How do you like your Canon EOS-1ds Mark II? Would you recommend it for birding and other wildlife imaging?
I have a 5D but I am always getting caught in sandstorms, rains or snow it seems. I really need something sealed but I can’t afford more than the ds Mark II.
I go between Bryce and Lake Powell quite often in the summer.
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I’ve shot in torrential rain, humid factories, hot and cold locations for news assignments. The camera is bagged or covered during rain, and it’s still operational. It can take a beating from mother nature.
If you photograph birds in flight (action), I’d recommend the 1d instead of 1ds, because of larger buffer, higher fps, and 1.3 crop factor (saves you from having to get an extender). While some action is too fast for high fps to be effective (then it becomes more of a timing issue), birds flying at 10-30mph should be fine. The AF is just as fast and accurate as the 1ds (2.8 or wider). Also, I’m assuming you don’t routinely crop tight in PP, or print larger than 11×14 @ 300dpi.
I’ve found the MKIII 1D’s to be significantly improved in the AF department over the MKII’s, now that the bugs are out of the system. I never found the outer points on the MKII to be particularly reliable, while the MKIII’s outer points are all x-type and equally capable.
You may also find advantages in the cleaner high-ISO abilities of the newer camera.
That said, the DsII makes some of the most beautiful files I’ve ever seen… perhaps more organic than my 5DII even.
For birding, I might think long and hard about a 1DIII over a 1DsII.
I’ve owned both cameras.