No-Risk, Low-Cost Professional Creative Photography

Written and originally posted 4/16/2009 10:56:10 PM

The Canon EOS 1D Mark III is hands down one of the coolest, if not THE coolest, products I have ever owned. And that’s coming from a guy who has owned a fair amount of pretty cool stuff over the years.

I purchased my first Canon SLR (35mm) circa 1988-1989…a Canon EOS 650, which I still own. I worked in photography retail for a time and could not keep my hands off the Canon flagship model, always known through the years as the EOS 1. I made the move to DSLR in 2004 with the original Canon Digital Rebel. After almost 20 years of dreaming of shooting with the top of the line Canon I purchased a Canon EOS 1D Mark III in March of 2008. This review comes after a year of hands on experience (and more than 30,000 images) with the EOS 1D Mark III (referred to as 1D3 hereafter.)

The 1D3 with a quality lens is one of the heaviest cameras you will ever hold or put around your neck. Newer neck straps made of shock absorbing materials help, but there’s no way around the weight and the stress it puts on your neck and shoulders over the course of a long day of shooting. When you move into any of the heavier L series lenses or a large zoom lens things start to get pretty hefty. Personally, I LOVE the weight of the camera. It goes along with the build quality of and the overall feel. It feels very comfortable in the hands, although the size of the body may be an issue for those with smaller hands. The feel of the shutter release and the sound of the shutter are “different” than the “lower” model Canon cameras…this is an aspect of the 1D3 I find very hard to describe. All I can say is that if feels and sounds like a professional camera…it’s something you’ll have to experience for yourself. As far as the overall weight goes, I have gotten used to the weight around my neck and have invested in a nice neck strap from Op/Tech USA. The neck straps included with Canon cameras, even the top of the like EOS 1 series, always have and probably always will suck. If you open the box, attach the strap and never try anything different you’ll never know how much of a difference a real strap makes. I recently had to replace the strap I bought for my EOS 650 (which I moved to my Rebel in 2004, and to my 1D3 in 2008) and it felt like I was parting with an old friend. My new Op/Tech USA strap is awesome though, but that’s a review for another time. Suffice to say, if you’re using a Canon camera with a Canon strap, visit your local camera store or even Best Buy…even most no-name off-brand $10 neck straps are better than what Canon ships with their cameras.

The lower portion of the 1D3 body, where the high speed film drives used to be on the high-end 35mm SLRs, is where the battery resides. The battery is huge which results in a massive amount of shots between recharges, as well as a nice balance to the body when a lens is attached. It is also the reason why the 1D3 body is so large. Personally, I had been waiting a very long time to have a “full size” SLR camera body. I like the additional size and weight of the equipment, and I think it looks awesome. Some people prefer a smaller body or the option to change the size of the body. If this sounds like you there are other Canon EOS DSLR bodies for you to checkout. The body is dust and weather/moisture sealed EVERWHERE, including the battery door and the memory storage door. When you mount a 580EX flash and a Canon EF lens you have a completely sealed system that will operate in the harshest of conditions. The build quality is impeccable.

I have had no auto focus or image sharpness problems that I can see so far. I purchased a 1D3 with a serial number well beyond the serial number range identified by the original mirror adjustment issue. I do not use the AI auto focus all that much, and I mainly use the center focusing point. I am currently trying to incorporate these features into my shooting more regularly to see if I need to be concerned about focusing or sharpness issues. My experience so far with the 1D3 has yielded incredibly sharp and vibrant images on a consistent basis.

The 1D3 controls are laid out in a very intuitive fashion and are easy to reach and memorize, which is good because there are a LOT of controls. In addition to the 3” LCD screen for viewing images, menus and features, there are 2 smaller LCD screens which are backlit with a very nice blue light at the push of a button. My only disappointment here is that every button on the camera is not backlit. If you do not have your buttons memorized you will need to carry a mini flashlight until you do. The controls on the 1D3 are a double-edge sword, almost. If you want a point-and-shoot camera, or like to leave your camera in full-auto mode, a 1D3 is a waste of your money and your time. You will waste your time because you have to master a certain amount of controls to use the camera in the first place, and you’re going to get frustrated. If you are not prepared to learn the controls and experiment with them there is absolutely no reason for you to own a 1D3. If you want ultimate control over your photography and want to spend the time experimenting with both your camera and your images, the 1D3 has camera controls, settings and features that let you configure almost every aspect of your image before you release the shutter.

One of the truly beautiful things about the 1D3 is the customization capability of the camera. You can customize hundreds of camera settings and store settings for familiar shooting environments in groups to easily setup the camera quickly. Once you have spent 6 months with your 1D3 and the owner’s manual and configured your custom settings you will actually have a one-of-a-kind 1D3 personalized to your taste, shooting style and common shooting environments.

The primary difference between the 1D3 and the 1Ds3 are speed and image resolution. The 1D3 has twice the speed, but ½ the resolution, of the 1Ds3. Which camera you choose will depend on how you shoot, what you shoot and how important megapixels are to you. Ultimately I would like to have both a 1D3 and a 1Ds3 in my bag. If I could only have one or the other, I would take the 1D3. 10.1 megapixels results in a very large high quality image suitable for prints up to 16×20, 20×30 if your exposure is good. And, there is just no substitute for being able to “shoot fast” in many, if not most, photography situations. At 10 frames per second in bursts up to 90+ frames, the 1D3 is a BLAZING fast digital SLR. You simply have to experience this for yourself at a Canon dealer…put it in high speed mode, set a shutter speed faster than 1/100th of second and hold down the shutter release. You won’t believe it until you feel it. I have taken 70+ high resolution full-size shots of a “tuba twirl” without the 1D3 taking so much as a breath while capturing and writing the images. In addition to the high speed shooting mode, the 1D3 also has single shot mode, a slower high speed mode that keeps the camera to about 4 frames per second, and a nifty “silent mode” which seriously cuts down on the sound/noise from the shutter. There is a slight pause after you press the shutter release, which you have to get used to. Once you’ve taken 4 or 5 shots after switching to silent mode you will have adjusted and you can almost take pictures without anyone knowing it.

Overall the 1D3 is an exceptional piece of photography equipment. I can summarize why a photographer, professional or otherwise, would spend the kind of cash required for a Canon 1D3 or 1Ds3 in a handful of key words: durability, build quality, feel, features, controls, settings, and image quality. From the second you attach a lens to the 1D3 and hold it in your hands you know you are holding a serious, and well built, piece of hardware. Releasing the shutter on a 1D3 is almost a magical moment…you feel like YOU have done something rather than the camera has done something. When you open yourself to the controls, settings and features available to you the opportunities for truly creative photographic expression really begin to open up and you’ll quickly remember why you fell in love with photography in the first place. And once you start browsing the images you’ve taken with your 1D3 you will be impressed with the quality, clarity and vibrancy of your photos. Ultimately, your Canon EOS 1D Mark III is going to make you want to take pictures…your shutter finger will start to itch; soon the only thing you will be able to think about is reaching in your camera bag and holding the 1D3. After that, you’ll be reaching for your shoes and looking for something to shoot.

Notes about my additional gear:

The camera body is only one piece of the tool a photographer requires to produce an image, obviously. The next most important and required component is the lens, and when I get to commenting on image quality and focusing many photographers want to know what lenses I am shooting with. My two primary lenses are Canon L series lenses: a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L and a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L. I also have a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens, and an older Canon EF 100-200mm f/4.5-5 lens. I do not shoot with the non-L series lenses as much as I used to, not since picking up the L series glass. It’s just hard to go back once you’ve used an L. Currently the only additional pieces of hardware that I use from time to time are the Canon 580EX-II flash and a Bogen/Manfrotto tripod and head setup. I currently carry everything including my Canon Digital Rebel and kit lens in a made-in-the-USA Pelican 1550 case…I just didn’t want to trust the 1D3 and the L series lenses to a soft bag.

Thanks for reading my review of the Canon EOS 1D Mark III, my first product review at TwoBignuts.Com. I will be reviewing more individual items from my camera bag later on and new items as they are added to the arsenal. I hope you found this article helpful…happy shooting!!