Comments on: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Review: Field Test Report

By: Joe Decker

Joe Decker — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:47:15 +0000

Most welcome–yeah, I usually don’t throw mine on the ground either, “Kids, don’t try this at home!”

By: Stu Nowlin

Stu Nowlin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:22:46 +0000

Jack,

I agree with your assessment of the 1Ds3. Mine does everything I ask and delivers the best color I have seen from a digital body. It does not seem to have the focusing issues the 1D3 has reportedly experienced. Having both bodies I can assure you that both work as Canon intended, but the 1Ds3 seems to me to be superior for accuracy and color.

Joe, the 1Ds3 will take more than you can dish out. I have seen this 1Ds3 used by new agencies that looked like police department mag lights — scarred and battered and working just fine. I have taken mine in my gas tank bag on my racing dirt bike hammering across rock ledges in CO and UT on unbelievably rugged trails with no effect on the camera whatsoever. It is as close to imperviously tough as you are going to get. Just like my KTM 525 race bike.

Stu

By: Jack Neubart

Jack Neubart — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:22:52 +0000

Thanks, Joe. Obviously the one thing I can’t do with a review sample is toss it onto the ground and see how well it bounces back (not to mention I was using my own lenses on that one). But I take extra care with my review cameras, since reviewers are responsible for them. But no more so than my own gear.
The only camera I’ve had on loan and which showed wear was an Olympus OM4-T. I was carrying both the Olympus and my Minolta XD-11 around my neck in Puerto Rico, shooting for my first book, and I observed that the Olympus black coating got chipped away, whereas the Minolta remained intact. Fortunately, Olympus let it slide.

By: Joe Decker

Joe Decker — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:54:10 +0000

Jack: Great review. I use the 1Ds3 as my primary camera, and agree with pretty much everything you said. If I might sing harmony for a moment:

The battery life is worth the weight, and for those of us coming from the 1Ds and 1D2N, is actually both an improvement in weight and a improvement in battery life. With the 1Ds, I had days (admittedly, arctic days of great length) where I’d use more than one battery on the original 1Ds. Now I find myself shooting many days with the 1Ds3 and seeing the battery barely discharge, I’ve even been tempted to go for days without recharging. The extra battery I bought acts more as backup than necessity. Bravo.

The Sandisk Extreme IVs give even better performance on the camera, as for many cameras the best reference on card-camera speed is Rob Galbraith’s database: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/camera_multi_page.asp?cid=6007-9256

Agree with you about LiveView, but I sometimes use MF lenses (e.g., the Tilt-Shifts). Glad it’s there, as a result.

Build quality. This camera took a tripod topple from a tall tripod onto hard rock, lens first, without a blink. The lens attached to it was shattered in two, the camera was utterly unharmed. I couldn’t believe it, I still have trouble believing it, but my images from later that day, and (a week later, back in civilization) Canon Irvine confirmed it. (Canon also upgraded the firmware, updated the AF hardware, cleaned the camera and sensor, got it back to me very fast, and didn’t charge me a nickel, but perhaps that’s CPS service for you.)

I don’t do as much action/wildlife, but the 70-200/4L is a lot faster AF on the 1Ds3 than the 100/2.8. Love both lenses, but the 100 is just slow at AF. I’ve also used it with, for me, good success with the 300L/4 IS, but again, I tend to shoot non-moving subjects.

And you do get used to the card slot, even get quick at it. But yeah, it’s odd.

Again, great review!