imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I am thinking of "retrograding" to this camera as a budget friendly way of being able to do fast action wildlife. I will be using Canon 400mm f4, and with extenders 560 f5.6 and 800mm f8 this 1D has a 1.3 crop factor, 16 MP, and 10FPS.
I am most concerned with servo AF and AF @ f8 - and of course sensor image quality.

Am looking for good and/or bad opinions .....THANKS ! 8-)
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MJPerini

I still have a 1Ds III , which was my main camera for quite a while, I loved it. I also had a loaner 1D IV for a couple weeks and liked it very much , it was very fast, but I rarely do bursts. They were great focusing cameras, I don't think they are R6-R7 type speed , but they were state of the art when new.

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

For what it's worth - I got a 1dx II specifically for indoor sports (Basketball . . . ) for faster shutter speed & the sensor to handle high ISO in poor lighting conditions. Couldn't be MORE PLEASED with its performance. So my assumption is the versions III or IV would likely be a step up from the II. Can't see how you can go wrong.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

The camera is about 15 y.o. What type support can you expect from Canon? Good idea, plz let us know if you try it.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I used a 1D mk 4 for years to shoot horse racing. If it had had eye-controlled focus, it would have been perfect. I still use it as a back up camera. It is a really good camera. Yes, it's old technology, but it was way ahead of its time.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

As far as I know f8 for center af point only. No cross type but linear type at f8.
Why not R7 if you want crop, yes it is a bit smaller than APS-H but is substantially faster and image quality is years ahead of the camera you are considering.
Rent one before you buy and see. Yes, it is more expensive and possibly more than the budget I understand and only you can make that call. But if this is to be spread over several years the far superior AF and tracking of the R7 makes the 1D Mark IV look downright primitive.
Just saying.

JimRPhoto Loc: Raleigh NC

I made the same decision a year or so ago. I was using the Canon. 5D Mkii and was considering both a Canon mirrorless, or the 5D Mkiv. My decision to go with the 5D Mkiv was because of my investment in lenses, all of which would either be used with an adapter, or else start replacing them. I find the Mark iv to be very capable, has an improved menu system, and the resolution is half again as good as the Mark ii. I am very happy with my decision, plus which I’ve avoided the gradual (over time) “desire” to replace my lenses with ones specifically for mirrorless. As to responsiveness, record speed, frames per second, I am very satisfied. Good luck with your decision. JimR

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I do not trust the refresh rate on the EVF to allow proper tracking of fast moving subjects - I have seen this on the EVF of ALL my Sony's including the A6400, and RX10m4. Is the Canon mirrorless any better ?? Is the Sony A6700 any better ?? Know one is saying IF they know. I do know that tracking with a OVF is better ! For me it comes down to the 90D or the 1d mark IV and the 1d is cheaper. I do like my Sony's for everything EXCEPT VF tracking of fast moving subjects.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Are the current Canon mirrorless models better? An emphatic: YES, as are all the various brands for their current models. I mean the AF tracking and EVF performance.

For the 1DIV - I'd consider a few things: a, The camera has a DIGIC 4 / 4+ processor, the same generation as the EOS 60D, 5DII, 7D, and others. No one has ever thought the 7D / 60D bodies performed very well at higher ISOs. ISO-3200 was my upper (useable) limit on the original 7D. b, The sensor is a 'half-cropped' 16MP, with a 1.3x crop factor. I find less than 24MP to be somewhat limiting, although I no longer have any type of cropped-sensor bodies. c, I find the center-point-only AF limit at f/8 to be fine for distance shooting, but when I can chose between my lenses that give just 1 or the entire frame of AF points for the same focal length, I much prefer the entire frame option. d, The integrated grip makes for a larger and heavier camera.

The 1-series bodies are built forever. They'll probably outlast all of us. My EOS 1v continues chugging along, now probably 23-years old. If the 'digital age' of these sensor characteristics are not a limitation, moving to a pro-body -- at a highly discounted price -- is very viable and sound idea.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Tracking refresh rate on Canon is fast enough.
See CHG_Canon's response.
The Sony EVF's you mentioned are painfully slow compared to the current new crop of Canon cameras.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

i loved my 5div with my 400 mm do2, it produced many many top notch images. but by todays standards it was not a “fast” combo. that’s why i moved to sony when the a9 came out. if you are looking for older dslr canon fe also consider the 1dx or later. a bit faster shutter and better for action. enjoy your new lens.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Yes, the 5Div is quite slow and the 1Dx is a possibility - but I figure I need at least some crop factor (1.3) of the 1D mk IV

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I want somebody who is shooting BIF to tell me about the VF lag of the R7/10 ......

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I have used the R7 for some BIF.
But if my earlier thought is insufficient fine.
It is not a passion nor do I live for that but have done it.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

A 1DX series is a big improvement in terms of both low light and DR compared to the ID series. The below chart shows all the 1D and 1DX models. The first column is the DR in stops, the 2nd is the high ISO performance, and the 3rd is the low light/high ISO performance in stops.

BTW, the 1D and 1DX series bodies, which are professional bodies and optimized for fast moving events, are both big and quite heavy. My thought is that coupled with a long lens, a tripod with a gimbal head my prove to be a big help for BIF.