Special video - Canon 1Ds Mark ii in 2020?

[@timotheemohr2805]

Got one half a year ago, and became my favorite camera ever. It has over 500k actuations but works very smoothly. Got it for dirt cheap. I've owned a Sony mirrorless, a 7D, 5D mark I and II, the 1ds III but this one is my favorite in terms of the rendering. It just has some sort of beautiful smoothness that I've never seen anywhere else, plus fantastic colors. I always reach for it when shooting portrait in studio, but it also is my favorite under natural light conditions. 16mpx is also a sweetspot in terms of resolution and file size. Also weirdly enough I actually love the funky button control setup with this camera. You quickly get used to it. I definitely recommend it if you love that special rendering and don't mind the challenges like the tiny display, older battery tech, sensor dust, slower operation.. hidden gem to my mind

[@martinbyrne6643]

Bought one of these brand new in 2007’ paid 6800 euro for it ‘ it has been all over the world many times and still going strong

[@murasakistudio]

I still have mine purchased new back in June of 2005. These days I do find it rather heavy and antiquated for many purposes, but nevertheless I am able to use it for work when needed. Recently I installed a trial version of DxO PhotoLab 6 and processed some old Raw files. The quality was head and shoulders above anything I had seen before from this camera and showed it can still impress, even in 2023.

[@williamgye8944]

Bought mine new in 2006 - still have it. Love it. My first 1D series camera (have also got 1D Mk IV and 1Dx) and built like a brick. Takes great photos

[@dps6198]

I bought one last year for $400 on eBay. The original owner took very good care of this camera. It looks NIB for the age. She included ALL of the original accessories and documentation except the original box. Keep in mind when this camera was introduced it the MSRP was $7000 in 2004 and I paid less than $400 for it. The owner used about 3% of the 200k rate shutter accuations. As a professional camera the megapixels are lower than those of Canon's pro-sumer cameras so that it can shoot continuously without bogging down the buffer and waiting for the processor to finish writing to either of the cards. When you buy this camera you need to upgrade to the 1.1.6 firmware so that you can use SD and Compact Flash up to 32gb. However the camera won't be able to format at 32gb so you'll need to format that on your PC then use the card in the camera. With firmware 1.1.6 the camera will recognize cards up to 32GB. If you accidentally format the card with the camera you'll get a partition size of only 8gb.

[@holgersheimgymnastik]

I’m still using this workhorse ... over 422.000 exposures. Ergonomics are better than on all smaller DSLRs, imho.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Holger Schmidt Sure! 1D series has special ergonomic feelings.

[@EightRaysStudio]

Lucky! Mine got 254K and it’s starting to show shutter lock problems. Tried getting the shutter replaced thinking it’s time for a new one but unfortunately that was discontinued. It’s sad to see the camera go. I haven’t found any cameras yet that can compete with its fast autofocus.

[@holgersheimgymnastik]

Eight Rays Studio Well, mine has some shutter problems too when I shoot 1/5000, 1/6400 or 1/8000. So I don’t use it in bright sunlight in the middle of the day. For everything else it’s fine. Low-light-capabilities are not to be compared with new pro-DSLRs ... but with proper white balance the colors out-of-camera are fantastic.

[@EightRaysStudio]

Holger Schmidt ohh I see, It has come up often on mine lately so I might have to retire it soon which is unfortunate.

[@EightRaysStudio]

@Maciej Jan Długosz it was a 3rd party repair shop. And yeah, the parts have been discontinued long time ago. They did say they could repair it for $400-$600 CAD (more than what I paid for the camera) but there’s no guarantee it’ll be fixed completely.

[@leeo.alexander2324]

I just got my EOS-1DS Mark II this weekend. I love how it feels in my hand, regardless of its weight. I have not taken it out yet for a field test due to my health. I am a member of the Wichita Wildlight Photographic Society, Lawton OK. This camera, even though well used, is clean and everything works. I got it just below $300. It just feels good when I pick it up. Thanks for your review.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Congratulations! It's truly a workhouse since I've used it for a half month.

[@MannyScoot]

I have a 1DS MK III and I love her !!!!!! ...even in 2023 it is an amazing camera ......

[@SvenHohnhorst]

declaration of love to the camera . thank you

[@alexanderpopov4691]

Very good points highlighted. Especially on softness of the image, this is very true even in comparison to lower resolution bodies (might be due to thick AA filter, don't know for sure), the only camera raw I treat with sharpening tool in editor. But the built quality is simply outstanding. Much much better than any newer camera i had a chance to shoot with, even pro body. And the skin tone out of the camera is unsurpassed to me even if compare to canon 5d or nikon d3. With good light you can achieve trully unique color rendition and look. Very estheticly pleasing. Great tool for passionate photographer. Highly recomended. Very-very good value for money. And yes, the best ever video mode should be mentioned: "no video mode":)

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Ahh so sorry! I forgot your comment. You made me laugh so hard 🤣 Anyway thank you.

[@Ivlodded]

Just gotta love this piece. I bought it so cheap, even if im ever going to upgrade, ill just keep it for the memories.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Congratulations! Enjoy your photography with it👍

[@alexcornofficial]

How much did u buy it for?

[@Ivlodded]

@@alexcornofficial 250€ 40k actuations

[@captainstrong2517]

Where did you bought it?

[@Ivlodded]

@@captainstrong2517 ebay, with some accessories, which I sold afterwards so the price would go down to 250 :)

[@martinruiz398]

This camera is super solid it feels indestructible; however the mark iii makes a huge improvement in ergonomics with a new button layout, larger LCD, less bulky battery/charger, and overall is a slightly lighter package. For those reasons the mark iii is my favorite DSLR.

[@alindayu]

Cool pics, I was at Kyoto too . Also, I am a former owner of 1Ds Mark II.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Thanks bro! To be honest, I still love the image quality from this camera so much, even now I own some other flagship cameras.

[@chipblock2854]

In May 2021 I bought the EOS 1DS Mark II along with the EOS 1D Mark II (both were new in 2006) for $200 each on Ebay. The same cameras on Ebay were selling between $300 and $500 each. They were both in great shape. I had to get new batteries since the ones with the cameras didn't hold their charge well. I already had good lenses, so I didnt have to buy any. For years these have been my dream cameras. They both work very well and I have been pleased with the results. Though they only have 10 megapixels and short frame bursts it's ok with me. I only plan to enlarge any great photos to 11×17 or 16×20. It sure beats my older Rebel. I still use a EOS 630 for b&w photos. Thanks for the video.

[@davidburton2294]

Nice camera

[@nikonmark37814]

Thank you for the awesome video. I currently use a 1Ds, 6D, 1D mk II and a 70D and love all of them. My primary lens with my 1Ds is the 28-80 f2.8-4.0 USM L, the sharpness of this old L lens is unbelievable! Your 1Ds mk II is the pictures in your video is amazing which proves you don't have to have the latest and the greatest to take fantastic pictures.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Thank you Mark Stephan. I totally agree with you. This camera never disappoints me. I'm always surprised by image quality of 16-year-old technology that Canon put into this old man.

[@sealordfilmscanada9196]

I have just purchased one of these in really nice condition however, I am struggling to find the latest firmware 1.1.6 for this camera so I can insert and format cards larger than 8GB. Waiting on Canon for this, fingers crossed. I have not fully tested the camera but I feel confident it will perform well. I'm not a fan of over-sharpening in images, old school I guess. Canon color has always been its strength and I'm hoping this doesn't let me down. Thanks for the video.

[@murasakistudio]

Did you ever find that firmware? I think I have it if needed, having downloaded it several years back from Canon as a backup. The file is called eos1dsmk2116 with both a .dmg and .exe version for Mac & Windows.

[@dmitrystepanov1714]

Пользуюсь этой камерой с 2017 года, удалось приобрести ее в идеальном состоянии с минимальным пробегом. Долго выбирал себе что-то достойное, было море вариантов более современных камер на тот момент, но все же остановился на этом "мамонте" и ни разу не пожалел. Лучшая, на мой вгляд, даже среди большинства современных камер картинка. Даже в более молодых моделях от Кэнон, с бОльшим количеством пикселей, опций и современных решений я не увидел настолько пластичного raw как в 1Ds m2, цвет бесподобен. Вес для себя минусом не считаю, ни одна камера мне так удобно в руку не ложится. Что касается отсутствия многих современных опций как вайфай, сенсорный экран, автоматическая очистка сенсора или синхронизация с пк мне как-то ни разу не создали неудобства при съемке. Да, ИСО хотелось бы повыше в некоторых случаях, но эти случаи слишком редки и при необходимости можно воспользоваться дополнительным освещением или вспышкой. А что касается съемки в обычных условиях, так этот аппарат даст фору многим. Говорить о надежности думаю не стоит, вся линейка единиц это ее эталон. Ресурс - думаю не каждый способен его осилить. Достойная техника из прошлого за приемлемую цену сейчас. Рекомендую, не пожалеете.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Dmitry Stepanov Agree! “Oldy but goldy” is what i think about this camera. Still there some inconvenient when comparing to nowadays one, but it couldn’t stop you from creating great photos.

[@ivanfojan8859]

Hi, thanks for the video. I own a 6D but have always wanted a pro canon camera. I managed to purchase a 1ds mkii, just a couple of days ago. It's in wonderful condition and cost me all of £200!! It's a beast and I'm looking forward to testing it out. I'm also hoping it will give me the push that I need to get back into my photography, as I've not bothered much over the last couple of years :) Subscribed :)

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Ivan Fojan Thank you and Congratulations.With this price, I think you’ve got a best price/performance camera. Some of my best photos were taken by 1ds2, without any post processing the raw file were beautiful itself.

[@matteocalabrese3329]

Hi, did you find better the 1ds mark ii or the 6D is less older so much better?

[@bigdaftorangedog]

Thank you for posting this. I see in the video that you inserted a 16GB SD card - there has been a lot of discussion about memory card compatibility with this camera - were you able to get the 16GB card to work? I can't get anything larger than an old 2GB card to work in mine. I use larger capacity CF cards with no problems but the SD cards have been tricky. Thanks.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Yes, definitely It works well with 16gb sd card. Mine is running firmware ver1.1.6.

[@bigdaftorangedog]

@@lonelyphotographer6099 thanks!

[@Freakpelicanstudio]

Curious if you're still actively using this and what you might think now with this much experience. Just ordered one on eBay and I can't wait for it to arrive!

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Hi Freak Pelican Studio, actually since I got my 1dx, I gave 1ds2 to my brother. But you won't be disappointed. In comparison to 1dx and even 30mpx EosR, I still love the sharpness and "classic color" of the 1ds2. If you are going to use it in studio with good lighting setup, It even give more surprise than what you paid for. The image quality is already on the top tier since the day it was released.

[@ikravchik]

Where did you get such a clean camera? It looks brand new. I bought a beat up 1Ds M II on Ebay. Yes the images are soft, but that's good for portraits. Two things I hate are the weight and the most confusing menu/button system ever devised by man!

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

I bought it in yahoo auction in Japan. Now it’s becomming rare, hard to find one in good condition here.

[@imbored3581]

I was thinking about switching to a canon camera, would you prefer this camera compared to a 70d?? Im mostly going to be using it for photography only

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

im bored Sure, It’s also a difficult one for me too. For nowadays standard of small form factor camera, I’d prefer 70d. Because It’s meaningless if you cannot bring the camera with you. Though in term of image quality I absolutely go for 1ds2. So It seems like which feature you want to tradeoff.

[@pirapatjirakarnsiri3036]

Could u compare 1dsiii & 1dsii?

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

PIRAPAT JIRAKARNSIRI So sorry, I haven’t used 1ds3 yet, let alone give you any comment.

[@pirapatjirakarnsiri3036]

Lonely Photographer thx sir

[@timotheemohr2805]

In case you didn't find an answer after 3 years😂 I prefer the mark II's rendering. I don't see much of an improvement with the III (I own both). Even though there's more pixels in the III it just doesn't seem more detailed, and the colors are not as nice to my eyes. But the newer one has auto sensor dust removal and a better lithium battery + a larger (yet low res) screen. Both are a joy to use though

[@funnychannel3994]

I would want to buy it but i heard that auto mode is not possible on that camera, is that true?

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Yes, that’s true @Funny Channel. You only can use 5 modes: M(manual), Av(aperture priority), Tv, P, Bulb

[@funnychannel3994]

Do you always have to set ISO and Aperture priority when you photograph?

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Since I usually shoot in mode A, and there is no auto iso in any mode, so it happens all the time.

[@funnychannel3994]

Lonely Photographer So only iso is manual, Aperture priority and shutter speed are auto?

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Funny Channel exactly.

[@munzekonza4861]

good video

[@hanu695]

quá chất lượng, muốn 1 lầm được dùng thử :D

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Hanu Sure! Highly recommended.

[@abdulahadhamedofficial]

Hello Please Make also video test with 1ds mark ii

[@EPOELLOMBOK]

I really love this video, I play it over and over again, it gives me such a comfortable feeling.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@brianHobins]

Can it shoot a video...if yes plz make a video for us with settings

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Brian Mukose No, It cannot. You can only shoot still image with it.

[@huqiao]

How much did it cost you?

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Qiao Hu For what you see in this video, body and accessories, it cost me about 500$

[@huqiao]

@@lonelyphotographer6099 Thank you for your video. I just bought one (exact same model like yours) from eBay.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Qiao Hu It sounds great! Enjoy your new gear.

[@mirkoorlando5626]

100-400 iso maybe is the best ever

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Exactly! No problem at all.

[@Infinityskatemedia]

Just bought the non s and thinking about selling my 5d for this one if i like the 1d enough

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

INFINITY SKATE MEDIA iMHO from 5d classic to 1ds2 is a huge step in image quality, AF. It won’t disappoint you.

[@tanako98]

Paid $265 for my Dec 2019. Came with extra batteries etc..

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

What a great deal! I think the price drops not so much here in Japan.

[@tanako98]

I wish I was in Japan that’s one of the most beautiful places to photograph!

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

Exactly! Plum and Sakura flower season are just around the conner.

[@enri_1986]

@@lonelyphotographer6099 Not to mention Japan has a very healthy used camera market. Compare their used equipment to the U.S.'s and its almost like new.

[@lonelyphotographer6099]

@@enri_1986 Yeah. It's so true. At least for what I bought, they are all in great condition.

[@JamesBartholomew1]

No words? “Mannual book”? The music is distracting and annoying. Have you nothing to say? No wonder you are lonely!