1ds or the 5d

[Jonathan Wienke]

Neither camera is "perfect"; there is no such thing in photography. Which is "best" for you will depend on what you shoot and the conditions while shooting. Care to elaborate?

"Best" is a subjective term. Best for what? Best for who?

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

[ARD]

Within reason, similar cameras perform the same, you could give a 16 mega pixel to a novice and a 1 mega pixel to a pro.

I know the above is an extreme, but after you get to so many pixels, anymore never really come into play unless you are printing out to A3 and above.

I think most of us fall into the 'gadget' trap at one time, but after a while you just tend to use what you have and enjoy getting better results each time. (even though I am looking for a new lens) LOL  :laugh:  :laugh:

I would suppose in reality the 5d has to be better value today, but when the 1ds came out it was cutting edge.

The 1ds is still a beast of a camera, and will out perform most other cameras in most areas.

The 5d will, I imagine, be similar to the 20d in handling, but has the full size sensor, so the lenses you use will produce images as you set them to, by which I mean there is no cropping factor to consider.

It looks like Canon have produced this camera to allow the masses to take advantage of full frame and high mega pixels, but this comes at the cost of weather sealing.

[Mark D Segal]

Before buying, look at the manuals and the detailed technical reviews for each camera and see whether there are any "must have" features on the one that do not exist on the other. This could be determinative.

Then there is relative risk. While the 1Ds is a well-proven work horse with well-known technical qualities, the 5D is new on the market. However, it will probably be safe to assume it will be a top notch performer. So you trade-off the risks of buying a used camera that has some unknowns related to how it was used, against the risk of a new model that hasn't been put through the paces yet in the commercial market. I surmise the risks are minimal for both unless the used 1Ds has been really abused, so one is back to features - and the importance you place on having the latest sensor design combined with lighter weight.

I own a used 1Ds and I see no reason to change it, but if I were starting from ground zero I would go through the thinking and research process I suggested above. Also, I would look at the Nikon D2X because it is in a similar price range and is said to be an excellent camera - unless of course you are already heavily invested in Canon lenses. Nikon and Adobe have recently released a statement indicating they will be cooperating closely on the RAW conversion issue - and depending on the details of that, it puts Nikon in a much more positive light than existed only a couple of weeks ago.

[yeeyee]

which ones the best they both come in at the same price but which one is picture perfect?

[eatstickyrice]

both the 1Ds and 5D are good cameras. I've been questioning the same thing. The advantage of the 5D over the 1Ds is in weight, and in it having a more recent sensor. However, the 1Ds has a 45 point autofocus system and weather sealants.

Rick

[Brian Gilkes]

I assume the 1Ds in question is second hand. There is a couple of issues. First it's interesting that a 2002 camera with similar superficial specs to a 2005 camera  was originally sold for over 2x the current version.That's someones law. Not Murphy. Secondly the older camera may have had better weather  sealing, but the new gear is better on noise, viewing screen and other goodies. Despite a few grumbles the 5D has to be the go. Not as revolutionary as Canon would have us believe, but probably the best return for a $ at present
I might have to get one. Within a year ,though, I'm sure we will see a full frame with the pixel pitch of the 20D or better. That will mean around 20Mpix. At that stage the research will have to go into lenses.
Cheers
Brian

[Julian Love]

Well, I currently own a 1Ds and won't be switching to a 5D. For my type of shooting (travel, mostly handheld) the 5D is probably a better camera:
- smaller and lighter
- smaller batteries, meaning moore spares can be carried
- lower noise at high ISO and higher maximum ISO
- I don't really need the weather sealing and tank-like build quality of the 1Ds

However, these benefits are not enough to make me take the financial hit of selling my 1Ds and buying a new 5D. The 5D looks like it will go on sale here in the UK for approx £2500, and once it is on sale I'm fairly sure the price of used 1Ds will drop below £2000.

My 1Ds is still an excellent camera that produces exceptional images when properly exposed below ISO 400. I'll continue to use it for now and probably get a 5D Mark II in a couple of years time.....

If I was starting from scratch, I'd buy the 5D without thinking twice about it, and unless you REALLY NEED full environmental sealing I would suggest you do the same.

Julian
AdventurePhotographer

[jd1566]

Things like shutter noise are important features that will only be known once full reviews are available on DP Review sometime soon (I hope). With so many other compromises, Canon had better deliver a quieter camera for a change, as everything else they make is as like using a megaphone to take photos. In that department they have much to learn from Nikon...  
On the old vs. new story, I think the 5D does bring some significant advances in both speed of operation and minimal noise.. 3 year old technology cannot compete, no matter if it is build like a tank!  It will be the same in another 3 years however...
The 5D is an in-between camera.. I just wish they'd stuck a flash on it like the analogue Eos5 which I personally think is one of Canon's best thought out cameras ever (and also very quiet!).
Last comment.. Unless one is into billboard advertising or wallpaper prints, I think 8mp is quite sufficient for up to A3+ prints.. A 12.8mp camera will make for larger enlargements or the ability to crop more, but increase the file sizes significantly, and this can be a serious issue for amatures out there with crammed HDD's and DVD's littering the table.  External HDD's need to be backed up as well!  
For me the novelty of the 5D is not the extra resolution but the full frame capability.. A 20D viewfinder is small and cramped.. A 5D should be a bit more roomy! A 1Ds would be magic at 100%, but with all the advancement of the 5D in noise and other departments.. I would advocate a switch sooner or later.. Don't wait too long though, otherwise your only choice will be a 3D at 16mpixels, and just see how quickly that gobbles up disk space on your PC!