Which camera is better Canon's EOS-1D Mark III
or EOS 5D Mark II? Explain why.
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M$4 Answers
easyeboy's answer has all the facts and figures you need; however, it doesn't point out 2 of the most important items.
1. The Mark III is NOT a full frame sensor. What this means in practice is that the lenses all work longer than what they are listed as. (IE 50mm = 65mm) Functionally this has the affect that each pixel is less valuable. You have to focus on to a smaller sensor and therefore the effective resolution is less.
2. Again the small sensor means the low light or high ISO is MUCH poorer on the Mark III.
Finally it's likely that the Mark III will soon be discontinued. If Canon follows it's usual pattern, a replacement will come out in the coming months.
That all said there is ONE reason to get the Mark III if your a wildlife photographer. This is because you will probably need to hold down the shutter and squeeze of multiple shots very rapidly hoping to catch what you want. In this case the Mark III is still superior with it's 10fps. However, that said it may be the case with an extremely long lens you would be better off with the better Mark II high ISO performance. Mostly this would depend on how fast the action is your trying to capture and how far away you have to be to do it.
Good Luck!
Sample picture.
What can I say I'm a enthusiast photographer.
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M$1Ds MarkIII is awesome but more than twice as expensive as the 5D MarkII. Go for the 5D MarkII or wait for a new revision of the 1D.
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M$
If you were only shopping on price, then you would go with the EOS 5D Mark II, as it costs less than the EOS-1D Mark III.
I will present the features to you below (from Canon's website www.canon.com), so they both can be compared:
EOS-1D Mark III:
10.1 Megapixel Canon CMOS Sensor (APS-H size, 1.3x lens conversion factor), featuring the EOS Integrated Cleaning System
World's fastest digital SLR: shooting up to 10 fps, with a burst rate up to 110 full-resolution JPEG images or 30 RAW images
All new high-precision AF system with 19 user-selectable AF points and 26 additional "assist points"; superior low-light performance and faster operation
New lighter body with enhanced weather resistance and outstanding reliability: featuring a shutter that's durability-tested to 300,000 exposures
Dual "DIGIC III" Image Processors work with new CMOS sensors to produce superb image quality; new Highlight Tone Priority option adds control of bright highlights
Large 3.0-inch LCD monitor, featuring Live View function
Fully compatible with over 50 EF lenses and a wide range of EOS System accessories
EOS 5D Mark II:
21.1 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion (16,384 colors/each of 3 primary color), wide range ISO setting of 100-6400 (expandable L: 50, H1: 12800 and H2: 25600).
Full HD Video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution for up to 4GB per clip with HDMI output for HD viewing of stills and video.
Next generation DIGIC 4 Image Processor for faster processing of fine detail and color reproduction as well as reduced image noise.
High performance with 3.9 fps continuous shooting, new shutter with a durability of 150,000 cycles and improved weather-resistant body.
Live View Function for stills (Quick, Live and Face Detection AF modes) and video.
3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) monitor with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coatings for improved viewing and smudge protection.
Updated EOS Integrated Cleaning System specifically designed to work with a full-frame sensor.
Compatible with over 60 Canon EF Lenses and most EOS System accessories.
_____________
Comparison:
If more megapixel is important to you, then the EOS 5D Mark II is better, as it has 21.1 Megapixel opposed to the EOS-1D Mark III with 10.1 Megapixel.
If speed is important to you, and shooting frames per second, then go wiht the EOS-1D Mark III, as it's the world's fastest digital SLR: shooting up to 10 fps.
If a lighter weight is important to you, then the EOS 5D Mark II is the lighter one.
Overall, I don't think the megapixel is as important as the frames per second. It seems to me that the EOS-1D Mark III has a better digital display with the 3.0-inch LCD monitor.
I personally like the EOS-1D Mark III with all the features it has.
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M$The current 1D was pretty closely matched in the 5D MkII in ISO range and the new chip. The 1D is sturdier and has features like 2 memory cards and more focal points (just to name two) which the 5D MkII doesn't.
The next 1D will be worth waiting for, but for now the 5D MkII has superior features. :)
As always it's the lens that gets your picture, the camera just records it. Both cameras have the ability to use the same lenses and have full frame sensors. The extra megapixels on a full frame sensor is going to give you a larger file to work with.
Personally I'd rather have the latest chip and highest quality images over how many shots I can pull in. There are other cameras that are far less expensive that can shoot High Speed photography if that's your bag.
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M$
You are correct, thank you for clarifying my answer. :)
1D Mark III does not have a full frame sensor. The 1Ds does. The ISO ranges are not even close to the same for the 1D Mark III and the 5D Mark II.(Primary because the 1D does not have a FF sensor.)
I think @silverhammer was comparing the 1Ds to the 5D Mark II which is a much closer call considering they have the same sensor. The only real difference is the newer Digic 4 processor on the 5D which does produce superior results.
Even comparing the vastly more expensive 1Ds to the 5D the 5D actually bests it in some categories due to the newer Digic 4 processor verses the Digic 3.
