere. All they do is poo and make a mess, yet we do not complain. Your Canon, however, needs no feeding, no bathing, no patting on the back and unlike babies, they can make you money and also make you look important. The Canon 1DS MII is the most important looking camera around and does produce stunning results especialy when shooting in low light situations like concerts. They handle noise very well and if the users of these cameras read the manual, they will discover some fantastic and important features that really help you capture great images. An example of this would be the 'focus lock', the '8 point exposure control', the multi controls for both portrait and landscape images. It is heavy because it is durable, strong and can be abused without any issues.
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Sep 15, 2007
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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73
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145339
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Apr 29, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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95% of reviewers
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$4,981.27
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.85
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8.33
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9.7
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