Camera options: 1DMkIV +5DMkII or 1DsMkIII + 7D?

Well the time has come to upgrade my current 1dMkIIN and 20D bodies. I am shooting mainly portraits (studio and location) and also the odd wedding but I also want to be able to shoot other types of genres such as sports and landscapes. My plan is to go for a full frame and crop body (either 1.3 or 1.6) however the budget won’t stretch to a 1DMkIV and a 1Ds MkIII so it is one or the other. I am considering one of the following options:

• New 1D MkIV + 5D Mk II
  
• Refurbished 1Ds Mk III + 7D

The AF of the 1D bodies really kills the 5d, which would be my main concern.

I shoot with a 1Ds3 and 1D3, and love the combination. Having the controls and layouts be exactly the same is very worth while for me. However, I'm not you, and I won't do weddings, so our needs are probably a bit different. In the end, we both serve the needs of our clients, so it boils down to what will work for your needs.

Save up a little longer and get a 1DMk4 and a 1DsMk3.

David

if it had to be one of the 2 choices i would pick the 5dmkII + 1dmkIV combo. mainly for the 5d, which imo is best for what you're gonna be doing. i highly doubt you'll need the 7d because it seems to me its mainly geared for those shooting sports.

If it was me 1D4 and 5D2...then you have the best ever crop body and arguably the best ever FF body (though I know the 1Ds3 may be slightly better)...still, if you can afford it, go for that combo.

what lenses do you have? if not many then i would go 5dmkII and 7D and the rest on new glass.

I love my 1Ds Mark III. I would pair that with either a 1D Mark III or 7D. I probably would have both mark III bodies this way batteries are common along with all settings. If I need a smaller body then I would do the 7D.

NaKiD EyE wrote in post #11195408
what lenses do you have? if not many then i would go 5dmkII and 7D and the rest on new glass.

I have 70-200f2.8L, 16-35f2.8L (MkI), Tamron 28-75f2.8, and Sigma 50f1.4. They're not the absolute newest or top of the range lenses out there but they are all fast and very sharp and cover the bulk of the focal ranges that I need.

I could spend $1000 + on changing over from a 70-200f2.8 to a MkII IS but really it is not going to give me a huge improvement. At this point I think I need to upgrade bodies and then spend some more money on glass.

LowriderS10 wrote in post #11195243
If it was me 1D4 and 5D2...then you have the best ever crop body and arguably the best ever FF body (though I know the 1Ds3 may be slightly better)...still, if you can afford it, go for that combo.

Yeah that is the way that I am leaning at this point. The only thing with the 7D is the slightly better AF over the 5D but overall I think that the benefits of the MkIV vs. the SMkIII out weigh this.

Woodworker wrote in post #11194842
Save up a little longer and get a 1DMk4 and a 1DsMk3.

I would love to but don't think the budget will stretch that far. I also think that the extra money would be better served in glass. Nice to dream though...

1DIV and 5DII -- you will not regret it.

Greg Edge wrote in post #11195561
I love my 1Ds Mark III. I would pair that with either a 1D Mark III or 7D. I probably would have both mark III bodies this way batteries are common along with all settings.

Using common long life batteries in the 1D series is a God send when you are doing lots of work. I've grown so used to it I neglected to mention it....

Stickman wrote in post #11195724
Using common long life batteries in the 1D series is a God send when you are doing lots of work. I've grown so used to it I neglected to mention it....

Good point. It would be nice to have common batteries on both bodies. On the flip side I shot a wedding about two weeks ago with a little over 1000 images off two camera and didn't need to change batteries. For portriat work the shot count is usually a lot lower so no issues there.

It would be nice though....

I'm in the same situation with a 30d and 1d MKIIN. Going to keep the MKIIn for sure and have reservations about going full frame. Debate going on CR and banding with the 5DII and AF with the 7D but there are always going to be problems with any model. I think weddings, landscape and studio can be handled just as well with a 1.3 crop and the 1d MKIV is looking better the more I read. I personally would not get rid of the 1d MKIIN.

you'll dread using that 5d ii after using a 1d series camera.

bigcountry wrote in post #11196145
you'll dread using that 5d ii after using a 1d series camera.

I am currently using a 20D as my second body which has similar controls and AF. Switching between this and my 1DMkIIN isn't too much of a pain. At the end of the day I am happy to deal with a little bit of pain on my end as long as the images are good and I think the 5D MkII will deliver great images.

1D MK4 and 5D MK2, it is the best combo atm. 5D is at home in the Studio, and you will use the 1D MK4 most at weddings. both give stunning results in their field.

My only addition to this, if you can really wait and afford it, Just get a 1D MK4, 16MP 1.3 crop is a big image, and a 1DS MK4. I think the 1DS MK4 is going to be something very special.