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by Floridaboy on Sun Sep 09, 2012 7:11 am
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Hello.
I am in need of advice on which full frame camera to buy. My current line up is the Canon Marl IV & 7D + 300 2.8 & 500mm. I live in South Florida and mainly shoot the local birds but I want a FF camera to try some local landscape as well as the birds.

What are the real pro's & con's on the 5D3 & the 1DX besides the FPS?
How much of a factor is the the difference of 18MP vs 22MP?

Please, any insight, thoughts or advice from current user's will help me immensely.

PS: The only time I may ever get to say this, for this camera price is not the issue, but I still don't want to spend
the extra if the 5D3 is "good" enough.
 

by Dan Wolin on Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:39 am
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While I don't own either, I just spent a week with my friend's 5DMk3 and shot a variety of things including low light gymnastics. He just bought a 1DX. His take is that the 1DX focus system seems slightly better (from what I have read it is a little different) however he found them both very good. He shoots a lot of weddings and also said the 1DX focused better in low light than the 5D - more responsive. I can say that the 5D did very well in low light focusing at the gym - it did not miss much at all. I was impressed (also impressed with high iso images and how clean they were).

In regards to the extra pixels - for me personally (I shoot with a 1DmIV) I don't know if I would see much difference with my bird images since I usually do not print them bigger than 11x14. I am sure EJ or others can comment on that more appropriately than I can.
Fred Miranda's review of the 1DX is a pretty good read if you have not seen that.

The 5D is very nice and I am sure it would do very well with birding - the frame rate is noticeable for sure and I missed some shots (position wise) in the gym that my 1D would have nailed. But I certainly can see myself getting one. If money was not an issue I might go for the 1D.
Dan Wolin
Marshall, MI
 

by Greg Downing on Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:10 am
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The 1DX is twice the camera that the 5D3 is and it shows in the price. ;) It is faster, more responsive, more rugged, has a better battery, better build, better weather sealing, more responsive AF and the list goes on and on. Everything about the 1DX is better than the 5D3. If money is no object it is the clear winner.
Greg Downing
Publisher, NatureScapes.Net
[url=http://www.gdphotography.com/]Visit my website for images, workshops and newsletters![/url]
 

by WJaekel on Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:47 pm
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+1 what Greg said, see my posting in the other thread

http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB3/view ... 0#p2138204

The difference in resolution between the 5d3 and 1Dx is not that much a problem. IMO, it depends on what you're shooting primarily. Money aside, I would go for the 1Dx if you're shooting BIF for the most part. If capturing lansdcape is your main focus with occasionally capturing birds, I would prefer the 5d3 the more as you have the Mark IV which gives you "additional reach" if needed.

Wolfgang
 

by neverspook on Sun Sep 09, 2012 3:45 pm
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Yes, this is a question I have been wrestling with also. Wish both had AF at f8 and crop factor. And the 1DX is a very heavy, large camera. But having spent a few days with a rented one, I found it to be pretty amazing in many ways, and a lot of fun to use.

You might find this review of interest. Not sure if it has been posted already somewhere on NSN.
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/camera ... 200/review

Roberta Olenick
www.neverspook.com
 

by E.J. Peiker on Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:50 pm
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I spent a couple of hours with a 1DX today and it is one seriously good camera! It weighs a ton though, easily the heaviest DSLR I've ever had in my hands - very noticeable weight increase over both a 1D4 and 1DS2. The thing is a brick for sure! It was smoking good with the 70-200 II once calibrated and hyper responsive. It needs a CF to tone down the sensitivity of the shutter button. You breathe on it and it takes 10 shots - LOL. However, in addition to a 70-200 II, I tried a Sigma 150-500 lens on it that on the long end is f/6.3 even though it reports f/5.6 so the camera does autofocus the lens but I can now see why Canon turned off f/8 AF. It is not very accurate and shot to shot AF variation on a stationary target in bright outdoor light was all over the place with the lens at 500mm f/6.3. On the short end where the lens is f/4.5 it was great. The repeatability with a 7D at 500mm on this lens is actually a lot better.
 

by Greg Downing on Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:54 pm
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Interesting comments on weight - isn't it lighter than the Mark IV? Or at least the same? That said I think all the Canon pro bodies have been heavier than their Nikon counterparts. As far as shutter sensitivity I have never been able to take a single (one) shot with any Canon pro body when in ultra high speed mode. Two shot minimum! I almost always shoot in the slower mode unless there is some really really fast action. And that's with a CF card.
Greg Downing
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[url=http://www.gdphotography.com/]Visit my website for images, workshops and newsletters![/url]
 

by E.J. Peiker on Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:27 pm
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No it's actually heavier 160g or 12% heavier - 1530g vs 1370g

The shutter has a lighter touch is what I was referring to and yes the Canon shutter buttons are more sensitive - kind of like the vertical shutter on the MBD-10 vertical grip for the D300 and D700 - super sensitive. I agree, I always tone down the 8FPS and higher cameras.
 

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