frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

tedspics Loc: Halifax, Pa

Thank you for your reply.

tedspics Loc: Halifax, Pa

Now presenly. Thanks for the info.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Also
But the mirrorless R5 probably deserves another try.

tedspics Loc: Halifax, Pa

I am just not convinced that all of the bugs have been ironed out yet for the R5. I may try and rent one before I jump in with both feet. Just not convinced from the eagle photos from what I have taken over 17 years and from what I have seen posted, as to the feathering, does not appear to be what myself and other friends of going to Conowingo Dam have produced when viewing those from a DSLR and now from a mirroless camera. Take a look at both using multiple photos of each and see if you do not agree. Would love for you to get back to me with your thoughts.

jeryh Loc: Oxfordshire UK

Keep the 1DX

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

I agree with this logic.
Whenever I think about getting any new equipment I always ask myself; "What am I not getting from my equipment now?" If the answer is "Nothing" then ... I buy the new equipment anyway just because I want to and I have GAS. But at least I know why I am buying it!

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You don't mention what lenses you have, which is probably more important than the camera you use them upon.

Your current 1DX is 18MP full frame camera that can shoot up to 12 frames per sec continuously. Like all 1D-series, it has a high durability design, with lots of sealing for weather resistance and the large one-piece body design with built-in (non-removable vertical grip) to accommodate a very large battery.

And your current 5D Mark III is 22MP full frame camera that can shoot up to 6 frames per second continuous shooting. While not as high durability or sealing as a 1D-series, it's no slouch with "mid grade" weather resistance and life expectancy. It uses the smaller design format and smaller LP-E6-series batteries, and can be fitted with optional battery grip BG-E11 to double battery capacity and provide a secondary set of controls.

Both your current cameras have with 61 point AF system, with 41 higher performance dual axis points and f/8 support at the center point only. While very similar, the 1DX's AF system probably is more responsive and better tracking, because the 1D-series cameras use dual processors to handle images and a separate chip for AF. 5D-series and most other Canon DSLRs use a single processor to handle everything.... images, AF and more. (Exception are the 7D-series cameras... and the 5DS models have dual processors, but not a separate AF chip.)

Both of your current cameras have dual memory card slots (one SD and one CF or two CF). Neither of them has an articulated LCD screen or a Touch Screen. They also don't have Dual Pixel AF in Live view (phase detection AF sensors embedded in the image sensor itself, much like Canon's mirrorless cameras use). I don't think either of them have "Anti Flicker" feature, either (which largely solves exposure problems under certain types of lighting, such as fluorescent).

In my opinion the best current Canon DSLR for "birding" is the 90D. It's 32.5MP is the highest resolution of any Canon camera, except for the 5DS (50MP) and R5 (45MP) and the M6II (which has same 32.5MP). Unlike your cameras, the 90D uses an APS-C size sensor. This is a generally GOOD thing when you're shooting small subjects like birds. Great for other wildlife too, especially smaller critters. The crop sensor is essentially a "free, built-in 1.6X teleconverter". By "free" I mean there's no loss of a stop or more of light, the way there is with an actual teleconverter. It's also nice that the 90D is over $1000 less expensive than the 5DIV (30MP).

90D uses Canon's 45-point AF system... all 45 of which are the higher performance dual axis type. Among those, up to 27 can focus an f/8 lens & teleconverter, with certain combos (such as Canon's 1.4X III TC with their 100-400mm II lens). The 90D has a 100% viewfinder, like 1DX, 5DIII and 5DIV. Due to the smaller format sensor, the optical viewfinder will be a bit smaller than either of the full frame cameras.

To be fair, while the 5DIV has a 61-point AF system like your two older full frame cameras, it's an upgraded version with more features (such as additional focus "patterns") and it incorporates Dual Pixel AF in Live View and a Touch Screen LCD on the back of the camera (not articulated). The 5DIV also improved continuous shooting speed a little, to 7 frames per second.

The 90D can shoot at 10 frames per second.... faster than 5DIII, but not quite as fast as the 1DX. Note: 90D is actually rated to do 11 fps, very close to matching the 12 fps of the 1DX. However, I am pretty certain to get that extra 1 fps requires "locked focus", which would rarely make sense when shooting fast moving subjects at high frame rates. For those times when you're likely to use the camera's fastest frame rate, you are also very likely going to want the AF system to keep up with it by tracking the subject and making corrections on the fly.... i.e., not "locked focus"!

It has an articulated, Touch Screen LCD. It also has various AF "patterns", much like 5DIV. Of all the Canon DSLR AF systems, aside from 1D-series, in my opinion the only one better for action than the 90D is the 7D Mark II (which uses a unique 65-point system and is even more user-configurable than the 90D's). 7DII's AF system also has an independent chip running it, like the 1D series cameras and theoretically faster than 90D. However, the 7DII is a 20MP camera. And the 90D has a two generation newer processor that's much more powerful and efficient, able to handle a lot more than what was used in earlier cameras. To a large extent, this makes up for not having a separate chip running the AF system. The 7DII may have slightly better AF performance, but the 90D is no slouch!

The control layout of 90D was changed from 80D. It's a bit more "5D-like", with a joystick for example. In fact, if you look at the back of 5DIV and 90D, they're pretty similar.

90D is durability rated for 120,000 shutter actuations. That's an increase of 20,000 from the 80D and earlier models in that line. It's slightly less than your 5DIII's and the 5DIV's (150,000), but they're all a whole lot less than the 400,000 rating of your 1DX. For comparison, the 7DII has 200,000 click rating.

The 90D is highly efficient. By the standard CIPA rating, it's said to get 1300 shots out of a single LP-E6N battery. This rating procedure calls for half the test shots to be done using the camera's built in flash, when it has one... which the 90D does. So when that's not used and some other common sense power saving tricks are used, it should be able to get far more than that. If that's not enough, the BG-E22 grip can be attached to double battery capacity. The new LP-E6N"H" batteries, with approx. 15% higher capacity, are also backward compatible with the 90D.

Shortcomings of the 90D:

- To get the best out of it, the 90D's very high 32.5MP resolution really demands top quality lenses. If the same pixel density were used on a full frame camera, it would be an 83MP camera. Way back when Canon intro'd the 50MP 5DS they warned of the need for top quality lenses and issued a list of Canon lenses they recommended, at that time. That's on steroids now, with 90D's level of resolution. (Same with M6 Mark II, which unfortunately has far fewer native lenses avail.) For birding and wildlife photography, probably the most affordable current Canon lenses that are up to the 90D level of resolution are the EF 400mm f/5.6L (not image stabilized) and EF 100-400mm L IS USM "II". The power and prices then go up from there. But many of the earlier premium L-series and some other Canon EF lenses are up to the task. Some third party lenses might be "good enough", too... But a lot aren't.

- I wish the 90D had the 7DII's AF system (or the 7DII had the 90D's resolution). But the 90D's AF is very, very good. It's at least as good as the latest 5D-series and likely to be a nice step up from the 5DIII's... maybe even equal to the 1DX's.

- 90D doesn't have 1DX level of weather resistance... but it's probably pretty close to or equal to 5DIII and IV.

- 90D only has a single SD memory card slot.

At $1199, you can almost buy two 90D for the price of one 5DIV. In fact, used 5DIII in good shape being sold by retailers with a store warranty are close to the price of a brand new 90D. For used 1DX the same retailers are asking a couple hundred dollars more than a brand new 90D. So you could do this camera update with little out of pocket cost.

I'm not claiming the 90D is the perfect or only answer either. In fact, 5DIV certainly can be used for birding and wildlife, too. But, compared to the APS-C camera you will need much bigger, more powerful telephotos to "fill the viewfinder" of a full frame camera with a small subject. 5DIV, with a less crowded sensor, will have higher usable ISO, but it also has a slower continuous frame rate.

Probably the very best Canon now for birding and wildlife is the full frame EOS R5 mirrorless, with 45MP, up to 20 fps continuous shooting, and an utterly amazing AF system. That's a $3800 camera, though and not perfect either. For example, compared to the DSLRs it gets far few shots per battery charge (it uses the same LP-E6 type of battery, but needs the new "H" version of it for peak performance). A battery grip is available for the R5, but you'll still need lots of extra batteries to match what the 90D can do with a grip and two batteries. Mirrorless cameras just aren't as power efficient, due to their electronic viewfinders. Of course, in some ways the EVF is superior and offers advantages over a DSLR's optical viewfinder. Another consideration, to get the best out of an R5 will mean buying a new type of memory.... CFExpress type B (which ain't cheap). However, did I mention the R5's AF system appears to be stunning?

For less money, about $2500, there's the EOS R6 using essentially the same AF system. However, that camera drops down to 20MP. That's less resolution than you have now in your 5DIII. Of course, the approx. 10 or 11 year newer sensor has made some advancements. But this reduced resolution will mean less enlargeable.... and less crop-able... images.

And, to get the best out of any R-series mirrorless camera, plan on spending some serious money on RF mount lenses. There are some great ones for wildlife, such as the RF 100-500mm and the surprisingly affordable RF 800mm f/11 (fixed aperture). There are others and more will come in the future, no doubt, both from Canon and from some 3rd party manufacturers. And there are adapters that allow EF lenses to be used with little repercussion on performance. But it would ultimately be a pricey transition to RF lenses.... Right away, for birding and other small critters, it will mean using longer telephotos because so far there are only full frame R-series cameras. There are rumors of an APS-C R-series camera in the future and some people think it might be a melding of the 90D and 7DII into a single mirrorless camera, which would also take over from the M-series (APS-C) mirrorless.... Perhaps with the high performance AF of the R6/R5, along with approx. their frame rates and with resolution similar to the 90D. But this is all just wishful thinking right now. It would be ideal for wildlife and birds, but it's unknown if or when that camera will be available.

Maybe rent something and give it a try before you buy.

I hope this helps with your decision, though I know it's not a direct answer to your question, which of the two cameras you have now to trade in for a 5DIV.

glennk

I own all 3 cameras listed in your post, and a 1DXIII. I have an R5 as well. Since getting the R5, I haven't shot with any of my other bodies, including the 1DX3. I use all my EF lenses with it, and have been acquiring RF lenses.

I'm downsizing my gear and will be keeping only my 1DX3, R and R5. All the others are great bodies, but they are just collecting dust in my cabinet now...