£350 camera

[Martins]

Hi I have seen a Canon 1D MK1 on Ebay for £350 and in Calumet for £450 and was wondering if this is a good purchase I understand its an old camera but how does it compare with whats about for £350 ish these days or should I save more

Any advice welcome as I want a second camera and use my 350d as a back up

Martin

[wavemachine]

You are getting a 2001 pro camera i.e. pro build and quality.

However it is 9 year old technology 4 megapixel sensor etc and also it has probably done a lot of shutter actions in that time especially if it was used by a pro.

In the right hands any camera can take good photos but things have moved on a lot since then.

I guess the question on every ones lips is why are you looking for a new camera, what are you specifically looking for as in some respects the 1D mark 1 could be a step backwards from the 350D.

For £50 more you should be able to pick up a second hand 40D for example.

[Martins]

thanks for the fast response this is the question I was asking really so a 40d would be a better buy than a 1d Mk1, I just have always read this camera was an amazing bit of kit and wondered, Was it still a better buy than a 30 or 40d which both fell either side of this price bracket

Martin

[wavemachine]

IMHO yes, I went from a 350D to the 40D and found it to be the jump I needed, I guess it is really a case of working out what you want from your next camera and find what ticks the boxes if it goes above your budget then it may be worth waiting until you have a bit more cash available.

That is my opinion but I am sure others will be along to express there views.

It would be useful to know why you want to upgrade as people will be able to offer more specific advice, another consideration is how tied to Canon are you i.e. do you have loads of lense and accessories as it may be worth considering other brands such as Nikon, Sony, Pentax etc.

[ianpinion]

Hi Martin and welcome to the forums.

It's always very difficult deciding what model to go for when your considering upgrading your camera, but to make the choice a little easier there are a few things you do need to give some careful thought to.

Firstly, list all the features missing from your current camera that you wish it had. You know, the ones that when you're out taking shots and it just won't perform how you would like it to because of it's limitations and it really frustrates you. Decide on your budget and stick to it. Then you can start looking at cameras that have those features and functions that you crave, that also fall inside your budget. Make yourself a shortlist, see if you can get your hands on each of them and have a play to see how they perform. Judge how intutiative the camera feels for you to use. Is it simple to set up for the next shot or is the menu system like a minefield?

Hopefully, you will then be better placed to make the right decision on which camera to upgrade to. As for whether you should buy a Canon 1D Mark I, well compare it's feature and functions against what you need and see if it meets the criteria or falls well short. In it's day it was a fine camera, but technology moves on at such a pace that 9 years on it could now be considered obsolete. Let's face it, Canon have upgraded it four times within the intervening period, which must prove something.

Anyway, best of luck Martin and if you do have any further queries on this, just post them on this thread.