Отзывы о Цифровой Фотоаппарат Canon EOS 1D X

I owned this camera since spring of 2008,
So at the point of writing this review, I used it for nearly a year.

Now, if you are earlier owner, you might have experienced a problem or two.
I was unfortunately one of the owner experienced problem, and had to ship it back to Canon for the warranty repair. So, I was not exactly happy about paying expensive FEDEX freight.

But, rest assured, no other nasty problem occurred after warranty repair, and this camera has been workhorse of my photography.

Now, let get on the review.

This is really wonderful 21.1MP camera, and it is well worth the money.
But, you have to determine if you need to use one.

At the time of release, there were no other full size sensor camera with this resolutions.
Of course, it has been since passed by other manufacture... but I will not going to that comparison.

For Professional User.

Important thing about this camera is economics.

I own EOS 5D as well, and when non-commissioned or low paid project, I tend to bring 5D instead of 1DS MK3.
It is due to the fact, overall operational cost tend to be higher on the 1DS MK3 so if does not paid well, there will be no point to bring it out.

But, if it does paid well. there are enough justification to own this system, and you should used it as much as you can.

And this system is really reliable, once you get past some getting used to.

One more note,

Now I do own several different system including Hasselblad Medium format.
Medium Format Digital System is superior system when you are working in the control lighting environment. However, it is rather difficult to work with in the outside activity.

If you are studio photographer with magazine or commercial client, and do occasional out side shoot, you should own both medium format and this camera.

If you are professional just wondering about medium format and full size sensor camera,but without pressing need, then do not bother with medium format.

People who uses medium format digital normally has pressing reason such as satisfying client's specifications to own such system.
And it is not really versatile system no matter how medium format camera maker and digital back manufacture portray.

Canon 1DS MK3 is really versatile system, and it will satisfy most of design agency, publisher or stock photo agency's requirement, and L lens system are reasonably priced for the performance when looking at the economics.

For Semi Pro or High Amateurs User

For semi professional. 1DS MK3 is not going to make best economic argument, if you do not shoot studio.
If you are part time photographer who shoots mainly events or doing photo journalism.
I will recommend 1DMK3 over 1DSMK3.

Also, for photo journalist purpose, nowadays 5D MK2 actually makes a lot more sense than getting 1DS MK3 due to the their HD capability.
And for the photo journalist, it is not that good idea to carry bulky system.

But, for an amateur user with a lot of spending money,

It is one of the best system to get taste of what real pro are using.
And it does not cost like price of new BMW, and for the financially resourceful amateur, 7 to 8 grand may not be much of money.

When I got 1DS MK3 there were several amateur photographer I taught how to use this camera...
Surprising thing is, there are quiet many of amateur owner, and with very limited instruction to them,
They were able to create very good quality images.

So, kudos to the Canon for new 1DS MK3 interface.
It is actually easier for 1DS first timer than older 1DS MK2 for instance.

Of course, people who were used to with 1DS MK2 or older tend to disagree on this.

Now here are list of main advantage.

1. It is 21.1MP, more than most of commercial assignment requires.

2. Color depth of 14bit per channel is really useful for RAW work flow process.

3. Economical compared to the expensive medium format system, and still get comparable or sometimes superior result if conditions are right.

4. Build like tank, and it can take a quiet bit of abuse.

5. For user who are used to with 20D~50D, 5D MK1~MK2, it is really easy to learn interface.

6. Dust cleaning is really useful.

7. AF + Canon L Lens combinations is superior to the other known system in the market as of 2008-9

8. Liveview is useful to shoot architecture, land scape, and products.

9. RAW file format is supported well by the major commercial software.

10.CF slot and SDHC slot actually helps. It did not occurred to me until I run out of memory card on the locations, and had to run to the nearby local drug store. At least they carry cheap SD/SDHC at a

The ultimate purpose for a camera is to take photos. No camera except perhaps the Canon 5D II or a comparable Nikon or Sony DSLR will take better photos in more situations than the 1Ds III.

No other kind of camera will do as much as well. Some, such as medium format cameras costing many times more, will take slightly better photos in a studio and for some landscape or still subject shots but canot be used to shoot anything that moves or needs very wide or strong telephoto. A Leica rangefinder is more portable and competes with about everything for IQ but is only useful for certain shots. A point and shoot is very versatile but lacks a comparable IQ. A good micro four thirds is also very versatile but with slightly less IQ. No other camera will focus faster or offer a better range of lenses. Full frame DSLRs can be used to take very wide landscape shots, great shots of kids at play, sports photos, animals at long distances, flash shots indoors, night scenes with wide or strong telephoto, versatile architectural shots, etc. No other camera offers a better range of filters and accessories. Canon and Nikon offer a range of zoom lenses that can take every kind of shot, not just the ones that fit a fixed lens.

The !Ds III has a lot of positives. Great IQ. Very rugged and reliable, maybe more so than any other camera. Works well with Canon flashes. Unmatched choice of lenses, many best in class.

Here are the negatives I have noted after three years of use:

Canon color is excellent but Leica may be slightly better (I don't know about Nikon -- it wasn't a player in this space until I already owned a set of Canon lenses).

Focus doesn't work well with some wide lenses. It is dead on with the 16-35 and the 15mm fisheye but not with the 14mm f2.8 II (the original 1Ds had better auto focus).

It is heavy. A pack with the camera and a complete set of lenses can weigh 30 pounds. This camera is not made for walking around town.

The comparable 5D II is 1/3 the cost and uses the same lenses. (The comparable Nikon costs $2,000 more, the comparable Sony is about the same cost as the 5D II but offers fewer lenses).

The weakest Canon lenses are the wide zooms. They are very clear in the center but soft in the corners.

It lacks an articulating screen, which is useful for shooting the best candid shots of people.

But these are minor quibbles. If you want the best general purpose camera, the clear choice is this, the 5D II or a comparable DSLR.

Ok, the price of this thing is absolutely ridiculous.

Yes, Canon was now nice enough, only a little over a year later, to release a lower level product with equal Megapixels (the forthcoming 5D mark II), and do serious damage to my asset value (this camera). Thanks.

My previous high end camera is the Canon 5D.

It is clear to me that, other than the improved sensor, which gives the latest chip (DIGIC IV), higher Megapixels (21.1) and higher ISO (6400 natively), a very slight speed improvement (3.9 fps) and a bigger, nicer screen on the back (3", 1 million dots), it's pretty much the same camera as the 5D. Thanks to the Megapixel war, Nikon & Sony have turned up the heat on Canon a bit, so they went higher in those specs than they probably would've otherwise. This is great for the consumer, if those are the only specs you're looking at. And hopefully it will eventually obliterate Canon's ability to put pricetags like the one on this camera on anything (see my first sentence).

Of course, I did BUY this camera, nevertheless. Because I could afford to do that. If you can't, then look at what you can, because a lot of insane specs sit at much lower price points.

With that out of the way, let's just view it from the perspective of a mid-range user that might want to move up - someone with a 5D or a 10-50D, who might be trying to decide what else he will get from this camera versus just going for a 5D mark II instead, because either is a very valid option:

- 45 point AutoFocus. What's so great about this? Let's say you've seen it, and you realize it's a bunch of little points congested in the center instead of the 9 on the 5D mark II and their 6 "assist" points. That's just a lot of marketing - 45 is a much bigger number and makes it look much better, right? No, not really. It really IS that much better. I do a lot of bikini/fashion/glamour photography, and therefore I shoot a lot of shots that are of one very, curvy female (ok, yea, I know, I know - it's tough. But SOMEONE has got to do it, and I'm taking the bullet for you guys on this one, OK? LOL). Anyway, as you might realize, a very or at least somewhat shallow depth of field is frequently, in fact is most often, desirable for these types of shots. Curves create a complicated task, and the truth is, the Automatic choice of focal points on the 5D gave spotty results without VERY strict attention to focusing. Consequently, I gave up on it, and set my focus to the Center point and used focus/recompose. This works great most of the time. If the Depth of Field gets TOO shallow, you have to be VERY precise when using this method, which gets very tiring, on both your concentration and your hands/body. However, with the 1Ds Mark III, the advanced AF can be set to automatically detect, and it gives excellent results, with a very low mistake ratio. In observing the points it chooses while I'm shooting, it appears to me that it is very good at recognizing contours, and subtle depth differences, and this is where it achieves it's greatest advantage.

- Focal performance with high end lenses. L lenses perform better with any Canon camera. Even moreso with this. FAST lenses, in this case f/2.8 or faster, perform especially well with this camera. This still ties into the focusing system, yes, but it is worth noting that the better lenses take yet another performance leap on this body. This is no accident, rather by design. I say you lose part of the reason (not all of it, make no mistake) for having the L glass if you don't have a high end body.

- Dual Memory Cards. Yea, it could just as well be two CF cards instead of a CF and an SD, but whatever. I buy a lot of memory cards anyway. And this is more a convenience than anything. It's nice to be able to write large JPEGS to one and RAW to the other. And if you are shooting with someone who needs the photos immediately and HAS an SD card, this could be a huge plus. It, of course, accepts SDHC also.

- Greater flexibility in writing JPEG files. If you shoot mostly or only RAW, this might not matter. But, the fact is, while the 5D and the 10D-50D models allow to write two different quality levels at each JPEG size, this camera has a separate "quality" level that ranges from 1-10, much like Photoshop's 1-12 range. When you look at Canon's site and see the estimate for JPEG's of 6-8MB (it was something like that), it was only an average estimate. They've since removed it (probably because the amount of possibilities are too great to post). I have set mine at the maximum quality of "10." My JPEG's are generally between 10MB-13MB in size. One note, however, as I attempted to photographer a fast moving stage event, and was taken back that I had problems with lag in shooting quickly, as it is advertised at 5fps. I believe you would need to step down to a 7 or 8 quality, whatever their test for "average" is, to achieve these speeds alo

I have been a professional photographer since 1983 using Canon cameras (AE1, T90, EOS 1 and a Mamiya RZ 67. I Beta tested the Canon AF system with the 620 back in 1987 and on my recommendation changed the picture desk at the newspaper I was working form Nikon to Canon.

Since then I have professionally used a EOS 620, 650, D30, (not 30D) 1D, 1DMk2 and my latest, the £6,000 1D Mk3.

It's simply not up to scratch with the focus.

It has front focussed out of the box, and although I know there is a compensation that can be dialled in, why can't a £6K camera perform like it's previous incarnations?

The focus is random on my camera to say the least, I have lots of shots out of focus that I didn't have with previous cameras.

I have also had the Err 99 appear and it has locked up on me with a 35 -350 L lens on a couple of jobs which has lost me shots. I have booked the body in for a examination following a recall from Canon, (I thought it was just me) so hopefully that will sort out the problems.

Rant on: Canon have been targeting pro-am photographers with their 10D 20D, 30D, 40D 5D and now the 5D MK2 (with no Autofocus on video) who are going out making money with good quality cameras, but they don't have the £6K capital investment to recoup. Hence lower assignment prices (or hopefully for the toggie, bigger profit margins) which makes it tougher for the pro forking out for the pro bodies to get an equivalent ROI (Return On Investment).

I also use Mac computers, who have a similar "we're the best, so we can charge more than the rest" Well, I have had issues with my new MacBook Pro case bending (heat?) and a new Mac Pro straight from Apple with a bent grill, which they are refusing to change as I left it too long to open the box. Rant off.

Update March 2013:
Still soldiering on with a +3 autofocus correction dialled into custom functions and the results are random. I always focus on the eyes with people and can take a series of shots and have a few with the focus on the wrong spot. My old 1D Mk2 is still spot on focus-wise. I see Amazon have decided not to sell the 1DX - wonder if there is any connection with my review of my poorly performing 1D Mk 3s?

Update December 2013:
I still use the 1Ds Mk3 and was photographing a wedding on the 23rd December and I was in the bride's hotel room photographing her - after 44 frames I pressed the shutter button and nothing happened - like the battery had died - although the display was still on - battery was of course charged up!

I tried switching off then on again, which sometimes clears a fault like this, but no joy - display on but controls not working.

I then tried battery out - wait 10 seconds and then back in - no joy, this time the display was blank like a flat battery. I had to finish the wedding with my trusty backup 1D Mk2

When I got back home I tried the Mk3 and it worked for a few frames, then on swapping the memory card it locked up again.

So back to Canon and I will sell it when it is fixed. FWIW I had almost every shot in focus with the Mk 2, something the Mk 3 would not have come close to!

Google me: Spike Photography if you want to ask me about EOS 1D MK3 OR MacBook Pro I am happy to talk or email you.
Cheers
Spike

This is a hand-on impression and not a detailed review.
I used the EOS 1D and the EOS 1d Mark IIN before. In addition, I also own a EOS 30D and a EOS 50D.
The first good surprise is that this camera is NOT as heavy as you would expect from this bulky size.
This is probably, at least in part, due to the fact that the battery is now smaller.
Talking of the battery, it's a new generation battery and charger. The battery is smaller than the 1D predecessors, but said to last longer.
By the way, if you put two batteries in the charger, it will charge one after the other and not both simultaneously. Just that you know. I did not like that.
When I took the first few pictures, it still 'sounds' like a powerful camera that attracts everybody's attention with it's loud clicks. I wish Canon tries harder to make this quieter. However, in addition to the modes One Shot, and Multiple Shots, etc, they provided a mode s (silent, or slow?) that seems to delay a bit the colsure of the shutter in an attempt to reduce this mechanical noise. I tried life view without reading the manual. It's tricky to get to it and to get out of it. Autofocus won't work in life view, at least the usual auto focus by half pressing the shutter button.
The buttons and control knobs at the back follow the 50D strategy, which is a good idea. you no longer need to keep pressing on a button and dial to where you want to go. Just press once and dial.
Of course, you do not have the mode dial knob at the top left like the 50D. The EOS 1D Mark III is a professional grade camera. Therefore, no automatic modes for portraits, landscape, etc. You have to know what you are doing. But of course, semi automatic if also offered, like AV, where you decide the aperture, or TV where you decide the shutter speed.
One interesting feeling is that the litle buttons are now stronger. Previous 1D cameras used to have these buttons softer to press. It is still comfortable to use them but I would expect a longer life, because I feel the buttons more resistant but responsive enough and comfortable to use.
What about the ten pictures per second? Yes, indeed, although I did not physically count the number of pcitures per second, but I could easily feel it is higher than the 8,5 rate I had with my old EOS 1D and 1D Mark IIN.

ATTENTION!!! The EOS 1D Mark III does not accept the EF-S lenses. It's a shame, because I would have liked to have the EF-S 18-200mm with this camera.

Last, but not least, I took a few pictures at ISO 3200 in the room of objects of different colors and shades, with conventional light and was amazed how noiseless they are.
As I said, this is not an extensive review but just first impressions. Hope that helps. I'll write a more detailed review some later time.

I've shot with Canon cameras for twenty years. Every time I'm in the mood to do a major upgrade I always go to a camera dealer and take a look at the competition and each time I've done this I've always stayed with Canon.

This camera is built like a brick. Canon tells us they dropped some weight from the previous model, but it is still quite hefty. Yet, it fells balanced and solid in your hands. They've also simplified the controls and menu system and compared to the Nikon system I tested the Mark III is much easier to use. Since I am a landscape photographer and often out before the sun is up I appreciate how easy it is to make a change on the Canon in poor lighting. With all the knobs and dials the Nikon is a nightmare to use.

The meter is excellent as is the image quality. The camera only has 10 megapixels, but the mp's are large and pick up great image quality while holding down the noise. Autofocus is also excellent. They had problems with the first cameras, but later models (mine is a blue dot) don't have the problem. The autofocus locks on moving objects quickly and maintains as the object changes course while you are firing off 10 frames per second. Any time I've had an out of focused shot it's been due to my error. This camera is a pro body and autofocus must be fine tuned - in other words it doesn't give you one size fits all focusing. Take time to read the manual and some of the papers Canon publishes on their website and learn how to set up the autofocusing for different situations and you won't have any problems.

The Mark IV is out now with more megapixels and a totally new autofocusing system, but according to some of the reviews, such as Pop Photo, its autofocus is not as fast as the Mark III's. With the new model out the Mark III is now a bargain.

Go to pbase dot com and in the gallery section select cameras and then Mark III and take a look at the quality of the photos this camera produces. I think you'll be impressed.

This is my second 1D Mark III. The first one I received from Amazon, although beyond the registration number from Canon that had problems, it didn't perform well. Out of 1236 test wildlife photos, only about 30 were in focus. I'm no way in the rank and file of a professional photographer, but those percentages were terribly low. I called Canon's technical support, and they very courteous. But I felt cheated that after spending nearly $4000, the camera had issues. Canon recommended that I return it for servicing, while my husband suggested that I return it. Amazon's customer service was top-knotch. Readily and with no questions asked, Amazon issued a full return and within days a new camera was in my hands. I took this one out for more testing and it seems to being fine. Wildlife photography is my passion, so I need a camera that will respond. I've shot with Canon's 30D and NEVER had the focusing problems that I had with this camera. I'm going on safari in a couple of months and having gear that doesn't work - and at this price - is unacceptable.

I shoot with a 100mm-400mm lens, and carrying it around can be somewhat tiring, so I'm using a Manfrotto monopod that I bought two years ago. That makes a big difference. I'm sure with a smaller lens, the weight wouldn't be a factor. I've used the 100mm-400mm on the 30D for two years without feeling weighted down. Granted the camera is much lighter than the previous model, but just something to keep in mind if you're walking around all day.

The battery life is incredible. For the previous camera, I charged the battery when I received it, and never charged it again. As I stated, I shot the 1200+ photos, replayed and enlarged everything on the LCD. When it was returned, it still had about 63% battery life left. So well done to Canon for the life of this battery. Which, by the way, is 1/2 the size and weight of the 1D Mark IIN.

The burst mode is great. When I shoot in full burst, it looks like a movie is playing. The shutter speed is that fast.

I'll do more test shots but this one seems to be OK. If you're wondering, the serial number for the camera I returned, it was in the 56000 range. This one just above 59000. Maybe Canon figured it out by now.

All in all, I enjoy all my Canon products and the results (except for the first 1D Mark III I mentioned here).

I lowered the rating by 1-star because of the focusing problems I had with the first camera. For this price, I think Canon should have mastered the problems. A nearly $4000 camera should work...in my humble opinion.

SYNOPSIS
I have had this camera for two months and LOVE it! The build quality, colour "truth", speed between frames, and ability to set custom features is remarkable. I am disappointed with the AI Servo reliability but relieved to see that there is a hardware fix.

WHAT I HAD
Previously I had a Digital Rebel (300D - I know, I know, it's an older camera fraught with slowness and poor colour reliability but I had great lenses and the Rebel served me well) and had used a variety of other digital SLR's. The Rebel served me well for 3 years, but it was time to move on. I shoot 30,000 pictures per year and new that I was going to get a lot of use of the next camera... Along with the Rebel, I had the 18-55mm f3.5/5.6 (awful - never sharp), the 70-300mm f3.5/5.6 (works okay at f8), the 70-200mm f2.8 IS (unbelievable), the 2x converter (good but too little light for the Rebel), the 24-70mm f2.8 (unbelievable), the 50mm 1.8 (I know it's controversial, but I love this lens - I have tried the f1.4 but I am happy enough with the f1.8), the 17-40mm f4 (lost with 1.6 ratio of the Rebel but decent with the 1.3 of the EOS 1D), the 580EXII Speddlight flash, an E1 handstrap (must with the EOS 1D), and Canon 200 Knapsack.

HOW I SHOOT
I pretty much only use manual, and sometimes default to Av. I am a control freak in this way and don't like relinquishing this control. Focus is always centre-point.

WHY THE EOS 1D MKIII
I migrated to the EOS1D because most of my pictures were waterskiing and wakeboarding and wanted an ultra-fast, weather-proofed camera that could perform well in low light conditions. The best conditions for wakeboarding are typically at dawn or dusk, and the best pictures are usually when the subject is doing manoeuvres upside down over the water. The ability to have 10 fps, useable ISO 3200 shots, and not have to worry about water splashes was pretty attractive. Of course, this was only one set of reasons for this purchase. I also have a five year old who refuses to sit still for pictures and smiles are only fleeting! Even the 10 fps can sometimes not be fast enough for my little one! My wife's fleeting smiles are another matter!

WHAT I LOVE
1. SPEED
The speed (both in terms of frame rate and ISO) is phenomenal. I am now able to capture pictures that simply would have been missed with other cameras. Whether it be someone hanging upside down over the wake in the middle of an invert, or a three month old smiling, I have the ability to quickly capture a series of photos and choose the best of the best. Additionally, I have found that as the sun sets and I set the ISO to 1600 and 3200 I have some useful (and semi-useful, respectively) pictures with good colour saturation and minimal noise. The 1600 is similar to the noise level that I had as 400 with the Rebel. I am a small f freak, but the ISO capability is enough to have me think that I could live with some higher f lenses!

2. COLOURS
I have been shooting with friends with other cameras, XTi, XT, E-volt 500, D70 and the colour retention is unbelievable with the EOS 1D. Simple pictures are made to be spectacular without any editing.

3. BUILD QUALITY
This camera has presence both in terms of weight and size, but everything feels and sounds of quality. It gives me a heightened sense that every picture is important. Of course this has the negative, especially when attached to a larger lens, of making yourself conspicuous, and I often hear people making comments like "Check out that camera"/"You give me camera envy"/"Do you work for National Geographic?". Not the best comments when you are seeking natural pictures. The camera balances well with the larger L lenses, but looks crazy next to the smaller cheaper lenses (eg. 50mm 1.8).

4. CONTROLS
The EOS 1D, like many professional camera allows a lot (as in a LOT) of flexibility regarding dial controls, settings, etc.. This is an individual thing, but I like the overrides on when to focus/shoot, and setting the dial settings so they are intuitive to me. The heads-up display in the camera together with the accessibility of knobs and triggers are such that I am able to do FAST on-the-fly adjustments.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER
1. FOCUS
I have had no issues with the standard focus (other than with dark-coloured objects in VERY low light), but the AI servo is awful. Be it photos of oncoming roller-coasters on a sunny hot day, or a child on a swing in sunny and cool weather, the servo almost seems to be worse that standard focus. This issue with the EOS 1D is well documented on many websites (see Rob Galbraith) and, as of October 17, 2007, help is one the way. There is a hardware fix.

2. JPEG CONVERSION
The ability of this camera (and most other cameras) to reliably downsize from RAW to JPEG is questionable. I was hoping that this camera would create

The camera arrived quickly and in the product box with all the accessories. It works great and looks brand new

Camera arrived when promised and in the condition stated, if not better. Looked brand new. I used it on two photo shoots so far and have had no issues with it. All the issues attributed to this camera had been repaired by Canon and it seems to be working perfectly for me.

Purchased the Mark III in September 2007. Over one year later this camera still continues to amaze me! The controls are laid out perfectly and the camera feels like it's just the right size in my hands.

Others have complained about the price, but believe me, you get what you pay for!! I purchased this camera to take professional portraits, weddings special events. This camera was an upgrade from the Canon 20d and 30d cameras I previously owned.

Some of my favorite features are the auto - ISO feature. This mode allows you to set the camera in shutter or aperture priority, and if the camera cannot compensate for the exposure, it automatically increases the ISO. Great feature that allows the photographer more creative control of the picture while getting that perfect shot every time.

Another nice feature is the live view shooting. This mode allows you to take long pictures, or pictures in awkward angles without requirig you to look into the viewfinder. You still have to manually focus.

Another feature I like is the ability for the camera to record on multiple media targets. You can set the camera up to record raw on one card and jpeg on another. Or, you can set the camera up to jump to the other card when one is full. This is very convenient for me since I shoot in RAW.

Another feature is the limits, configuration, and file handling settings. You can set the minimum and maximum ISO, shutter, aperture settings, fast shutter speed, slow shutter speed, and the camera will compensate within your set parameters and deliver results.

One last feature worth noting is the microadjustment. This camera allows you to micro adjust for each of your lenses. This is especially useful if you have a front focusing lens that appears to be just a little off. You can adjust the camera so when you attach that lens, the camera automatically adjusts for that particular lens.

Sure, this camera costs a few dollars more, but the payback in the pictures is nothing short of amazing.. This is a TRUE professional camera and as such requires the photographer to have a significant knowledge of photography.

The battery life is phenomenal! Not only does the camera provide you with a battery meter, it has a menu setting that actually tells you what percentage of battery life you have left and the number of shutter actuations since the last charge. I routinely manage over 2000 (and once over 3000) actuations on a single charge. This is something that NO other digital camera can do! Significant upgrade over the 1dMarkII series cameras where the battery was larger, heavier, and lasted for at most 700 actuations. I thought of purchasing a backup battery, but haven't brought myself to do so because of the longevity of this battery.

This camera has been a very important compliment to my existing L series lenses.

Overall, I would recommend this camera for the professional photographer that is SERIOUS about the business of photography and needs proven professional equipment to deliver results to the customer. I have been considering purchasing a second Mark III as a backup to the one I own. My 5d is currently my backup camera (great, but not at the same level as the EOS-1 series).

You can check out some of my pictures at [...]

I have been using this camera for about a year now. It has been sent back to Canon twice for the " Fixes ". The Camera takes really awesome pictures but only in single shot and on occasion moving subjects. The problem is that you never know what the camera is going to focus on. I have tried many many settings and followed all of Canons suggestions for the AI servo and my keeper rate is very low. It just cannot seem to keep focus when following sports figures - namely football. It seems to focus in front of or jump behind at any given moment - I only use the center focus point to try to alleviate some of this. The AI servo in my opinion is broken for most of what I use it for and that is why I purchased the camera - I could have spent much less money or just kept my 40d which worked better for moving subjects, at least what I take pics of. My still pics are beautiful - but why do I need a 10 fps camera that only gets half of them in focus. I am not entirely satisfied with the camera due to this and wish I purchased something else. The AI servo settings are overly complex and are not intuitive at all - even Canon had to send out supplements to explain how they are supposed to work - the big word is " supposed ". If yours works fine - great - mine doesn't, Canon does not have a fix for my problem yet. Canon pay attention - I am waiting along with others who have pretty much given up that you will get it fixed.

Update: 11/08/09

Just got the camera back after the 3rd time in for repair. Had to be persisitent to get Canon to take it back again. This time they replaced the mirror box and washers and repaired the rubber that was coming off of the back ( no charge ) - not sure why this wasnt done earlier ! Camera now works great.

I purchased a 7d as a backup and now I see just what I have in the 1D, the 1D takes better pictures than the 7d period, pics are sharper and cleaner. Also the 2 memory card slots are a god send. I tend to tilt the 7D when taking some of my sports shots - dont do it with the 1D, I guess because of the size. But what I like the most is the file size, 18mp file sizes are just too big for me to work with. My computer is much slower to respond while working with these files - also my memory cards are now too small I have to buy new ones, the 10mp size is great and the pics are great. I am sending my 7D back. I love some of the features of the 7D but it doesnt compare to the 1D for pics or convenience of file size.

I've had this camera for several weeks now and have been consistently been amazed by its capabilities. The image quality is extraordinary. I've been using it with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens and have yet to be disappointed. The Mark III is complex enough that it prompted me to read the instruction manual, as well as another book ("Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS-1D Mark III EOS-1Ds Mark III"), from cover to cover - something I've never done before. The good news is that the Mark III is so coherent and well designed that it only takes reading the manual once to sort out how to make the most of all of its functions. Overall, this is an extraordinary camera.

I love this camera. It is heavy duty and heavy but rugged, dependable, and takes great pictures. I shoot action sports and in particular HS football, it is awesome and I love it. So will you!

I have owned the Mark III for a little over a year. Not long after receiving it, it quit. I sent it in for a "mirror magnet" problem. After I got it back I would get an Err99 almost daily. I documented it with Canon. It would happen most often when I turned it on for the first time. After several conversations with Canon, I sent it in and they replaced the mirror box. It has not had an Err 99 since then.

The camera was purchased as a "Blue Dot", meaning it had been fixed for the original focus issues some people were reporting. Since the second repair it has functioned flawlessly and now focuses to meet anyone's reasonable expectations. I get 80% to 90% in-focus. In most of the out of focus photos there was a legitimate reason. I can see this when I check my photos in Canon's Zoom Browser. I can see where the camera was focused at the time of shutter release. It is easy to miss a shot on a fast moving object by missing the subject or hitting a different part of the subject. Often times it would be the focus changing from head to hip (on a running dog), not the camera's fault but mine.

There are many settings on this camera to fine tune it to your way of shooting and the shooting situation. I have gotten some awesome action shots from this camera and am very pleased with it.

Canon clearly brought this camera to market too soon. It was not tested properly or either production standards were not watched. I would bet that the parts they were producing were not meeting the standards of their research and development, plus the conditions that caused a problem may not have been reproduced in test. This clearly threw Canon for a loop and they did a poor job managing public relations. I am surprised there has not been a class action lawsuit since so many pros use this camera. Some have toughed it out; those who had a lot of money went to Nikon, which is currently hitting it with some good cameras, something Canon normally is known for.

If you are buying a Mark III now, you are more than likely going to be blown-away by such a great camera that focuses and gives you shots you never imagined. I love shooting it and learning to fine-tune it for particular shooting circumstance.

Working as it works now, I would purchase it again.

Paired with the 24-70mm f2.4 L this is perfect for portraits. I can't imagine the picture quality with the 80mm L lens but, it must be extremely amazing.

In the last 3 years I have gone from 2 different point and shot cameras to the Canon 30D to the Canon Mark III. With each camera, I was telling myself - this should do it for some time. I read and learned as much as I could with each camera. When I got the 30D I was on cloud 9 - this was great - it would be nice to shoot faster though. When I heard about the Mark III coming out, I knew that was hopefully the last stepping stone I would require for sometime.

This thing rocked - couldn't believe how fast it could shot. I was surprised at how many shots were out of focus though (birding). I didn't experience anything like this on the 30D. I read about the AI focus problems and thought - well this is what is happening to me. For the next 5 months Canon stone walled me on a weekly basis. Promised firmware fixes, this fix that fix, reps telling me off.

I wrote a letter to Yoroku Adachi (President of Canon U.S.A.) and got a call back from one of his people. Very apologetic but same old please be patient and apologies galore - but still we won't replace it with a functioning camera - it is a minor issue (again I was told that by numerous reps) - I say it is only minor if you don't use those features.

5 ½ months later it got fixed. I missed the birding season but there is next year (I was told that by a rep too!). It looks like the problem is fixed and looking forward to spring migration. If someone is reading this and hasn't purchased any camera gear yet, buy Nikon. I have too much invested in Canon gear to switch.

I would probably give the camera 4.5-5 stars now. Canon Support would get a 0.

Updated: May 29th, 2008

With the latest firmware updates and hardware fix, I would give this Camera an easy 5 stars. I have shot plays indoors at ISO 1600 (no flash) and can't believe how sharp shots come out.

My issue is still with Canon Tech (lack of) Support. I called yesterday about the WFT-E2A and got the usual run-a-round about the product. If you don't think you will ever need Canon Tech (lack of) Support, go Canon.

Updated October 11th, 2009
Well, I finally sent my camera in because I have been getting Error 99's since February - It is nice that it is working agaiin but I have no idea what to say about this camera - when it works it is great but I have had it for about 26 months and out of that time it had either the auto focus problem out of the box and error 99 problems. I would say I have had to deal with the camera being defective for about half of the time I have had it. Canon Support had me do all this useless stuff which of course involved me spending money on memory cards, calibrating the battery, using the AC adapter, various lenses, and cleaning contacts.

I was able to limp along with the camera for about 8 months because I came up with my own 'solution' of pulling the memory cards out, removing the lens, using the ac adapter (instead of the battery), and plugging in the TC803 and just setting that to shoot away until the error 99's stopped. I would than leave the camera on it on and changed the tc803 to take a picture every 3 minutes so it wouldn't go off into error 99 land again.

If I were a pro I would have dumped all my canon gear because this thing has been so unreliable. I have resisted purchasing any other canon bodies because of all the headaches I have had with this thing. Canon Support was friendly but wasted a ton of my time and some more of my $$$. It would be nice to get some sort of gift card from Canon or a lens at cost for all my mental anguish.

The first two weekends with this camera (I'm on my 5th weekend now) yielded garbage photos and I needed help from the 1D3 forum people at DPReview. Look up "1D3 can't focus on a bug's nose" for the discussion. I was shooting bugs and couldn't get clear sharp pictures. My other camera is a 5D which shot great closeups of bugs with my EF 300 F/2.8 and EF 500 F/4 (but with a very high focus failure rate). It was finally decided that I needed to locate the custom function to turn off the assist points on the center focus sensor. That made all the difference.

Also, even before that, just plain old normal pictures produced truly awful jpegs. When I reset jpeg compression to level 10 (instead of 8) that improved picture quality a great deal.

Finally, I suspected level 4 sharpening (Landscape picture style) was not very sharp, so I shot a church bell tower from about 650 yards away using my 500mm and my 5D and this 1D3. Results: the 5D landscape style (factory settings) out-shot the 1D3 landscape style (factory settings), but my custom settings of 5 for sharpening, +1 for contrast, beat the 5D and yielded an incredible picture with detail that the 5D had only hinted at, and the 1D3 Landscape setting didn't reveal at all. Amazing what a difference a small adjustment can make.

Now it is a fabulous camera and takes fabulous jpegs. Focus is very fast, much faster than the 5D, and much more accurate. Which is all I was hoping for. I now have a much higher percentage of well focused, beautifully detailed images that don't need any raw processing to make them look good (and I now delete plenty of pictures for composition reasons alone).

If you shoot jpegs and hate messing with raw files, and you have a 5D or other high end camera that takes great shots, better do a comparison and set up the 1D3 accordingly. Then you'll have a very remarkable camera in the 1D3.

A final note, if you want sharp pictures of bugs that don't stay put, or birds in flight, I recommend using the f/2.8 lenses over the f/4 because the auto focus sensors need it (I shoot most of my pictures in bright sunlight at f/7.1, but it's the auto focus that needs the extra light from an f/2.8 lens, not the depth of field that needs a big aperture).

I haven't tried live view (I'm always outside and really don't care about live view anyway).

I bought this used from someone who was saving up for the Mark IV. Got it in, and sent it off to Canon to get it serviced etc, Canon support got the machine back w/in 4 days and this was during the Christmas time period. Upgraded w/ Firmware not yet released, and replaced shutter mechanism. I do not have the focus issues others had expressed.

this camera is a computer in your hand as far as all the custom functions, you definately need to pick up a magic lantern or some other guide for this body. It's definately not for the faint at heart or people afraid to play with the menus on the back of the camera.. I've been shooting a ton of H.S basketball w/ this thing this winter, it has been a LOT of fun!..

Compare the 1D vs the 1Ds focus point layouts and you'll see that the perimeter points of the full frame 1Ds aren't far enough from the center to be of much use.

1D Mark 4
[...]

1Ds Mark 3
[...]

The full frame 5D models have the same flaw. Track moving subjects using a perimeter focus point, and you'll still have to throw away many pixels later cropping to a pleasing 2/3 composition.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

I am an advanced amateur and was using the 5D Mark I for the past 2.5 years. I loved the images but hated the focusing. In any kind of shot that involved focusing on a subject moving at walking speed, (or less) the 5D would fail to snap into focus. The second shot would never be in focus. In lower light situations (typical interior lighting, not candles), the 5D was even worse. Sometimes the focusing would force the lens to go to maximum close/distance as the 5D hunted for focus - even when the lens was basically in focus to start - this was guaranteed to miss the shot.

The 1Ds, on the other hand, is great at focusing. Super fast, subjects snap into focus quickly, and focusing continues onto 2nd shots and more. And it will focus on lenses that are 5.6 and above - something the 5D did not do (try a telephoto with a filter or extender). From what I can read, the new 5D Mark II has basically the same focusing system so it is not improved in this area.

What kind of shots am I talking about? Shots of people,kids, basketball, soccer, bands, parades, candids on the street, street life, travel, animals in the wild or at home - I would include most everything except still life/landscape photos. Generally any shot you would not be making with a tripod is a situation where the 1Ds' focusing is vastly superior to the 5D.

High resolution is great. But out of focus shots are not keepers.

Finally, the 1Ds Mark III is much more solid than the 5D - everything from the controls to the shutter sound. I love this camera. My only wish is that it were the same size as the 5D since most shoulde camera bags don't account for its height. I don't mind the weight since the the weight of the lenses I am carrying is much heavier than the camera.

Well if you are looking at this fine piece of Photographic equipment odds are you have been to the Canon website and read the specs. I will touch on a few of the items I have noticed since I purchased mine and have been using it.

1st. The feel, just like the 1D M3, this beast is solid. Not too heavy, but solid in the hand. And here in Alaska, I do put the weather sealing to a test, and just like my trusty 1D M3, the 1Ds passes with flying colors.

2nd. Yes its 21.1 MP, but that should not be your main consideration to buy it. Yah 18x12 @ 300Dpi out of the Camera is nice, but nost people dont print over 16x20, and I have sold a lot of prints from my old 20D at that size or even upto 20x30, as long as you shoot it right in the first place. But this is also a drawback as well. Because of the large file size, esp in Raw, and most, if not all, buyers of this body will/should be shooting in raw, be aware that you will need larger CF cards for it. At least 8gig, I use 12Gig for mine, extreme 3's and they work great! Also be aware if you use the internal high iso noise processing, it slows down the buffering a lot!!!

3rd. Full Frame, just like the earlier 1Ds models its a ful frame sensor. That means 2 things, not only does a 17mm or 14mm lens again be a true wide angle lens, but also with the larger sensor the pixels are more refined and this gives better color and less grain.

4th. The colors of the images in the files. WOW Again the 14bit processors are great!!! Esp for raw, where you can import it in as 16bit for the finer details. One draw back is if you use Photoshop, you will need CS3 to do the raw Conversions, unless you use the Canon program.

5th. You are approaching the image quality of a Dig MF camera, with the portability of a Dslr! Not to mention you can use all the Canon EF lenses, and this camera really should only be used with L series lenses when possible, except for the fisheye as its not made in an L series but the quality is very good anyways. As the Quality of the optics is what affects the quality of the image the most, other than settings in the camera, ie shutterspeed and AV, ISO, etc...

6th. Wonderful Accesories for the camera. I love my wft-e2a. I use it on my 1D M3 a lot and it works great on the 1ds as well. Its a great way to control your camera remotely or to send your files to a remote computer for processing and such while you are still shooting.

This Camera is great. I have used the new nikon d3, and its a much improved camera over the past models, but it does not compare to the top of the line Canon!!!! This camera will not let you down. The noise if shot right is not even noticed until iso 1600 and then you still got to look. ISO 3200 is still great (about the same noise/grain my buddy had on his d200 at iso 400!!!!!)! If you are a Pro and need a camera that can perform the best and give wonderful results, this is it. It kicks butt compared to anything else in the DSLR market!!!

I was lucky to get my 1ds III from Amazon in December, and have pressed the shutter about 5,000 times. (I'm a hobbyist, albeit an insane one.)

Like many others, I abandoned the Nikon camp when there was no sensible upgrade to the D100 at the time the 20D was launched. With the D300 and D3, Nikon now has gotten a lot better, and depending on your needs, one company may be better than the other. In particular, the 1ds III is better at studio photography and perhaps tonal range than the D3. The D3 is much better at low light photography, and is better for sports photography (especially sports photography that doesn't demand the highest resolution).

But, if you're already invested in one manufacturer's lenses, don't switch. Both Canon and Nikon will continue to leapfrog each other for the foreseeable future, and ain't life grand because of it!

Now to specifics:

1. As impressed as I am with the resolution of the 1ds III, I'm even more impressed with the dynamic range. You should absolutely only shoot RAW -- never JPEG! And make sure your workflow is 16 bit Prophoto; I use Lightroom and Photoshop CS3.

2. Spending $8K on a body and using cheap lenses is silly. I use the 16-35 II zoom, the 24-70/2.8, the 135/2.8, and the 100-400. I also enjoy the 50/1.4 and the 24/2.8 Tilt/Shift lenses.

3. Buy a decent tripod and perhaps monopod. Gitzo carbon is my favorite, but they're a bit pricey...

4. Buy a UDMA compact flash card. I got the Crucial 8Gb Lexar Media Professional Udma 300X Compactflash Cf8Gb-300-380, and then the Sandisk 8GB EXTREME III SDHC SD Card Class 6 (SDSDX3-8192, Plastic Case) for the SD slot. For me, the SD card is for overflow. You should also get a CF UDMA reader.

Suggestion for Canon: I'd really like a mode where pictures are striped across the two cards (shot one to CF, shot two to SD, shot three to CF, ...). This would give a strong measure of protection against one card failure (you'd still have half your shots) without sacrificing space. I bracket a LOT, and a typical day of travel photography will fill both cards!

5. The leads to the next point: buy an extra hard disk to take on the road. I use a 320GB 2.5" USB drive. I download shots to my notebook, do a little editing in Lightroom (tossing the undeniably bad shots), then back up the day's work to the external hard disk.

And I'll echo what another reviewer said. If you take a lot of pictures, think of this camera as a three year investment. If you take care of it, you'll get a good resale value -- and instead of an $8K sunk cost, you can think of it as a ~$1500/yr "camera tax." ($8000 - ~$3500 resale - 3*$1500.) Cheap, huh!

Finally, I get a lot of enjoyment out of my 1ds III. It is one of my truly prized possessions, and has greatly improved the quality of my photographs. I bet it does the same for you.

I finally broke down and bought this camera from Calumet,although I almost got it from Amazon. i have been shooting football with this and after years of using the XXD cameras, 60, 10, 20 and 40, this is a see change for me. I'm still learning about the features, but coupled with my 300 f/4. IS, my photos look a lot better than with the 20D or 40D, and I have a lot more keepers too. I recommend to anyone buying this camera to get at least 8GB cards, also get an extra battery. I used the Mark 3 in a rain storm with no problems. I have not used the 40D for sports since I've had the Mark 3. I will be looking forward to buying a second one next year.