What's a good older Canon dslr?

[Dragoncamera7]

I'm interested in birding, landscape photography and nature shots animals. What is a good older Canon dslr to get? I have used a T1i and 450D and like both. How does the 40D and 20D compare to the 450D? And is it possible to find cheap 1D mark II or 5D mark I? Can these older high models stack up against the newer mid series models?

Thanks,

Ben

[ebiggs1]

"Thanks for steering me away from the old 1 series."

Not so fast there Dragoncamera7.  Steer back on the road!

The older 1 series cameras can be the best value.  The batteries are around $25 bucks brand new.  So, that is a bogus tip.  They are tough as nails. Mostly weather proff. They still focus with the best of them. They have high speed shooting at 10 frames per second. On and on.....

The best buy in a 1 series is the 1D Mk III, however, IMHO. Cost vs performance.  The Mk II series is OK but they don't do computers very well.  I don't think you will get a 1d3 for $200, though. Before I bought any consumer so-called prosumer camera I would check out a 1d3.  Maybe save your coins a but longer.  Once you go 1 series you'll never go back.

[TTMartin]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Thanks for steering me away from the old 1 series."

Not so fast there Dragoncamera7.  Steer back on the road!

The older 1 series cameras can be the best value.  The batteries are around $25 bucks brand new.  So, that is a bogus tip.  They are tough as nails. Mostly weather proff. They still focus with the best of them. They have high speed shooting at 10 frames per second. On and on.....

The best buy in a 1 series is the 1D Mk III, however, IMHO. Cost vs performance.  The Mk II series is OK but they don't do computers very well.  I don't think you will get a 1d3 for $200, though. Before I bought any consumer so-called prosumer camera I would check out a 1d3.  Maybe save your coins a but longer.  Once you go 1 series you'll never go back.

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I just checked pricing on Genuine Canon 1 series batteries and they are $169 on Amazon. 

Third party batteries that run about $5-7.50 for non-1 series cameras are the $25 you quote. When your budget is $200, even a $25 batteries eat up too big a big chunk of that.

[ebiggs1]

"I just checked pricing on Genuine Canon 1 series batteries and they are $169 on Amazon. "

So glad you are checking Tom.  We are thankful to have such a reliable resource available to us.  Some forums are not so fortunate.  Thanks again.

[RobertTheFat]

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@Dragoncamera7 wrote:

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I am hoping to get something for around 200. I like what I have heard about the 40D so that is at the top of my list. Thanks for steering me away from the old 1 series. I will keep looking around, but I can't wait till I get one!

Ben

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The big problem with old 1D's is that they outlive their obsolescence. I.e., unless you're very hard on your 1D, it will still be going strong when its features have become archaic by the standards of the day. As Ernie Biggs once said in this forum, you can bash somebody's head in with a 1D and still use it to take the crime scene pictures.

[kvbarkley]

I think I saw that on a Colombo once. 8^)

Actually, it is closer to the woman killing her husband with the frozen Leg of Lamb and feeding it to the detectives on Alfred Hitchcock presents.

[Waddizzle]

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@jrhoffman75 wrote:

Look into a 1D Mark IV.

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There are only two "older" 1D bodies I would consider buying now: the 1D Mark IV and the 1Ds III.

[Dragoncamera7]

Now of course I am thinking again about the potential line up. The newest I would go with is the 450D. I feel like the 40D is the middle ground. But now I am interested in the 1 series still. The original 1D only has 4 megapixels which I don't think is enough. But the 1D mark 2 and the 1Ds definately have enough megapixels. So basically how do these 1 series compare against the 40D/450D?

Ben

[ScottyP]

Are all of your lenses EF or do you have some that are EF-s?  I ask because you are looking at going full frame with some of these camera bodies, and if you need to replace any crop lenses with EF lenses you will need hundreds more dollars for that. 

Also, as was said before, the oldest of these old bodies are just obsolete.  Just because they once upon a time cost a lot does not mean they are still an upgrade over a much newer less expensive body, due to the advances that have been made in sensors and autofocus. 

[ebiggs1]

"But now I am interested in the 1 series still."

I love 1 series cameras. I have all of them except the newest 1Dx.  I don't see the money vs performance in it over my 1D Mk IV.

The 'best buy' is still the 1D Mk III.  Although the bogus battery cost that was mentioned above is ridiculous it offers all the features of the newer cameras.  It is a lithium battery for instance.  It works with current computers. Has all the stuff I listed before and the price is falling like a rock from what they originally sold for.  Even if you have to save for a bit longer I would still recommend it to you. 

However, if you decide to go back to the 1D Mk II or even back further, you will run into some issues that make it less appealing.  For instance it is not computer friendly.  They are firewire. Not USB.  You can not change some settings in the menus. They use less desirable ni-cad batteries.  Other then these few things, they are still great cameras and their price is even more attractive. I still use my 1D Mk II n and it is the one I recommend you try to find if it is a Mk II you want.

For nice examples a 1d3 will go in the $500-$600 range.  The 1ds3 in the $900-$1000 range. If you are willing to accept a more 'seasoned' veteran camera. maybe a hundred less for either model.  Just think these bodies originally sold for $6000 to $8000 bucks.  You can own one for dimes on the dollar!

Point to remember 1 series bodies will not accept ef-s lenses.  They require ef only.

[ebiggs1]

"The original 1D only has 4 megapixels ..."

The spec of a "4MP sensor" is misleading.  The 1D and 1Ds make beautiful photos.  The 1D does an amazing job on portraits. It has a 4.48 megapixel CCD sensor. Not the current cmos type.  It is 18 years old now and not user friendly in several ways.  I would avoid it as a 'the only camera I have' situation.  For me it is a fun toy to get out and play around with but time has passed it by. But they work and work well.