I'm an Amateur, but have had considerable success selling my "fine art" seascapes for years. I have been shooting film, and have had a professionally equipped darkroom since 1959. Until 2 years ago, I had been selling 16"x20" darkroom prints. I now sell digital prints. I started with an Epson 1270 (still have it), then added a 2200 because of longevity issues. I really missed the bigger prints, as 13"x19" in a 20"x24" mat and frame just didn't do it for me. I recently got an Epson 7600, so maximum print size is no longer an issue. My digital prints had been all based on scanned 35mm and medium format film using a 120 Sprintscan scanner. Last April I got a Canon 10D, and have not shot a single roll of film since. The 10D, for my kind of work, produces stunning 13"x19"s and (really) 20"x30" prints. But I want better. I down loaded the instruction manual for the 1Ds from Canon's site. Intimidating to say the least. I really want a full frame sensor and 11 Mpixels, but 90% of the other features ("bells and whistles"), I won't use. I don't need 45 auto focus points, multiple spot metering, lightning fast auto focus, etc. I really need a 10D body with a 1Ds sensor. I was considering waiting untill PMA in February, to see if Canon introduces an intermediate DSLR, but most folks think Canon will wait until Photokina next Sept to introduce something new. I guess my real question is, for the kind of work I do, will I see a noticable difference in 20"x30" prints between the 10D and 1Ds? I do mostly seascapes consisting of sunsets, dune shots with large expanses of sky etc. My web site at
www.modernpictorials.com will give you an idea of the kind of shots I am interested in.
Thanks for your input, and Happy New Year.
Dave Gurtcheff
Westmont & Beach Haven, NJ