EOS 1DsMk3, still worth it?

[Deardorff]

Have found a Canon EOS 1Ds Mk3 body for a very low price. Works well - have been with the guy as he shoots. He is downsizing due to age & health.

Is this older top of the line Canon still worth it?

Mainly shoot lower ISO and tripod mounted work. Have only full frame lenses.

Is the image quality at, say 400 and lower as good as the newer top of the line bodies? High ISO over 800 is not a consideration as I just don't use it.

[Rhossydd]

I'd say so. That's the pro version of the 5Dmkii and that's still only one generation old. Frankly most of the improvements between the 5d mkII & III were all about improved high ISO performance, so for low ISO use it's pretty close to the SOTA.

[eronald]

I swapped my almost unused 5D2 for a 1Ds3.
Best camera deal I ever made.
Very different look from the 5D2, no video, superb focus, tough.
You may need to replace the shutter at some point though, but on this model it's not a big thing.

You might ask somebody who has a 6D what they think about this - IMHO the 6D is the cheaper new model with a faster sensor and all the features eg. wifi control which might make sense in a studio setting.

Edmund

Have found a Canon EOS 1Ds Mk3 body for a very low price. Works well - have been with the guy as he shoots. He is downsizing due to age & health.

Is this older top of the line Canon still worth it?

Mainly shoot lower ISO and tripod mounted work. Have only full frame lenses.

Is the image quality at, say 400 and lower as good as the newer top of the line bodies? High ISO over 800 is not a consideration as I just don't use it.

[Hans Kruse]

Have found a Canon EOS 1Ds Mk3 body for a very low price. Works well - have been with the guy as he shoots. He is downsizing due to age & health.

Is this older top of the line Canon still worth it?

Mainly shoot lower ISO and tripod mounted work. Have only full frame lenses.

Is the image quality at, say 400 and lower as good as the newer top of the line bodies? High ISO over 800 is not a consideration as I just don't use it.

This is still a very good camera. I used mine for 5 years but it is now replaced by 5D mkIII's. The 5D mkIII is on most ways a better camera. For low ISO work on tripod I really like the live view implementation which is much better than the 1Ds mkIII. The 5D mkIII has electronic first curtain which the 1Ds mkIII does not have. In LV you can also focus with the 5D III.

The 1Ds mkIII has less noise in the shadows, but as long as you make sure you have an optimal exposure this is not a problem on either the 1Ds mkIII and the 5D mkIII. Unless you get the 1Ds mkIII considerably cheaper than a 5D mkIII I would recommend the 5D mkIII.

Compared to a 5D mkII the 1Ds mkIII has better noise performance at low ISO and much better AF it that is important for you.

[Chris_Brown]

Mainly shoot lower ISO and tripod mounted work.

I work the same way, and have owned a couple bodies since its introduction (as well as v1 & v2 of that model). It is still a fine camera, though there have been improvements to sensor tech since it hit the market (most notably with the A7r/D800e cameras). The 1Ds3 uses a Digic III processor whereas current Canon models use the Digic 5 processor chipset.

Where this model stands out is in its weather sealed mag-alloy body. I've worked long days/weeks in conditions varying from windy/dusty to misty/light rain without any degradation to the buttons, electronics or general performance.

I did have one incident where the camera fell from a 4-foot surface onto concrete, shattering the top LCD panel and pancaking the mirror box housing and hot shoe. I thought it was a lost cause but CPS fixed it without a hitch (2-day turnaround!). The internal circuitry is mounted on flexible panels which are (apparently) easily serviced by CPS and the mag-alloy body consists of three separate sections (exterior, chassis and mirror box) for serviceability.

If you have concerns about its capture quality, perhaps you can try it out for a few hours and rent a current model (e.g., 1Dx, 5D3) for a comparison.