The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Waiting with great anticipation for my "Like New" 1D2

bensonga

Well-known member
Waiting with great anticipation for my new 1D2

As with Proenca on the Nikon forum and his D1x.....I'm excited to be stepping back in time to get my hands (at long last) on a new to me 1D Mark II. :D

I ordered it from KEH this morning.....LN- condition with all the bits and pieces that were originally included in the box and costing less than one fourth the original price.

I've wanted one of the pro build Canon DSLR bodies since acquiring an EOS 1V film camera a year ago. I also enjoyed trying out a friend's 1D2 a few years back. Couldn't justify spending the big $$ for a new 1D4 and I didn't really need the higher resolution (though of course, it would be nice to have!).

Thought long and hard about getting a similar condition/price Nikon D2x.....but that would have also meant a new "investment" in Nikon AF lenses, so for now, I'll stick with the Canon. Maybe someday I'll spring for the D2x and a couple of lenses.

Feels like buying a classic car....but a whole lot cheaper!

Anyone else here still shooting with a 1D2?

Gary
 
Last edited:

Jonathon Delacour

Subscriber Member
Not a 1D2 but I bought a "like new" 1Ds2 a few months ago, after borrowing a friend's 1Ds for a while. It cost a bit more than a fifth of the original price. I wanted a body that would reliably allow me to mount a variety of Leica R and Contax C/Y lenses -- it's hit or miss as to whether some of those lenses will work with a 5D or 5D2 or not, because the mirror boxes on the 5Dx cameras aren't built to the same tolerances as the 1Ds/1D series.

I'd always considered the pro-level camera bodies as "too big" and "too heavy" but I don't feel that way anymore. The Distagon 35/1.4 and Summilux-R 80/1.4 are perfectly balanced on the 1Ds2. And manual focusing is way more reliable than with a 5D camera (plus there's no need to shim the focusing screen). Enjoy your "like new" camera. I doubt you'll ever get around to buying that D2x and couple of lenses.
 

arild

New member
Still shooting with mine, had it for two and a half years, and still love it. Seriously rugged, decent dynamic range, and while ISO 3200 isn't spectacular, the grain (noise) is quite good looking converted to B/W.
 

codocee

Member
You're on the right track. I sold a 5D after low keeper rate with it and my alt lens. Kept the 1Ds and love it even with the noise, size and slow write speed. You just need to work within it's strength. The ability to use so many different lens on Canon is one reason I haven't switched to Nikon. I recently picked up a Nikon D700 for a song but after getting it home I'm considering selling it because I would be unable to use my Olympus and old Taks and so forth. I also have many older Nikon manual focus lens that I use with the Canon gear. So many more options with the Canon and the older 1 series are a steal in the second hand market.
Enjoy!
 

bensonga

Well-known member
The 1D2 arrived here in Alaska this morning and it is a beauty....it honestly looks like new. Original box and all the bits and pieces...except for the manual. Oh well, I downloaded a manual from the Canon website. The menu structure and controls are very different from my 40D and 5D.

I went to my usual haunts during the lunch hour and took some images of the same location I had been to the day before with my 40D and 5D. One thing is for sure....I love the sound and feel of the shutter on the 1D2, much more so than the 5D. The 1D2 sounds a lot like the 1V-HS.

I only wish it was 12 megapixels instead of 8. Oh well. Maybe in 6-7 years I'll be able to buy a LN- 1D Mark IV for the price I paid for the 1D Mark II today.

The 1D2 is so well made...it is truly a digital sibling of the 1V-HS film camera. I placed both of them side by side on my desk a few minutes ago.....<bg!>.

Might be time to dig out my Leica R to EOS lens adapter and try some of my Leica lenses on this baby! :)

Gary
 

bensonga

Well-known member
Any suggestions for the best focusing screen to use with the 1D2 and my manual focus Leica R lenses?
 

bensonga

Well-known member
Not a great day for photos.....but here are a couple of test shots.

With the 24-70 f2.8 lens


With the 50mm f1.4 lens
 

Jonathon Delacour

Subscriber Member
Any suggestions for the best focusing screen to use with the 1D2 and my manual focus Leica R lenses?
I followed the advice robmac gave in this thread:
The best compromise screen I've found so far for the 1DS2 (or any 1D Mk1-2) has been the Ec-CIV screen for the 1D3 - pops right in and is nice compromise between brightness and prism 'pop'. Of course the sharper the lens is wide open (or at the aperture you focus at - I usually focus at my shooting aperture if light allows), the better the 'pop' in the VF.
I've found the Ec-C IV screen to be excellent in my IDs2. The screen is comprehensively discussed in this FredMiranda.com thread.
 

Jonathon Delacour

Subscriber Member
Glad the camera's condition met (or exceeded) your expectations -- the first shots look good.

You might want to think about getting a Canon E1 Hand Strap -- it makes the 1D series cameras much easier to hand hold for lengthy periods of time.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
Thanks for the info about the focusing screen Jonathon. If I decide to keep this camera, I will definitely get the screen.

I like the Canon hand strap too....have one on my EOS 1V and I ordered a second one at the same time I purchased the 1D2.

I really like the camera.....I'm just not sure whether 8 megapixels is going to be enough for me anymore. If I decide to return the 1D2, it will only be because I will be looking to replace it with a 1Ds2 or something similar. If I could afford the 1D4, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.
 

Jonathon Delacour

Subscriber Member
I really like the camera.....I'm just not sure whether 8 megapixels is going to be enough for me anymore. If I decide to return the 1D2, it will only be because I will be looking to replace it with a 1Ds2 or something similar. If I could afford the 1D4, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.
While I'm not a megapixel fanatic, I think I'd want more than 8mp if I was carrying around a 1D series body. The 1Ds2 is 16.7mp which is more than enough for me at the moment -- I prefer the full frame sensor, which the Leica R and Contax C/Y lenses have no problems resolving. It'll be interesting to see how these legacy lenses handle 30+ megapixels.
 
Top