1D3 to 5D2

I would think this has been done to death, but my search didn't find this exact thread (but, my luck at POTN searches aren't the best mainly because of the many possibilities for the names of the cameras (1D3, 1D MarkIII, 1D Mark III, 1D Mark 3, etc)

Anyway, I'm curious to hear from people who have owned the 1D3 and then switched to a 5D2 if they thought they made a mistake, what they miss, what they prefer, and in general if the probable IQ advantage of the 5D2 was worth the loss of the amazing ergos/build/features of the the 1D3.

For me the 1D3 has me spoiled for features and build, and shooting RAW and using Pixmantra's custom 1D3 two stage NR the high ISO noise of the 1D3 is as good, if not slightly better, than anything I can get with the 5D2 RAW files I've played with (I keep saying Pix is a genius). The original 5D surprisingly never had "great" dynamic range for FF (according to most numbers, DR was quite average, about the same as the 20D), and I think the 1D3 may be the current leader in that department (although, with CMOS sensors the real world diff from camera to camera probably isn't as big as some people think). Is the 5D2 noticeably better/worse?

I'd like to hear some real world examples/comparisons from people who have owned both rather than rely on theories about pixel density, blah blah.

I'm thinking of doing a bit more stock/studio, and less sports, so that's why I'm asking.

Again, I'm not really interested in hearing theory or starting any flaming, I am just curious to hear some personal experiences.

Thanks guys

I haven't used 1DIII in the wedding (which is what I shoot) yet but I've taken some test shots to experience it.
Yes, 5DII's images is better than 5D (previously owned) and 1DIII and its mainly because of 21MP and it's 1-stop better high ISO performance. Other than that, I think 1DIII surpass 5DII in many ways. I like how 1DIII handles, its more balance especially with heavier lens like 24-70mm. I also like the custom functions which I already think it's going to be useful in the wedding. And of course it's AF which I feel it's much better than 5DII even I haven't used it in the wedding yet. I buy 1DIII mainly for it's AF performance in the wedding more specifically on the dance floor. But in the well lit or outdoor, I think I will still prefer 5DII, simply by its weight and noticeable better image quality.
This is just my experience with both cameras from standpoint of wedding photographer.
You mentioned that you are thinking of doing more stock/studio and less sports, I think it will be quite obvious that 5DII might be better for you.

Thanks Daletu, great information!
That's pretty much what I expected (although, like I said, I can currently get as good if not better high ISO IQ with the 1D3 with Pix's 1D3 NR solution, at least compared to the many 5D2 RAW files I've found on the net... Although, there is no ISO 12,800 or 25,600 on the 1D3)

It might be a matter of waiting for the "1D4" to arrive to get the best of both worlds.

Oh, btw, is there a noticeable/significant difference in the depth of field with the full-frame vs 1.3x crop?

Anything above ISO6400 on the 5DII is just not usable in my opinion, especially for shooting high quality studio or stock photos which you should probably limit to ISO400 or less. So I don't think ISO12800 or above is the advantage over 1DIII.

Thanks Daletu. You are lucky to be able to have both.

I guess the obvious answer may be to go down to our local Henry's location and give the 5D2 a go myself eh?

drisley wrote in post #7429496
Oh, btw, is there a noticeable/significant difference in the depth of field with the full-frame vs 1.3x crop?

I wouldn't say significant but it's noticeable. Not as much as 40D's 1.6X though.

daletu wrote in post #7429510
Anything above ISO6400 on the 5DII is just not usable in my opinion, especially for shooting high quality studio or stock photos which you should probably limit to ISO400 or less. So I don't think ISO12800 or above is the advantage over 1DIII.

....and I'm not sure why you would want to be worrying about high ISO when you're shooting in a studio environment with complete control over your lighting.

drisley wrote in post #7429518
Thanks Daletu. You are lucky to be able to have both.

I guess the obvious answer may be to go down to our local Henry's location and give the 5D2 a go myself eh?

Make sure you bring your own CF card. I don't think you will be satisfied with 5DII's physically appearance, so make sure you bring some images home to compare.

subscribe! Yeah Dale you lucky bastard!

MinhThien wrote in post #7429541
subscribe! Yeah Dale you lucky bastard!

Hahahaha... Eric~ so... did you change it?!?!?!

I am waiting for PMA!

MinhThien wrote in post #7429557
I am waiting for PMA!

When is that and where is it going to be?

Las Vegas! March 3-5! Very soon!

Well, owning both is the perfect combo for just about any type of shooting. Both cameras have very similar image-feel. The 5D II images look far more like 1D III images, than 5D Classic ones.

That said the 5D Classic still has a very special sensor (skin tones in particular) and is still a very very special camera.

MinhThien wrote in post #7429578
Las Vegas! March 3-5! Very soon!

ah~ lucky you~ taking vacation huh?! have fun man and bring a 5DII home too!

Sorry OP for filling some useless posts. I will shut up now.