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B I F with 1D MK4 (1 Viewer)

I think the one question we'd all like to know but getting an answer will be rather tricky, how does it stack up against the D3s? 8-P :-O
 
I think the one question we'd all like to know but getting an answer will be rather tricky, how does it stack up against the D3s? 8-P :-O

for birding and getting detail we have d3s full frame 12mp V mk4 1.3 crop 16 mps.
I think if the mk4 is working the mk4 would win
of cause if you only shoot Owls late on in low light and can get close the d3s might win :)
Rob
 
Well as this thread is more concerned with AF capabilities that's what I was referring too, should have made that clearer.

I will take a superior AF over any amount of 'reach' afforded by extra MP's on smaller sensors every single day of the week. And it sounds to me like Nikon are still winning comfortably on that front.
 
Well as this thread is more concerned with AF capabilities that's what I was referring too, should have made that clearer.

I will take a superior AF over any amount of 'reach' afforded by extra MP's on smaller sensors every single day of the week. And it sounds to me like Nikon are still winning comfortably on that front.

ah AF
well i dont know which is best at that but given that a mk3 was as good as a d3 ( from test i did ) i would think the mk4 should be as good as a d3s .
Rob.
 
ah AF
well i dont know which is best at that but given that a mk3 was as good as a d3 ( from test i did ) i would think the mk4 should be as good as a d3s .
Rob.

Oh. I'd always assumed that the D3 had a better AF than the MkIII. Goes to show assumption is still the mother of all... well you know the rest. ;)
 
GYRob, how are you finding the AF on the 7D compared to a 1D?

its very close Marcus and if the photographer does his/her bit then it would be hard to pick a winner between them, i think the mk3 grabs the focus just a little quicker but this is more of a feeling Mostley because the mk3 is a little more responcive in how it works .
That said the 7d is my main birding camera now over the mk3 it just gives so much more reach and has so many more mps , for birds it has to be the best out there .
shot from today full frame no pp and crop with pp
Rob.
 

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I have put the MK4 under 3 days of rigorous usage and it came out quite well. Can't post any photo till I get home since I have no editing software on my Netbook.

Day 1 was in Cabo out in the Sea of Cortez in a zodiac shooting Humpback whales. The weather was fine at first but turned very choppy later. 4-5 foot waves and I was soaked from head to toe. Used the 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS and the combo was completely soaked in salt water. Used the Center Point AI Servo with the 45 point assist and continuous AF tracking priority. Even though I was tossed around the zodiac, the MK4 tracked the whales and kept on firing. Got a Humpback Calf breaching and spyhopping - not an easy shot to get. I was in Cabo last year same time shooting whales and the MK4 seems to have a VERY slight edge with the 45 points assist in heavy seas.

Day 2 was in a swampy mangrove marshland on a small boat with an outboard motor outside Acapulco. Weather was vert hot (30 C and almost 100% humidity). The sighting were not very good and I used the 400mm DO with 1.4X and Center Point plus surrounding AF points and Main Focus point priority. MK4 acted well under heat and sweat.

Day 3 was in San Jose, Mexico in a heavily wooded forest. Sighting were not great , same weather conditions, equipment and setup as Day 2. Really can't stay out too long cos' the heat and humidity take a toll on me. The MK4 is also turning out to be a decent travel camera as well. Will be in Costa Rica in a couple of days.
 
Hi Michael, thanks for posting your updates on the MK4. So you think the MK4 and MK3 performance is about the same? I know you don't have the 7D with you, can you talk about the camera as well from the viewpoint of a wildlife photographer. Can't wait to see your photos when you get home.
 
I understand RG is writing his opinion again on the MK4. I read his earlier reports on the MK3 and bought it anyway. Never experienced any of his 'problems'. Now I am putting the MK4 through rigorous testing myself. I am in Costa Rica now, going to the rainforest today,expecting rain and lousy weather. So far I am quite pleased with the camera. Perhaps a slight improvement over the MK3. Have to wait till I get home and put the photos on the big monitor. The MK3 worked like a charm for me. Let's see how the new camera performs;) in these conditions.
 
Saw your Hummingbird postings and the ones on your website. They are great, hope you come across some in Costa Rica. Love to see them once you return. How is the MK4 performing in these rainforest type conditions?
 
I was in the Monteverde Cloudforest in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Bird sightings not that great but the hummers were in force. Thick forest cover make it hard to photograph so I used the high ISO settings, 2000 - 3200 and my 70-200mm IS set to f/2.8. It was still hard to freeze their wings in flight or hover but the MK4 did quite well with the ISO settings. Hummers were zipping by buzzing me very near my ears. Right now I am in Panama City. Photographed some monkeys, frigate birds and vultures. Temperature is hot and humid and the sweating is hard for me to take.
 
Stopped in on Cartagena, Colombia. The weather is extremely hot and humid. Photographed some shore birds and scenes and people of Colombia. The MK4 is proving to be a great travel camera as well. I am glad I left the 1Ds MK3 at home. It lightens my backpack quite a bit. Will be stopping in the Everglades in Florida to photograph some more birds and alligators before going home this weekend.
 
I am looking forward to seeing travel photos taken with the MK4. With its Live View and HD movie mode, in addition to improved pixel quality and count, it should make a decent travel camera. I wonder how it compares to the 1DS MK2 or MK3, for instance.
 
I am back from Central America. Traveled very light (by design) to photograph their wildlife and test the MK4 out in the field, with no help from tripods or flashes. The weather ranged from mild, sunny (rare) to wet, humid and very hot days. Settings are the high seas, mangroves and lagoons, rain forest with heavily forested trees and landscapes. Although the bird sightings were disappointing, the whales encounter made up for my disappointment. I experienced a few problems with the AF first time in the day when I mounted the extender with the lens but was quickly corrected once I shut the camera off and reattach the equipment. Same thing happend on the MK3 as well when I used it for field work. Apart from that, the MK4 worked like a charm, it was drenched by sea water, humidity and my sweat. The 45 point active AF and high ISO was put to the work out by birds hiding in thick forest cover and rocking around in a zodiac at sea. Mother nature usually wins in the the battle of wits between myself and wildlife because I was alone and my time was limited. More discussion in future posts on the versatility of the MK4 as a travel camera as well. Because of the limit, I will post a sample of 5 photos every few days. I am interested in hearing from others with similar field expeience. Visit my website to see more images.
 

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Fantastic images, Michael. The hummer photos came out quite well despite the dark, cloudy condition of the Cloud Forest and high ISO settings. The baby Turtle is SO cute and the breaching Humpback is AWESOME. When I watch these wildlife programs and the photographer(s) take all these wonderful photos in front of the video camera, one wonders how long they have waited just for that split second moment and how many people are assisting in the background. It must be very challenging for you to be alone, with limited time and apparently budget as well. Love to see more photos and read more discussion.
 
Exciting photos. I especially like the whale shot. Looks like you were photographing the leaping whale at the trough of a wave. It must have been rough seas. I read about people talking about the MK4 but they usually refer to taking sports photos. I am interested in how the camera performs with wildlife, especially handheld and under difficult conditions and how much better it is compared to the MK3 and 7D. Did you use the HD feature? Discuss more about the functionality of the different cameras.
 
imo the 7d is a better birding camera overall than the mk3, the mk3 does feel as though its working faster and it might be, but the 7d does not lag behind when it comes to getting the shot .
iv yet to say when using the 7d that i had wished id had the mk3 with me instead.
Rob.

The 7D is an excellent camera in its own right but I would not compare it 'directly' with the MK3 or MK4. If one thinks a $5000 camera should take 'better' photos than a $1,700 camera by a factor of 2.94, one would be bitterly disappointed. After a certain level of features and build a camera possesses, 'additional' performance come in SMALL increments and the skill of the user is paramount in bringing out the perceived advantages. I have stated, in my opinion, the 7D is the best value in Canon's current lineup of digital DSLR, but for me, it is not a competitor to the MK3 or MK4. I bring both on most of my outings and use them as appropriate.

The difference between the MKs'3 and MK4's performance is even tougher to appreciate. I have used the MK3 extensively for 2 1/2 years but am comfortable to make a comparison between the two after putting the MK4 through some grueling conditions. I do not use Live View or the HD Movie modes, so I will not comment on them. The difference for me is almost indiscernible except for the 45 active AF points in the MK4. It is very helpful to be able to shift from the left/right to 16 points to 45 points in a couple of seconds while still panning the camera to chase wildlife as the conditions change. For me, it meant the difference between getting a better focused image vs. a slightly blurred one. The increased pixel count and slightly higher quality help in cropping images when the wildlife is far away.

If I own a MK2 N or if I can sell my MK3, I'd buy the MK4 in a flash. If I cannot sell the MK3 and do not need/want the HD Movie mode, I'd wait for a good, used MK4 to come on the market.

I used the 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS and 400 DO lenses for the posted photos. Extenders were used except on the hummers. The hummers were shot with f/2.8 @ ISO 3200 under dark, drizzly sky. Capuchin was darting swiftly between branches and leaves. Humpback Calf breached suddenly, out of nowhere. Gannet was bobbing up and down in the waves, to get away from the strong head winds. All challenging conditions for the MK4's AF to lock on and shoot at 10 fps and showoff its low light capability.
 

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Exciting photos, Michael. Looks like the MK4 is working out well for you as a wildlife camera. Canon can't be too 'pleased' by your opinion that one should wait for a good, used MK4 to come along if one already has the MK3, or unless the latter is sold. Too bad you do not use the Live View and HD Video mode. I have heard that's rather slow in taking off for those who are SLR photographers and not 'videographers'. Put some travel photos up next so we can see how the camera performs with 'still' subjects.
 
Exciting images, Michael. The hummingbirds are really beautiful and the whale calf is cute and thrilling. I agree with you on this 'diminishing' return as one trades up to more and more expensive gear. It seems our whole economy is based on convincing consumers to trade up on everything every few months/years. It can range from cars to cell phone to flat screen TVs. Once in a great while, a new generation of camera gear does turn up and it can 'revolutionize' photo taking. I wonder what the next technology will be to take photography to a new level. |=\|
 
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