Budnjax Loc: NE Florida

I have a 5D Mk II and have been looking at the 5D Mk III. However, I have been offered a like new Canon 1Ds MK iii for about $1000 less than a new 5D Mk iii and wonder which would be the better camera to buy. Any thoughts on this one??

Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Ooooohhhh. That's tough. I think the 5D M3 is a better camera and not just because I own one. The 5D M3 has newer technology better AF, and a ton of little niceties but how cool would it be to own a 1D. Not to mention $1000 in savings. I'm very interested in hearing what some of the other Hogs will say about this. Perhaps they will have a better argument.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Well, first the 1D is a six year old design. Its also not full frame. Its a 1.3 crop. It shoots 10 fps and has a 16.6mp sensor. Its got professional written all over it, but it is a bit long in the tooth. The new 5D III is full frame and presumably has a better sensor and definitely better low light performance. It really comes down to your expectations. At $1000 less then the 5DIII it sounds very interesting, but how, and what, do you shoot?. The low light performance of the 5D will be much superior and you will have great video to boot. If you are shooting primarily sports the 1D is probably the way to go, otherwise you need to look at the features and capabilities of both bodies and see which one will be a better fit.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Bud, I've made that exact comparison. The 5D comes out ahead of the 1Ds.
Reasons ?
The 5 has the superior focus system.
The 5 has better noise.
The 5 has the latest processor.
The 5 has higher fps.
The 5 will have better resale for a couple of years.

The 1 has better sealing, if you want to use it in the rain or other very harsh environment.
The 1 will auto focus with a 5.6 lens + a 1.4x
The 1 is heavier.
The 1 will not have Canon support, as soon as Canon runs out of even one part(maybe already).
But for $1500, the 1 is an incredible buy !
Good luck. SS

Edit: the 1 is a full pro body, but the technology of the semi-pro body has surpassed it.

Reed123 Loc: Henderson,Texas

The 5D MKIII will autofocus with a 5.6 and 1.4 converter if you download the new firmware. I have one and it works great.

RTFM

An Eos 1DS is full frame.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Reed, is the 5lll designed to do that, or are you just getting lucky?
Are you using a Canon lens and canon multiplier?
Some third Party produducts will fool the camera, kinda like taping the pins.
Do you get full lens reporting data, or is some missing?
Thanks. SS

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

I have had 5DII and 5DIII, as well as IDsII, not the III. All were/are superlative cameras. The IDsIII will not do video. It is a full frame, not crop frame as someone mistakenly stated. If you want high ISOs, go with the 5DIII. The IDsIII is built like a tank. You will be happy, and take great pictures, with any of these three.