is it too late to buy a 5Diii - should i be looking at a 5Ds?

[Allan Ryan]

just thinking of finally buying my second camera ( 5D )
i have a 70-200L and a 24-105L with a 50D camera.
the 5D iii still sounds good to me but thought i would ask what people think as there are many pros and cons compared to the 5Ds

Which would you buy considering the extra expense of the 5Ds?

[Tannin]

If you are asking the question, then you don't need the 5Ds. OK, that sounds like a smart-alec answer, but it it's to the point. The 5Ds offers clear benefits but it places a huge extra load on your lenses and on your entire technique. For starters, it's pretty much pointless hand-holding a 5Ds as routine. If you are not using a tripod, you're probably not taking advantage of the one and only advantage the 5Ds has over the 5DIII: higher resolution. If you have a particular need for the extra resolution of the 5Ds, you'll already know that. For most purposes, it is actually inferior to the more general-purpose 5DIII. Only if you really need that resolution and are willing to sacrifice other things for it is the 5Ds a good idea.

Disclaimer: I'd like a 5Ds and I know I'd have to spend a lot of time and effort upgrading my lenses and my skills to get the value out of it, but it wouldn't be my main camera. I'd use it strictly for landscapes. The 1D III and the 5D II would continue as the workhorses and I'd pull the 5Ds out for very detailed landscapes just as I pull the 500/4 out for birds. Even so, if you handed me a ten or twenty thousand today and said "buy yourself some new kit", I'd still be 50/50 on a 5Ds or a 5D III. Trust me, I wouldn't have any difficulty at all in spending the change on lenses.

[Morgo]

Unless your going to do prints larger than a 5d3 can handle then why bother. The 5d3 is a great all round camera.

[arthurking83]

Allan ... one key point in your signature that compels(no! .. forces) me to advise you to get the 5Ds(or even the 5Dr!!)


...

.... Understanding Wife ...

I'm not sure what you have already invested other than what you have listed .... but don't count on the status quo remaining so just because it has so far.
Things change .. people change .. their eyes are opened at some point and alerted to a fact that they may not particularly agree with!

Get it while you can .. whilst the 'Understanding' is still an understanding to your advantage.


OK .. now for the more traditional, consumer oriented advice.

I basically followed a similar trajectory .. with the difference being Nikon's .. D300 to D800E.

I like Tony's advice, on the whole, and if you are a habitual cropper, then for most intents and purposes, his comments may transpire into a reality for that type of photographer.

On the other hand, if you take my path .. and you despise cropping images(as it basically removes data ... precious data that you took time to capture!!) .. then you probably fuss over the last 0.01° of tilt or lean, and every row and column of pixels when you frame your shots ...


I didn't stress about my lenses simply because I could now pixel peep deeper!
I was predominantly happy with what they achieved.
This notion that a hi res camera needs super duper hi res lenses is true if your photography involves only hi res subject matter, but for the general photographer that dabbles in a bit of this and a bit of that(like myself) I don't think it's an important consideration.
There are other benefits in having all those pixels too.

[Allan Ryan]

thanks for the comments
lots to think on , but to be honest i think the 5D iii is a better camera than i am a photographer.
just don't want to be disappointed latter so thought i should ask the simple question.
Probably the 5D iii and try for the 100-400 l when possible

[arthurking83]

....
lots to think on , but to be honest i think the 5D iii is a better camera than i am a photographer.
.....

LOL! .. the perfect reason to go with the 5Ds/r!!

This way you have more capability headroom as you grow .. rather than eventually outgrowing what you have, and having to do it all over again in a couple of years time!


I have this philosophy that you should go with what you really want rather than an alternative that you will, one day, outgrow.
I have yet to regret my choice of camera(s) over the past few years. They have been a D300, over a D200, and then a D800 over a D700.
The way I see it, had I got the D200 instead of a D300, I almost certainly have subsequently updated to a D300 not much later anyhow!
While I very seriously considered a D700 early on, I didn't simply want to update/upgrade just for the sake of one killer feature(in this situation the change from APS-C to full frame). The major hurdle that stopped me from getting a D700, way back then, was simply that it didn't have video(which I also wanted as a feature). The number of pixels that the D800 had didn't even come into consideration as a feature. This was simply something I had to accept.

The point is tho, that it's not just the most obvious 'feature' that endears the product over the long term. It's more likely a host of other (probably incremental) features or updated capabilities that you will probably find advantageous.

As an example of what I mean by this is .. of all the features that the D800 has over the D700(video being why I wanted the D800 over the D700) .. it's actually the secondary card slot on the D800 that I appreciate more than the actual video capture capability. D700 doesn't have a second card slot. On a couple of occasions, I've filled the D800 and unknowingly over filled the 32G card .. which subsequently overflowed onto the second card.
Had this happened with a D700 .. I'd have been in the middle of a paddock, unable to shoot the karts .. would have had to wait for them all to stop so I could cross the track to get back to the bag where my other cards all were.
There are many other user friendly improvements that the D800 has over the D700, but this to list them isn't within the scope of this thread!
Once again, the point is .. don't just look at pure numbers .. you would be better advised to assess all the features, wait for a review that explains what user friendly tweaks Canon has implemented over the 5Diii(if any) .. and then make a choice. Just looking at it from a perspective that one has 24 .. and the other has 26 more!! .. in the long term this point will simply fall by the wayside.
(if you get a 5Ds/r) .. there will be an initial period of disbelief and amazement(at all those pixels) .. but not all that long after that initial period, it will just be another camera.

[Tricky]

The 5D3 will be plenty. Don't really think the 5DS replaces it - rather a different application with such high resolution, more medium format.

[dolina]

If you have a client or technical requirement for 50+ MP then the 5DS or 5DS R would be great to own.

If not then the 5D3 is more than adequate at almost half the cost.

Also consider the 6D that sells at almost half of the 5D3 if you do not require a sophisticated AF system or rely on SD cards.

Be aware that a 5D3 replacement is expected by the end of the year or before August 2016.

[Allan Ryan]

i like motor sport so the frames per second and the focus may be better on the 5diii

[cookey]

if your a wedding photographer or landscape photographer the 5Dsr would be great, bigger pics more sales lol.

[Babu]

Allan
If it's frame rate you like, you could consider the 7D II (it's not full frame but it's fast and I love mine) or the 1DX which is not that much more expensive than a 5DsR (I'm loving my 5DsR but I have a lot to learn). Soon there will be a 1DX II with an even higher frame rate. Apparently the 5D IV will have a lot of nice features but won't be focused on frame rate. On current offerings, taking cost and frame rates into account, I'd look at 7D II or 1DX for motor sport.
The 5DsR isn't a total slug (with dual Digic 6 processors) but it's higher resolution requires higher quality vibration-minimised operation to maximise its advantages; however, it still can't come close to the frame rates of the 7D II or the 1DX. Do you shoot your motorsport with a tripod?

[Bennymiata]

I'd wait for the 5D4 to come out in a few months, then decide (if you can wait that long).
The reason I say this is because the 5Ds is very expensive right now, but in a few months the price will drop significantly.

[rexboggs5]

Ahhhh, the 5D4? I've been waiting for this, as I am assuming it will have insane low-light capabilities. Is it really coming out in a few months? If so, is there a place on the web that I can go to get a sneak peek?

[Warbler]

Canon are offering $300 cash back on the 5D3 at the moment, so I'd guess the replacement can't be too far off. In the US, you can get $700 cash back on the 1DX, but not here, well not from what I've seen so far. They often do this before a new model is announced, or released. The 5d3 is still only down to what I paid for mine when first released on the grey market. I'm after a new body too, so I'll wait to see if the replacement 5D has two CF slots instead of one of each.

[wideangle]

Canon are offering $300 cash back on the 5D3 at the moment, so I'd guess the replacement can't be too far off. In the US, you can get $700 cash back on the 1DX, but not here, well not from what I've seen so far. They often do this before a new model is announced, or released. The 5d3 is still only down to what I paid for mine when first released on the grey market. I'm after a new body too, so I'll wait to see if the replacement 5D has two CF slots instead of one of each.

Don't fall into the trap of the endless waiting game...waiting for new models to come out. The rumours of a replacement to the 5DM3 have been going on for years now. There is a rebate of $300 on them at the moment, but this was the case last year too in late November.

[Hamster]

IMHO, it's definitely worth considering what your main use for the camera will be and servicing this need first. Being predominantly a landscape photographer (who does print big), had the 5Ds been out when I bought my 5D3 I would definitely have considered it. Along with the Pentax 645z. It doesn't sound like you've decided that resolution is the way to go for you, in which case the 5D3 will be great. Point it in the right direction, and you'll get some awesome shots.

[Trevspics]

Lots of pros and cons Allan, enough to drive you crazy, I know because I was in the same situation but not any more I made the bold move and have ordered the 5dsr I haven't got it yet still waiting. I waited till jb hi fi had 15per cent off all cameras and saved $800. The 5diii is a better all rounder but the 5ds is a big step forward in my opinion

[bricat]

Ted's have 10% off at the moment and with $300 redemption from Canon brings the 5D111 down to $2845.00. Very tempting..........cheers Brian

PS Would be interested if Arthur found the 36mp D810 hard to use?

[GerryK]

Another interesting thread. The arguments for & against are good. I think Arthur nails it when he says buy the best youcan afford so you can grow in to the capability.