Are old 1dmkII or 3 still worth it?

<p>Give how fast pace camera body technology move, the once mighty 1dmkII/3 that seemed so $$$ are now fairly cheap in the used market. However at the same time, for around the same coin, one can get cameras like the 7D or 5d.<br>

So my question is, are these older 1d bodies worth it? Or skip them and get a 7d or 5d instead.</p>

<p>I shoot with a 1DMk3 and have published photos in print all the time with it. It's fast focusing (I shoot sports with it) and it is fairly low noise. There's no need for the latest.</p>

<p>Depends on what IT is?</p>

<p>They are both great. Of course the marketing departments would say you have to have the latest.</p>

<p>In my opinion the 1D series has never been worth it. They provided fast frame rates at the cost of resolution. For a crop body the 7D is vastly superior. </p>

<p>The 5D is completely different, being a full frame camera. For full frame bodies the 1Ds, and 1DsII are still worth it, especially for the build quality.</p>

<p>THe 5D is actually a lot older than 1D3, debuting Fall 2005. However the 5D is a great camera and still hold it's own in terms of IQ against newer models. Although you give up little in IQ, the AF, LCD, menu system are weak compared to newer cameras. The small dim LCD and not having ISO visible in the VF bothered me the most.</p>

<p>It's a trade-off among the "older" bodies: the 5-series cams generally offer better IQ for stationary subjects, and the 1-series are better for freezing subjects that are moving, especially if they are moving fast. </p>

<p>Let your photographic purpose inform your choice.</p>

<p>yep. I sold my 40D to get a 1D II and I absolutely love it. It doesn't have some of the ne luxury features like a large LCD, live view, and sensor cleaning, so cleaning the sensor and taking more photos to ensure correct focus may be necessary, but the other features far outweigh the shortcomings. My 1D II is a mere 8MP, but I have taken huge crops that still retain great detail and sharpness. Here's an example.</p><div></div>

<p>post crop</p><div></div>

<p>also, above I made the statement</p>

<blockquote>

<p> taking more photos to ensure correct focus may be necessary</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That came out wrong. I didn't mean you have to take more photos b/c the 1D II has problems with AF, that is far from the truth. The 1D II AF is amazing, it puts the AF in the prosumer models to shame. I meant that it can sometimes be hard to determine the minute details of a photo due to the small LCD. So for photos such as macros where the focus point is crucial, the LCD makes it hard to know if its satisfactory, so a few extra photos for good measure is a good idea.</p>

<p>It all depends - what do you really want in a camera? I have a 7D and an original 1Ds (mk1).<br>

The 7D has some neat modern features, but I enjoy using the 1Ds much more; its big full frame<br>

viewfinder and 1-series ergonomics are really nice; image quality and AF are great on both. Haven't<br>

really done a critical comparison between them... but the 1Ds seems to have an edge. Anyway, unless<br>

I want HD movies or high iso or a built-in flash or an electronic leveler I'll usually reach for the 1Ds. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I don't doubt that the ergonomics of 1d-series cameras are superior. It's just things like DIGIC advancement, HD videos, larger LCD (i wonder how large can it still go...), IR transmitter (for 7d) etc seems to blur my perspective. I'm also abit weary of used 1dII being a workhorse camera for the working pros. Well I gotta try out some.</p>

<p>just make sure you get the shutter count before buying. And the 1D series can go to 200,000 shutters. You are right about the newer cameras offering some newer and better technology, but only you can decide whether that new technology better suits your photography than the pro features offered by the 1D. For me, I was willing to sacrafice some of the newer luxuries for the pro features and more customizable options not available in the newer prosumer cameras.</p>

<p> just bought a 1D Mkll and i really enjoy shooting with it . I come from shooting film and my first digital was an EOS D30 then 30D , now this is my third Canon Digital EOS , and IMO is the best and fastest focusing camera body i've ever had and i'm really happy i bought it.<br>

also i'm not interested with EOS bodies that shoot HD movies, if ever i would have the need to shoot HD, i will buy a Video Cam designated for that purpose that shoots HD Vids .. PC</p>