80D vs 1D Mark IV

How would you rate these 2 bodies on image quality?

I wouldn't be using either body past ISO 6400, so I think high ISO performance would be about equal.

The build quality and frames per second would defiintely be better on the 1D IV.

The 80D would have the advantage for DPAF, video, and tilt screen.

What about AF and tracking ability? which one should have the advantage? I am thinking the 1D IV.

I believe based on performance charts at http://photonstophotos​.net, and also just from seeing samples over the years, that the 80D and 1D4 will be pretty close, especially if you downsize the 80D to the 1D4 resolution. The 1D4 is built better, has longer life, and its AF is quite, quite good. Not sure how it performs against the 80D, but I suspect it will drive lenses a bit faster at a minimum.

One would think the 1D4 would be best for AF,. but I don't think it is nearly that simple in this case.

The 80D uses Canon's latest gen AF tech (and sensor tech for that matter) which positions it much higher than it's "weight class" would imply when compared to older bodies.

Therefor, there are many aspects of the 80D AF system that will in fact be superior to the 1D4. 80D will AF @ f/8 better for instance. At the same time there may be some aspects that the 1D4 wins at.

I wouldn't use the 1DMKIV past ISO 6400, I shoot a lot of times at minimal light conditions and its good up to ISO 1600, past that and your going to see noise, mostly in the shadows though. I'm not going to say you can't shoot higher than that, but you'll need to use some post processing to remove noise.

I really try to limit my 1D IV to an ISO of 3200. I have used 6400 but the results are sort of hit and miss. I'm sure there are people with better post processing techniques than mine and they might be able to use 6400 without detail loss, but as I said, with my bird photographs, I really try to avoid an ISO of 6400 unless forced.

I haven't used an 80D but my wife still uses my 70D (granted, much older sensor design) and I had a 7D2 for a while. The thing that stands out to me with the 1D IV is the colors... the colors are so beautiful. I know we all tend to have bias confirmation but when my wife notices things like this without any prompting from me, it says something. She noticed it right away.... from the first photographs. "What did you do? These look different... the colors are perfect." She often shoots along side me and this was from the first outing together.

I shot the 80D and 1D4 side-by-side for a few weeks. The AI-Servo AF on the 80D is every bit as good as that on the 1D4; speed, tracking, and accuracy on the 80D are all top-notch. For shooting in less than ideal light, the 80D is superior, by far.

The 1D4 has every custom function you could imagine. The camera is hugely configurable. The 80D, not so much. The 80D has EC in manual mode mode. The 1D4 can simulate that, but it is a cumbersome combination of custom function settings.

I think the 80D is more than a stop better than the 1D4 when pushing ISO. The 1D4 at 6400 leaves you some of post-processing work. I shoot my 80D JPG at 6400, if the light is OK.

My main reason for moving from 1D4 to 80D was size/weight. My field sports set-up went from the 1D4/100-400Lc to the 80D/70-300 II. I am right at 1/2 the weight, and I gave up nothing with respect to reach/AF/IQ. The 70-300II (nano-USM) is an amazing lens. The IQ is a half-notch less than the 70-200mm f/4L IS. The AI-Servo performance made me bust into my Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! dance. While I'm on nano-USM, the 18-135 is also an AF dream. It is good enough to shoot sports/athletics. You can't use the 18-135 with a 1D4.

I am happy with my move from 1D4 to 80D, though I do miss 10fps from time to time.

One thing that would be a big deal for me is the ability to change focus points with a joystick. . I know the 1D4 has a joystick, because that's the camera that I use. . I'm not sure if the 80D has one or not.

The joystick is a big deal for me because I am changing focus points for the vast majority of my shots, and rarely use the center point. . And I HATE to focus and recompose.

I just got a 6D and found that I have to change focus points with the big wheel on the back of the camera. . I suppose I could probably reassign that to the little dial on the top of the body, but that wouldn't be any better. . Spinning a wheel or a dial isn't nearly as intuitive as using a joystick. . I've heard that other people actually prefer using a wheel/dial to using a joystick, but for me it is nowhere near as intuitive, and intuitiveness equals speed and rapidity, which is extremely important when shooting moving critters.


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Tom Reichner wrote in post #18548257
One thing that would be a big deal for me is the ability to change focus points with a joystick. . I know the 1D4 has a joystick, because that's the camera that I use. . I'm not sure if the 80D has one or not.

The joystick is a big deal for me because I am changing focus points for the vast majority of my shots, and rarely use the center point. . And I HATE to focus and recompose.

I just got a 6D and found that I have to change focus points with the big wheel on the back of the camera. . I suppose I could probably reassign that to the little dial on the top of the body, but that wouldn't be any better. . Spinning a wheel or a dial isn't nearly as intuitive as using a joystick. . I've heard that other people actually prefer using a wheel/dial to using a joystick, but for me it is nowhere near as intuitive, and intuitiveness equals speed and rapidity, which is extremely important when shooting moving critters.


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Tom it's interesting what you say about changing AF points with the post 60D xxD bodies. I started out in Canon AF land with a 300D, the original Digital Rebel, and didn't find the press button, scroll top dial method of changing AF points difficult, it was pretty easy really. I have also always found the joystick method completely natural, requiring no real thought, and now shoot a 50D with a 20D as a second/backup body.

Every time I have picked up a 6D or later xxD body on the other hand I have always had real problems with changing AF points, more than just having to think, more having to ask about it every time. Add to that my aversion to SD Cards, since I seem to be able to kill them with a single touch, and regular need to use a PC socket for studio flash triggering in industrial environments with lots of wideband RF noise, I have been very put off of those series of cameras.

Alan

Bassat wrote in post #18548246
I shot the 80D and 1D4 side-by-side for a few weeks. The AI-Servo AF on the 80D is every bit as good as that on the 1D4; speed, tracking, and accuracy on the 80D are all top-notch. For shooting in less than ideal light, the 80D is superior, by far.

The 1D4 has every custom function you could imagine. The camera is hugely configurable. The 80D, not so much. The 80D has EC in manual mode mode. The 1D4 can simulate that, but it is a cumbersome combination of custom function settings.

I think the 80D is more than a stop better than the 1D4 when pushing ISO. The 1D4 at 6400 leaves you some of post-processing work. I shoot my 80D JPG at 6400, if the light is OK.

My main reason for moving from 1D4 to 80D was size/weight. My field sports set-up went from the 1D4/100-400Lc to the 80D/70-300 II. I am right at 1/2 the weight, and I gave up nothing with respect to reach/AF/IQ. The 70-300II (nano-USM) is an amazing lens. The IQ is a half-notch less than the 70-200mm f/4L IS. The AI-Servo performance made me bust into my Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! dance. While I'm on nano-USM, the 18-135 is also an AF dream. It is good enough to shoot sports/athletics. You can't use the 18-135 with a 1D4.

I am happy with my move from 1D4 to 80D, though I do miss 10fps from time to time.

The 1D4 RoF focusing mode is quite good, and even today, despite the zone AF settings, etc, not too much in the APS-C land seems to quite behave like RoF. Other than that mode, the newer stuff has great AF that rivals the older 1D series bodies.

I have both 80D and 1D4 that I only use for air shows with my Canon 300 f2.8 IS II and extenders. For other types of photography I have my 6D.

I believe the AF performance on the 80D is better than the 1D4 when using my 300mm. For example, when an aircraft is flying towards me, and the distance between the plane and camera is decreasing rapidly, my keeper rate is much better with the 80D. Seems like the AF locks on faster and is more accurate than when using the 1D4. I come away with more sharper, nicely focused photos.

In the past I had used the 300/2x combo with the 1D4. Mediocre results. AF wasn't fast enough for the action, or so it seemed. I stopped using the 2x all together for aviation photography. Too bad, because some great shots could be achieved at 600mm.

But the 80D breathed new life in my 2xIII. Wow, do these two play well together! Better focus, better keeper rate.

I have two 1D4 cameras. Most likely I'll sell one and buy a second 80D.

Did you use Ring of Fire mode on the 1D4, or use a single point and had it track?

The Ring of Fire mode on the 1D4 was/is excellent. The 80D set to ALL points is just as good. The thing that makes the 1D4 better is one-button access. On the 1D4, I can go from single, center-point shooting in One-Shot to ALL Points in AI-SERVO by holding one button down. The 80D has NOTHING like that.

EDIT:
Almost forgot, RoF can take me from ANY aperture to WIDE-OPEN with that one button.

The 1D4 has a more accurate focusing, but sometimes a slow start-up AF. The 80D has a quicker track, but can be off sometimes, creating softer images, even when it hits focus.

CH_Devin wrote in post #18548890
The 1D4 has a more accurate focusing, but sometimes a slow start-up AF. The 80D has a quicker track, but can be off sometimes, creating softer images, even when it hits focus.

I disagree with this entire post. Used to shoot 1D4. Still using 80D. Both are excellent at tracking and accuracy.

Bassat wrote in post #18548915
I disagree with this entire post. Used to shoot 1D4. Still using 80D. Both are excellent at tracking and accuracy.

This is coming from my own experiences of using both cameras, and my takeaways.