The Round Blog

My experience with a Canon 1Ds Mark III

There are relations that start with the right foot, others that have to be fostered, and there are also those that are not destined to grow. My story with the 1Ds Mark III Canon kindly lent me was, alas, short and fruitless.
My Story Everything started just before Christmas, when the guys at 1000heads contacted me, offering me a test drive of the Canon 1Ds Mark III as I was one of the people involved in a previous round table with the camera manufacturer. I was absolutely thrilled by the idea of testing the top of the line camera, so I planned a session tailored on its strengths: the studio. I produced a session for a couple of days ofter the camera should have been in my hands, but unfortunately on the 24th, even if I was at home all day long to wait for it, UPS did not show up. The days passed and, due to the bank holidays an to a totally unprofessional delivery service, the day of the session the camera was not in my hands. I had the possibility to have the camera for just few more days, so I did not planned anything else in studio, there was not enough time, but then Canon allowed me to keep the camera few days more because of the issue with the delivery, and Fabiana and I decided to plan a new studio session. The first day available was the evening before the shipment, but I would have had enough time, I thought. Everything was ready and all the details had been taken into consideration but for one small, insignificant detail: the huge snow that blocked London the night before the session. When I woke up I already knew that reaching the studio would have been a hard task, and my worst fear were confirmed just before 8am by the studio manager, who told me that the roads around the location were absolutely icy and that the studio would have remain closed for the day. Some things are meant to be. Fabiana and I testing the Canon 1Ds Mark III in studio was not.

Feelings I haven't been able to road test the camera in the way I would have loved to, but still I have used in quite few occasions. One of the first things that hit me was the focussing system: despite not being one of those who complains a lot because of my 5D Mark II focussing system, I found the top of the line being a world apart. The quality and the speed of it were superb. Another thing I simply fell in love for was the shutter sound of the 1Ds Mark III. For how stupid it may seems, its very mechanical sound is fantastic, it tells you that the camera is really strong and durable. The last thing that hit me in a very positive way was the size: despite being quite heavy, the battery pack on the bottom of the camera feels right. The camera is much more balanced, it feels great in my hands and while shooting portrait I don't need to twist my arm. On the other side, being used to the 5D Mark II, whose low light capabilities are absolutely superb, the top of the line Canon does not shine, giving more noise at high ISO. The 5D is much younger than the 1Ds, therefore the difference are just a matter of time, I am sure the 1D Mark IV has already pushed my camera away from the low light spotlight.

Would I? No, I wouldn't. I still think that my 5D Mark II is one of the best camera for my needs. The almost £3k that divide my model with the 1Ds Mark III are not worth a theoretical upgrade, not from my perspective. I understand the reliability, the durability, the stronger body and everything else I have already described, but still there hasn't been the "Love at first Sight" I had with mine.