1Ds Mark III - Image softness

[dennysb]

I am seriously looking at buying a 1Ds Mark III to make it my primary camera (I currently have a 20D and 5D). Thru many forums including this one, I have heard some concerns about the 1Ds Mark III having some issues with either Image softness or Image blur.

Some of these perhaps related to some issues on the new AF systems under bight light environments.

Anyway, I would love some comments on this topic since this would be the largest investment on a camera body I have ever made.

I only use "L" glass and sharpness is important to me, or at least not trivial.

Feel free to point me to the right thread, if this horse has been beated to death already.

Thank you!!!

[DiaAzul]

Without being flippant I have had image softness with 1DsII, 1DII, 10D,G9,G2, Panasonic FX01, Minolta Dynax, Kodak DC210 and Praktica MTL-3. To a greater or lesser extent camera/optical systems have always had some form of limitation whether it is resolving power, aberrations or distortion.

In the case of the 1DsIII it is a case of what are you trying to trade off (cost, weight, resolving power, contrast, tint, bokeh, aberrations, distortion, vignetting, etc...) and selecting the lens accordingly. There will be no perfect solution and you are going to have to accept some form of compromise.

The 1DsIII will show every limitation of the lens and you will need to decide what you are looking for and which lens works best for you - you will need to be more specific on your requirements and which compromises you are prepared to make.

[Johnny_Johnson]

I am seriously looking at buying a 1Ds Mark III to make it my primary camera (I currently have a 20D and 5D). Thru many forums including this one, I have heard some concerns about the 1Ds Mark III having some issues with either Image softness or Image blur.

Some of these perhaps related to some issues on the new AF systems under bight light environments.
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I haven't read of any focusing problems with the 1Ds Mk III and bright light.  Are you sure that you aren't thinking of the 1D Mk III?

Later,
Johnny

[Lester]

Long, long time ago, I got a Nikon 35-135mm lens to be used on my F4. It was used on Auto Focus mod. I never got a sharp images from it. Now that I am older and wiser, I got a D3 and want to used the same lens, but I did remember how soft it was. I put it on and tested anyway. It was sharp using manual focus but the auto focus was off and is soft. After checking it out, the lens need adjustment so that it will focus correctly. So, check your lens for focus, I do not used auto focus anymore on any of my camera and the 1Ds Mk3 is sharp with the my L lens.

[jeffok]

I am seriously looking at buying a 1Ds Mark III to make it my primary camera (I currently have a 20D and 5D). Thru many forums including this one, I have heard some concerns about the 1Ds Mark III having some issues with either Image softness or Image blur.

Some of these perhaps related to some issues on the new AF systems under bight light environments.

Anyway, I would love some comments on this topic since this would be the largest investment on a camera body I have ever made.

I only use "L" glass and sharpness is important to me, or at least not trivial.

Feel free to point me to the right thread, if this horse has been beated to death already.

Thank you!!!
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My experience with the 1DsIII is that it will test your technique and your lenses to a degree that I had not experienced with the 20D and 400D, which I had used before purchasing the 1DsIII. With this camera, you will need to focus carefully and place your focus points where you need to be sharp. You need to choose a lens that will resolve what the sensor can record- there are some threads on this here too. And even when you are careful on the above, you'll still need to use more sharpening than with smaller resolution sensors.

I've found that the level of detail and the sharpness of the images is outstanding once you follow proper technique and sharpening methods.

[pete_truman]

I've found that the level of detail and the sharpness of the images is outstanding once you follow proper technique and sharpening methods.
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I quite agree. Four points:

1. Images do not appear as sharp with previous standard sharpening settings. A little more is needed and the images just pop. This is something Canon advise. Just be careful not to over-sharpen though.
2. With the increased resolution any lens that is not 100% will show up as softer images or with more noticeable issues than maybe with other cameras. I mostly use L series and have had no issues with 85 f1.2, 70-200 f2.8 IS, 24-105 f4 IS, 500mm f4 IS, but I did try an older 70-300 to see what it could do and suffice to say I will not be repeating the experiment on that camera. My 50 f1.4 and 100 f2.8 non-L lenses are also fine.
3. Camera shake is more obvious with the 1Ds3 and a stable hand, tripod or very fast shutter speed is essential. I suggest that the old "rule of thumb" about 1/focal length as minimum handheld shutter speed should be halved - so a 1/100sec becomes 1/200sec for a 100mm focal length. Image stabilisation does of course help.
4. Auto focus is different in the 1Ds3 than a 5D or 20D or... Take a little time to get used to how it works. I have not had any issues with auto-focus under "normal" conditions, but always use manual focus for macro work and for much of the time with the big lens.

Hope this helps - I have found the camera works beautifully and delivers wonderfully sharp results. I cannot recommend it enough if it provides the specs you need (but please lets not go into that debate here!)

[Ken R]

My 1Ds mark 3 is tack sharp. I tested it on a tripod in my studio with profoto lights therefore eliminating the variable of camera shake and lens imperfections to a degree by using f8-f11.

The camera however needs perfect technique to get the best out of, just like most DSLRs/ BUT since the files are so big what seems like marginal to unacceptable sharpness on screen (due to slight shake, subpar lens performance or shallow dof) looks awesome when printed. This fact is rarely mentioned in reviews or not at all. Dont know the proper explanation for it but its there.

[dennysb]

Thank you everyone for their useful feedback!

In summary, I think I got what I was looking for.

For the record, my question was about whether anyone was aware of a design/software issue that with "all things being equal" would take away from what I can achieve with my, say 5D, when it comes to sharpness.

After reading the feedback, I feel the question have been answered in this regard.

On the lenses, YES - already with the 5D you can see image quality issues if you use poor optics. With the 1Ds Mark III I would be planing to use: Canon 16-35mm 2.8L - 70-200mm 2.8L IS, Macro 180mm 3.5L and 100-400mm 4.0-5.6L IS. I would use nothing less than an "L" class lens on this body.

Thanks again for your assistance,