5D mkiii or D800?

[iamtheoneneo]

ah man your taking this a bit too much to heart and for that i'm out.
I have no intention of getting into a ****ging match over what I put, its an opinion and I feel like your twisting my words to have a dig and even going into stuff that's not relevant to the discussion, so that's all cool but like I said i'm out.

 

[An Exception]

They are both good, if someone can only take good photos in the Nikon and only rubbish from the Canon.

It's the photographer behind the camera.

While this scenario is mostly completely unrealistic, if this was a 'fair test' (like back in our science classes in school), then it would actually be down to the camera, as that is the only variable.

Raymond, can you advise how I would shoot a landscape with a large dynamic range and uneven horizon such as foliage with the 5Diii without getting banding in the shadows?

 

[Raymond Lin]

No idea, I don't shoot landscapes, and lucky for us we don't live in a classroom.

There are more to life than tests and there are more to each camera than dynamic range.

Can you tell me how to take photos without making a sound in a church?

 

[An Exception]

No idea, and lucky for us we don't live in a church.
There are more to life than sound tests and there are more to each camera than shutter noise.

Just kidding.

If I wanted to take pictures in a church without making a sound, I wouldn't move around, and I would use a camera without a mechanical shutter or mirror.

While the 5diii has a useful quite(r) shutter mode, I wouldn't say it doesn't make a sound.

that's all cool but like I said i'm out.

Wait for me!

 

[Raymond Lin]

All these bickering for the past week, I wonder how many here actually has the camera in question that they so fiercely defend?

p.s. I don't know what that video proves.

1 - I don't need you to post a video to tell me how loud the 5D3 shutter is, I can just use mine.
2 - It's a video, hence I can just turn the sound up and down...

 

[James J]

Few to none.

 

[Rojin]

While this scenario is mostly completely unrealistic, if this was a 'fair test' (like back in our science classes in school), then it would actually be down to the camera, as that is the only variable.

Raymond, can you advise how I would shoot a landscape with a large dynamic range and uneven horizon such as foliage with the 5Diii without getting banding in the shadows?

Would you like to say how you would use liveview to critically obtain focus on the D800 in this instance as well? Seeing as liveview is a massive flaw with the D800.

Not mention that traditional methods of multiple exposures have been getting around DR issue for ages, and haven't suddenly become redundant.

 

[JAzz]

Yeh lenses do bodies don't. It's a bit annoying that grey imports of the D800 cost a fair bit more than the 5Diii when UK RRP is the opposite.
Personally though, if I'm spending >£2K I would pay the extra couple of hundred and get the UK model, as you get 2 years proper warranty.
I think the rainforest has them currently at 2.5K, although occasionally I'v seen them at 2.4K

Yeah true if you are spending that much for the sake of a few hundred pound not worth the risk. Especially with the likes of the D800 having AF issues.

The D800 is a proper overkill for me but like my mate once said you just have to have the best item and I'm the type of guy who when he needs 1 yard of cloth comes home with 5! It's a disease

 

[An Exception]

Would you like to say how you would use liveview to critically obtain focus on the D800 in this instance as well? Seeing as liveview is a massive flaw with the D800.

Not mention that traditional methods of multiple exposures have been getting around DR issue for ages, and haven't suddenly become redundant.

D800's liveview may be weak are. If it's as good as the D700, then it's usable. It's not hard to zoom in to check focus even if it's a little noisy.

Oh, and multiple exposures don't really work well if the foreground is moving.

 

[Johnny|lucidcomposure]

Also a few points for the amazing 5D!

all these mega pixels are fantastic if the shot is in focus (sure its going to be most of the time) but the 5D is built to be almost completely reliable when it comes to doing your wedding shots.


I would pay the 2k price to have a camera bang every shot perfectly in focus! Nikon may have bundled in more MP but you know what two things I want from my next camera. Weather sealing in an affordable body (the Nikon flash ruins that)
I want AF that is truly outstanding which it is..

I think you'll find that composing a picture in the dark is hard on most cameras but on the 5D the live view is rated to see absolutely incredible when it comes to dark composing and even focusing!

 

[An Exception]

Yeah true if you are spending that much for the sake of a few hundred pound not worth the risk. Especially with the likes of the D800 having AF issues.

The D800 is a proper overkill for me but like my mate once said you just have to have the best item and I'm the type of guy who when he needs 1 yard of cloth comes home with 5! It's a disease

+1

Apparently latest batches don't suffer from the AF issues, even so I'll be waiting a while longer before biting the bullet just in case.
The D600 seems to be the wild card for me at the moment. By the time I'm looking to get a D800, the D600 may be released, and I prefer the D7000 form factor if I'm honest.

 

[An Exception]

I would pay the 2k price to have a camera bang every shot perfectly in focus! Nikon may have bundled in more MP but you know what two things I want from my next camera. Weather sealing in an affordable body (the Nikon flash ruins that)

Ironically the D300, D7000, D700.. and so on.. all have better weather sealing than the Canon 1 series (excluding 1dx due to lack of info). The 5d weather sealing is practically non existent in comparison.
Not forgetting that the bodies are not weather sealed without weather sealing on the lenses. As far as I'm aware, ALL Nikon G glass has a rubber gasket at the mount.

 

[Raymond Lin]

The original 5D? If you are being specific about Nikon models then at least be specific with Canon models too.

p.s. somebody post that video from Digital Rev where they put the 7D in water, ice (that got INSIDE the mirror chamber and then set on fire.

And still works!!!

 

[Phal]

The original 5D? If you are being specific about Nikon models then at least be specific with Canon models too.

p.s. somebody post that video from Digital Rev where they put the 7D in water, ice (that got INSIDE the mirror chamber and then set on fire.

And still works!!!

That was quite amusing - defrosting it with a full auto BB gun >.<

I also saw a vid of them testing my new 100mm macro L lens... apparently it's splash proof so he poured a 1L bottle of water on it lol :/ still worked fine

 

[dannyjo22]

This one ray...

"Canon 7D - Hardcore Durability Test"

Can't put a direct link as it has a couple of swears but having that ice block build up around the mirror and then still work was pretty amazing.

 

[An Exception]

The original 5D? If you are being specific about Nikon models then at least be specific with Canon models too.

p.s. somebody post that video from Digital Rev where they put the 7D in water, ice (that got INSIDE the mirror chamber and then set on fire.

And still works!!!

5D 1 and 2, most likely 3 as well. Apparently they use foam seals and not rubber.
As for the 7D, I'v heard they tend to let in water fairly easily, stop working temporarily, but the then come back to life once dried. With the 5D 2, they often die permanently.

 

[James J]

5D 1 and 2, most likely 3 as well. Apparently they use foam seals and not rubber.
As for the 7D, I'v heard they tend to let in water fairly easily, stop working temporarily, but the then come back to life once dried. With the 5D 2, they often die permanently.

You've heard? Says it all really.

I've heard that a water bottle tends to let water in fairly easily, stops working temporarily when the water loses its heat, but then comes back to life once refilled.

Utter hearsay nonsense!

 

[D.P.]

What issues made them score it lower ?

The issue that Canon paid them money to favour their cameras and would be very upset if they issued a real truthful review?


There just isn't a debate regarding sensor design and image quality, the D800 sensor outclasses the 5DMKIII in every single aspect one can ever imagine. Yeah, sure most of the time the difference is small (like Nikon has a slight noise advantage at high ISOs, not big enough to make a usable difference), in other areas Nikon is seemingly several generations ahead like DR, which is critical to a huge amount of photographers who don't use controlled lighting- the D800 8-16x better, literally!


The differences between the rest of the cameras is relatively small I do firmly believe the D800 offers few extras and advantages (built in flash, better weather sealing no doubt, RAW HDMI out which is a massive gain for videotogs)all for a little less money, but nothing really deal breaking like in the previous generation.

 

[D.P.]

Not much love for the Canon here.

I personally am going to say Canon. I love their systems. I think they are solid and are far easier to use than the Nikon. Maybe that's just because I am used to it but using a Nikon always feels a stupid way around.

What I don't think you are considering here is that the 5D III has far superior video capture at high ISO compared to the Nikon. Far far far!

The thing to remember is that yes I agree the biggest downfall is the lack of more MP compared and the DR which is so much better on the Nikon.. But look a things like flash line ups too. Remember you are buying a system and the body always becomes the most refreshed element.

Because I have sold so much of my gear now I am back in the do I go 5D way or D800 way.. I do think I'll stick with Canon.

As someone pointed out, it wont hardly make much difference to your photographs or make you a much better photographer. There's a lot to be said here for professionalism and practice.

Biggest question here which Ray has tried to raise is try them both in your hands! They are hugely different in size and shape! you may find the D800 is too big and uncomfortable. I've always found the Canon is better shaped for ones hand.

The 5DKIII may be better at video at high ISOs but overal the D800 is a far, far more enticing setup for video cameras due to the raw uncompressed video out of HDMI. Just like most pro photographers shoot RAW and not jpeg, most pro videographers want to shoot RAW and not mpeg or other compressed formats. That alone is making the D800 far more attractive for production video, where high ISO is not a concern due to controlled lighting setups. Maybe the 5DMKIII is better for wedding videoogrpahers who might not bother with raw video and might have to film at high iSOs?

 

[D.P.]

The original 5D? If you are being specific about Nikon models then at least be specific with Canon models too.

p.s. somebody post that video from Digital Rev where they put the 7D in water, ice (that got INSIDE the mirror chamber and then set on fire.

And still works!!!

Or how about the numerous reports of 5dMKII compeltely failing relative to Nion bodies int eh sma econditions?
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/antarctica-2009-worked.shtml

The largest group of failures through were among the Canon 5D MKIIs. Of the 26 samples of this camera onboard, one quarter (six) failed at one time or another, and while three recovered, the other three never did. In all cases it appeared to be water or humidity damage. Of particular concern were two cameras which stopped working while completely protected within Kata rain covers during a light rain ashore. They came back to life the following day though and were mostly fine for the rest of the trip, but one died permenently just before the end of our voyage.

I don't know what conclusions should be drawn from this high percentage of 5D MKII failures. All I can do is report on the facts of the matter. As for the weather during which most of the failures happened, it was no worse than a drizzly day in winter in New York or Berlin. Nothing Antarctic about it at all.

The same guy has several reports from earlier trips to Antarctica with the same findings, 1/4- 1/3 of all canon 5dMKIIs failing while no or very few Nikon bodies failing. And I have read similar reports all around the net over the years from safari workshops in South Africa, guided photo tours of Patagonia, Yellowstone photo guides, etc.