5D Mk III vs D800/E, is the 5D3 better at anything?

[V8Beast]

Reading through this whole thread (8 pages...really?) reminds me of something I heard an old cowboy say years ago. Some people would complain if they were hung with a brand new rope. (smile)

Dave

That's just silly. I very much prefer getting hung with old rope. It's much more compliant.

 

[dunkers]

People said the same thing about the D7000 vs the 60D. Still doesn't change the fact that both are great cameras. They both produce superb images.Just because one may have better specs doesn't mean that the other one is a terrible camera.

True, but the (no doubts in my mind) better camera d7000 is much more expensive than my trusty 60d ... and the price is the reason I got the latter and because I like the one hand usage of the Canon body better than the side buttons of Nikon.

It's the other way around for the 5d3 vs d800: the camera with the imho overall better specs is less expensive! The heated discussion shows that it's not as simple as saying "get the one you like", but there are many doubt about the future r&d capabilities of Canon vs Nikon/Sony. If you invest thousand of bucks in one system, you're stuck with it, and the manufacturers - Canon for one - know this.

Don't forget it also depends on what kind of photography you do. One camera may have better specs in a certain area, but if you don't care for that aspect then it means nothing.

For sports shooters, the 5D Mk3 has better specs. Higher fps and better low light. Sure you can buy the battery grip and shoot in DX mode, but are you really going to spend $3000 just to do that? If I buy the D800, I would very much like to use all 36 megapixels otherwise I'd just get the D7000 and spend the difference on glass.

For studio shooters, the D800 supposedly has the edge thanks to the higher megapixel count for peeping every single eyebrow of your model. However, this can also be a bad thing because the model might not like the photo because you can see every single blemish on their skin.

So you can argue that one has "better" specs than the other, but if you don't care for those specs then it is meaningless.

 

[DavidRiesenberg]

The heated discussion shows that it's not as simple as saying "get the one you like", but there are many doubt about the future r&d capabilities of Canon vs Nikon/Sony.

There is absolutely no reason to doubt Canon's R&D capabilities. If there's blame to be handed, point it towards the marketing, sales and finances departments.

 

[Marsu42]

There is absolutely no reason to doubt Canon's R&D capabilities. If there's blame to be handed, point it towards the marketing, sales and finances departments.

I'm always the one to blame Canon marketing for red ring and big white lens brainwashing (see my smites ), while I love my camera, though it's only a lowly 60d + 70-300L, 100macro. But it was argued that in the long term, Canon might have a hard time competing with Nikon backed by Sony. But of course I don't really know about that, the advances in Sony sensor technology might just temporary good luck.

 

[simonxu11]

The heated discussion shows that it's not as simple as saying "get the one you like", but there are many doubt about the future r&d capabilities of Canon vs Nikon/Sony.

There is absolutely no reason to doubt Canon's R&D capabilities. If there's blame to be handed, point it towards the marketing, sales and finances departments.

What's the point to have excellent R&D capabilities if they don't deliver them to end users in particular 5D users

 

[Alker]

So now we are afraid that Canon is not able to keep up ???
Why ?
Explain ?

Because the 5D mark iii is not what you have expected ?
Because they have not 36 mp (Nikon was always the one with lower MP)
Check the companies financial numbers !!!!

If canon wants 40mp they can deliver

And what about :

70-200 II
300/400/500/600 II
24-70 II
All updated lenses with so much improvement.
Superb lenses !!!!!!!!!

Afraid Canon is falling behind is nonsense.

 

[DavidRiesenberg]

What's the point to have excellent R&D capabilities if they don't deliver them to end users in particular 5D users

But they do deliver them. For all intents and purposes, the 5D3 is an excellent camera by any measuring stick.
As I see it is, Canon feels sure in their position as market leaders so they didn't find the need to wow or overspec the 5D3 beyond what its user base wanted fixed on the 5D2. That makes a great package, albeit a risky one in the long run since it could backfire because Nikon was in a position that needed a big, flashy, exiting product to sway sales towards them. How it will pan out, no one can say at the moment but competition is a good thing for everyone. Especially since the 5D3 is an excellent camera and it's not like we're stuck with a turd.

Win - Win situation in my book.

 

[Pyrenees]

The heated discussion shows that it's not as simple as saying "get the one you like", but there are many doubt about the future r&d capabilities of Canon vs Nikon/Sony.

There is absolutely no reason to doubt Canon's R&D capabilities. If there's blame to be handed, point it towards the marketing, sales and finances departments.

Look, it wouldn't surprise me. Over the last 20 years, the hugely increased (relative) power of these departments, and the obsession with cost-cutting has produced many downsides for the consumer. It brings to mind Porsche's shenanigans of disabling the Cayman's full potential to protect 911 sales.

 

[Alker]

wow ... who r these ladies ... who suddenly need 36MP ... it means they were Photographers who never took any pic till now cause they were waiting for their messiah ... waiting for 36MP sensor ...
what were they doing till now ... washing cars cleaning toilets ...
it makes me laugh that these idiots can't even buy D800 n just by memorizing the specs sheet they r bragging about something which they never can afford ...
those who are serious photographers are out n taking pictures n will buy when the products are on shelves ...
I wish such pixel peepers could implement such scrutiny in their own life too ... they can make this world a better place ... so much complain on a bloody camera ... how have u lived so far in this non-perfect world ... get a life ...

+ 1000000000000000

 

[samthefish]

When I was in Boston last week strolled by the studio of a photographer

http://www.cherylrichards.com

Her stuff looked great through the window (was evening and closed) and I saw she had photographed weddings of Matt Damon, Matt Lauer, and some other well known people. Objectively she looks to be doing very well, you can't afford rent in that part of Boston without doing something right.

I was thinking of this forum and laughing when I saw she does a lot of her photography with a $20 disposable film camera for the "unique imperfections" it imparts.

 

[PhilDrinkwater]

So now we are afraid that Canon is not able to keep up ???
Why ?
Explain ?

Because the 5D mark iii is not what you have expected ?
Because they have not 36 mp (Nikon was always the one with lower MP)
Check the companies financial numbers !!!!

If canon wants 40mp they can deliver

And what about :

70-200 II
300/400/500/600 II
24-70 II
All updated lenses with so much improvement.
Superb lenses !!!!!!!!!

Afraid Canon is falling behind is nonsense.

It's just a bunch of people who think that the sensor matters WAY more than it does it reality (for *most* photographers) to the final photo.

You don't buy into a body - you buy into a system. That's primarily lenses. I'd take a sharper or more creative lens over a bit more resolution any day.

And I'm not defending the 5d3 price btw - I think it's £500 too expensive. However, now that the dust has settled and I've seen RAWs, I'm very happy with my preorder

Compare some of the lenses on both sides at http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx

 

[Alker]

You don't buy into a body - you buy into a system. That's primarily lenses. I'd take a sharper or more creative lens over a bit more resolution any day.

+1

 

[babarasghar]

why I simply can't understand
there is a group of people who always complain ... why sky is blue ... why water is colorless ... so a message for you ... plz dnt get 5D3 ...
PERIOD

 

[rustyolshooter]

these Nikon vs Canon post are so funny. 9 page? really? listen, if you think your taking bad pictures because of your current Canon I doubt D800 is gonna help you out much. I still see plenty of great photos from old 350d, 20d even from the dreaded 50d! Nikon makes great cameras, they always have but so do Pentax, Olympus and yes even Canon. so grab whatever you choose and go out and take some photos and stop worrying about specs, specs, specs.

 

[Orion]

When people speak of better, I imagine they are magnifying atoms and trying to look at photons to see which is better camera . . . . when, at the end of it all it becomes meaningless, once you hold the fricken camera in yuor hands and you get that sense that you can do anything with photography.

Don't forget that the miniscule, when it comes to camera systems being compared, become nothing in real life. . . . hardly an afterthought.

btw, new video on the mkIII stills, etc . . . . filled with samples and shot settings.
http://blog.planet5d.com/2012/03/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-stills-and-video-test-from-slovakia/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Planet5dBlog+%28Planet5D+Blog%29

 

[Astro]

luninous landscape about the D800:

Is it For Me?

A 36 Megapixel camera, with or without an AA filter is terra incognita for many photographers. Till now, unless one has been able to outlay $25,000 to $50,000 for an MF back, camera and lenses, this type of resolving power has not be accessible. Now, for about $3,000, is the D800 series able to match medium format other than in resolving power? We'll have to wait until photographers with MF systems have a chance to do some comparisons, but I wouldn't take bets either way at this point.

Keep in mind that a 36 Megapixel camera isn't for everyone. If you just shot for the web and electronic media; if you rarely make prints larger than Super-A3 (13X19"), if you don't own high-end glass and know how to get the most from it, then neither the D800 nor the D800e are going to make a visible difference to your photography – at least not in terms of their higher resolving power. But if you do make large prints, do have some top Nikon and third party lenses, and do understand and practice optimum shooting technique, then it's my guess that there is nothing for the price that will do as much for your output as one of these two new cameras.

I can tell you that I have placed my order for a Nikon D800e from my local dealer, and hope to take delivery in mid-April. This coincides with my return to Toronto from Mexico, and I expect to spend a good part of the summer shooting various projects (stills and video) with the new Nikon. You can therefore expect several reports on the D800e to appear here in the weeks and months ahead. Friends and colleagues with various MF gear, including the Leica S2, Pentax 645D and Phase, Leaf and Hasselblad backs have already volunteered to help with comparison shoots, and likely the web will be full of such from other sources as well before long.

It's going to be a fun summer.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/nikon_d800_or_d800e.shtml

 

[degies]

Canon 5D MK III vs Nikon D800 with Nathan Elson

I think this is pretty fair ?

 

[V8Beast]

It's a very fair review. Apparently a 20 minute vid exceeds people's attention spans, because no one commented on this vid when other posters put it up

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Canon 5D MK III vs Nikon D800 with Nathan Elson

I think this is pretty fair ?

On big mistake they did make though was comparing dynamic range at very high ISOs, which is the place where nobody ever said the Nikon would be better. They don't seem to realize it is at ISO100-400 where the difference is to be found.

 

[clicstudio]

Can't really compare side by side

All i hear When people talk of the D800 is: Whhhoooaaa 36MP!
Nobody cares about anyhing else. Comparing it to the 5D is not fair.
The D800 is in a category of its own. Getting medium format size photos for $3000 instead of $20,000 for a digital back, is a steal!
People compare these cameras because they were released at the same time and cost is similar.
A more fair comparison would be with a D700...

If u Are a studio photographer Who shoots 100 ISO images with a tripod, then this is The camera to get...
Unless u Are a wedding or concert photographer, the 5D is not a good deal. Hundreds more than the D800 and with half the IQ.
I've been a loyal Canon 1-series user since 2003 and I think I stay loyal because I've been using 1's and not any other lower quality camera. The experience of using a real pro camera makes a huge difference. At least in my case.
I've said it before: the 5D is a camera for those who can't afford a 1D X.
The higher the number, the crappier the camera.
Canon needs a "3D" camera with 30+ MP for $4000 to compete with the D800...
If I were just starting photography and Needed to decide between brands and had a tight budget, I would never choose canon.