Most of the comparison are just data collected from
the different specs of the cameras but we also add some subjective
own notes to the different cameras. Why these cameras? These four
cameras
define the current market of 35mm DSLR cameras that feature over 12MP
resolution and/or are high speed (up to 8fps).
This list is of course not complete but lists the features
we find most important (we are not too much experts in using flash
though).
Note: At the time we write this comparison we have
all four cameras in our hands (we own the Canon 1D Mk. II for over
one year and the Canon 1Ds Mk. II for 11 months now).
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Canon EOS 5D |
Canon EOS 1Ds Mk II |
Canon EOS 1D Mk
II (N) |
Nikon D2x |
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| Our Reviews |
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Resolution |
12.8 MP |
16.7 MP |
8.2 MP |
12.4 MP |
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Frame Rates |
3 fps |
4 fps |
8 fps |
5 fps |
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| RAW buffer |
17 |
11 |
20 (22N) |
15 (high speed 26) |
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High Speed Crop |
no |
no |
no |
yes, 8fps, 6.8 MP |
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| Multiplier |
1.0 (Full Frame *) |
1.0 (Full Frame *) |
1.3x |
1.5x |
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LCD Monitor |
2.5" |
2" |
2" (2.5" N) |
2.5" |
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Body |
Solid (Prosumer) |
Top class (heavy) |
Top class (heavy) |
Top class (lighter than 1Ds Mk. II but not
as light as 5D) |
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Ergonomics |
ok |
ok |
ok |
very good |
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Histogram |
RGB and Luminosity
Not easy to read and needs menu to switch between RGB/Luminance
mode
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RGB and Luminosity
Not easy to read and needs menu to switch between RGB/Luminance
mode
|
RGB and Luminosity
Not easy to read and needs menu to switch between RGB/Luminance
mode
|
RGB and Luminosity
Easy to read and available without switching a menu setting
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Viewfinder |
very good |
very good |
very good |
very good |
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Startup time |
very fast |
very fast |
very fast |
very fast |
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Autofocus |
good (9 point + 6 assist) |
top (45 point AF) |
top (45 point AF) |
top AF (11 areas) |
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X-Sync Speed |
1/200 sec |
1/250 sec |
1/250 sec |
1/250 sec |
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Sensor Type |
CMOS, Full Frame |
CMOS, Full Frame |
CMOS, 28.7 x 19.1 mm |
CMOS, 23.7 x 15.7 mm |
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ISO range |
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Noise evaluation |
excellent |
very good |
very good |
very good (slightly more noisy than the 1ds
Mk.II) |
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Anti Shake Lenses available |
broad selection |
broad Selection |
broad Selection |
good Selection |
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RAW Test Files |
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| Battery/-life |
light/medium |
heavy/good |
heavy/good |
medium/excellent |
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Lens Mount |
Canon EF (not EF-S) |
Canon EF (not EF-S) |
Canon EF (not EF-S) |
Nikon F mount |
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Weight with Battery |
900 g |
1,530 g |
1,530 g |
1,250 g |
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Street Price |
US $ 3,300 |
US $ 7,500 |
US $ 4,000 (N) |
US $ 4,999 |
Matching tele lenses from Canon/Nikon for wildlife
photography
We restrict this table to lenses that weigh less than about 3
kg. This means that you can also use them handheld. Excludes
the 400mm f2.8, 500mm f/4, 600mm f/4 and Nikon's 200-400mm f/4 lenses).
We also restrict the list to lenses f/4 or faster (means you can also
use tele extenders and still have AF).
Selecting the best equipment for wildlife is dependent mainly on
these factors:
- FOV (Field of view)
- FPS (Frames per second)
- IS/VR (sStabilization or not)
- MP (Resolution per frame)
- Price
- Weight and size (we only list weight as size is kind of proportional)
- Max f-stop (for better focus speed/precision and background blur)
All lenses we list are in general quite good performers and can be
used with 1.4x, 1.7x (Nikon) or 2x tele converters. The 1.4x allow
quite sharp images but may distort. The 2x converters lose quite a
bit of sharpness.
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Canon EOS 5D
|
Canon EOS 1Ds Mk
II
|
Canon EOS 1D Mk
II (N)
|
Nikon D2x
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| 70-200mm f 2.8 |
FOV 70-200mm
3 fps
IS
12.8 MP
US $1,700
3.5 lb
|
FOV 70-200mm
3 fps
IS
16.7 MP
US $1,700
3.5 lb
|
FOV 91-260mm
3 fps
IS
8.2 MP
US $1,700
3.5 lb
|
FOV 105-300mm
5 fps
VR
12.4 MP
US $1,700
3.2 lb
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| |
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High-Speed Crop
FOV 140-400mm
8 fps
VR
6.8 MP
|
300mm f/2.8
|
FOV 300mm
3 fps
IS
12.8 MP
US $4,000
6.0 lb
|
FOV 300mm
4 fps
IS
16.7 MP
US $4,000
6.0 lb
|
FOV 390mm
8 fps
IS
8.2 MP
US $4,000
6.0 lb
|
FOV 450mm
5 fps
VR
12.4 MP
US $4,500
6.3 lb
|
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High-Speed Crop
FOV 600mm
8 fps
VR
6.8 MP
|
300 mm f/4
|
FOV 300mm
3 fps
IS
12.8 MP
US $1,100
2.6 lb
|
FOV 300mm
4 fps
IS
16.7 MP
US $1,100
2.6 lb
|
FOV 390mm
8 fps
IS
8.2 MP
US $1,100
2.6 lb
|
FOV 450mm
5 fps
no VR
12.4 MP
US $1,100
3.1 lb
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High-Speed Crop
FOV 600mm
8 fps
no VR
6.8 MP |
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400 mm f/4
|
FOV 400mm
3 fps
IS
12.8 MP
US $5,400
4.3 lb
|
FOV 400mm
4 fps
IS
16.7 MP
US $5,400
4.3 lb
|
FOV 520mm
8 fps
IS
8.2 MP
US $5,400
4.3 lb
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n/a
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