EOS-5D Mark III or EOS-1D X?

The Amazing Streak Continues; What’s Wrong With Me? 🙂

Today’s blog post marks 41 days in a row with a new post, a new record by far that should continue for at least another week or two. Or not. 🙂 To show your appreciation, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned above we would of course great appreciate your business.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post!

This King Penguin was photographed emerging from the surf at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia on a great Cheesemans trip with the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering + 1/3 stop in cloudy bright conditions: 1/1250 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode. By any standard, the 5D III is a great camera for bird photography.

EOS-5D Mark III or EOS-1D X?

An e-mail exchange with blog subscriber Perry Elder

am: Hi Perry, Thanks for getting in touch.

re:

pe: I am a big fan of the blog and hopefully one day I can attend a BAA IPT.

am: Good plan.

pe: The question I have is about a camera upgrade for me. I currently have a Canon 7D and 5D Mark II. I am still getting good results with the 300 and 1.4X TC. My problems are with the EF 600/7D combo. I bought the 600mm about a year ago and I feel that it is showing the limitations of the 7D, especially in the auto focus speed area.

am: Agree. My understanding is that the main reason for that has something to do with the difference in the batteries in the two bodies. There is not enough juice in a 7D battery to drive the AF system as quickly as a 1D X can. These problems are exacerbated when either teleconverter is added. In addition, the AF systems in the 1D X and the 5D III blow away the AF systems in the 7D and the 5D II.

pe: If money is not an object, do I upgrade to the 1Dx or the 5D Mark III?

am: If birds are your primary subjects, you want a 1D X for its faster frame rate and faster initial focusing acquisition, again due to the more powerful battery, especially with the 1.4 X or 2X TCs. The 1D X frame rate is so fast that I often capture behaviors that are routinely missed by the human eye. If you like landscape, flower, wildlife, general nature, street and Urbex photography and do birds occasionally then the 5D Mark III is likely best for you. It’s larger files and in-camera HDR features are big pluses.

The 1D X is surely more rugged and surely better able to stand up to foul weather. The 1D X balances better with big super-telephoto lenses than the 5D Mark III. The latter advantage is eliminated for folks who add the Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip for 5D Mark III and an extra Canon LP-E6 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (7.2V, 1800mAh). The battery grip adds a vertical shutter release and several other convenient vertical format buttons. While the second battery allows for longer shooting sessions especially in cold weather my understanding is that the AF drive speed is not improved. Let’s not forget, however, that you can buy 2 5D Mark III bodies for the price of a single 1D X….

pe: The reviews I have read say that the major differences are that the 1Dx has better autofocus/shutter speed/construction and most everything else pretty else equal.

am: Shutter speed is a no-issue; each camera offers the same range of shutter speeds. Otherwise see my comments above. Because I love birds my first choice would be the 1D X. The fast frame rate is amazing and lets you capture stuff that you cannot see! And the rugged feel fits my hand a bit better than the 5D III does.

pe: I would keep the 7D and use it with the EF 300 F2.8/1.4 TC combo with which I have had good results.

am: That is surely a workable plan. Better would be a 1D X and a 5D III with the 1D X on the 600 and the 5D III on the 300 f/2.8L. Most folks simply do not realize that the 5D III is a great camera for bird photography with a killer AF system and large gorgeous files. Image quality with the 5D III slays image quality from the 7D. And with the Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip for 5D Mark III and an extra Canon LP-E6 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (7.2V, 1800mAh) the 5D III has a pro body feel.

This Sandhill Crane was photographed at Bosque del Apache NWR with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens and the Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR . ISO 1600. Evaluative metering + 1 1/3 stops off the light sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode.

Affiliate Links

Whichever you choose (or both), we ask folks who enjoy the blog and the Bulletins and who write for gear advice to use our B&H affiliate links. So please consider using one of the following. Doing so will not cost you one penny and will help us out tremendously. Plus, you will earn a free contest entry or two.

Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Camera (Body Only)

If you prefer to use Amazon please use these:

For the 1D X:

Canon EOS-1D X 18.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera

or for the 5D III:

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS with 1080p Full-HD Video Mode Digital SLR Camera (Body)

thanks and later and love, artie

DPP RAW Conversions

To learn why I switched from ACR to DPP for my RAW conversions see our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

The San Diego Short-Notice Small Group IPT. January 15-17, 3-Full Days: $1049. Meet and Greet after dinner on your own at 7:30pm on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Limit 6/Openings: 1.

There is now a single opening due to a late cancellation.
Please call or e-mail for late registration discount information.

We will get to photograph the California race of Brown Pelican in flight, resting, preening, cleaning their bill pouches, and talking to their neighbors by tossing their bills high in the air. The afternoon sessions will feature Marbled Godwits, several gull species, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks. If we have a cloudy morning we will get to photograph Harbor Seals. You will learn to get the right exposure every time, to see the best situation, to think like a pro, to create sharp, pleasing images, and to understand the joint effects of light and wind on the birds. All in a small group with tons of individual attention.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance will be due no later than January 7, 2014. The balance is alo non-refundable. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

If you are planning to register please shoot me an e-mail.

Then please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) Though we prefer a check, you can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Important Contest News

Contest Deadlines Extended!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
New Entry Deadline: January 31, 2014; see additional details below

With so many folks signing up at the last minute and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) has been extended until January 31, 2014 and the deadline for uploading images has been extended until midnight Eastern time on February 10, 2014. Take advantage of this extension to have a crack at the great prizes.

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

Register and Pay

To register click here.

To learn of payment options, click here.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

<

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.