1DC: Is a used 1D C worth buying in 2k16?

S

Stroevetim

New member
Hey guys,

i am new to the forum, so sorry for mistakes i make.

I am using a canon 7D and i share a Sony A7S with a friend. I am pretty satisfied with image quality of the A7S but i hate the ergonomics.
The other way i am not happy with the image quality of the 7D but just love the ergonomics of it. It could even be a bit bigger, because i have big hands.

I found the 1D C and the images i see are just stunning.

I own some nice canon L glasses wich i can use with the a7s via adapter.

My question is: Would the 1D C be worth it in 2016?

Sometimes i see them used for around 2500-3000$

Thanks for your advice.

Tim
 
The "is it worth it?" answer usually lies not with the hardware piece itself but with the presence of the competing gear. In other words, can you achieve 1D C image quality with another camera at a similar or lower price point with a similar or superior workflow?

As of now, $2,000-and-under models new are A6300, XT-2, D500 and the outgoing GH4. They all have different features, different shortcomings and different workflows. Within three months, there may also be OMD1 MKII and GH5.

And that's not even accounting external monitor/recorders that can come very handy with most of these pieces (though not necessarily with 1D C).
 
Personally, I would buy the Fuji XT2 over any Canon DSLR. And I am saying that owning over a dozen Canon lenses. The Fuji lenses are supposed to be very good as well. The Fuji's baked in film emulation modes look beautiful to me.
 
I just used the 1DC on a doc trip to Africa. It was my B-camera to the C300mk2. I'm a fan of the image. I don't know enough about compressions and codecs to say if the motion jpeg is better or worse than the avcHD coming off of most DSLR's these days. I find it hard to believe the 100mbs codec is better than 500mbs data rate. I have an LX100 from panasonic and the 100mbs codec is pretty weak once your start pushing it around in post compared to the files from the 1DC. At a glance

I found the image to be moderately pliable and pretty clean and organic. Having a proper C-Log in a DSLR was nice. Also not bad that it's a beefy sports shooter camera. Dual CF slots are great, but it eats CF cards really fast in 4k.

That being said, I'm actually picking up a Fuji XT2 strictly as my dedicated stills camera.
 
I am surprised to hear that even when you are saying that you are getting a 1DC for 2500 to 3000 usd, people here are still not recommending it. It is more than half of what I paid for a new 1DXII.

The 1DC will never stop producing gorgeous files no matter how low the price goes. The MJPEG codec takes up space but is good. It compresses each single frame and hence is bulky. The same MJPEG codec is now used in the 1DX II and 5DIV. In India indie films are still being made with 1DC and getting theatrical release.

The 1DC is a stable camera. It doesn't have the quirks of the other lowend models. And if you are a still shooter, then the 1DC is infinitely better than any of those cameras mentioned.
 
Agreed about the stills, none of the mirrorless cameras compare for stills. I love the color science on the Canon, but it is big and bulky in comparison to the XT2 as far as flying it on a gimbal. Stroevetim, I understand, if you don't like the XT2, 1DC sounds like a good deal. After years of shooting with the 5D MKIII, GH4, a couple of times with the 1DC, I could never go back to the DSLR form factor, I like shooting with the C100/300 too much but if it works for you...For me, the XT2 would live on a Crane so the DSLR-like form factor wouldn't be a big deal. But as my main camera, need XLRs, built in ND, etc.
 
4:2:2...but enough with the specs, lol.

While they can mean a lot, they can also mean absolutely nothing.

The 1DC is a superior camera to the GH4 in my opinion.
 
NorBro said:
... The 1DC is a superior camera to the GH4 in my opinion.
Click to expand...
It is (but for four times the price, as of now).

Doug_EX said:
It's actually 10bit going out of the GH4.
Click to expand...
It's an 8-bit in a 10-bit wrapper.

BTW, the reviews coming in for Xt-2 are glowing. But not many have played with the full video yet. It does have some not so impressive rolling shutter. Adorama is shipping now; others are joining this week.
 
NorBro said:
4:2:2...but enough with the specs, lol.

While they can mean a lot, they can also mean absolutely nothing.

The 1DC is a superior camera to the GH4 in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Having owned and used a GH4 for a year, I would tend to agree. The GH4 has high noise, bad audio and the worst orange/cyan skin tones I have ever seen. At least the 1DC has great skin tones going for it.
 
DLD said:
There's a recent discussion on the GH4 forum.
Click to expand...
Can you tell me what thread ? I read a few that was related to external recorders and 422, but did not read anything about the GH4 not having true 10 bit out.
 
Puredrifting, xlr and inbuilt ND are pure gold. i worked with a fs700 once and with a c100.
I just like the stills/video combo in a formfaktor that i realy like. I have considered a c100 but then i need to take some pictures and i am sure i would miss the possibility to shoot stills.

About the 8bit or 10bit, i never worked with true 10bit video material... i never experienced the difference of 8/10bit..
And until now, 8bit always were enough.
 
Stroevetim said:
Puredrifting, xlr and inbuilt ND are pure gold. i worked with a fs700 once and with a c100.
I just like the stills/video combo in a formfaktor that i realy like. I have considered a c100 but then i need to take some pictures and i am sure i would miss the possibility to shoot stills.

About the 8bit or 10bit, i never worked with true 10bit video material... i never experienced the difference of 8/10bit..
And until now, 8bit always were enough.
Click to expand...

I hear you. I think all of us are seeking the ideal stills/motion camera but it doesn't seem to exist yet, there always seems to ba compromise with the nod going to stills (5D MKIV) or Video (Sony A7).

If you shoot skies a lot or around high contrast lighting sources, you will begin to hate 8-bit, the gradations become really obnoxious and there is really no way to deal with them in post. Even in ECUs with skin tones, you see that banding that looks ugly with 8-bit.
 
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