Should I buy a 1D MK III

This would be a 2nd body to go with my 7D. Love the 7D until I get in a situation shooting above 800-1000 ISO. I shoot almost exclusively birds and the noise at the higher levels can be frustrating. Right now a 5D3 is way out of my price range. And the new 7D may appear who know whens and at what price. Any bird photographers that would like to comment on this? Am I going to possibly gain enough to make the change worthwhile, or should I just start saving my money. I shoot primarily with a 400 5.6L and some with 100-400L.

Randy

I bird at ISO 800 as my walk around with my 100-400. Noise isn't an issue there. Try to use native ISO's on your 7D - 100-200-400-800-1600 etc

I shoot ISO3200 on my 1D3 all day long Not preferred but it's great for me. To be fair though, I've learned more about photography using the 1D3 than I ever did with my 7D so I often wonder If I would use a 7D better now.

Keep the 7D its one hell of a camera when used well. 1D3 has given me tendonitis lol

I have both the 7D and 5D3 and for sports and birding I still go for my 7D. I have tried my 5D3 but miss my 7D's reach and FPS even though noise is better. I use native ISO's on my 7D. Correct exposure is the key for the 7D. It is a light hungry camera so under exposing is not as forgiving. I have been able to achieve some very tight crops with it.

Careful PP helps as well. If your use ACR or LR the masking slider in the sharpening pallet makes a difference. I'm usually at about 80. Also try to find a way to do edge sharpening for output as well if you use PS. In a pinch I have shot my 7D at 12,800 and had very usable images. No posters

If your are leaning towards a 5D3 and have the cash get it. An awesome camera. I'm going to experiment with my 5D3 for birding this summer.

Hello everyone, what is native on the 7D.
Thank you,
Joe

I shoot equine sports. I have a 1D3 and a 7D and the 7D is all I use. I actually much prefer the ergonomics of the 1D3 but for me the additional crop and the higher resolution make the 7D the winner. The noise is usually only an issue for me above ISO3200 but, I use noise reduction software for all my images from the 7D.

Bob

digital paradise wrote in post #16891235
I have both the 7D and 5D3 and for sports and birding I still go for my 7D. I have tried my 5D3 but miss my 7D's reach and FPS even though noise is better. I use native ISO's on my 7D. Correct exposure is the key for the 7D. It is a light hungry camera so under exposing is not as forgiving. I have been able to achieve some very tight crops with it.

Careful PP helps as well. If your use ACR or LR the masking slider in the sharpening pallet makes a difference. I'm usually at about 80. Also try to find a way to do edge sharpening for output as well if you use PS. In a pinch I have shot my 7D at 12,800 and had very usable images. No posters

If your are leaning towards a 5D3 and have the cash get it. An awesome camera. I'm going to experiment with my 5D3 for birding this summer.

Sorry. I meant if you are leaning towards 1D MK 111. I used my friends for a few weeks and did some birding with it.

The 1D3 is still a lovely camera, however I owned one along with a 7D at the same time and the high ISO performance was no better on the 1D3.

Thanks for the the input. Maybe getting to picky in my old age. And maybe i just need to adjust my shooting style some.

If you aren't focal length limited, my vote is 1D3 all the way. And a great bargain at the going prices IMO.

The 7D and 1D3 are going to be very close at higher ISOs. You are not going to gain too much. You might be better learning how to set up the 7D for higher ISO shots, and how to post process them. You should be able to go up to 3200 at least.

You are in florida where sun is nice. So what is the issue? What birds you guys shoot at ISO1600?

I have a 1D3, and had a 7D, which I sold when I got it. I also have a 5D3, and although I don't "bird", I thought i would pass on that:

QUOTE:
"If you aren't focal length limited, my vote is 1D3 all the way. And a great bargain at the going prices IMO."

True ... the other weakness of the 1D3 is the LCD screen ... it's the first body I have had where the images on the computer are always better than they looked on the back of the camera!

QUOTE:
The 7D and 1D3 are going to be very close at higher ISOs. You are not going to gain too much. You might be better learning how to set up the 7D for higher ISO shots, and how to post process them. You should be able to go up to 3200 at least."

In my experience, there is much less processing required on 1D3 images as compared to 7D images to get to the same result, especially at ISOs above 800 or so.

QUOTE:
"I shoot equine sports. I have a 1D3 and a 7D and the 7D is all I use. I actually much prefer the ergonomics of the 1D3 but for me the additional crop and the higher resolution make the 7D the winner. The noise is usually only an issue for me above ISO3200 but, I use noise reduction software for all my images from the 7D."

Exactly right in my experience, the 1D3 has better ergonomics and more easily handled noise levels at high ISOs. If you don't have the long lenses, the 7D may well be the better choice, however.

QUOTE
"I shoot ISO3200 on my 1D3 all day long Not preferred but it's great for me. To be fair though, I've learned more about photography using the 1D3 than I ever did with my 7D so I often wonder If I would use a 7D better now."

In my experience ISO 1600 and 3200 are very usable from the 1D3 with less post processing than similar images from the 7D.

I would sum up the 1D3 as having near instant response and that it is a delight to use.

Maxdave

bobbyz wrote in post #16891822
You are in florida where sun is nice. So what is the issue? What birds you guys shoot at ISO1600?

Rain, overcast, cypress swamps, etc. It's not always sunny. We don't just shoot birds on the beach, or just in Florida. LOL

Maxdave wrote in post #16892335
QUOTE:
The 7D and 1D3 are going to be very close at higher ISOs. You are not going to gain too much. You might be better learning how to set up the 7D for higher ISO shots, and how to post process them. You should be able to go up to 3200 at least."

In my experience, there is much less processing required on 1D3 images as compared to 7D images to get to the same result, especially at ISOs above 800 or so.

Maxdave

There is a neat thing next to the quote button for multi quote (has a double-quote with a +).

In my experience having had both (actually multiples of both through the years), they are pretty close in noise handling at higher ISOs, but if you underexpose enough, the 1D3 is cleaner. Couple the resolution difference between them and having to either resize one down, or the other up, and the differences shrink a bit more. The 7D has more chroma noise than the 7D at the higher ISOs, by about a 1/3 stop or so.

I have a substantial back to back set of comparisons in my mini-review.