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Julius
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Jan 26, 2002
Location: United States
Posts: 879
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Review Date: Jan 9, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,599.95
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent ground up redesign of the previous 1 D cameras. An outstanding camera from the functionality point of you with picture quality out of the camera unparalleled compared to previous models.
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Cons:
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None found so far.
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It took me a lot of contemplation after all the initial AF issues to purchase this camera (Blue Dot version). Having 1D cameras before I was right at home with it from the beginning, learning the new features very quickly and the new Menu system really impressed me, it is a breeze and pleasure to use it. The fact that I can have (and I do) 10 custom setups stored on each of the CF and SD cards is an incredible bonus and convenience which can be loaded in seconds. I made setups for landscapes; birds in flight, bracketing, special flash applications, and mirror lock up with variations and naming them on an easily recognizable way. I store my setups (actually even more than 10) on my desktop and laptop in case when I reformat the card I can easily copy them back.
The "My Menu" is another incredible bonus which I really appreciate and enjoy that I can change and custom tailor parameters in an instant. As an example having the Mirror Lockup in My Menu takes 2 seconds to turn it on or off so I really do not feel like I have a need for a dedicated MLU button. The design and user friendliness of this camera is a dream come true for me.
The picture quality out of the camera is absolutely astonishing with at least one f/stop high ISO advantage compared to the previous 1d versions. The images require minimum post processing and the colors are stunning and very accurate, better than any camera I ever had which includes Canon D30, D60, 10D, 20D, 5D, 1D, 1D MK II and II N.
On This Blue Dot camera the AF is spot on and the AI servo gives me very good results, maybe a few percentage of less in focus images in a burst than the 1D MK IIN but very close. I found some inconsistent One-shot AF with my 24-105L lens at the 24mm end but this appears to related to this specific lens, both my 16-35L II and 17-40L are focusing perfectly well.
All in all I enjoy this camera more than any other camera I had before.
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 Jan 9, 2008
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Tobers
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 23, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 29
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Review Date: Jan 4, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Image quality, responsivness, solid, feels excellent in the hand, build quality.
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Cons:
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Vast number of custom functions making it easy to screw up your settings
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I waited and waited until I could get one of the "good" serial number cameras well outside the faulty serial number range. I'm very impressed. Autofocus has been spot on in AI Servo mode - it focuses accurately and extremely quickly. The camera really is a joy to use. It is so fast and responsive, and makes my old 30D look and feel like a toy. Super bit of kit.
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Jan 4, 2008
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recordproducti
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jul 11, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 182
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Review Date: Dec 22, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Solid, robust, accurate, very fast, super fast to focus, brilliant medium to high ISO performance, 'look of the image', superb battery life. Overall, a superb camera.
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Cons:
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It shows up average lenses.
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I bought the 'blue dot' with some concern after reading some comments posted about AF. I thought I'd take a minimum of 2,000 shots before posting any review so that I could be sure - and in my experience it's bang on. I am getting superb results.
I've used a good range of lenses with it and note that my 85L mk II is a bit faster than my 5D. 24-70L is quite a bit faster. I was a bit concerned after my first two shoots after comparing the images taken by the 5D, then I remembered I'd been using zooms on the 1D and the 35L and 85L on the 5D. After doing tests and follow up shoots with the primes on the 1D I could see just how good that the 1D mk III renders images. I was about to go and buy a 50L but my 50 f/1.4 on the 1D is superb.
AF issues? None here. It's super fast.
I paid not much more than I paid for my 5D (two years ago) and it surely is better value? I will not sell my 5D, it's great, the 1D is for different work. It's a great combination.
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Dec 22, 2007
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simonella_viru
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Nov 19, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 644
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Review Date: Dec 20, 2007
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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LCD is bigger, weather sealing, 2 memory slots (CF, SD), long battery life, live view
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Cons:
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unpredictable AF, no auto-focus in live view
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this camera is good when it feels like it- very schizo behaviour. i still haven't sent it in to get the fix, but canon thusfar has been so responsive (sarcasm), so to be fair i thought i'd write-up a quick review anyway.
i have this sneaking suspicion that even after the fix, things won't be at 100% anyway. regardless, owning this camera, with all the firmware and settings tweaks, felt like a work in progress, not a professionally finished flagship product. i'm very unimpressed and i think i would have been better off with a 1d Mk IIn, 1ds Mk II, 40d, or even some nikon camera. canon missed the mark on this one. i am definitely not one of the people who have a good mark III, if such a thing exists. definitely not worth the money or risk!
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Dec 20, 2007
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Matt Kerby
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Jun 9, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 501
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Review Date: Dec 16, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,499.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast, incredible in low light at high ISO's, improved layout over the mkII's, Live view real time WB and exposer review
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Cons:
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None
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I know all about the AI Servo problem. My Blue dot is always spot on and never lets me down. I'm only a couple thousand shots into it but it is much better than my 1DmkII. For some this body has been a problem but the problem has been blown way out of proportion now that the fix is in. The ease of operation is a big step forward. The PP is very easy with this body and it takes cropping very well. Not much more to say...Well...Except, don't believe everything you read about this body, most who are complaining either haven't got it fixed, didn't buy a post fix body or simply don't own it and are mirroring what they read in the forums.
Best tool I've ever had for capturing any type of image...Period
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Dec 16, 2007
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larkinsg
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 25, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 62
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Review Date: Dec 15, 2007
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $4,500.00
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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If it functioned as advertised it would be fantastic -- it does not, apparently even post-fix.
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Cons:
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The AF (AI Servo Mode) on this camera was manufactured (in
what appears to be about 45,000 cameras) defective! The fix
is now being applied but it does not bring the camera into the
realm of the 1D Mark II in terms of AF speed and tracking.
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The AF (AI Servo Mode) on this camera was manufactured (in
what appears to be about 45,000 cameras) defective! The fix
is now being applied but it does not bring the camera into the
realm of the 1D Mark II in terms of AF speed and tracking.
Images that are in focus are fantastic ISO 400 on this
camera. Noise at ISO 400 is competitive or better than that of the 1D mark II series at ISO 100!
The hit-or-miss AF is a reall millstone around an action
photographer's neck and at $4,500 for a camera that Canon
claimed would be better than the predecessor in every way,
particularly autofocussing, this is a real deal breaker and
bitter disappointment!
Should Canon ever read this they might want to note the
following:
As an engineer extremely familiar with optics I suspect that
the use of a concave submirror makes the AF inherently
unstable through the introduction of an aberation (spherical
aberation perhaps?) making the size of transmitted spot on
the AF sensor vary as it moves across the AF sensor's surface and leading to focussing errors. If this is the cause of the problem the problem will not be repairable unless and until
they re-design the entire assembly and replace the sensor
and the sub-mirror or add a correction plate to compensate
for the aberation.
Avoid this camera until an updated "N" version without bugs is
brought out!
Finally -- IF you do decide to purchase any fine camera I urge
you to buy it from B&H as they are easily the most reputable
and responsible mail order house that I have dealt with in my
20+ years of Wildlife and Nature photography. N0TE -- I am
in ABSOLUTELY NO WAY Assiciated or Affiliated with B&H
other than as a satisfied customer entering my 3rd decade as
a client!
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Dec 15, 2007
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ward1066
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Feb 3, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2563
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Review Date: Dec 5, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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battery life, IQ, ISO noise, 10fps
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Cons:
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price :)
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I got a BD version around the first of dec. and have prieviously owned the Mark2 N. I have used the servo and sofar have not noticed any issues compared to the N. This camera had some problems out of the gate and it will probably take some time for people to test the good versions.Then I believe you will hear people praising this wonderful camera. I wouldnt have any hesitations purchasing one again.
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Dec 5, 2007
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moduli
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Aug 27, 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Nov 30, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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single point af has been reliable, outside of circumstances involving my own error. colour, wb and exposure has been great, as expected of a 1x. battery life is great.
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Cons:
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i cannot get multipoint af to work, hitrate is 50% whereas its closer to 90% with single, guess i need more practice
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the thing about this camera is you dont realise what you hold until you go back to something else, as i did recently with a friends 40d. then it just feels like a cheap slow plasticy pos and the photos look 2nd rate by comparison.
camera died recently while using liveview, completely stone dead on a full battery with no lights or anything, so its back at canon. despite that i love it and wouldnt hesitate to buy it again.
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Nov 30, 2007
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ivanshusky
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Nov 7, 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 228
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Review Date: Nov 29, 2007
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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1 series build, new battery, lighter wieght
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Cons:
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AF issue
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To me 1D3 is not a big improvement from 1D2N. The AF is very inconsistant.
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Nov 29, 2007
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Matt OHarver
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Sep 18, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 3612
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Review Date: Nov 23, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Battery life, High ISO performance, improved AF system, one button to push instead of 2 to make changes, more MP, more FPS, just amazing.
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Cons:
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None so far, camera has performed flawlessly so far.
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After watching the AF issues with the 1DMKIII I hesitated to place an order for the upgrade from the 1DMKIIn I was using. However Dell came out with this great deal and I had heard they were shipping Blue Dots some in the effected SN range some out. I placed my order and recieved a BD outside the range and its just a amazing piece of equipment. It woke up the AF speed on even my slowest lens. I've shot over 1000 frames on the first battery charge and have chimped and played in the menu so much and I dont feel I need to recharge. I have had no issues with the camera at all to date and am glad I pulled the trigger to place the order.
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Nov 23, 2007
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leewoolery
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Feb 27, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1105
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Review Date: Nov 11, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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JPG's from camera are incredible, AF is lighting-quick, High ISO performance must be seen to be believed.
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Cons:
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Reported problems with AF and Canon finally admitting problem exists is vry troubling
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Used camera this weekend for a gymnastics meet and images at ISO 3200/6400 were just amazing. Gym lighting was typically poor but camera performed as if it were in daylight.
Menus are easy to figure out but non anything like 1D Series
cameras from the past...much more like the 30D menu.
AF is fastest and most accurate I've ever seen and frame rate coupled with deep buffer takes action shooting to a new level...there are places that I could never have imagined getting useable, available-light photos...but now that's achievable.
Images taken with strobes are unreal.
I thought the 1D Mark II was a great camera but the Mark III
is so much better....in every way.
Lee Woolery
Speedshot Action Photography
www.speedshotphoto.com
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Nov 11, 2007
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DavidI
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Sep 6, 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 11
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Review Date: Nov 7, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,170.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Picture and build quality, ability to easily 'pick up and shoot'.
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Cons:
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Just the weight, a worthwhile sacrifice for the above.
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I'm a keen amateur, using a 10D for a few years now, waiting for the right time to move to a 1-series for better sports shots, mainly soccer. I was planning on buying at B&H during a visit to NYC at the end of October but ended up getting a surprisingly good deal in the UK before my trip, and took the plunge with the AI issue looking as if Canon were about to get to the bottom of it.
The first thing to strike me was just how easy the camera is to use for someone familiar with the 10D. Although the button layout is a little different the logic is very familiar and I felt comfortable very quickly. The second thing was the quality of the pictures; I genuinely didn't expect the shots to be noticeably better out of the box - I thought focus tracking would be better and obviously low light shots would be improved, but just your everyday point and click shots are that much sharper too.
As an example, I'm a sucker for clicking away at seagulls. Alongside the Libert Island ferry, with the boat pitching around and a non-IS lens, every one of a dozen or so shots is perfectly sharp. I haven't suddenly become a decent photographer, and the lenses are the same, so I am confident that the improvement over my usual soft efforts is down to the camera. Some of the shots from the Empire State Building, at night, ISO 3200 and 6400 and handheld at F2.8, sold the low-light performance to me.
I spent a morning calibrating the lenses with Art Morris' excellent mkIII user's guide, and found every lens needed adjustment. My 85mm 1.8 is going into Canon this week as even at +20 (the end of the scale) it still isn't perfect - that would at least partly explain why I never took a good picture with it then....
After a week spent using the camera in NYC I came back with a stack of pictures, a far higher percentage of which than normal I consider keepers, and a fairly sore left shoulder from carrying my camera bag pretty much non-stop!
From an amateur's point of view, to anyone looking to make a similar upgrade I would say go for it - the 1DIII is simply a fantastic piece of kit, and the difference in output between it and the 10D more than justifies the cost.
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Nov 7, 2007
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KETCH ROSSI
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Sep 11, 2007
Location: Italy
Posts: 310
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Review Date: Nov 4, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,499.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Super Fast, Impressive built, Produces Fantastic images, Perfect design.
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Cons:
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Nothing about this camera is negative, nothing.
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This camera is just nothing short of fantastic, I purchased just over a month ago, and now I know I will never again buy an other camera body other then the 1D bodies.
I have not experienced any issues with focus, great, great images this camera can produce, yes I do have a collection of L series glass (the latest) which sure helps but the camera is just a ground braking piece of machine, incredibly well build, better then the predecessors, lighter and with a gummy robberiesh fill to the external grip and bottom, you noticed when for the first time you put down the camera on a glass or marble desk.
I truly now can jump with no esitation in to the purchase of the new 1Ds III as I'm confident I will find the same unsurpassable quality I found in the 1D MARK III.
I do not list all the tectniacal aspects of the products I review as that is done extensively everywere by far more fitted professionals, I stick to give my able opinion, and my opinion is that this camera is just fantastic, buy one with no second guessing.
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Nov 4, 2007
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slau
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Aug 23, 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 5210
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Review Date: Oct 27, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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10MP, lighter, sharper images, sensor cleaning, AF Micro Adjustment, long battery life, excellent high ISO performance, faster AF
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Cons:
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None
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I wrote this review after over 10K shots with my 1DMk3, ranging from bird-in-flight, wildlife and landscape shots. The 1DMk3 comes very close to THE camera for me. I no longer have to use my 1DMk2 exclusively for action and birds, and my 1Ds exclusively for landscape shots, as the 1DMk3 can do at least as good as my other 'specialized' 1D bodies. With the 1DMk3, I routinely shoot at ISO 1000 and above, compared to the 'standard' ISO of 800 with my 1DMk2. Basically, I can extend my shooting for another half to an hour due to poor lighting. Absolutely love the long battery life, sensor cleaning and AF Micro Adjusmen festures. Will wait to see how the 1DsMk3 performs before making the decision to go for another 1DMk3 or the 1DsMk3.
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Oct 27, 2007
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Numfar
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Aug 29, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 1847
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Review Date: Oct 24, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,500.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Absolutely the best pro-series camera to date in all but one (significant) way. Lighter, faster, well laid out, beyond-excellent battery life, fantastic low-light/high ISO results.
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Cons:
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Wonky auto focus pretty much limits the usefulness until Canon's just-announced fix is seen to be effective. Choosing a single AF point could be easier, and takes some time to get used to after working with the joystick on the 5D/xxD bodies.
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Hard to add anything to what everyone's said. The Focus Issue (tm) is the big bugbear of this body. Everything else is top notch.
I moved from the 5D and 30D combo to this body, and did so with some worry/trepidation about the size/weight issues. But after 5 months, I can say that the transition was not nearly as difficult as I'd worried. It is a bit heavier, and the added size will take up more room in your kit bag, but the differences are not as great as I had heard/feared.
People talk about how solid the 1 series bodies are. They're right. I was (and to some extent remain) a skeptic when others spoke about not being able to moved to the 5D or other prosumer bodies b/c even despite superior image quality (compared to 1DIIn, for example), the prosumers just felt 'cheap'.
I don't think the 5D feels cheap at all. But I must concede, it doesn not feel as good in hand as the 1 series does.
The image quality is great, all the way to ISO 1600. And ISO 3200 is usable. Shadows are much improved thanks to 14 bit processing and increased dynamic range.
To 5D users, the increased buffer size will be liberating if you shoot rapidly. I've noticed a dramatic difference even in studio environments of fashion shoots.
Battery life is stunning. Regularly shoot an entire day with one charge. Even entire weekends. To compare, the 5D would require 3-5 battery changes over the same time.
My score of 8/10 above is only not a 10 because of the focus issue, which is way too significant to ignore.
When it is fixed conclusively, I will heartily recommend this camera. Until then, it is a very guarded recommendation.
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Oct 24, 2007
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shrink1
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Sep 18, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 294
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Review Date: Oct 9, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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solid, Liveview, quiet and fast, easy controls
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Cons:
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lack of easy 'reset' function, price, Histogram has no visible borders, conspicuous
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Coming from a 20D I like the feel fo the Pro-body a lot more, reminds me of past experience with an F1N. Liveview is actually very useful in some situations: I was shooting a stage production (cabaret), rather than squinting for long periods through the finder I put the camera in liveview mode after focusing (note: only works if performer remains static) then I magnified in to 10x and had just the head of the actor in view. Relaxedly waiting for some drama in his/her expression, I would then click off. Similar to working with a camcorder, I should think.
Focus seems to work as long as I do it right, high ISO is fantastic compared to 20D, and I can actually read the menus on the LCD. Somebody more knowledgable than me pointed out that Nikons have an easy way to reset ISO, WB and similar stuff which is easily forgotten from the previous day's shooting. I agree completely. Also, that histograms are not properly bordered is not my revelation, but I strongly agree.
Price should be about $500 to $1000 lower, I think Canon is milking us.
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Oct 9, 2007
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Reviews
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Date of last review
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138
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174773
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Mar 23, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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90% of reviewers
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$3,747.88
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.73
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8.61
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9.3
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