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Author Topic: Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?  (Read 30707 times)

Antarctic Mat

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #20 on: July 18, 2007, 05:18:46 am »

Phers are everywhere Paul!
The cold is an issue with film, last year a few brought film cameras down and had problems with snapping film when winding on after being outside for a while.
I've decided I will wait until the last minute, early October and see what is available then. I really want a 1ds 3, big files, full frame and all the latest technology but seriously doubt that will come along before I have to buy. Failing that I'll go for the 5d for the journey home from here and look again at what Canon have released in May time when I get home.
Thanks for your post too Christopher, I understand what you are saying, no doubt it's a superb camera but maybe now there are cameras that do things better.
Thanks again to everyone who's replied.
Mat.
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Wayne Fox

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #21 on: July 18, 2007, 04:57:53 pm »

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My 5D has been all round S E Asia and I've not once had a problem, even when in Bangkok at its most humid.

The 5D is a real peach of a camera, you really can't go wrong BUT I think there's a significant chance a new 5D will be released in the next few months.

On the flip side, the current 5D is at a price which is a real bargain right now.
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Actually, I think there is a significant chance that Canon has a new 30d, 5d, and 1dsMk2 in the works.

Reason?  Technology curve, plain and simple.  I just think the timing is there. I would bet by PMA all 3 have been replaced.

Personally I have a 5d, 1dsMk2, and a H1/P45 combination.  I use all three, depending on the travel, shoot type, etc.  I still feel the 1dsMk2 is a better camera than the 5D and I feel I can get better images from it.  Then again, I've used it a lot more and I'm used to it so it may have nothing to do with the actual body.  The 5D is more a walk around camera for me ... a 5d with a 70-300DO lens is one sweet combination for size, weight, image quality and flexibilty.
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Dan Wells

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #22 on: July 19, 2007, 11:26:44 pm »

The 1DsII is an amazing machine, with not only all the resolution you'd expect from a 17 mp camera, but very good dynamic range (I'd say about an extra stop compared to a range of other Canon and Nikon DSLRs I've used). Note that my comparison cameras do NOT include any of the Fuji SuperCCD models, nor the 5D. With the autofocus problems the 1D III has had (I'd assume the 1DsIII will either have similar issues, or be delayed), I'm all the happier with my 1DsII (which I bought this April). The 1DsII can print 20x30 easily, in a fine-art landscape application (so more than that doing anything less detail intensive).
    There are three problems with the 1DsII... It's big, it's heavy, and it's expensive. There's no denying that it is all three of these things, or that the 5d is not as bad in any of those respects. On the other hand, the 5D is nowhere near as well built as the 1DsII. The 1DsII is the best-built camera out there (along with the other 1 series Canons and possibly the pro Nikons), which I would imagine is important for someone working in Antarctica. In a harsh environment, I'd take a 1DsII over a 5D in a millisecond.  The only caveat in a very cold place is the NiMH battery pack, which is less optimal than a lithium ion pack in the cold (get an extra and store it inside your clothes).
     Unless there is something specific you want that the 1DsII doesn't offer, I recommend it highly, not least because it's an incredibly well-proven camera that won't have any new-camera teething troubles. On the other hand, you might want to wait until right before you leave (give yourself time to test it before you go), to see if the 1DsIII will come out and drive the price of the II down.
                                                      -Dan
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Antarctic Mat

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #23 on: July 20, 2007, 03:49:47 am »

Cheers Dan.
I pretty much have got to the same conclusions you have, if the 20d hadn't been so brilliant down here then I would have gone for the 1DS straight away but truth is in real life daily situations at below -40 the 20D has never had a problem, batteries of course are an issue but I have a couple of spares and always have at least 1 at body temperature. I've come to the same conclusions, wait for the last minute and have the 5D at the least if the 1DS3 hasn't been released.
I tend to agree with you Wayne, seems as though an update is due for the 5D, with luck it will happen before October which is the last chance I will have to buy.
Thanks again guys.
Mat.
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SeanFS

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #24 on: July 21, 2007, 06:17:23 pm »

Quote
The 1DsII is an amazing machine, with not only all the resolution you'd expect from a 17 mp camera, but very good dynamic range (I'd say about an extra stop compared to a range of other Canon and Nikon DSLRs I've used). Note that my comparison cameras do NOT include any of the Fuji SuperCCD models, nor the 5D. With the autofocus problems the 1D III has had (I'd assume the 1DsIII will either have similar issues, or be delayed), I'm all the happier with my 1DsII (which I bought this April). The 1DsII can print 20x30 easily, in a fine-art landscape application (so more than that doing anything less detail intensive).
    There are three problems with the 1DsII... It's big, it's heavy, and it's expensive. There's no denying that it is all three of these things, or that the 5d is not as bad in any of those respects. On the other hand, the 5D is nowhere near as well built as the 1DsII. The 1DsII is the best-built camera out there (along with the other 1 series Canons and possibly the pro Nikons), which I would imagine is important for someone working in Antarctica. In a harsh environment, I'd take a 1DsII over a 5D in a millisecond.  The only caveat in a very cold place is the NiMH battery pack, which is less optimal than a lithium ion pack in the cold (get an extra and store it inside your clothes).
     Unless there is something specific you want that the 1DsII doesn't offer, I recommend it highly, not least because it's an incredibly well-proven camera that won't have any new-camera teething troubles. On the other hand, you might want to wait until right before you leave (give yourself time to test it before you go), to see if the 1DsIII will come out and drive the price of the II down.
                                                      -Dan
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I completely agree - but DR and sharpness seems to  depend a lot on what RAW converter used. I have just been playing with The new ACR and while functionality is great and speed something else, disappointingly it smears fine detail , clips highlights ( no matter how I adjust the sliders ) and doesn't deliver the lovely colour and detail from the 1ds2 that seems to come straight out of C1 pro or LE for me ( I leave the sharpness and noise reduction alone there - ironically its better to do any of that in photoshop) - a lot slower way of working but the results are superb. I find most of  the same issues with the Canon software as ACR.

While I don' t own the 5D( but do own the 1ds2) , I have done a few comparisons and find the two to be almost indistinguishable as far as file quality is concerned, with the 1ds2 resolving a little more detail but only with the best prime lenses and solidly locked off on a tripod( for the most part I see little real advantage gained in the extra few MP) The 5D may or may not have a little more DR but it  wouldn't be surprising given the slightly larger pixel size.

 I do have a Imacon 132c to compare and also have  found Moire in fabric and landscape - and then the flexcolour noise reduction seems to take care of ninety five percent of it.

The colour depth and tonal range of 16 bit capture ( not to mention the sharpness due to lack of AA filter) exceed the 1ds2 - by a considerable margin, particularly in shadow detail. But the flexibility and speed of the 1ds2 compared to MF is another issue  entirely.
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steven1

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #25 on: August 10, 2007, 07:29:07 am »

I just returned from Asia for two weeks of shooting.  I shot roughly seven thousand photos (80 gb) exclusively with the 5d and it far exceeded my expectations.  I used to shoot with a 1ds Mk1 and though I think it has a superior user interface, I am finally getting accustomed to the 5d.

I think the 5d's lightweight offers a HUGE advantage over the 1ds series.  I was hiking off trail and climbing rock formations in extremely humid weather and that would have been very difficult to do with the 1ds. The weather sealing was not an issue for me in this climate (I also shot in mild rain). I did have one sigma lens fail due to the extreme heat.

The battery efficiency was also amazing on this camera.  I could shoot all day and review images on the lcd without changing batteries once.  The batteries are lightweight and very cheap.

The few shortsides I ran into were when doing timelapse photography.  The limited metering system of the 5d created a fair amount of flickering compared to my old 1ds.  Also, shooting in jpeg is worthless on this camera (I tend to shoot in jpeg for timelapse sequences) as there is a significant amount of detail lost compared to raw.  


This is a very compact camera that offers a lot of bang for the buck.  If your landscape work requires backpacking or hiking, I would highly recommend this camera over the 1ds2.
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geesbert

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #26 on: August 13, 2007, 10:37:14 am »

i am a commercial shooter too, shooting with a 5d.  never did i get a single complaint about not having enough resolution on my files. 16MP of the 1ds only imcreases filesizes in my opinion, not detail. and if you are used to the 20d ergonomics, using a 5d is not nuch of a difference, but you will have to adapt a lot to the 1ds.

after my 1ds mk1 broke i had to choose between one 1dsmk2 or two 5ds and i never looked back.
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F308 MAN

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #27 on: September 01, 2007, 08:44:07 am »

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Mat,

I hope F308 MAN doesn't get to see these replies
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.....
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Andy M

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Is the 1DS Mk2 still the best?
« Reply #28 on: September 01, 2007, 04:07:30 pm »

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.....
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We've been rumbled!  
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