1D MK III or 7D?

[XG332]

Ive been looking into upgrading my old 400d for a long while now. I have had my heart set on the 7D but ive just seen the second hand price for the 1D MK3 has come down to match the price to the 7Dish. i have even found a camera with 1000 shots on it for £1200.

So what do i do?

I very much would like the 10fps and weather sealing. But the 7D has higher pixel count.

I mainly do fast action, but i also do alot of portrait fashion style bits. I also have decided to take my photography alot more serious this year.

oli

[matheson]

Personally I would go for the 7D, it's a generation ahead of the 1d3.
Wasn't the 1d3 the one with the focus issues?

[markmullen]

Conversely I'd go for the 1D Mk3, once you've handled a 1 series you'll not want to go back to anything else IME, the build quality is just superb, the AF is amazing and the weather sealing second to none which might mean the difference between being able to get a shot and not.

[pernod]

Are you planning on keeping the 400 as well or selling it?

[XG332]

I would keep it if possible, but due to goind full frame. I may sell it and a few lenses and to go toward a new kit.

[markmullen]

XG332 said:

I would keep it if possible, but due to goind full frame. I may sell it and a few lenses and to go toward a new kit.

You know the 1D isn't full frame but 1.3 crop? The 1Ds is full frame.

[miniman]

markmullen said:

XG332 said:

I would keep it if possible, but due to goind full frame. I may sell it and a few lenses and to go toward a new kit.

You know the 1D isn't full frame but 1.3 crop? The 1Ds is full frame.

Nor is the 7D, its a 1.6 crop.

[XG332]

i knew the 7 wasnt, makes another reason to get the 1d then.

[14-7]

7D gets my vote.

When upgrading from my 400D the choice was a 7D or 5Dmk2. I went for the 7D due to the frame rate, lens compatability and the type of photography I prefer.

I haven't regretted it a day.

[XG332]

Yes but the 1d is quicker. the advantage of the 7d is 18mp

[jimmy156]

What lenses do you have?

If you have many ef-s lenses, especially gems like the 17-55 2.8, maybe it an idea to stick to APS-C. Otherwise i think i would go for the 1dIII, just...

What lenses do you have, 18mp will probably show up any lack of sharpness that you haven't noticed on your 400d.

I have a colleague who went from a 1DIIn to a 7d and is in love with it...

Tough decision, but a good one to have to make!

[curtisl]

I can't comment on the 1d but I upgraded from 400d to 7d and have never regretted or wanted for anything for anything else. Fantastic camera in my opinion.

[Murph7355]

markmullen said:

Conversely I'd go for the 1D Mk3, once you've handled a 1 series you'll not want to go back to anything else IME, the build quality is just superb, the AF is amazing and the weather sealing second to none which might mean the difference between being able to get a shot and not.

Ref handling, I found exactly the opposite...never got on with my 1d mkII.

Sold it and my trusty old 10d and got a 7d. Very good camera.

[Johno]

Great question as I have the same issue . . . Currently swaying toward second hand 1d mkIII as after the 7d where would you go but to the 1d series anyway.

Faster, better build, weather proofing and unless you're looking to blow images up to significant size the pixel count is a bit of a misleading measure.

I'd prefer to be at 1.3 'v' 1.6 and I'd keep my 450d as back up . .

It is tricky though with new 'v' older tech etc . .

Most of mine is motorsport and it was built for this. The AF issue was sorted for the later versions and I understand if yours isn't it can be corrected retrospectively.

It a tough call though . .

[Cybertronian]

Another vote for the 7D. I went down the same upgrade path, going from a 400D to a 7D and I'm thrilled to bits with it.

It's a great camera and despite being APS-C, the newly designed sensor lets in plenty of light and even at 3,200 ISO, shots are perfectly usable for large prints.

I shoot everything from motorsports, to fashion photography, to landscapes and architecture and it handles everything superbly.

You won't regret it.

[Ed_P]

Went through the same process last year and opted for the 1D3. Great camera, usually coupled to my 70-200 F2.8 L IS for sport. It's a heavy combination but feels more balanced than on a smaller body like the 7D.

Like others have said, I haven't found any issues with the pixel count. Once you've handled a 1-series setup though, nothing else seems quite the same. Will upgrade to 1D4 once funds are available! Whatever you choose, I'm sure you will be very pleased. Both excellent camera bodies.

[JohnS]

I wen through the same process myself. I originally owned a 400D when starting out, then upgraded to a 40D as I was doing a lot more action/motorsport shots. Last year I was almost set to buy a 7D when a 1D3 came up for sale for a few hundred pounds more.

I weighed them both up for about a day, before opting for the 1D for a number of reasons:

a) Auto focus speed, particularly in low light conditions. The 7D is good, but the 1D still has the edge and can auto-focus with an f8 lens (centre point only).
b) 10fps
c) Weather sealing (let's face it, lots of motorsport events take place when it rains, especially in Scotland ).
d) Battery life - I can take 2.5k shots over a weekend and still have 40% remaining. No need to carry spare batteries with me now and remember which have been used.
e) File size - 10mp is enough to print out fine detail at up to 24"x36", and my poor old PC would melt if I threw 20Mb RAW files at it. I'd also need to buy a stack of extra memory cards.
f) Noise at High ISO - I can shoot happily up to around 2000 - 2500ISO with very little noise and Lightroom copes easily with what noise there is.
g) Built in grip makes it much easier for taking portrait shots
h) Build quality - once you have used one for a while, you appreciate the build quality and subjective feel of the control.

One thing I didn't consider but find a great benefit now, is the ability to specify the prefix of the file names in camera, e.g. BTCCnnnn.jpg for example. It also has has dual CF/SD card slots and you can configure it to write jpgs to one, RAW to another for example, write to the 2nd when the first fills up, or even just swap which one you are using for different races without having to open it up and juggle with cards (especially in the rain).

The things I almost bought the 7D for were:

a) 8fps
b) Higher resolution screen for reviewing images on than the 1D3
c) Great auto focus, lots of customisation possible.
d) wireless flash control built in
e) great picture quality, though not as clean at high ISOs as the 1D3
f) 1.6 crop factor, so gives extra reach for motorsport shots, though saying that I can now make more use of my 100-400 as before with the 40D, the 100mm was often too long as I couldn't get a whole car in frame and frequently switched to my 70-200 F4L as I moved between corners.

John