Anyone familiar with the Canon 1D mkiiN?

[PhotoBrody]

I know the 1D series has had a good reputation, but never used one. I know a guy who is looking to downgrade slightly to a smaller cam. I have a 50D he wanted to snag from me for an even trade. I love my 50D, its done me well for a while and still works great. It only has around 10k clicks on it, and the body is like new. His has around 27k clicks on it, and the body is like new as well. Main reason I want it, I know the sensor is slightly larger, there are many more focus points. The things I don't like, cosmetically - the button lay outs aren't the "Canon standard," no live view, and its a little older.. I don't shoot sports, mostly models, families..etc. The fast shutter speed will come in handy when shooting kids/toddlers who move quickly. My main concern is, noticeable loss in quality..yay/nay? That meaning dynamic range, color, depth, etc...? My 50D, despite its age has provided me with good results.. will I miss it if I trade or be quite happy? :mrgreen:

 

[o hey tyler]

I know the 1D series has had a good reputation, but never used one. I know a guy who is looking to downgrade slightly to a smaller cam. I have a 50D he wanted to snag from me for an even trade. I love my 50D, its done me well for a while and still works great. It only has around 10k clicks on it, and the body is line new. His has around 27k clicks on it, and the body is like new as well. Main reason I want it, I know the sensor is slightly larger, there are many more focus points. The things I don't like, cosmetically - the button lay outs aren't the "Canon standard," no live view, and its a little older.. I don't shoot sports, mostly models, families..etc. The fast shutter speed will come in handy when shooting kids/toddlers who move quickly. My main concern is, noticeable loss in quality..yay/nay? That meaning dynamic range, color, depth, etc...? My 50D, despite its age has provided me with good results.. will I miss it if I trade or be quite happy? :mrgreen:

The 1D series has as fast of a maximum shutter speed as the 50D AFAIK... Unless you're talking about continuous drive mode, which is totally different.

Personally, I'd opt for the 1D over the 50D. I have no issue with "outdated tech" when it comes to photography, considering my primary camera is made in '06 and still producing money shots.

 

[PhotoBrody]

Unless you're talking about continuous drive mode, which is totally different.

Yes, I'm referring to the drive mode. I keep my 50D on it constantly, I think its something like 6.xfps and the 1D mkiiN is 8.xfps? If I recall.. What's your '06 cam?

 

[rexbobcat]

I've found the 1DII's photos are more authentic to what I see through my viewfinder. The original 1DII doesn't have picture styles though do that might make a difference. I honestly can't tell much of a difference in dynamic range between it and the 60D.

The colors are more subtle in RAW images than on my 60D as well
The AF is freaking amazing though. I love it.

 

[PhotoBrody]

I've found the 1DII's photos are more authentic to what I see through my viewfinder. The original 1DII doesn't have picture styles though do that might make a difference. I honestly can't tell much of a difference in dynamic range between it and the 60D.

The colors are more subtle in RAW images than on my 60D as well
The AF is freaking amazing though. I love it.

Thanks for your input. Do you have any pictures posted you've taken with the 1d? And are you referring to the 1D iiN? If I'm not mistaken the N is supposed to be better than the original ii. But not as good as the 1Ds mark ii of course.

 

[Derrel]

The 1D IIn was *the* kick-butt sports/news/action camera until the Nikon D3 kind of dethroned it. The 1D IIn's images look GREAT!!!!!! I have seen literally THOUSANDS of images shot with it. It is an awesome camera. Period. I would trade a 50D for a two-enn in a heartbeat. DO IT! Seriously! it is a lean, mean, shootin' machine!

 

[PhotoBrody]

LOL! Thanks for that post Derrel. :thumbup:

 

[Derrel]

LOL! Thanks for that post Derrel. :thumbup:

My wife's nephew Ryan had a pair of 1D IIn cams...it is a FAST-reacting flagship-class camera....it might be a bit behind on the "specs" compared to a newer,high-end consumer/prosumer.enthusiast body like the 50D...but the build quality and design and all the sub-systems add up to good results under very demanding shooting scenarios. It's kind of like picking say a 50 year old former heavyweight boxer as your partner in a bar fight versus partnering with some young 22 year-old football player...the old dude may be 50...but he can take it AND dish it out...

 

[rexbobcat]

Thanks for your input. Do you have any pictures posted you've taken with the 1d? And are you referring to the 1D iiN? If I'm not mistaken the N is supposed to be better than the original ii. But not as good as the 1Ds mark ii of course.

I'll post some photos when I get to my house

 

[o hey tyler]

Unless you're talking about continuous drive mode, which is totally different.

Yes, I'm referring to the drive mode. I keep my 50D on it constantly, I think its something like 6.xfps and the 1D mkiiN is 8.xfps? If I recall.. What's your '06 cam?

It's a 5D1. I also have a 5D2, but I prefer the filesize of the Mark I more because I don't have a beast of an editing machine.

 

[Seefutlung]

I've used the 1DMKIIN. As mentioned before, it was a kick-ass news camera, built like a brick, enough battery power to jump a small truck, nearly instantaneous focus. A much different UI than the Canon's consumer/prosumer UI. Very good IQ and the 27,000 actuations is next to nothing, I believe the N has a warranty for 200,000 actuations. The difference between the feel and handling of the N versus the 50D is night and day. It does weight a ton, if you're okay with that, then you'll be a happy camper with the performance. I don't know how the IQ of the N compares to the IQ of the 50D ... after all the N is a five to six year old camera.

Gary

 

[rexbobcat]

These were all taken with the Canon 1D Mark II

 

[Tony S]

I had the MKIIN before I upgraded to the MKIII. I wish I had hung onto it as a third body instead of selling out for the cash. I found it took great images, noise was acceptable up to 3200 for night shooting, and it's frame rate was fast 8.5fps with focusing that could easily keep up with it (for some folks they still think it focused better than the MKIII). There were other little things I liked about it , like adding a recorded file to an image for notes.

I don't think you would regret moving to it.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

do it.

 

[usayit]

I shot with one for a long time. Great all around camera that has excellent AF. Any misses or out of focus frames were almost always my fault rather than the camera not being able to keep up. Multi-spot metering and how it is displayed is a nice feature. Physically handles great but it takes some adjustment if you haven't shot with a 1 series before. The viewfinder is nice and bright with good amount of information displayed. Drenched it with a 24-105L attached while at Niagara Falls and it never skipped a beat.... rain never was a concern. ISO wise, I kept it under 800.

I miss it occasionally but I don't miss the weight and bulk.

The one thing I haven't seen mentioned is the battery. Its not Li-ion like most cameras today but NiMH. It requires a bit of maintenance. Refresh cycle takes 8hours+ but you only have to do it once in a while to keep it healthy. There have been a few times that I grabbed it heading out the door and the battery had lost most of its charge just sitting on the shelf. Once charged, they last a long time.