1D MKIII Review

...from a professional wedding photographer's perspective...

I lent out my beloved 1D MKIII to fellow POTN'er and professional wedding photographer "Kamp" yesterday, and he wrote a short review on his wedding blog.

A Rehearsal :: And A Gear Review

He currently owns a couple 5D's and 1D MK2's but as you can see from his write up, he's blown away. Needless to say, I may not be getting the camera back

I'm very sorry for your loss!

So I guess he might not be owning 1D IIs for much longer...

I heart my 1D3's high ISO.

tonylong wrote in post #6432957
I'm very sorry for your loss!

Jim G wrote in post #6432964
So I guess he might not be owning 1D IIs for much longer...

I heart my 1D3's high ISO.

Me too, it's fantastic. Funny thing is, Kamp said he rarely uses the MK2's after getting the 5D's because the IQ is so much better. But now, it appears the MK III's IQ has trumped the 5D's by a big enough of a margin that he is looking forward to only using the MK III tomorrow. He is also drooling over things like weather sealing and "auto ISO" capabilities. However, his favourite feature is the ability to write RAW to one card, and JPG's simultaneously to the other card, which he couldn't do with the MK2's. He uses the JPG's to preview images on his laptop to show the bride and groom.

Yesterday, I actually got a chance to play with a D700 for a while.
If I was coming from any Canon prosumer/consumer body, I would be salivating over that thing. However, compared to my MK III, I still feel it would be a 1/2 step back in ergos and performance. Without the grip, the body was too small, and with the grip, it was too big (bigger than my MK III). Also, in relatively low store lighting, the AF on the D700 struggled compared to my MK III's. However, after the initial hesitation acquiring a lock with the D700, it did seem to track in a decent manner.

And as nice as the new LCD's are, I STILL feel it makes little difference to me compared my MKIII's LCD... I don't get the hype. It's certainly an improvement, but not as big as I had expected. I also played with the 50D, and it's new LCD is the same (or slightly better) than the D700's. But again, not as big a deal as I thought it would be. Ironically, the LCD gave the impression the images were sharper than they actually were when I got home and looked at them on my workstation. I had some motion blur in a couple shots, but on the D700's LCD, the image looked tack sharp. So, it's sort of the opposite problem of what we get with the lower res thumbnails on the MK III LCD that make the images seem too soft in preview (it's not the LCD's fault). Either way, you just get used to it which is easy if you only use one camera. I can easily discern sharp/in focus shots on my MK III's LCD, however, if you owned a camera with a newer LCD, and an older one, then going back and forth could be difficult (but again, it's not really the LCD's fault, it's the resolution of the preview thumbnail).

I tried ISO3200 on the D700, and it was fantastic, about 1/2 stop better than on my 1D MK3, however, it's a bit difficult to compare because the D700 images to me seem sort of "flat" and "plasticky" to my eyes (personal preference). ISO3200 wasn't bad in this regard, but ISO6400 definitely looked like an image that had too much Noise Ninja applied to it. I guess I'm not used to the "Nikon look". But still, an incredible output at high ISO's.

Don't get me wrong, the D700 is fantastic, definitely in it's own league at it's price point, but I think the 1D MK III has me spoiled. The 50D seems nice too, but again, not in the same league as the MK III (as it shouldn't be for the price).

Having now tried the Dark Side, it makes me more grateful for what I have with my Canon .

But, hey, you didn't try a 5D Mk II!

tonylong wrote in post #6433232
But, hey, you didn't try a 5D Mk II!

Yeah I am curious about that one. The IQ will probably trump all.

Although, I did get to use a 5D for the first time, and again, it really feels cheap compared to a MK III. I always used to hear that once you use a 1 Series camera, you can never go back to a D Series. I think that may be the case for me now.

drisley wrote in post #6433251
Yeah I am curious about that one. The IQ will probably trump all.

Although, I did get to use a 5D for the first time, and again, it really feels cheap compared to a MK III. I always used to hear that once you use a 1 Series camera, you can never go back to a D Series. I think that may be the case for me now.

Hey, I love my 5D -- it's my walk-around camera! The 1D is sometimes just too cumbersome, so I use it as my "workhorse" and my 5D as more of a street camera and creative outlet, as well as landscape-scenic stuff. I like its light, compact body for such things.

Yeah, it's a personal preference. I remember when I went from a DRebel to a 20D and couldn't believe how big and pro the 20D felt.

i recently bought a 50D (3 days ago to be exact) with the intention of replacing my 1DmkIII with the 50D/ 5DmkII combo. after using the 50D for about 10 shots, i quickly realized that even though it is a nice body, it is not even in the same league as my mkIII. so...... i sold the 50D and i am now looking for a 5D to have as a backup body.

seriously, if you buy the 1 series for the right reasons, there is just nothing else out there that can replace it. also, after much consideration, i can now honestly say that the 1DmkIII is simply the most versatile body that canon has ever made. it is great for everything from sports to studio and it simply has the best combination of utility and IQ. sure it doesn't have a great LCD or 21MP for it more than makes up for it with a killer body, fantastic IQ and all around versatility.

blonde wrote in post #6433426
it more than makes up for it with a killer body,

*whistles*

Yup, I think Canon is smart in making such a huge gap in it's camera lines.
Because once you go to the 1 Series, it's hard to go back, even with 21MP and improved LCD's.
One thing I wish is that the 1D MKIII was 12MP. 2MP is insignificant in real world, but it's a bit of a psychological thing I think. Well, that and the fact that for stock photography, 12MP gets you into the next size bracket I will have to try "upsizing" and submitting to istock sometime.

A very crude (but extremely accurate) 1D3-vs-5DmkII sample...

drisley wrote in post #6433251
Yeah I am curious about that one. The IQ will probably trump all.

Check it out (both at ISO6400, and measuring noise at the exact same tonal range):

http://www.pbase.com …/image/10365479​6/original

NOTE: I am in queue for a 5D MKII (for replacing our 30D), which, together with our 1D3, will be the bombastic combo!.

Enjoy!

Thanks for posting - the MIII can use a little good press after all the AF threads. Mine is rock solid and I love it.

drisley wrote in post #6432938
...from a professional wedding photographer's perspective...

I lent out my beloved 1D MKIII to fellow POTN'er and professional wedding photographer "Kamp" yesterday, and he wrote a short review on his wedding blog.

A Rehearsal :: And A Gear Review

He currently owns a couple 5D's and 1D MK2's but as you can see from his write up, he's blown away. Needless to say, I may not be getting the camera back

You can't post this!! This is good for the Mk3, which is not very popular. I think you should lock the thread before anyone else has a chance to see what a great camera the MK3 is....

texaskev wrote in post #6433976
Thanks for posting - the MIII can use a little good press after all the AF threads. Mine is rock solid and I love it.

same here

texaskev wrote in post #6433976
Thanks for posting - the MIII can use a little good press after all the AF threads. Mine is rock solid and I love it.

Yeah, I think so. Although I feel for those who did/do have problems.

lawmans3 wrote in post #6434010
You can't post this!! This is good for the Mk3, which is not very popular. I think you should lock the thread before anyone else has a chance to see what a great camera the MK3 is....

PIXmantra wrote in post #6433842
Check it out (both at ISO6400, and measuring noise at the exact same tonal range):

http://www.pbase.com …/image/10365479​6/original

NOTE: I am in queue for a 5D MKII (for replacing our 30D), which, together with our 1D3, will be the bombastic combo!.

Enjoy!

Very close indeed!