Canon 1ds Mk11 - should I?

Gary Kinghorn

Gary Kinghorn

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A little help please guys.

Currently I have a 5D Mk11 and a 50D. I shoot a few weddings and some portrait type stuff using pretty much solely L series lenses. As well as that I do a reasonable amount of motorsport type shots - on an amateur basis. Then add to that the normal family and holiday shots and you have what I use the camera for.

The 5d is used 90% of the time with the 50d kept as the back up, different lens for the odd shot here and there.

I have always had a hankering for a 1D, don't we all. I tried a Mk1 a while back and found it ok, but not great. That was when I bought the 5D. Now I have seen a Mk11 DS and the itch is starting again.

To buy it I would part ex the 50D in. Obviously I know the 1D is full frame as well as the 5D. The question is is the change worth paying for, or is the 50D as good a camera as the older 1D?
 
If its a direct replacement for the 50D, ie not your main body I wouldn't go for it, instead I'd be looking at a 1.3x crop, I guess 1D 3 would be same sort of price.
 
If I buy it then it will be a joint first body with the 5d. Being more robust than the 5d it would be the one I used for Motorsport etc.


It sounds like you guys rate them which is good to know
 
Personally I find the 1Ds MKII hard to recommend over your existing bodies. I've used the 1Ds MKII with the 5D and now the 60D and I can confidently say the 1Ds is the body I least use because:

*It's heavy as it has the older NiMH type battery
*It has the double press interface which is slower than original 5D or anything after it
*The screen is tiny making it hard to check focus
*The image quality of the original 5D I found to be slightly better especially at higher ISO so your MKII 5D will be a lot better
*The shutter on older 1Ds MKIIs can be a bit dodgy so if you do get one make sure you test it at a high shutter speed

I'd personally recommend a 1D MKIIN as a better addition to your line-up with higher frame rate and better AF capabilities
 
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By the time I got to the shop it had been sold - or out on trial and almost certain sale, so it didn't happen. Thanks for your comments in any case people.

Oh and I didn't come away empty handed, I ended up part ex'ing my 30mm Sigma 1.4 in for a 50mm 1.4 that will work on my 5d.
 
cmonkey said:
Personally I find the 1Ds MKII hard to recommend over your existing bodies. I've used the 1Ds MKII with the 5D and now the 60D and I can confidently say the 1Ds is the body I least use because:

*It's heavy as it has the older NiMH type battery
*It has the double press interface which is slower than original 5D or anything after it
*The screen is tiny making it hard to check focus
*The image quality of the original 5D I found to be slightly better especially at higher ISO so your MKII 5D will be a lot better
*The shutter on older 1Ds MKIIs can be a bit dodgy so if you do get one make sure you test it at a high shutter speed

I'd personally recommend a 1D MKIIN as a better addition to your line-up with higher frame rate and better AF capabilities
Click to expand...

I shoot a 1Ds mkII alongside a 5D mkII and the 1D outperforms the 5D at low ISOs, it also has much better AF. In my experience the two button control isn't an issue, within a couple of days I was used to the system and can happily switch between it and the 5D while shooting. I agree that the screen is small and useless but personally this isn't an issue as I would never rely on a screen (not even on the 5D).
 
postcardcv said:
I shoot a 1Ds mkII alongside a 5D mkII and the 1D outperforms the 5D at low ISOs, it also has much better AF. In my experience the two button control isn't an issue, within a couple of days I was used to the system and can happily switch between it and the 5D while shooting. I agree that the screen is small and useless but personally this isn't an issue as I would never rely on a screen (not even on the 5D).
Click to expand...

This. I would say I prefer the controls my 1DIII (somewhat similar to other recent Canons), but at the end of the day I much prefer the output from 1DsII. It is not a big deal to get used to it. The screen is poor, but with a spare SD card slot it is possible to use EYEFI and download previews to iphone or android device. Ironically, there is not much need to use the 1Ds LCD for checking sharpness, things do come in focus almost every time.
 
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