1Ds vs 5D vs 40D ISO performance

I'd like to hear from people who have specific experience of the ISO performance of the 1Ds MkI in comparison to the 5D and 40D.

I appreciate it only goes to 1250 compared to 3200 but I'm sure I read somewhere that the quality of the noise is much more like film grain than the other two cameras?

Also how good are the images at ISO 800 compared to the 5D and 40D?

Sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere but a search didn't seem to yield any useful results.

Cheers,

Chris

Subscribing, I'd like to know this myself. There are some 1Ds's migrating into my price range these days.

I have had 5D and 40D in my processon for 2 weeks. As for noise, here is what I found: At pixel level (view at 100%), 5D is less than 1 stop better. So 5D@800 is better than 40D@800, but 5D@1600 is NOT as good as 40D@800. However, 5D does have significantly more details at 100% view. So, if you view or print 5D and 40D image at the same size (not 100%), and/or apply some NR to 5D image, so that 5D and 40D image has equivalent amount of detail in them, the 5D image will look better. You can get one stop or even a little more noise advantage for 5D.

All in all, if low noise is your primary concernt, then 5D is better for you. I have no experience with any 1 series body tho.

eel

eelnoraa wrote in post #5924514
I have had 5D and 40D in my processon for 2 weeks. As for noise, here is what I found: At pixel level (view at 100%), 5D is less than 1 stop better. So 5D@800 is better than 40D@800, but 5D@1600 is NOT as good as 40D@800. However, 5D does have significantly more details at 100% view. So, if you view or print 5D and 40D image at the same size (not 100%), and/or apply some NR to 5D image, so that 5D and 40D image has equivalent amount of detail in them, the 5D image will look better. You can get one stop or even a little more noise advantage for 5D.

All in all, if low noise is your primary concernt, then 5D is better for you. I have no experience with any 1 series body tho.

eel

Thanks for the info. I already have a fair idea of how the 40D & 5D compare to each other. I'm really hoping to get some comparisons against the 1Ds. I'm not looking for the cleanest image necessarily so much as the quality of the grain (providing the overall noise is not excessive)

http://home.earthlink.​net/~ladlueck6/1Ds_Noi​se.htm

It's impossible for me to comment because I've only owned the 1Ds, amongst the three cameras. Back in the days when I first bought the 1Ds I got so excited that I posted a thread about it. Some people asked for crops to see what the noise levels were like and I obliged. Check out post #26 on the following thread:

https://photography-on-the.net …7276&highlight=​1ds&page=2

A lot of people will be appalled by the level of noise in those images but I personally do not hesitate to use ISO 1250 in low light conditions. Sure, it shows up prominently in the shadow areas, but the character of the grain is quite pleasing.

Previously I used it for a wedding shoot, shooting RAW exclusively. I processed all RAWs in Canon's DPP program, using the 'low' setting for chrominance noise reduction. I did not touch the luminance noise reduction slider bar. The results were printed into 8X12" pictures for the couple's album and I hardly even noticed the presence of grain.

People might think I'm mad, but I personally feel that we can get a little too obsessed about grain sometimes. I'd rather have some grain in return for super-crisp results.

With all that said, do bear in mind that all 3 cameras are excellent but they are very different beasts. I personally feel that the 40D is the cheapest yet the most flexible (considering how wide the EF-S range is now, and how good all the lenses for APS-C cameras are). The 1Ds is a camera for slow and deliberate photography, with the 5D slotting nicely in between them.

As the cliched statement goes, 'There's no better time for people to get into digital photography. The myriad of quality options for a beginner means there is something for everybody.'

EDIT: In case you're interested to see some low-res results of the aforementioned wedding, check here:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=434345

5D hands down.

In a month I'll be getting a 1Ds (MkI). I'll then have a 5D, 40D, and 1Ds to play around with... if I don't sell the 5D before it arrives! I've read almost every post regarding this issue. Even though the 5D has amazing high ISO capabilities (the best of the group), the 40D is not very far off, perhaps 1/2 stop behind. The 1Ds has similar ISO performance as the 1Dino and a 10D. It does have noise level that is similar to film grain. It is not for those who have aversion to noise. At ISO 100-200, you'll be fine. Anything over and you better nail that exposure. Pulling and pushing will reveal noise. But heck, I need weather-proofing and using the best AF system isn't a bad thing!

Yea, I will sell my 5D. I will keep my 40D and 1Ds. Obviously, for high ISO I will be using my 40D, i.e. my daughter's ballet perfomance, and it is a better choice too because 6.5 fps is way better than the 5D's 3 fps.

Too bad the 5D MkII isn't out yet... if it is truly 5 fps and weather-sealed... I've missed the boat by a few months!

To each his own, but for me, noise or grain is something to be overcome, gotten rid of, flushed, not persued for it's artistic value.

fWord wrote in post #5941042
A lot of people will be appalled by the level of noise in those images

What noise?

I couldn't agree more; noise is overrated.
The noise in those examples you posted will be barely visible, let alone distracting, in an 8x12.

Pixel peep less, print more

fWord wrote in post #5941042
It's impossible for me to comment because I've only owned the 1Ds, amongst the three cameras. Back in the days when I first bought the 1Ds I got so excited that I posted a thread about it. Some people asked for crops to see what the noise levels were like and I obliged. Check out post #26 on the following thread:

https://photography-on-the.net …7276&highlight=​1ds&page=2

A lot of people will be appalled by the level of noise in those images but I personally do not hesitate to use ISO 1250 in low light conditions. Sure, it shows up prominently in the shadow areas, but the character of the grain is quite pleasing.

Previously I used it for a wedding shoot, shooting RAW exclusively. I processed all RAWs in Canon's DPP program, using the 'low' setting for chrominance noise reduction. I did not touch the luminance noise reduction slider bar. The results were printed into 8X12" pictures for the couple's album and I hardly even noticed the presence of grain.

People might think I'm mad, but I personally feel that we can get a little too obsessed about grain sometimes. I'd rather have some grain in return for super-crisp results.

With all that said, do bear in mind that all 3 cameras are excellent but they are very different beasts. I personally feel that the 40D is the cheapest yet the most flexible (considering how wide the EF-S range is now, and how good all the lenses for APS-C cameras are). The 1Ds is a camera for slow and deliberate photography, with the 5D slotting nicely in between them.

As the cliched statement goes, 'There's no better time for people to get into digital photography. The myriad of quality options for a beginner means there is something for everybody.'

EDIT: In case you're interested to see some low-res results of the aforementioned wedding, check here:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=434345

Thanks very much, your post and links have helped enormously

adam* wrote in post #5941067
5D hands down.

Yup, but the idea is to find out if I'd be happy with the 1Ds's performance and if so then get myself a FF camera for less than the cost of a 5D so I can make the most of the shallow DOF fast primes will give.

You'd be hard pressed to find a 1Ds for significantly less than a 5D. Believe it or not, they are on same price range, i.e. $1,500-1,600. They were a year ago as they are now. I bought my 1Ds for $1,575 shipped and paypaled, the same price as a 5D. You're thinking like I was, and I went through all the buying and selling. I will be happy with the 1Ds' performance and specifically it's razor thin DoF, weather-sealing, and 45-point AF system. Anything else will be taken care by the 40D. If I were to have only one body, it'd be the 5D.

ebann wrote in post #5943217
You'd be hard pressed to find a 1Ds for significantly less than a 5D. Believe it or not, they are on same price range, i.e. $1,500-1,600. They were a year ago as they are now. I bought my 1Ds for $1,575 shipped and paypaled, the same price as a 5D. You're thinking like I was, and I went through all the buying and selling. I will be happy with the 1Ds' performance and specifically it's razor thin DoF, weather-sealing, and 45-point AF system. Anything else will be taken care by the 40D. If I were to have only one body, it'd be the 5D.

I'm looking at a couple of 1Ds MkI at £800 with less than 30k actuations. The 5D's I've been watching are going for the same S/H. Then add £100 for the grip. I don't need the 5D's ISO performance so I believe the 45pt AF and weather sealing makes more sense to me and my needs

5D, 1Ds MKI and 40D about the same...depending on conditions. I think the 1DS sort of comes up with "nicer" noise that the 40D, but I can't quantify it...

fWord wrote in post #5941042
It's impossible for me to comment because I've only owned the 1Ds, amongst the three cameras. Back in the days when I first bought the 1Ds I got so excited that I posted a thread about it. Some people asked for crops to see what the noise levels were like and I obliged. Check out post #26 on the following thread:

Hey in pouring of the Champagne...it looks like he is wearing a barong. As well his dad seems to have a pretty sweet one in earlier pictures.