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1DsMKIII: First Blush

fotografz

Well-known member
Camera arrived Friday. Ran first test of it this AM in prep for using it for a job tomorrow at the Press Opening of the North American Auto Show here in Detroit.

My client AFS Trinity, who was featured on CCN yesterday with their 150 MPG Saturn SUV Extreme Hybrid, has provided me with Press Passes to cover their show unveiling. CBS will be there to cover it also.

(This is the real thing folks ... couldn't speak about it or show pics before due to a non-disclosure agreement. AFS Trinity has cracked the battery issue that's plagued electric Hybrids ... all with off-the-shelf components available now).

Used the 1Ds3 to do a controlled table top as well as some candid shots in low light around the house ... can show the table top, but the wife won't sign a release of her in her shlumpy robe ... LOL.

Camera is quick as expected. I'm already familiar with the controls layout because I've been shooting with a 1DMKIII for some time.

Did a quick set-up of my iPhone, case and new Blue-Tooth B&O ear piece.
Shot the products @ ISO 100, then shut off the strobes and exposed the iPhone screen @ ISO 400 ... merged in PS.

Processed in Lightroom using my standard settings used for the 1DsMKII previously. Converted to tiffs, merged in PS, flattened, downsized to jpg/sRGB for viewing here using my standard sharpening setting for internet. Full frame and detail attached. Full resolution looks okay to me on my screen. A little better than the MK2 with a larger LCD screen, lighter weight, better battery, and other new operational features. Total upgrade cost from the MK2 which I sold 2 months ago was $1,900.

Real world test will be tomorrow at the Auto Show. Notoriously bad lighting, lots of contrast, and difficulty getting unobstructed angles ... will report back afterwards.
 
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fotografz

Well-known member
BTW, this is not a threat to MF digital ... trust me on this.

Just a nice incremental improvement on the MK2 if you consider all the improvements collectively.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Just a nice incremental improvement on the MK2 if you consider all the improvements collectively.

IMO that's a perfect summary :thumbs:

And even though I do trust you, I don't need to since I saw it for myself --- definitely no threat to MF digital... But, for a working pro at an upgrade cost of $1900 (your dealer must have been desperate!), it was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I don't have a dealer who's that generous!

Cheers,
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Well Jack, it's a case of selling to someone who knows how I maintain my gear (got $5,250. for the MK2 mid October) ... and loyal buying from my dealer who discounts even hot new items because I've bought Canon only from him for years (paid $7,150 for the MK3).
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I got about the same for my 1Ds2 six months earlier ($5400) but don't have a dealer willing to knock 20% off for me ;) Anyway, in your case, the "upgrade" definitely makes sense!

Cheers,
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Frankly Jack, if I didn't shoot fast paced weddings and events where I want lightening fast AF and f/1.2 & f/1.4 optics for all kinds of changing lighting conditions, I wouldn't even own one of these.

And I refuse to shoot a lot of this stuff without a dual memory card slots and weather sealing ... which ruled out the 5D. I like more resolution because I use it for wedding formals .. plus I want the option to crop the crap out of some shots.

That's why I was so disappointed when I felt compelled to cancel my order. I really needed this sucker for business. I have zero fondness any Canon stuff ... it's just business. If that business went away, so would the Canons.

For most of the stuff you do, I wouldn't even screw around with 35mm digital.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Well Marc I have to agree . As most of you know I'm in LA shooting a Model and Talent convention actually over now and on my way home tomorrow but I bought a 5D and a 2002.8 for this show to shoot some of the runway stuff that just made it easier for me to shoot with AF and a long lens. It did a great job but as boring and none fulfilling as it gets from a shooters POF. The files are nice but it is not whatI like overall like a Leica file but it's business and it has to do a certain job for me . These shots are the 5D of runway but all the shooters that were around me said i am one crazy guy for shooting difficult stuff with manual focus and all that but there jaws drop when they see the images from the M8 , they just can't figure out how i do it,

Couple 5D shots. I have hundreds just like it
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
But on the other hand when you have lights pouring in your face and flaring like crazy there is nothing I would rather have than Leica glass to pull your butt out of tanking. Not many lenses or systems can handle this kind of stuff . After this stuff i had the lighting guys remove to strong back lamps that where just killing us.

This is when Leica earns there stripes, not many lene systems I know can handle this stuff
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Look at the havoc these backlights bring and the M8 still bring me a working image in spite of it. This is why when I test lenses I do those ugly tests that are so nasty.
 
J

Jamie Roberts

Guest
Marc--just read the ongoing saga of your new 1ds3 and the M8s--sheesh man! Did you get the Mac sorted out too!?

So what's your final verdict on the 1ds3? Incremental from 1ds2 (same as Jack?)

What's the viewfinder like? It's supposedly a gazillion times brighter (which would be something...)

@ Guy--couldn't agree more about the Leica lenses with strong backlights. The contrast just stays there, which is amazing to me.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Yes Jamie i have shot this stuff before with other systems and they could never pull out a image as well as the Leica do when the backlight is so bad. This is when you realize WHY you have leica glass and WHY you invest in the system although the work to be done is harder to do with them.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Marc--just read the ongoing saga of your new 1ds3 and the M8s--sheesh man! Did you get the Mac sorted out too!?

So what's your final verdict on the 1ds3? Incremental from 1ds2 (same as Jack?)

What's the viewfinder like? It's supposedly a gazillion times brighter (which would be something...)

@ Guy--couldn't agree more about the Leica lenses with strong backlights. The contrast just stays there, which is amazing to me.
Yes, Jack and I agree on that. An incremental improvement if you take all the MK3 innovations and compare it to the MK2 ... But I am not sure yet if the IQ was actually a step backwards rather than forward.

Frankly, I didn't expect that much IQ improvement from an additional 5 meg. I did think 14 bit would show up more. Sometimes hype and anticipation can heighten expectations beyond reality. I need to work with the files more. It may just require readjusting settings and post procedures.

I did some work at the North American Auto Show on Sunday, and some of it was okay, but some shots showed more noise at ISO 800 than I recall from the MK2. Just need to shoot more.

I haven't tried it with my R80/1.4 yet ... and I have a Contax N 24-85/3.5 converted for Canon AF coming from a forum member ... which I know is a good lens for a zoom.

I am still waiting for all of my M8 gear (cameras and Lenses) to return from Leica where it was supposed to be calibrated all together. We'll see.

The Mac is all sorted out ... but a number of drivers aren't up-dated for Leopard ... so I have my old tower still sitting here to run my Colorburst RIP and V750 Pro scanner. Grrrr.
 
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