This one from Luke in San Luis Obispo:

Question:
Hey Ryan. Thanks for taking the time to spread your knowledge, it is very appreciated. You have shot both the 1D III and the 5d MII; which do you think is better for the wedding/portrait shooter; I’m wondering about color accuracy, focusing speed (especially low-light), high ISO performance, customization/usability both in regards to how the camera is laid out, and the custom functions it provides, and any other factors you think are important. Also, while I have your attention, are you planning on incorporating video capture into your wedding repertoire? Thanks again, Ryan.

Answer:
Your welcome Luke, anytime

Everyone will have their opinion on the camera question but I personally feel that the 5D MII is a better camera for portrait and wedding shooters. Camera layout is subjective. I personally like the lighter smaller feel of the 5D and since I shoot with 2 cameras at all times. It is less overall weight on my body. I don’t use the vertical grips either. Using two batteries plus the grip itself just adds weight. If you shoot sports or are in the studio a lot, you might really like/need the vertical grip due to speed and the vertical shutter button. The 5D Mark II is one of the most flawless screens I have seen to date it has 960,000 pixels vs. the 1D’s 230,000. Oh, and there is the small price difference of about $5000. Now for the real meat…..

In terms of color accuracy they are both on par and the differences are subtle. In terms of white balance The 5D MII is really neutral/white almost to a fault for shooting portraits. But when you take it into Lightroom or ACR you are starting from a good white point. I find that the colors pop a touch more on the 5D MII.

Focusing speed will be determined in part by the lens you choose. I am not sure how much the actual camera has to do with it. At least with these two bodies. In low light it’s hit or miss. With an 85mm 1.2 it’s slow slow slow. With a 35mm 1.4 it’s fast fast fast. The 1D has a few more focusing points and they have a wider spread so on paper it would appear to focus faster. However, I only activate the center focus point when I shoot so for me at least, they are equal. I use the center point only, focus, and then recompose. That way I ensure the eyes are in focus and everything else can suffer

High ISO is about the same in terms of noise produced although I feel that the 5D does a better job. It has the updated Digic4 processor which could be the reason why. The 1D only goes to 3200 while the 5D MII can go up to 25,000. However, I wouldn’t push either camera past 3200.

Here is a great review of the two by Phil. Click Here.

On the subject of video:

I tried shooting video but didn’t love the results I was getting. After seeing some people shoot recently I started to realize why. The first and most important thing is a Zacuto Z-Finder. The second is a pair of Redrock rings for focusing. Without these two items it will be very hard to make a good video unless you use a tripod and really plan out your shots. Now they are insanely expensive and then you have the whole post-production issue on top of that. I will keep an eye on the technology and learn slowly but the days of realistic video with a DSLR without a large budget are a few years off.

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