I need some advice from those of you who own and/or have shot with the Canon 5D and the Canon 1D Mark III.

I have been a part-time photographer for the last 4 years or so, who has been shooting with two 20Ds. Besides the fact that they drive me NUTS, I am shifting into a more full-time position with my business and need a new camera body BADLY. I shoot mostly weddings, families, kids, etc.

I know the price difference is huge...but I'm ready to invest. I'm mostly concerned the the major differences such as speed of the camera and full-frame capabilities.

Any advice?

If you need a weathersealed pro body with all the trimmings and a crazy frames per second then go wtih the IDMK3.

other wise personally i'd wait for the 5d mk2

5d is really old tech (from 2005) and the idmk3 is new tech (from 2008ish) Wait for the 5d MKII which will be out around Olympics/Photokina time frame. It'll be worth it and the price should be right too. You'll probably be able to get one fairly easily by Feb. And yes, it's worth waiting for the second version of the 5d over the current one.

I actually just bought the 1D Mark III solely for the ability to link my focus point with my spot metering. That feature alone is worth the extra cost!

But, that's the way I shoot. If I didn't want that one feature, I would have bought the 5D.

Ksenia

Thanks so much for asking this question! I needed that info too! I love my 5D but my 40D is much faster it seems... JMO, or experience with the two. I want badly to get the Mark III but I also think I want to see what the new 5D has to offer! Thanks for the info above, guys!

Wow, thanks for such quick feedback.

Actually...I had thought about waiting until the next 5D came out...but I really am dreading going through another wedding season with my cameras. UGH.

What are you shooting with, Amber, if you don't mind my asking?

Currently I shoot with:

2 - 20D's
85mm 1.8
24-70mm 2.8
70-200mm 2.8
100mm Macro 2.8
15mm 2.8 Fisheye

I just feel like the camera bodies I have aren't doing my lenses any justice. The 24-70mm seems to almost always have a soft focus when shooting with my 20D...although, despite sending it into Canon numerous times, they say its dead on.

How frustrating! You have quite the arsenal there, Miss! I do love my 5D, don't get me wrong. I think that the 5D would do those justice, but I would be afraid of the old technology if I didn't already own one. If you absolutely cannot stand it, the 5D is awesome. But I love my 40D too. I keep thinking I want to part with it, but it is such a great, crisp camera I would have a hard time giving it up!

Good luck, keep us posted!

Hey thanks Courtney...I appreciate the info!

Hopefully I'll get a few more words of wisdom today. I'll let you know what I do!

Heya Amber,
I have both (after using a 20D as my main, so I feel your pain!) A little pro/con action:

Mark III
Pros:
-One battery will easily last you all day
-Very high shutter speed (which I never use)
-Highlight Priority is awesome for keeping wedding dress from blowing out
-Focus points are tight and super responsive
-You can use an SD card to backup the whole wedding in JPG format as you shoot...peace of mind
-1.3x crop factor for long lenses (pro or con depending on your perspective)

Cons:
-EXPENSIVE
-Crappy LCD
-Wristbreaker for those long days...so heavy
-Buttons as opposed to dials which I like on the 5D
-Did I mention it's heavy?

5D
Pros:
-Full frame
-Cheap - buy two for the price of the mark III...that or a 5d and some L series glass!
-Really Light
-easy access to joystick (multi controller direct) for focus points...not as easy on the Mark III because of layout

Cons:
-No in camera backup
-batteries get eaten so fast per charge and lives of these batteries overall is quite short
-can't take advantage of fastest cards' abilities...(essentially limited to Lexar 133x and Sandisk Extreme III speeds)...if that matters to ya.

CONCLUSION:
If I were to have ONE camera, I would do the 5D (especially if you have a 20D as a backup)

IF it were two cameras, I would do the Mark III and a 5D (which I do right now)

Waiting for the 5D Mark II is sort of pointless because it's been threatening to come out for months and won't be out until this Fall at the earliest, IF you can get your hands on it. I am convinced that Nikon's incredibly successful launch of the D3 and the spotty launch of Canon's Mark III has caused Canon to go back to the drawing board a bit on the 5D successor. That said, if Canon screws up the 5D Mark II launch, I will be selling my Canon gear and going Nikon. Seriously.

since you're shooting with two 20Ds now. and the current 5D would be a huge improvement over them.
i'd say pick up a 5D, the current $1900 price at b&h is a great deal.
and then when the new 5D comes out, if it's as great as everyone is hoping, get that and move the first 5D to backup.

nice thing about moving from the 20D to the 5D is they use the same batteries, one less thing to buy.

There's no guarantee that another 5d will ever come out. While it's likely and it's rumored to be coming - Canon won't say a word and it's been rumored to come out every spring and fall for like 2 years now. I wouldn't wait around for something that may not even exist.

That said, the 1d3 is faster, weather sealed, and a great camera body - but nothing compares to the look that you get from a 5d sensor.

If the 5d mk2 isn't announced by October 1st, I'll mail each of you a dollar.

While the Mark III is big, I don't find it heavy at all. In fact, one of the first things I noticed was how light it felt compared to how heavy my mind was expecting it to be.

I've never used a 5D, but I do love the Mark III. Excellent low-light capabilities, safety shift (which was one of the main reasons for buying but I haven't taken the time to set it up yet), excellent battery life and charger, DUAL card slots (a HUGE plus!!) with the ability to save in different formats to both (or back up the first card, or run off to the second card after first is full, etc.), weather sealing, highlight priority mode, feels great in your hands on a long day of shooting, etc. etc. etc. (lots of other techy stuff that only Canon can describe faithfully).

It is a beast in price but if you can afford it, I'd say go for it. Waiting for the 5D Mark II doesn't sound like an option for you if you want to start benefitting now. With you coming from the 20D, the 1D Mark III is seriously going to be an absolute dream.

I can't finish without mentioning the 40D. I rented it once and LOVED it!! I have a 30D and was totally surprised at the improvement in image quality. Don't let the 1.6 crop factor sway you especially since you will already be used to it. That is one awesome camera!

Hmmm, this is a tricky one. I have owned a 10D, 30D, 40D, D200 (Nikon), D300 (Nikon), 5D and now a Mark III.

For me, I wasn't that impressed with the 5D. I see so many photographer talk about how great it is. Here are my pros and cons of both.

5D Pros:
- Full Frame

5D Cons:
- Not Weathersealed even slightly
- Slow responsiveness
- Poor low-light focusing
- Focusing even in light is below PAR
- 3 fps
- No protection from dust getting into the view finder so that is where dust goes to die! If you are a lens changer...this might not be the camera for you.


Mark III Pros
- 1.3x for long lenses (I prefer)
- Weather-sealed
- Fast Focusing
- Accurate Focusing
- Laid out similar to the 5D series so much easier to navigate then previous Mark II
- Blowout highlights show up when in full view on LCD (5D is only on small thumbnail)
- Rugged
- Pro-Body...a little heavy but feels good to me
- Dual CARDS...wish they were both CF but hey, having an SD is nice for backup
- Safety Shift Feature!!!!!
- Great Battery

Mark III Cons
- Early focus issues
- A tad heavy for some
- Button layout vertical is slightly different than layout horizontal

I don't really think price is a negative here...you are getting a lot for the current price of the Mark III.

This is just MY opinion...some will disagree but I sold the 5D after owning it for about a month because of how slow it was to focus and inaccurate the focus was some times.

Really? Then again, I use a vertical grip.. but I still can shoot 2 weddings without changing batteries... I'm using Duracell replacements or the Canon BP-511A's.

If you could, I know it's hard, but wait.... I mean, I love the 5D to death.. but, it's so in need of an update. And if you really want one they'll probably be a ton of dirt cheap ones once the 5D MkII or whatever it's replacement will be once it's announced.

If Canon is going to keep competing with Nikon, they better come out with an update to the 5D. That said, I have a 40D and it works great and will sit on my hands until the new (rumored) 5D comes out. But oh man, I'd love to have that full frame!

Dude...love that drool pic!!!

Rich,
I love my 40D... Only have the 5D for full frame, as my 40D is way faster and I hate the fps or lack thereof.

I agree with above pp about all of the 5D cons. Those are all issues I have and the weather seal? Come on, Canon! LOL. I really hope this mysterious 5D update surfaces someday soon!

Wow...you guys are awesome! This is my first time posting a question...and I'm just amazed by the great advice that's flowing! Thanks so much!

That being said....no one seems to be concerned about the megapixel difference. Is that not a big deal with these higher end cameras?

Not a factor at all Amber. You are good to go with whichever of these models you choose.

I totally don't understand this sentiment. Nikon has NOTHING that really competes with the 5d or 1dSmkIII.


Oh jeez.... There's a thousand things that effect image quality megapixels are only a teeny bit of it. It takes 4 times the megapixels to double the resolution. So once you get above 6 you really have tons to work with (provided the quality is there). For example I have a image printed at 20x30 from my old d50 (uncropped) that's absolutely gorgeous. The difference between 10 and 12 mp is really only 480 pixels in width and 320 in height, not a terribly large difference.

This might be a dumb question, Melody...but since I haven't shot with either camera yet, what do you mean be the image quality coming out of the 5D. How does it differ? Is it sharper, better colors, less grain? Thanks for your input! Okay, good. That makes sense.

Way better color, I think there's less noise/better ISO performance. Don't think sharpness is a factor with either.

I will be surprised if the 5d successor doesn't come out this fall - but I was suprised it didn't come out last spring or last fall too, hah!

Amber,
I just got the 5D to replace my 20D and my post production time went way down. The image quality compared to the 20D is unreal. The spot metering is awesome! The Mark III has a lot of pros to it but I think the price tag is too high. For shooting weddings and portraits the 12.8 mp is more then plenty. I would suggest picking up a nice used 5D and waiting 'patiently' for the 5D Mark III to arrive. Then the 5D would make a great backup camera.

VERY patiently.

I agree with you though. 40D... excellent camera!

Have you had a chance to play with a D3 yet? Have you seen the images? I am not familiar with the Nikon line or controls, but I found the camera to be incredibly intuitive and the images were EXTRAORDINARY. It's a better camera than anything out there right now...easily. That mixed with the leaps in Nikon glass this year?
Nikon D3 pros:
-Better LCD
-Better Color
-better ergonomics (imho)
-more satisfying/quieter shutter slap

There are really no cons for me except that I already invested in Canon. Before you make the above statement, I would put a D3 in your hands and play with it for a bit. Yum. I've not seen a single review which has done anything but heap praise on the camera, ESPECIALLY relative to the Canon line.


All other things being equal, a full frame sensor is larger and is going to be less sensitive to noise and more sensitive to image. It's less about megapixel and more about how tightly those megapixels are packed. Have you seen the long exposure/high iso images coming out of some of these 10 megapixel point and shoots? Crrrrrrrap.

If you can afford to wait, then wait. The 20D is still a very capable camera. Don't fool yourself into believing that you NEED something new. Just remember: Spending only decreases your bottom line.

Now the other side....If you need a new body right now (due to reliability/consistency/maintenance issues) then buy a new body. "Waiting" for the next big thing is a pointless exercise. The menus/button presses on a 5D will be similar to your 20Ds where the the 1D will require a little adjustment period.

Looking at your current lens lineup, a 5D would be perfect for you. It makes the 24-70 infinitely more useable.

Just my 2 cents in a world where 5 bucks used to get you a quarter tank of gas but is now not enough for the "E" light to shut off.

Woahhhh there buddy, i think we've got a misunderstanding! D3 competes with 1DMKIII despite being full frame. It's a high fps low (relatively) mp shooter. The 1DSMKIII is a high MP full frame shooter almost looking to be a backup for a fashion photogs medium format setup. The 5d is a full frame prosumer grade SLR with killer quality but with trade offs (no weather sealing, lower fps, plasticky body).

Read the "=" as "in the same genre" the plus sign means "this and a bit extra"
D60/D60 = Rebel XS
D80 = Rebel XSi
D200 = 30d+
D300 = 40d+
???(D700) = 5d
D3 = 1DMKIII
???(D3x) = 1DSMKIII

**EDIT**
The D3 is a fantastic camera, that's for darn sure and the D300 is very very good as well. I'm certainly not questioning quality or serviceability. Just match ups between the giants.
**EDIT**

And you're preaching to the choir about image quality, i spent a few hours reading whitepapers and whatnot on how samsung managed to shrink the microlenses on the sensor that's in the gx20/k20d.

cameras are like cars. What I like will not be what you like so recommending one isn't the ideal thing to do. TEST drive them!! You wouldn't buy a car without driving one would you? Goto a local camera shop and test them out.. rent if you need to see what it will be like.

Personally I have a mark III and love it. My wife Laura hates the thing and wants a 5d... and you have no idea how many times I have had to talk her out of buying the current one to hold out for the mark II version... and yeah.. it's coming out soon, I know someone with a demo unit.

Ahaha...I misunderstood. That darn little "s" as in 1Ds...always confusing.

I suppose my sentiment is that the D3 really upped the ante. The 5D's Canon successor is going to have to beat the D3 because the Mark II 1d AND the 1ds can't do it, full frame or not. The only thing the D3 doesn't have which the 1ds has is the sensor size, and given the mediocre performance of the Mark III sensors (both of them) the D3 has found a way to beat BOTH of those cameras.

I don't care about weather sealing and all of that. I am not a war shooter or shooting in ridiculous climes.

Anyhoo...I just think Canon dropped the ball this round and it's going to be another year before they release something to get them back on track. Shame.

Hmmm....all good advice.
I think that's what I'll do...test drive a little. I've shot a tiny bit with the 5D, but could definitely spend a few more hours with it. Haven't even held the Mark III or 40D for that matter.
You guys are a wealth of information! Thanks so much!

Keep it comin' if any newcomers hit this page...

It always makes me laugh a little when people dog the 5D for no weather sealing, a "plasticy" body, etc. I definitely wish it was sealed, don't get me wrong. But after several continents, multiple countries, environments (rain and dust), and tens of thousands of images, my 5D's are still going strong. The magnesium alloy body and steel chassis are just like the 1D's. Mine have taken some licks, and are none the worse for the wear, besides some cosmetic scratches.

The bottom line is both are great cameras. For me, I rarely shoot over 85mm, and almost always shoot primes. The 1.3x crop absolutely destroys the impact of the lenses I use. If you shoot with zooms, I'd say the Mk. III would be a good choice.

Heh, yeah canon's naming scheme can be a bit... quirky... with things.
I'm going to disagree with it being the sensor bit, i'm going to put that to optics. This is the only fair test I've seen of sensors as of yet. It's really a testament to the optics that nikon produces for sure. I think they're both great, i'd have to really spend a few weeks with both of them before I could make a solid decision between the two, but they are both awesome cameras for sure.


Hey now, I'm just calling it how it is. I never said it wasn't durable, there's the classic, metal bends and plastic bounces argument and personally I've never had an issue with any non-weathersealed camera succumbing to dust or even a mild rain, but there's no escaping the specs. The Canon 1d series run at the superbowls though fridgid pouring rain with failures being accounted for by water getting into an open cf/sd card slot.

I'll be honest, but there is no way in hell a bride is going to get me to stand in the frigid, pouring rain to shoot, much less open my CF card slot, Mark III OR 5D. That said, it would be VERY nice to have my files transmitted wirelessly to a van with 5 guys chimping them and prepping them for slideshow and printing and have the whole thing done before I leave the wedding. Wouldn't that be nice? It's like, "Hey (insert bride and groom names). Your wedding has been such an inspiration. Here's your CD, album and your website is up. Oh and we'll have the giant trinitron on the side of that van there showing pics for the next hour...peace out!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA +1,000,000
That would be incredible, absolutely incredible, heck... it even sounds worth a try.

Makes me damn sentimental though. My uncle (since passed) and father used to shoot weddings together. They'd shoot slide film for the ceremony and develop them in a rented van before the reception started. They'd have a slideshow of the ceremony for the wedding... makes me proud of the kind of photographers I'm related to.... and I always think... if they were busting their butts doing that, i can definately go the extra mile for my brides.

Bryce, true enough. I'm really hoping Canon seals the next 5D. Or just makes a 1D with the vert grip chopped off. I just don't want people to think the 5D is weaksauce haha.

And I agree about the guys in a van. Best idea I've heard in ages!

Hahaha that is awesome wording.

I am sure you are going to go off on me here because I notice you are as angry as a fireant in most of your posts but here it goes.

Have you ever shot with both cameras side by side? I like the 5D, heck that is why I switched back from Nikon but I think to say the 5D produces a better image than a 1D3 is ridiculous. The colors and clarity that come out of my camera are second to none. I look at a lot of photographers images and I also check to see what they shoot (I am a bit of a gear head) and I have yet to see anything that I think WOW, the colors are amazing and it is so creamy... and if I do, they have rarely been from a 5D.

If you want to talk about amazing colors...go check out Ed Pingol's stuff, he uses a 40D and the colors he gets is amazing! I truly believe photography is lightly based on camera but on the eye of the person holding the camera.

man, this is a great thread...im in the same boat as the OP. last sesh i did with my kids, i heard this comment, "were these with the 5D & 70-200 2.8 IS?" That came from a well respected member of another forum too. They were actually shot with a 30D and the 85 1.8, 70-200 never made it out of the bag. you can definitely get solid results out of a lot of different bodies. glass is huge. i think the main consideration i have towards the 5d is the full-frame and the usability of my lens range. we'll see, i'm pretty stoked with what i get out of the 30 and 20D's.

good discussion...
i went from being a 20D shooter to adding a 5D --

that they take the same batteries and have all the same controls is a wonderful thing.

i continue to use the 20D bodies as back-up and when looking for a little extra oomph on the long zoom; i'm SO happy with the 5D and can't believe now we ever walked away from those full sensors....

my vote: the 5D now, keep the 20D as backup -- adding a 3rd brand-spanking 5D-MRDIOGE-2 (or whatever Canon does with naming) seems wise

Oohhh.... this is just what I've been looking for. I'm looking at the 5D and 40D.

If possible, rent both at the same time and shoot them side by side. You may or may not see a difference in files and if you don't see a difference, consider the body functions.

www.lensprotogo.com

Mahahahaaaa....that's funny. She's very nice in person actually. Mahahaaaa....

That's exactly what I'm doing. I've got the 40D and 5D for next week...lots of playing time. Thanks for the advice.

That was more of a joke...lol

But seriously...something happened this weekend and I am a tad changed on my view of the 1D3. So it never really bothered me before but earlier last week I had my blood drawn (I am a diabetic), anyway, this weekend I shot a wedding and my arm became much more tired than usual. Towards the end I almost couldn't bare it and I thought, what in the world so I changed to my back-up body; a 30D without a grip and man what a difference. I am seriously considering changing bodies now. I know it sounds a little ridiculous but the files were almost as good as the 1D3 (a client wouldn't be able to tell thats for sure). But there are so many functions on the camera that I don't use since I use second light.

Functions like safety shift, ISO above 1000 (for the noise performance) and the all day battery. Either way, I am considering trading it for a pair of 40D's with grips and some cash but we'll see.

Either way, point is, unless you need all the bells and whistles, get the 40D if you like the crop or the 5D if you like wide.

Mike

Amber I will be buying a 5D in about 2 days so if it makes you feel anymore comfort someone else is taking the plunge with you.

I personally don't care when the camera came out. All I know is the pictures I see coming from it are gorgeous.

.

I say get the 5D and buy glass with the extra money.


Braeden

Great suggestion!

Ha ha! That does make me feel better!
I think you just made some really great points. I love what I see coming out of the 5D...a lot of my friends have it and love it.
And...I'd LOVE some new glass...definitely have my wishlist going!
I'll see which I prefer this weekend. I've got quite a few shoots going on...and both the 5D and the 4D to play with.
Thanks!