The 1Ds mkI is not a good buy if you need battery longevity and clean high iso.
The bad:
- it has horrible battery life (500 shots - maybe)
- you cannot do iso1600 or iso3200, 1250 is max
- the maximum iso1250 is VERY noisy ( iso800 and up too)
The good:
- it is full frame, if you need that
- it has 1-series AF (very good AF, not as good as mkII)
- it is durable
- iso100 to iso400 are excellent to very good
Suggestion:
- If you are looking for a good camera at this range of price, the 1DmkII (1.3x crop, 8.2mp) is a much better buy unless you absolutely need full frame for which you must decide which is more important: AF or a clean high-iso.
I used to shoot a 1D and 1Ds (the mkI) and hated the poor battery life and noisy high-iso output from these cameras. The 40D and 5D run circles around the 1Ds for noise and the 40D is not that far behind in the AF department from the mkI, in my experienced opinion. The 1DmkII provides a nice median at about the same price.
Dyads wrote:
I don't see that much difference in battery life between my 1DIIN and my 1Ds.
Remember the 1D had a CCD sensor that just eats juice compared to the CMOS sensors of the rest.
The only knock I have on the 1Ds is it is slow but I really don't used it in situations where that is a problem.
Jim
I am surprised that you did not see a difference. Every 1D and 1Ds I have used had fairly limited battery life (say 400 images). In comparison, my 1DMK2 goes 900-1000 images per charge.
seann robinson wrote:
mike-
would you mind expanding on your camparison a little? i understand that it is subjective, but you could you TRY to describe the difference you see in the files? since the prices have fallen, i've been considering the 5D or 1Ds as an opportunity to explore new areas of photography. thanks for any input.
-seann
seann, it is hard to capture the difference well in words. i did not own the cameras at the same time and don't have a simple set of twin files to offer (same subject, same lens, 1Ds v 5D). the files from the 1Ds are ... richer, textured, deeper. the files from the 5D are ... digi-clean, harder, crisp-y.
ok, i sound like a frothing idiot.
in use on a tripod, indoors or out, working relatively slowly, i loved the 1Ds. i loved it for macro shooting w/flash, handheld or on 'pod. i loved it for portraits. hell, i won a contest with a shot from the first day out with the camera.
but i disliked it for travel, walkaround, lowlight work. since i shoot the latter more than the other stuff, i've kept a 5D since it has better all-round manners, shooting a 1-series 1.3x camera for sports. still, i miss that 1Ds. if i had the money, i'd keep one just to use for what it does really well.
mike-
thanks a lot for that description. you explained EXACTLY what i wanted to know.
i have been thinking of getting a 5D and started to consider a 1Ds, since the used prices are about the same. then somebody mentioned that the 1Ds produced more pleasing images and i began to give it a little more thought. but, in the end, i think i would be happier with a smaller body for travel, etc than i would with a brick. thanks again for your input.
-seann
I use the 1Ds and love it. I will never get rid of it. I mostly shoot landscapes at ISO 100 and therefore high ISO is not important to me. Regarding battery life I usually get 400-500 shots out of one battery. The camera sits as molded to your hands and personally I like a camera to be "substantial". I've never used the 5D or the 40D so I can not compare to those.
I guess i'm lucky apparently, My 1Ds does fine on battery use. I get about 850 shots before the indicator will start to blink. In the cold about 500 (used Canon batteries from KEH), unless I use the original battery the camera came with, it gets 70 in the cold. Image quality wise I liked the 1Ds files more than the 5D's but that's a personal thing. The 5d is better at high ISO there's no argument there, though when noise does show up the 1Ds's noise looks like film grain and is natural looking where as the 5d's noise is unpleasing. All in all they're both fine cameras you won't go wrong either way.
seann, it is hard to capture the difference well in words. i did not own the cameras at the same time and don't have a simple set of twin files to offer (same subject, same lens, 1Ds v 5D). the files from the 1Ds are ... richer, textured, deeper. the files from the 5D are ... digi-clean, harder, crisp-y.
Mike has a pretty good discription of the difference. I just recently purchased a mint 1Ds from a fellow FM member and couldn't be happier. I was considering the 5D, but I already own a classic 1D and don't like the different UI of the two systems and batteries.
A few observations IMHO:
I work with 30D and 5D files shot under every possible condition everyday at work. I am very familiar with their "look". The 5D does a great job, and beats the 1Ds on higher ISO's hands down. The 1Ds has great detail and richness in the 400 and less ISO files. It's hard to discribe, a bit more tooth? I don't even mind the 800 ISO with a pass of Noise Ninja and properly exposed, but than I prefer the edgier look of 1D files over 30D files (more film like, less plastic looking).
I've only shot with the 1Ds for a short time under limited conditions, so the complete verdict is still out, but I really like what I've seen so far. The battery issue is not a big deal, I think it's better than the 1D (just keep a few extra's charged up). And as far as the slow write speed... Yes it's slower than a 1D, but honestly folks, I don't know how people can shoot so fast under studio and scenic conditions that it's holding them back. A sports shooter is a whole different world.
I'm an old school dinasour I guess. I came from a medium / large format film background and use a tri-pod for serious shooting. I set-up and compose a shot. I don't mind the slight pause for the image to show up. I don't chimp too much, and just need to peak at the histogram. I used the camera last night for a school dance event for formal studio shots and candids. I was not waiting on the camera once. It has a 10 shot buffer and I'm shooting RAW. Even doing grab shots it's plenty fast for me at that rate, and the focus is... well it's a One Series "There is no substitute".
The price on a 1Ds is just a tad lower than the 5D when you factor in the extra grip needed for a 5D. It's a fantastic camera and a great value for that price, same as the classic 1D if it fits your shooting style. YMMV
If I get a chance, I will try to post some identical files shot between the 1Ds and the 5D on my web page.
Hal Olson wrote: seann, it is hard to capture the difference well in words. i did not own the cameras at the same time and don't have a simple set of twin files to offer (same subject, same lens, 1Ds v 5D). the files from the 1Ds are ... richer, textured, deeper. the files from the 5D are ... digi-clean, harder, crisp-y.
Mike has a pretty good discription of the difference. I just recently purchased a mint 1Ds from a fellow FM member and couldn't be happier. I was considering the 5D, but I already own a classic 1D and don't like the different UI of the two systems and batteries.
A few observations IMHO:
I work with 30D and 5D files shot under every possible condition everyday at work. I am very familiar with their "look". The 5D does a great job, and beats the 1Ds on higher ISO's hands down. The 1Ds has great detail and richness in the 400 and less ISO files. It's hard to discribe, a bit more tooth? I don't even mind the 800 ISO with a pass of Noise Ninja and properly exposed, but than I prefer the edgier look of 1D files over 30D files (more film like, less plastic looking).
I've only shot with the 1Ds for a short time under limited conditions, so the complete verdict is still out, but I really like what I've seen so far. The battery issue is not a big deal, I think it's better than the 1D (just keep a few extra's charged up). And as far as the slow write speed... Yes it's slower than a 1D, but honestly folks, I don't know how people can shoot so fast under studio and scenic conditions that it's holding them back. A sports shooter is a whole different world.
I'm an old school dinasour I guess. I came from a medium / large format film background and use a tri-pod for serious shooting. I set-up and compose a shot. I don't mind the slight pause for the image to show up. I don't chimp too much, and just need to peak at the histogram. I used the camera last night for a school dance event for formal studio shots and candids. I was not waiting on the camera once. It has a 10 shot buffer and I'm shooting RAW. Even doing grab shots it's plenty fast for me at that rate, and the focus is... well it's a One Series "There is no substitute".
The price on a 1Ds is just a tad lower than the 5D when you factor in the extra grip needed for a 5D. It's a fantastic camera and a great value for that price, same as the classic 1D if it fits your shooting style. YMMV
If I get a chance, I will try to post some identical files shot between the 1Ds and the 5D on my web page.
