Canon EOS 5D Mk iii or iv in low light

[mfostervt]

I am an amatuer photographer and avid birder.  I am passionate about bird photography and am considering an upgrade of my body.  Right now I have a 70D and have captured some wonderful images with it but I really struggle with the camera in low light.  Unfortunately birds do not often cooperate and I am unable to fill the frame with a bird, which means I am often cropping photos, sometimes significantly.  Low light and higher ISO just don't seem to work well with the 70D.  Noise is something I am always dealing with in Lightroom, but that means I am losing detail.  I am considering either the MK iii or iv as an upgrade and have been scouring the internet to see what others experience with these 2 bodies are.  Seems there is confilicting information on these low light images.  Some say the new higher res sensor on the iv is the answer, others say that the processing of low light images on the iii is better.  It is my guess that either would be a significant upgrade for me, but if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I want the one that will work best for me.  The faster frame rate of the iv is also attractive for birds in flight photos, but not enough of a thing that I wouldn't consider the iii.  I don't live near any camera store that would let me try them out as I am in rural VT, so I am stuck with researching on the net.  Any help you can provide would be great.

[ebiggs1]

" I am passionate about bird photography ..."

Consider the 7D Mk II.  Not really an answer but it is a great camera for birders.

[Waddizzle]

"Noise is something I am always dealing with in Lightroom, but that means I am losing detail.  I am considering either the MK iii or iv as an upgrade and have been scouring the internet to see what others experience with these 2 bodies are. "

If noise is that much of a an issue for you, then you may want a 5D3 or 5D4.  Either camera is two stops better than the 70D in the ISO range. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Unfortunately birds do not often cooperate and I am unable to fill the frame with a bird, which means I am often cropping photos, sometimes significantly. "

If cropping photos is that much of an issue, then you may want a 7D2.  It uses an APS-C sensor, which means your photos will have the same angle of view.  But, the 7D2 can focus at f/8, which means you can use an 1.4 extender without losing the ability to auto focus.  The 7D2 offers the best AF system for moving subjects, which is why it is so favored by birders. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" It is my guess that either would be a significant upgrade for me, but if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I want the one that will work best for me.  The faster frame rate of the iv is also attractive for birds in flight photos, but not enough of a thing that I wouldn't consider the iii. "

Between the 5D3, 5D4, and 7D2, you will get a much higher frame rate, improved low light performance, and better AF performance.  I think any of them would work, and would work quite well.  I would give an edge to the 5D bodies for low noise.  I give the 7D2 the edge for your cropping concerns, but with just a small gain in noise performance.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@mfostervt wrote:

I am an amatuer photographer and avid birder.  I am passionate about bird photography and am considering an upgrade of my body.  Right now I have a 70D and have captured some wonderful images with it but I really struggle with the camera in low light.  Unfortunately birds do not often cooperate and I am unable to fill the frame with a bird, which means I am often cropping photos, sometimes significantly.  Low light and higher ISO just don't seem to work well with the 70D.  Noise is something I am always dealing with in Lightroom, but that means I am losing detail.  I am considering either the MK iii or iv as an upgrade and have been scouring the internet to see what others experience with these 2 bodies are.  Seems there is confilicting information on these low light images.  Some say the new higher res sensor on the iv is the answer, others say that the processing of low light images on the iii is better.  It is my guess that either would be a significant upgrade for me, but if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I want the one that will work best for me.  The faster frame rate of the iv is also attractive for birds in flight photos, but not enough of a thing that I wouldn't consider the iii.  I don't live near any camera store that would let me try them out as I am in rural VT, so I am stuck with researching on the net.  Any help you can provide would be great.

---

Since the 5D3 and the 5D4 have the same sensor size, you'd expect the 5D3 to be a better low-light performer because its pixels are larger. But this is a time of remarkable improvement in sensor technology, so that argument may not be as clear-dut as it would have been, say, five or six years ago. If all you're looking for is a reason to buy one camera over the other, I'd point out that right now the 5D3 is about $1000 less expensive than the 5D4.

[mfostervt]

Thanks for your thoughts and help.  The 3 bodies mentioned here are the ones I have been considering.  Might wind up with the 5d mk iii but still not sure yet.

[Waddizzle]

---

@mfostervt wrote:

Thanks for your thoughts and help.  The 3 bodies mentioned here are the ones I have been considering.  Might wind up with the 5d mk iii but still not sure yet.

---

I think that the 5D3 may be your best bet.  If you're looking for a bargain deal on it .....

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-5d-mark-iii-body-refurbished

I cannot recall if it can focus at f/8, or not.  If not, I'd say go for the 7D2, for sure.  If teh camera can focus at f/8, then it is capable of using EF1.4 extenders with many "L" telephoto lenses, and many 3rd party lenses, too.

I also know that the 80D can focus at f/8, too, but lacks the sophisticated AF tracking found in the 5D3 and 7D2.  The 80D also lacks the build quality of a 7D or 5D series camera body.

[alexkoo]

I have various combos for birding, Canon, Nikon and Sony, depending on the occasions.

7DII+100-400 II can be a good choice for high frame rate and fast focusing but the low light performance is only slightly better than 70D.(got this body,too) Invaluable for shooting exquisite bird, won't miss the opportunity.

5DIII+captioned lens, my wife used this combo, with/without 1.4X, removing the extender on exceptional low light, near dusk.(back from f/8 single spot auto focusing to f/5.6) May not be good for BIF due to slow focusing.(would upgrade to 5D IV few days later due to attractive local price in Hong kong)

Sony A6300+Metabone IV adapter+Canon 400/5.6, light weight, still fast focusing due to phase detection.(out foc in low light condition) Good for more casual shooting, after going to restaurant. Hard to track BIF.

Currently using Nikon D750+Tamron150-600mm GII, very happy with this.(occasionally D750/D7200+Nikon 200-500mm, with/without extender) Should consider lens availability, price and reach before going for camera body brand/model.

After trying all these, I find that good eyesight(fast tracking), white bread and good lighting condition are the essence of birding. A Panny FZ 1000 can still capture good pictures for birds in proximity.

[ebiggs1]

"Currently using Nikon D750+Tamron150-600mm GII, very happy with this.(occasionally D750/D7200+Nikon 200-500mm, with/without extender) Should consider lens availability, price and reach before going for camera body brand/model."

If you are already a brand-N user, didn't you consider the D5?  It is the king for low light.  I got to play with one the other day and I must admit it is a darn good camera.  Maybe the best DSLR made.

 I can't say too much good about your Nikkor 200-500mm.  Really, you like it? That is and has always been the problem with Nikon.  The lens line up. Oh sure, there are lenses that are quite good but the lens line in total goes to Canon without doubt.  If the 1DX Mk II had the D5 sensor!!!!!!!!!!!!