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Author Topic: Quick questions regarding the 5D3  (Read 3543 times)

nemophoto

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Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« on: November 16, 2012, 01:13:48 pm »

I have a major lifestyle ad shoot coming up. My current bodies are the 1D4 and 1Ds3. I decided to borrow the 1Dx from Canon CPS for the shoot. I've just discovered that the way the shoot will probably unfold, I'll probably need to fall back on my ancient photojournalism habits and use two bodies, one with a tele/zoom, the other more normal or wide angle. Now I'm thinking of going ahead and renting the 5D Mark III for the shoot as a second body. While I love my 1Ds3, I feel it's showing it's age in terms of autofocus and even more so, in write speeds to CF cards. I also figure in terms of menus and focusing, the 1Dx and 5D3 are very close, so less to deal with inuitively.

My questions: Is the write speed of the 5D3 enough of an advantage to offset the larger buffer offered in my older 1Ds3? Can the 5D3 use Hi-speed sync of speedlites and the Pocket wizard TT1/TT5? I used a 5D3 a while back when it was first available and found that with a strobe outdoors, it always defaulted to 1/200, even though I had set my 580EX II to use hi-speed. Any thouhgts what I might have done wrong? (I was metering and set manually.)

Thanks!

Nemo
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Ken Bennett

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2012, 03:41:17 pm »

I don't have a 5D3, but is there any reason why you aren't using the 1D4? I find it an excellent choice for the long lens in a 2-camera/2-lens setup like this. The slight extra reach of the 1.3x sensor makes a 70-200/2.8 just enough longer to notice. It's great with the TTL Pocket Wizards, too.

I'm spending a lot of time shooting with a 5D2 with the 24-70, and the 1D4 with the 70-200, and they make a nice combo. For my uses, there is not really any difference in the final resolution between 16 and 21 megapixels. And it's even closer to the 1Dx.
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nemophoto

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2012, 03:45:53 pm »

I've never been that enamored with the 1D4 files. I find them "crunchy" looking as processed RAW files, and it doesn't have the resolution for my needs. The shoot is everything from postcards and POS materials to window posters and billboards. From shooting with the 1Dx for a few days, I found it blew away the 1D4 files and 5D3 has that much more resolution. Also I was thinking that the difference in all the menu systems would drive me crazy.
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stevesanacore

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2012, 08:33:53 am »


I'm waiting for my 1DX to arrive but have heard amazing things about it for lifestyle/fashion work. Super fast in every way. I've been using the 5D3 since it's release, and it's head and shoulders better in every way to my 1Ds3 and 5d2. So I don't think its as fast as the 1Dx, but I think it will be better than any other Canon body when taking, AF, write speed, image quality into consideration. But if it's an important job, I would just rent a second 1DX. Under the pressure of an important fast paced shoot, is no time to learn a new menu system unless your assistants are experts with them.

IMO
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nemophoto

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2012, 10:40:31 am »

Steve, thanks for the input. A number of specs I've read point to the 5D3 being a big improvement over the 1Ds3. In use, I was a little disappointed -- not in quality, but other handling aspects, being very use to the 1D-series. That said, maybe I'll go with the 5D3 as a second body on the shoot and have my 1Ds3 as backup.
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stevesanacore

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2012, 08:39:34 pm »

Well maybe I should have said that the 5D3 is head and shoulders better in image quality and AF but ... the 1DS3 handles better for sure. There is no substitute for the 1 Series bodies as far as balance and feel.
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KevinA

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2012, 05:25:11 am »

I have a major lifestyle ad shoot coming up. My current bodies are the 1D4 and 1Ds3. I decided to borrow the 1Dx from Canon CPS for the shoot. I've just discovered that the way the shoot will probably unfold, I'll probably need to fall back on my ancient photojournalism habits and use two bodies, one with a tele/zoom, the other more normal or wide angle. Now I'm thinking of going ahead and renting the 5D Mark III for the shoot as a second body. While I love my 1Ds3, I feel it's showing it's age in terms of autofocus and even more so, in write speeds to CF cards. I also figure in terms of menus and focusing, the 1Dx and 5D3 are very close, so less to deal with inuitively.

My questions: Is the write speed of the 5D3 enough of an advantage to offset the larger buffer offered in my older 1Ds3? Can the 5D3 use Hi-speed sync of speedlites and the Pocket wizard TT1/TT5? I used a 5D3 a while back when it was first available and found that with a strobe outdoors, it always defaulted to 1/200, even though I had set my 580EX II to use hi-speed. Any thouhgts what I might have done wrong? (I was metering and set manually.)

Thanks!

Nemo
All I can add is one of the reasons I got the X was for it's frame rate and buffer.My 1DsIII would hit the raw buffer much to quickly if I was trying to shoot a sequence. Not so the X it just keeps going and gets it sharp.

Kevin.
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nemophoto

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2012, 12:23:59 pm »

I've ended up getting a second 1Dx for the shoot. That way everything is set the same, no variation in menus or handling. From using the 1Dx about a month ago, I like the camera. But I still see it as a replacement for the 1D4, rather than the 1Ds3. I keep holding out hoping Canon will bring out a camera geared toward the advertising photographer who doesn't necessarily want medium format, but would like higher res. I feel Nikon has really smoked Canon in the past couple of years. Nikon has improved by leaps and bounds, whereas Canon has improved incrementally.
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nemophoto

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3 -Update wih 1Dx
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2012, 06:13:08 pm »

I've almost wrapped two weeks of location shooting with a couple or 1Dx bodies (one from CPS, the other I rented at the last minute). I've shot around 800GB and I have to say, I really love the 1Dx. I didn't really expect to, but the files seem excellent (I'll know more after post-production), and the handling was excellent. The greatest kudos go to the autofocus. Wow, what a difference a few years make. I was shooting a lot of backlit, lifestyle action on a beach (for instance touch football in the water), and was blown away by the accuracy and percentages. It helped that I have the new 70-200/2.8 II, which seemed like it was designed and built for the 1Dx. I was concerned (perhaps foolishly) that the res would not be up to my 1Ds3, but the difference is very small indeed. Perhaps the best thing is shooting at ISO 100 to 640 and having virtually no difference in quality, was a huge boost.

I STILL would love a 36MP camera to compare with Nikon, but the 1Dx did truly replace both my 1D4 and 1Ds3. Anyone want to buy a 1D Mark IV......?
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Ken Bennett

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Re: Quick questions regarding the 5D3
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2012, 06:59:34 pm »

I borrowed a 1Dx from CPS last week, and totally agree. It's the best digital camera I've ever used. It does seem made for the 70-200 II. I shot a lot of low-light ISO 6400 stuff at a candlelight Christmas event, and the files looked great. Agreed on the AF, too. Man it was hard to send back to CPS.
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