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tcphoto
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Registered: Mar 29, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1533
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Review Date: Jun 14, 2015
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,200.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Build quality, resolution, performance
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Cons:
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Weight
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The Canon 1Ds3 is still a great performer after all these years. Although the 1Dx has been out for a few years, I still cannot motivate myself to retire my 1Ds3. I've asked clients if they need more resolution and they are still happy with the files, so I won't be buying a 5Ds or newer offering. I might buy another as a backup, perhaps another 1Ds3 or a 5D4 just in case of an accident.
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 Jun 14, 2015
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dhphoto
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Registered: Feb 15, 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 13811
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Review Date: Nov 1, 2014
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Build quality, low ISO image quality, reliablity, in-camera backup, battery life. I can trust it to deliver again and again, good big viewfinder
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Cons:
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Relatively poor LCD, dust removal not reliable, either 2 or 10 second timer, nothing in-between, basic live view, no built in level, I wish the pc socket cover was detachable (it is but getting it back in is very awkward)
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This cost me a lot of money new back in 2009. I questioned if it was worth it.
But quality lasts. I have used my 1Ds3 hundreds and hundreds of times under all sorts of conditions on all sorts of pro assignments and it has never let me down.
I tend to try and keep it to 800 ISO or less, it doesn't have the high ISO abilities of the newer cameras and the LCD is of poor quality and small by modern standards but it just keeps on ticking off the frames, doing the job, earning the money. Even the AF system that seemed so complex years ago looks a bit puny compared with my 5D3 but it does the job ok.
I still think at 400 ISO and under it has the best Canon IQ too, as of 2014, with the most manipulable RAW files by far.
I have to get the sensor cleaned professionally fairly often as the dust removal doesn't really work and to be able to have an adjustable self-timer would be good but these are minor quibbles.
If you are in the market for a workhorse and you can get a good lightly used 1Ds3 get one, they are truly great digital slrs
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Nov 1, 2014
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JesseShotland
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Registered: Jun 17, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 345
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Review Date: Aug 27, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Beautiful sensor, body is really well made,
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Cons:
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No video, low light
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The 1Ds Mark 3 is a beautiful camera. From the moment I bought mine I was in love. I've never used a sensor that know how to deal with funky light better. I would recommend this camera to any photographer, without a doubt.
The only slight downfalls are that this camera can't record video along with it not having the best low light capabilities.
I bought mine used and pretty screwed up for extensive "orange juice" damage. I sent it in to Canon, and it cost me significantly less than I expected for them to fix it, and now I'm going full force. Love this Body.
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Aug 27, 2013
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sivrajbm
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Registered: Mar 15, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 3430
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Review Date: Oct 9, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,600.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Speed, viewfinder, battery, LV, CF, AF, files
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Cons:
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I waited so long selling my 1DsMk2's
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I had not planned on buying this camera. I really liked the files I got from the 1DsMk2. What can I say, when a good deal comes your way jump on it with both feet.
I couldn't be happier with this beast. The speed both shooting and reviewing is faster. The VF is bigger and brighter, the battery lasts longer. The files are just as beautiful and the Ds2 and better noise control to boot.
My only regret is waiting so long to upgrade to this body.
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Oct 9, 2012
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mrcolin2u
Online
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Registered: Jun 30, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1876
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Review Date: Apr 5, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fantastic image quality, solid build, fast 10fps.
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Cons:
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It's heavy, but I like the solid feel. The shutter noise will sometime scare birds when I'm close up.
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This is my second 1D Mark III. This is replacing a Mark III I regrettably sold last year.
I hope to keep this camera for a long time.
Here are some pics from my old 1D Mark III
http://mrcolin2u.zenfolio.com/p759804000
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Apr 5, 2012
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Keith Broad
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Registered: Aug 14, 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 126
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Review Date: Dec 20, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,000.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fast, accurate AF, durable body, beautiful colours and tones, pleasant noise quality
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Cons:
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Probably a bit dated now, but very user-friendly nonetheless
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I bought this body as a 'new' refurbished camera a few weeks ago. I have had a 1D MkIII since 2007 (early adopter) and loved its speed and accuracy. I bought a 5DMkII in 2008 and that has been the camera I have used for portraits, weddings and travel. The 1D3 I used mainly for active kids and street photography. I saw the 1Ds MkIII for sale on-line at half its normal price (with a new camera Canon warranty), so I though "What the heck?" and impulsively bought it.
It's been a delight. This body has good speed and accuracy, but with the IQ of the 5D2 (slightly different and better in some respects). I now think that I'm now ready to sell my 1D3 and stay with two FF bodies.
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Dec 20, 2011
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gpgt1998
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Registered: Jan 21, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 340
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Review Date: Apr 21, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,200.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything, It's a great body.
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Cons:
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A/A filter
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My only gripe is the Anti-Aliasing filter. My images from the 1Ds (11mp) were sharper due to thinner A/A filter. Besides that, it's a wonderful camera.
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Apr 21, 2011
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factoryphoto
Offline
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Registered: Jul 5, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 306
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Review Date: Feb 14, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,000.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Solid build like all 1d series, great detail in pictures, 24x36 posters are just breath taking.
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Cons:
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None at all I knew exactly what I was getting.
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After using crop bodies for the past 6 years I wanted to try a Full frame camera. I had been using 3- 1d Mark III cameras and a Mark II N shooting motocross exclusively. Most would think for motocross the 1d III would be better with its 10 fps but ive never shot like that ever, always a planned shot one at a time so the fps did not matter to me I was more concerned on cropping and printing. Well i've been using the camera for about 3 months now and have printed a bunch of 20x30 and 24x36 posters for my customers and I just could not be happier with the results. Simply amazing image quality even at higher ISO where people say it does not perform that well. Out of 5 Mark III's I had only two needed to go back to the factory for banding and the recall on some bodies. So far even this 1ds Mark III with a earlier serial number has performed flawlessly for me. Ive put it through some heavy rainy days and it never skipped a beat. I loved the Mark III but now after using a FF sensor camera with my 300 F2.8 I will never go back to a crop body. Well I take that back I do use a Mark II N and 50d as back up with W/A lenses on them at the track but my money maker is the 1Ds III.
I was torn to get a Mark 4 but the whole video thing bothers me. Its inevitable that cameras will all be video capable within the next 2 years or so but I will be shooting with this 1ds for years to come. Technology gets better every year but I see this camera holding its own for many years to come. I am very happy with this camera and the amazing images I have taken with it. its a whole new world of photography now. Cropping is at a whole new level and printing is something I look forward too now knowing the results will be fantastic. This is by far the best camera I have owned.
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Feb 14, 2010
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felipin
Offline
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Registered: Dec 1, 2005
Location: Spain
Posts: 84
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Review Date: Feb 2, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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1D body, AF speed, AF accuracy, color rendering, quality of the noise (film-like)
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Cons:
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Well, price.
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I got rid of my 1D MK III and I'm using the 1Ds M III instead. I can't be happier. Sometimes I miss the 10 fps feature, since 5 is really a bit slow for sports, but, well, I still prefer 5 perfectly focused 21 Mp images rather than a burst of 10 with 3-4 out of focus 10 Mp ones...
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Feb 2, 2010
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lamontsanders
Offline
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Registered: Apr 7, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 352
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Review Date: Dec 30, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,750.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sturdy, Ergonomics, AF, Customization, Resolution, IQ
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Cons:
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I can't really fault much, I mean the price at normal cost is outrageous but I got mine for >50% off. For the price I paid, bargain.
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Amazing. Beautiful. The exact tool I need for anything I ever want to shoot and I absolutely love it. My Nikon 14-24 is sick on this thing and the 24-70 is just beautiful. Makes my 85L (mk I) focus fast! Yeah seriously it of all lenses focuses pretty fast now! The AF is so good that it practically reads your mind. I miss the higher ISO performance of my 5D2...except for the fact that I don't miss the crap AF/sealing. If you are in the market for a real deal camera body, get this. The 1Ds2 is a solid peformer but is a real step back in time compared to this thing. The 5D2, while newer and prettier, is the flashy cousin to this the do it all extremely well all-substance beast. The shutter sounds just awesome. The camera is ridiculously responsive. Everything about this camera is what I want in a body and fixes what I did not care for in the 5D2. Peace of mind is worth the money to me, and I finally have some peace of mind even over the 1D4 (this was a hard decision over that body, but ultimately this wins to me). Go buy yourself one already!
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Dec 30, 2009
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jimmyhickey
Offline
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Registered: Apr 16, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 744
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Review Date: Dec 7, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Weather proof, build quality, image quality, high ISO handling, reliability
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Cons:
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slow FPS and AF
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Bought my body used from Vincent Laforet. Still has the laf_____ naming convention straight outta camera:p Works well for the reasons described above. Only negative things are when it comes to trying to shoot sports with it. The AF is fine, and in my experience beats any XXD model camera when it comes to Ai servo focusing, however compared to other 1D models it is much much slower. Also the frames per second is really limiting, even on fast cards. But those are only issues when trying to shoot sports, and I guess it's not really designed for that in the first place. None the less, I love this body, the price was a bit much considering it really wasn't much of a step up from my old 5D. Only real advantage is the 1d build quality I've come to love from my 1D MK II and the weather proof ability. Live views sorta nice at times, but I really wish it had video capabilities. Also the image quality is nice, it works really well in snowy situations, I was able to get detail in all of the snow and the sky and the snowboarder without blowing any highlights. So the amount of dynamic range this camera has is radical. Beautiful textures and what not. Overall I feel the camera is a little over priced considering its performance really isn't that amazing when the 5D Mark II performs almost as good and has video capabilities at like half the price of this one. However you really do get what you pay for, and it is a quality camera.
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Dec 7, 2009
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sixgun
Offline
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Registered: Nov 21, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 155
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Review Date: Jul 5, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Weight, Serious Upgrade from II series, Better IQ, the list goes on...
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Cons:
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Should have had a better rear LCD, Still will never get the DPOF button instead of a mirror lockup - Canon simply refused to acknowledge that few people (do any??) print directly from an $8K camera.
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Just upgraded my II series cameras to III series - huge upgrade in just about every area. If for no other reason the Li-Ion power custom menu functions, and very user friendly menu system (over the horribly fiddly II series interfaces) was worth it. Best camera I have used to date , ranks right up there with the Leaf / Phase I cameras.
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Jul 5, 2009
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thedigitalbean
Offline
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Registered: Jun 24, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 6568
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Review Date: Jun 30, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Impressive resolution & IQ, great AF, build, general speed
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Cons:
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LCD resolution, buffer size
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Lets get the negatives out of the way right away. IMO this camera is missing mainly two improvements that it should really should have had. First is the LCD, it should have had a 900k LCD, shame on you canon. Second is the buffer size, it should have been bigger. Memory is cheap, dirt cheap and a bigger buffer is not unreasonable to ask for in a $8k camera.
Now the good stuff. First its the files, oh my, what files. When paired with top class lenses, the images this camera produces is truly stunning. ISO 1600 is quite conservative noise wise, and I find I can get great downsampled results at ISO 3200 and beyond (by pushing in post).
I really like the autofocus system on this camera. Having a nicely distributed set cross type AF points is fantastic for low light shooting. I've found it to be the best AF I've ever used for low light photography. The area could of course be bigger.
I
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Jun 30, 2009
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dehowie
Offline
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Registered: Oct 21, 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 1311
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Review Date: Mar 31, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Amazing IQ, typical rugged Canon 1D series body, great AF and generally amazing performance in every respect.
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Cons:
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None.
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Having never used full frame digital before i have been amazed at just how much i find myself using it. It takes precedence over my Mk3 and only loses out for real long work onthe 600 with the 50D.
Image quality is best i have ever seen and the ability to crop into images still blows me away.
An amazing body..
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Mar 31, 2009
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mzemljic
Offline
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Registered: Jan 25, 2009
Location: Croatia
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Mar 16, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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AF, Viewfinder, Strong, Massive, Endurable, Card Doors, Easy of use, FILES :)
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Cons:
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Low Res Display, High Iso
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This is Pro Canon Body!!!
I am in wedding and fashion!
I used Hasselblad with Zeiss CF Lenses...
I am using, 5D, 1VHS, 15, 50, 85 1,2 L II 16-35II 24-70 70-200 2,8 IS
It would be nice to implement;
All 45 selectable points like Canon 1VHS implements
920 K Rear LCD
H Iso could be better but not necessary
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
To All pro studio & field photographers.
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Mar 16, 2009
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CanonJedi
Offline
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Registered: Jan 4, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Feb 9, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $6,500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Best AF system so far. Built like a tank. Image quality rivals or exceeds medium format machines. Very quick and responsive. Overall, the 1Ds mk3 is a gem, something that keeps creating magic.
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Cons:
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None.
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Bought this after feeling disappointed with the 5D mk2. There is no comparison when it comes to the quick and reliable focusing system from the 1D-series. Best of all, the image quality never cease to amaze me. The clarity, the resolution, the noise handling, the ergonomics - all in all, what a professional machine should be. I couldn't be happier with the purchase. Matched with high quality "L" lenses, the combo is heaven sent.
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Feb 9, 2009
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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52
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110625
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Jun 14, 2015
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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92% of reviewers
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$6,276.72
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.87
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8.07
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9.6
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