1DC: Opinions On A Used 1DC In Today's Market

ollywood88

ollywood88

Well-known member
Hi Guys,

I have brought a used C500 EF mount which I pick up this week.

I was also looking at a used Canon 1DC.. Wanted to use for gimbal work and b roll.

The image in log and graded looks so good.

But what do you all think in terms of investing in this camera in todays market. I know the codec is intensive.. Didn't really like the a7s

Keep to hear thoughts on the camera and workflow.

Thanks
 
Having never used the 1DC, hard to have any points against it - from what I've seen it does look great!

I did use a 1DXii last week on a shoot - Depending on if you can swing it budget-wise - take a good look at it. The face tracking auto focus is unreal. Would be phenomenal on a gimbal. I shoot on an FS7 and A7s and because of how great the AF was, I'm debating swapping out the A7s for a 1DXii for the exact uses you mentioned. Huge price difference, but the AF is that impressive! (And I never use AF)
 
Hi,

I bought a second hand Canon 1DC about 5months ago and love the images from it. I also have a Canon C300 (mark 1).

The 1DC is a great camera, both for video and stills.

I do have auto-focus envy every time I hear about the 1DX Mark 11 though!!

I've been using both the C300 and 1DC on a Ronin M, but to really use the Ronin in the way I want to I need some kind of autofocus. I'm debating what to do about that at the moment. I can't see myself selling the 1DC though, as I use it so often.

As a camera, the 1DC is great. It's build is solid, the images are beautiful and match well with my C300.

You can get really good deals on them now second hand, if you look around. Yeah, it's old but I think the images are still on a par with lots of other cameras that are out there just now.
 
I had the exact same question and I just ended up purchasing one for <$3000 used. Everyones budget is different, but in my opinion it is only worth it if you get it for less than $3000. I would never invest $5000 on that camera, being many years old and with old technology. The images are great.

Short answer: If you can find it cheap, I would say for sure go for it. Its got a great form factor and produces terrific images.

Long answer: If you have more of a budget, I'd go for the 1DXII. You probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference IQ wise, but the autofocus on the 1DXII may help you a lot with gimbal work, and is probably a better investment all around.
 
One word of caution (since you mentioned gimbal work) - It is NOT a light camera. Look up the specs, but the body (feels) heavier than a naked C300. Also, as mantioned above - auto focus may be a fantastic aid for gimbal work. I've had one since day 1 and it's been a good b-cam. My only real complaint is that you do get banding in blue skies... Also, remember this is one of the best stills cameras money can buy, I use mine more for stills than video - don't get blinded by the relative low mp count.
 
According to the Google machine, the EF C300 is 3.2 lbs and the 1D-C is actually 3.4 lbs. I'm sure the C300 stat is not including the handle and monitor and the batteries must weigh more on the C300, but yeah, they're about the same weight.

I just got my 1D-C and haven't put it through it's paces yet, but I thought the banding issues were only below ISO 400.

And to the OP: this camera was so over-engineered when it was released that it's still competitive today. The only things the newer 4K DSLRs do that this doesn't is newer, quality of life features like continuous autofocus using stills lenses, IBIS and more efficient codecs. It's image is still one of the better internal 4K options out there; it's built like a tank and, as Jack mentioned, it's one of the best 35mm stills cameras in existence (I'd say top 5).

If you don't care about renting your gear, I think it makes a lot of sense now to consider buying the best tech from a few years ago rather than the newest mid-range tech you can get now. This year I moved to a Red Scarlet and 1D-C combo for about the same cost as the current 4K standard of the fs7/a7s2 (or r2) combo. Depends on what kind of work you're doing, of course, but this is much better for me than if I'd stuck with the newest cameras I could afford.
 
stupla said:
Hi,

I bought a second hand Canon 1DC about 5months ago and love the images from it. I also have a Canon C300 (mark 1).

The 1DC is a great camera, both for video and stills.

I do have auto-focus envy every time I hear about the 1DX Mark 11 though!!

I've been using both the C300 and 1DC on a Ronin M, but to really use the Ronin in the way I want to I need some kind of autofocus. I'm debating what to do about that at the moment. I can't see myself selling the 1DC though, as I use it so often.

As a camera, the 1DC is great. It's build is solid, the images are beautiful and match well with my C300.

You can get really good deals on them now second hand, if you look around. Yeah, it's old but I think the images are still on a par with lots of other cameras that are out there just now.
Click to expand...

For autofocus, can't you pay Canon $500 and add autofocus to the C300? Or is that only the C100 that had that option?
 
Fahnon said:
For autofocus, can't you pay Canon $500 and add autofocus to the C300? Or is that only the C100 that had that option?
Click to expand...

The 1DX II does give you a touch screen though, which I don't think even the C300 II has, and more advanced tracking options. Canon really needs to get their **** together and release a 7 inch touchscreen monitor with a smart connector, so that people can AC off of it. It will cost a very terrible amount of money, but as long as it exists and is iterated on hopefully it'll trickle down and be compatible with multiple cameras. Currently it's doable through their Wifi and tablet, and I suspect the Manfrotto Digital Director is close to providing this functionality, but there needs to be a proper solution. That's the future of focus pulling, in the Canon ecosystem at least.
 
I have both the C500 EF and 1Dc... I love both. IMHO, the 1Dc image blows away the C30O and C5O0 internal. The 1Dc is much lighter than C500 7Q+ combo. We have used my 1Dc with my ronin M and the extension arms and it is easy to balance and works great.

If I had to give up one of these cameras it would bet the c500... I really love using the 1Dc!

Best Regards,

Chris
 
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