For those that have moved to the Mark III, can you please compare this body to the IIn in terms of value? The III is something like 35% more out of pocket.
The main differences seem to be 1.5fps, a newer (though suspect) AF system, liveview and a larger LCD, 2MP file size difference, and a higher ISO range and cleaner files. Am I correct? Am I missing anything? I know the MKIII is dual DIGIC, but that shows up in the performance. Oh, and a sensor shaker.
So, for those of you who have shot both, is the MKIII all that much more? Is the final IQ significantly better? If your AF works properly (most seem to) is it SO much better than the IIn? Are you getting shots that the previous AF might have missed? Is the ISO performance worthy of praise? Any change to your keeper rates?
Bottom line - is the new camera at least 35% "better" (in your opinion, of course) than the IIn.
Before I get flamed to death, I'm considering a 1 series as a new primary body, and it would be added to my 20D as a two body set. I shoot everything. Portrait, Candid, Macro, Nature & Wildlife, Events, Sports, etc... all as an amateur with aspirations to be more in the long run. I don't really need you to answer the question from MY perspective, as it's too hard to put you in my shoes. I'd rather you answer from your perspective, in hindsight, and in relation to your personal experience and opinion.
The entire feature set is better. Better IQ, AF, DR, ISO noise control, and battery life. Although it only has 2 more MP it is 14bit and that gives it a IQ similiar to my 1DsMKII with better DR and noise control.
The menu system is a great improvement allowing you to make changes quickly. Live View is great for micro work or long tele shots requiring MF for accuracy.
I guess I have been one of the lucky ones because mine has function perfectly from the day I got it and has never exhibited any of the problems reported.
Jim Victory wrote:
Yes it is worth it.
...
I guess I have been one of the lucky ones because mine has function perfectly from the day I got it and has never exhibited any of the problems reported.
Jim
Thanks for the feedback, Jim. I'm glad you're having a good experience. Have you played with many of the custom functions, or is yours set up pretty much the same way it came out of the box?
sskoutas wrote:
Thanks for the feedback, Jim. I'm glad you're having a good experience. Have you played with many of the custom functions, or is yours set up pretty much the same way it came out of the box?
I have made a number of adjustments to the C.Fn that work for me with BIF and sports. I came to these settings shortly after I got my camera on 5/31/07. They have given me consistently better results than my 1DMKIIn did.
Jim Victory wrote:
I have made a number of adjustments to the C.Fn that work for me with BIF and sports. I came to these settings shortly after I got my camera on 5/31/07. They have given me consistently better results than my 1DMKIIn did.
Jim
That's really good news, Jim. I'm glad and a bit more persuaded by the fact that you are loving yours.
Jim, do you mind sharing what your sports setting are to a soon to be MKIII owner?
Ron
Jim Victory wrote:
I have made a number of adjustments to the C.Fn that work for me with BIF and sports. I came to these settings shortly after I got my camera on 5/31/07. They have given me consistently better results than my 1DMKIIn did.
I stayed away from the previous Series 1 bodies because of their weight and what I considered to be a quirky user interface. Both problems have been taken care of the the M3. I am having some AF problems but am still getting better results than I did from my 20D and only need Servo and high FPS for about 5% of my shooting. For the other 95% of the time the camera is stellar. Handles well and the files it produces are stunning. There is a smoothness to them that is unlike anything that I have seen before. Athough touted as a sports camera, that smoothness makes for beautiful people pictures. Before too much longer I suspect it is going to be the portrait camera of choice.
IMO... the HTP feature is great. Liveview is no better than OK. May imporve with the next firmware update but it isn't living up to hopes. Menu system is very good. Battery life is amazing. 3" LCD needs more pixels. VF is very well suited for MF. AF point selection is a huge improvement. Very accurate in low light. Yes, it is worth the difference between the 1DMkIIn.
ronone10 wrote:
Jim, do you mind sharing what your sports setting are to a soon to be MKIII owner?
Ron
Here is my C.Fn III settings. They seem to have the most effect on performance.
C.Fn III: AF/Drive
1-0
2- Fast
3-0
4-0 I will use #1 if I have a cluttered foreground in conjunction with 8-2.
5-0
6-0
7-0
8-0 sometimes I use #2 in conjunction with the ring of fire.
9-0
10-1
Steve, don't forget there's always Plan C. That's the one where you, being the great guy you are, offer to help some other poor soul finance his/her purchase of the MkIII by taking that old, creaky, worn-out, been-there-done-that 1DsMkII off their hands. You're willing to sacrifice Liveview (questionable), high burst rate (probably great for action sports, maybe you're not posting all your basketball shots on N&W these days), "self-cleaning" sensor (lots of questions on that already, too), and high ISO performance (sounds like the best feature of the new body so far to me). And all you're getting in return is incomparable fine shadow and highlight detail, a full-frame sensor that increases your final composition/cropping options, and the ability to go WIDE.
What a guy...
Seriously, you can find a near new, perfect 1DsMkII with under 20,000 actuations for under $5K if you look hard. The prices on MkIIIs are going to fall faster than where 1DsMkII's are now -
Hrow wrote:
I stayed away from the previous Series 1 bodies because of their weight and what I considered to be a quirky user interface.
It's pretty easy once you get used to it, but it can be "non intuitive".
Both problems have been taken care of the the M3. I am having some AF problems but am still getting better results than I did from my 20D and only need Servo and high FPS for about 5% of my shooting. For the other 95% of the time the camera is stellar. Handles well and the files it produces are stunning. There is a smoothness to them that is unlike anything that I have seen before. Athough touted as a sports camera, that smoothness makes for beautiful people pictures. Before too much longer I suspect it is going to be the portrait camera of choice.
IMO... the HTP feature is great. Liveview is no better than OK. May imporve with the next firmware update but it isn't living up to hopes. Menu system is very good. Battery life is amazing. 3" LCD needs more pixels. VF is very well suited for MF. AF point selection is a huge improvement. Very accurate in low light. Yes, it is worth the difference between the 1DMkIIn. ...Show more →
I don't know what the HTP feature is (don't own the camera) but I think you're misjudging the live view feature and IMO it's one of the best new features available. This IS a great step forward in manual focusing.
jamesf99 wrote:
It's pretty easy once you get used to it, but it can be "non intuitive".
I don't know what the HTP feature is (don't own the camera) but I think you're misjudging the live view feature and IMO it's one of the best new features available. This IS a great step forward in manual focusing.
Regarding Live View... In theory, yes. In practice? Well, that's another matter. It doesn't quite live up to its potential or the hype because of the limited resolution and the softness of the LCD.
HTP stands for Highlight Tone Priority that helps keep the highlights from being blown out. Really works well. Same thing could be accomplished in PP by someone who really knew what they were doing but this makes it brainless.
Hrow wrote:
I stayed away from the previous Series 1 bodies because of their weight and what I considered to be a quirky user interface. Both problems have been taken care of the the M3. I am having some AF problems but am still getting better results than I did from my 20D and only need Servo and high FPS for about 5% of my shooting. For the other 95% of the time the camera is stellar. Handles well and the files it produces are stunning. There is a smoothness to them that is unlike anything that I have seen before. Athough touted as a sports camera, that smoothness makes for beautiful people pictures. Before too much longer I suspect it is going to be the portrait camera of choice.
IMO... the HTP feature is great. Liveview is no better than OK. May imporve with the next firmware update but it isn't living up to hopes. Menu system is very good. Battery life is amazing. 3" LCD needs more pixels. VF is very well suited for MF. AF point selection is a huge improvement. Very accurate in low light. Yes, it is worth the difference between the 1DMkIIn. ...Show more →
davidearls wrote:
Steve, don't forget there's always Plan C. That's the one where you, being the great guy you are, offer to help some other poor soul finance his/her purchase of the MkIII by taking that old, creaky, worn-out, been-there-done-that 1DsMkII off their hands. You're willing to sacrifice Liveview (questionable), high burst rate (probably great for action sports, maybe you're not posting all your basketball shots on N&W these days), "self-cleaning" sensor (lots of questions on that already, too), and high ISO performance (sounds like the best feature of the new body so far to me). And all you're getting in return is incomparable fine shadow and highlight detail, a full-frame sensor that increases your final composition/cropping options, and the ability to go WIDE.
What a guy...
Seriously, you can find a near new, perfect 1DsMkII with under 20,000 actuations for under $5K if you look hard. The prices on MkIIIs are going to fall faster than where 1DsMkII's are now - ...Show more →
I've thought that too, but one of the driving forces for me is FPS. And not for the reasons most think either. Unlike the majority, I think high burst rates are a huge benefit to the candid and portrait photographer, and most of my images are children under 5 years old. The variance in expression over the course of a second can be huge, and I often use bursts when shooting people so that I can expression-hunt later in Bridge.
You'll never hear me knocking the DsMkII, but at least for right now, I don't think it's the camera for me. If I were leaning in that direction, I'd probably fall into the 5D (or its sucessor's) camp.
amis wrote:
mk III also has a new metering system. (63 zones v.s the old 21 zones on 1DMkIIN). Not sure if this is a real improvement though.
Can anyone comment on the real-world effect this has on shooting or the images that result? I'm guessing, to the user, this is a transparent upgrade but hopefully the results would be images that hit their intended metering target better and perhaps more completely use the wider DR?
Actually HTP works great. I was sceptical since you could do this in post - especially if you use a bit of bracketing and layering etc. Take a shot with highlights, then another emphasising the dark areas and if you have time a shot for mid tones. A bit of Gaussian blur in PS would work.
However HTP seems to do this for you in one go.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the 1D2. The 1D3 is even better --and I can't even imagine how it would have been possible to better the 1D2.
