Hi, I use a 10D and am a bit annoyed by the start-up time. It takes a few seconds for the camera to wake up after turning on the power. To me that's too long. In my next digital camera body, I'd also like to see quicker image display when reviewing images on the LCD. I also wouldn't mind a full frame sensor (mostly for the bigger viewfinder) but that's a separate issue. If the 20D had more pixels than it does, I would have upgraded just to get the extra speed.
The 10D and 20D are 1.5-2 years apart if I recall correctly. The 1Ds and 5D are 3-4 years apart. How much development has taken place in the field of digital cameras, sensors, and image processors during that time? A LOT!!! A year ago I looked into buying a used 1Ds. Back then the good deals were around $4-4.5k on sleazebay. I just ran a quick completed items search. Today they seem to run at $3.5-4k. A 5D sells brand spankin' new for $3300. I would not be surprised if we see the price drop to $2999 by x-mas, but that's purely my speculation. So... What would you get with a used 1Ds? Slow start-up time (roughly the same as for the 10D - I timed it at the camera store using the second hand on my watch. Not scientific, but enough to get an idea). Old image processor. What you do get is probably better auto focus. The 45-point system of the 1-series bodies is pretty cool. But I haven't used it in practice so I can't tell if it makes a dramatic difference over the 7 points in the 10D. My general experience with AF is that it's great if your subject happens to fall on any of the focus points. But I would prefer not to limit my compositions to just that. Even with the 45 points in the 1Ds, the system is very center biased. What else do you get... Oh, yeah... The weather sealing. Has anybody ever had problems shooting outside with a normal body? I haven't. None of my bodies have been weather sealed. If you're so damn worried about it, just cover the camera with a shower cap until you are ready to shoot. When I thought about getting a used 1Ds, I sat down and calculated the weight of a 1Ds kit versus the weight of my first medium format kit (Contax 645). The two kits came within ounces of each other. I then remembered that one of the reasons I sold the Contax 645 was to get a lighter kit. The other reason was battery consumption/dependency, but that's a different story. In my opinion, the choice is clear. Get the 5D... Well, unless you are a professional sports photographer and need the blazing fast frame rate or shoot for National Geographic and have somebody to carry your gear. But in that case, you'd probably own a 1Ds II anyway... ;-) Regarding depreciation: A camera is not an investment. It will not yield a monetary return. A camera is an expense. You throw money into this black hole and it will be gone forever. Seriously, if you are buying a camera only because it will depreciate less over the next 2-3 years, then I think you are buying it for the wrong reason. The used 1Ds has depreciated about $1k maybe $1500 (based on sleazebay completed listings) over the past year. That's roughly 25 %/year. But there also hasn't been a new model release in the 1-series during that time. It's my impression that the prices drop to 50 % of original value at the first follow-up model release. I don't have enough statistical data to say how the prices behave after that. Based on this, I'd guess the depreciation of a used 1Ds and a new 5D would be roughly the same over a 2-3 year period. If you wait six months to buy the 5D (especially, if you can wait until after the first price drop) then I think the 5D will depreciate less than a used 1Ds over a 2-3 year period. But still... When buying digital cameras accept the fact that the camera will be obsolete and worth maybe 10% of its original price five years from now. That's just life. Hobbies are expensive. Photography is no exception. Tom > Plenty of comparisons or opinions of EOS 5D vs. EOS 1Ds Mark II, but > what about 5D vs. second hand 1Ds? Any links? > > I do not quite know the price point of second hand 1Ds, but if they > second hand 1Ds would cost the same as new 5D, which do you think > would retain it's price better in 2-3 years? * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
