Replace 2 bodies with 1d4?

I have been thinking of replacing both 7d and 6d with a 1d4. I use the 7d for amateur sports/high shutter clicking events and 6d as a 2nd/backup camera to 5d3 for weddings. The good thing with my current setup is all cameras use the same batteries and I have tons of them. The 6d is a very capable up to iso3200 camera. The bad is the 6d's focusing is miserable in low light. I did a direct comparison on focusing speed with a friend's 1d4 and the keeper/in focus rate of the 6d is close to 30% compare to 90%+ for the 1d4. But the 1d4 high iso is only good up to 1600 based on my rough estimate. Also the 1d4 uses a different and more expensive battery so I have to invest extra on it. Relative to the 7d, the only difference is the 1.6x crop, which is not a big deal to me. In addition the 1d4 has dual card slot, which gives me the extra peace of mind.

What would you do if you are in my situation?

Dual cards is just starting to roll into the Canon line. Basically you can go for the heavier 1d4, 7dmk2, 5d3/4 and 1dx series. Otherwise you really don't have much of a choice.

Probably ideally another 5d3 would be a better choice but more $$$.

I checked yesterday.... the 1D IV is selling for from $1100 on the low end... still around $1600 in the middle for a pristine model on eBay: the average is around $1400.

I've seen two 5D Mark lll's selling for $1600 here on POTN... so pretty close.

I'm a bit surprised the 1D IV is outperforming your 6D in low light. That shouldn't be the case, I don't believe.

I can shoot my 1D IV at ISO at 3200 without much loss of detail and can clean up 6400 adequately, but I lose feather detail in the birds I like to photograph.

I use a 6D and a 1D4. The 6D is markedly better at acquiring and locking focus in low-light than the 1D4. Caveat: with the 6D you have to use the center point to get this performance.

That was my understanding as well. I've seen many comments along the line of "My 6D center point will autofocus in the dark!"

I've made that statement several times about my 6D. Its ability to focus in near darkness is uncanny, spooky, even a bit scary sometimes. The 1D4 is an AF monster in good light, with any and all AF-points. The 6D can see in the dark, but with only one AF point. My new 80D combines the daylight AI-Servo AF of the 1D4 with the 'see-in-the-dark' (in One-Shot) ability of the 6D. Both my 80D and 6D are bang-on, dead accurate with every lens I own. I don't need all three bodies, but I change my mind on which one to sell about every other day.

Going years back I recall some local photogs having serious hunting AF issues in the dark. This was the time when the 1dmk4 was the best Canon could offer in the crop 1.3 or 1.6 world. Some local wedding photogs including my friend noticed the 1dmk4 hunting and struggling in lower light. My friends 1dmk4/135L combo literally did not want to focus in low light at a ceremony!!!

I think the new 80D surpasses the 1dmk4 in terms of iso performance and overall IQ.

80D, 7D2 or another 5D3.
Advantage goes to the 7D2 since it uses the same battery and controls are pretty much the same as the 5D3.

At this point I would not invest in a 1D4.
YMMV

Very surprised by all the negativity towards the 1d4. I shot 2 wedding receptions using a friend's 1d4+70200, indoor, and found the focusing to be much better than the 6d. Upon further research on google a lot of people had negative experience on focusing and tracking in low light. I guess I will take a look at the 80d and 7d2, although I hate the 7d's iso performance.

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kenwood33 wrote in post #18285672
I have been thinking of replacing both 7d and 6d with a 1d4.

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I find this interesting, as I have recently been contemplating doing the opposite; replacing my 1D Mark 4 with 2 bodies, one full frame and one 1.6 crop.

The advantage to doing so would be that having two very different sensor sizes to work with would give me more flexibility with regards to which lenses I can use to achieve a given framing of a scene.

I used to use 2 bodies - a full frame 5D classic and a 1.6 crop 50D. .I would continually be switching back and forth between the two bodies, and thus had an expanded ability to frame a scene the way I wanted to with any given lens, or combination of lenses.

When I got my 1D Mark 4, I quickly learned that it was such a better camera than either the 5D or the 50D, with regards to: .AF ability, overall IQ, high ISO performance, durability, and battery life. .So I quickly all but abandoned using either the 5D and the 50D.

However, the fact that I now only use one body has left me rather limited with the way I can frame any given scene. Hence, I am considering acquiring both a 7D Mark 2 and a 5D Mark 3, so that I can maintain the overall capability and IQ that I now enjoy, but also regain the flexibility that comes with using two different sensor sizes.


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kenwood33 wrote in post #18286681
Very surprised by all the negativity towards the 1d4. I shot 2 wedding receptions using a friend's 1d4+70200, indoor, and found the focusing to be much better than the 6d. Upon further research on google a lot of people had negative experience on focusing and tracking in low light. I guess I will take a look at the 80d and 7d2, although I hate the 7d's iso performance.

The 7d2 ISO is much better than the 7D, and also better than (at a minimum equal to) the 1d4 at higher levels. Its also focuses better in low light. Resize the 7d2 images to that of the 1d4 if you want to compare apples to apples on ISO and IQ.

I have shot the same venue year after year with the 1D3, 1D4, 7D, 7D2, 5D3, and now the 5D4. I really loved the 1D4, but with the 7D2 and 5D4, there is little need for me to pick one up again at the current low prices. I had always planned on doing that, but the impetus is gone.

The 5D3 did well enough for sports too for me. I would consider either a 7D2, 5d3, or 5D4 at this point if I were in your shoes. All share the same battery, all have dual card slots (if you ignore the 5D3 crippled SD slot).

7D2 at 12800...

I would just pick up another 5D3, thats what im gonna do to replace my 7D2 as its to way to "hit and miss"