Canon
EOS-1Ds Mark II
 vs
Nikon
D3

Updated (January, 2012): Compare the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II vs Nikon D4

Nikon D3

100
Winner

Nikon D3

Reasons to buy the Nikon D3

Low light performance
 Low noise at high ISO
2,290 ISO
Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.70x
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
9 fps
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
88 ms shutter lag
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

70

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.70x
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Storage slots
 More storage slots
2

differences

Advantages of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
True resolution Higher true resolution 16.6 MP vs 12.1 MP
Help
 Capture around 40% more detail in your photos
Size Smaller 156x158x80 mm vs 160x157x88 mm
Help
 More than 10% smaller
Thickness Thinner 3.1" vs 3.5"
Help
 Around 10% thinner
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Learn more about
the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Advantages of the Nikon D3
Screen size Much larger screen 3.0" vs 2.0"
Help
 More than 50% larger screen
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO 2,290 ISO vs 1,480 ISO
Help
 The D3 has a slight edge (0.6 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen 922k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 More than 4x higher resolution screen
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 11.3 EV
Help
 0.9 f-stops more dynamic range
Overall image quality Better image quality 81.0 vs 74.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Live view Has live view Yes vs No
Help
 Preview your photos on the camera's screen before taking them
Weather sealed Weather sealed Yes vs No
Help
 Sealed to shoot in the rain
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 9 fps vs 4 fps
Help
 Around 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 6,400 ISO vs 1,600 ISO
Help
 The D3's maximum light sensitivity is 2 f-stops better
Color depth Better color depth 23.5 bits vs 23.3 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.2 more bits of color
Weight Lighter 1,300 g vs 1,565 g
Help
 Around 20% lighter
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The D3's boost ISO is 3 f-stops better
Nikon D3 Learn more about
the Nikon D3
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
70 vs 100
Explain scores
Nikon D3 Nikon D3
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Nikon D3.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

CanonEOS-1Ds Mark II
 Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II vs Nikon D3
NikonD3
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
2
2
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
0
4
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
2
2
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
2
2
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
1
2
Vote Vote
Build quality Build quality
Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal
2
2
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Low light performance Relatively low noise at high ISO Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:1,480 ISO
D3:2,290 ISO
Sensor size Very large sensors Help
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Viewfinder size Above average viewfinder size Help
0.70x
Color depth Good color depth Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:23.3 bits
D3:23.5 bits
Overall image quality Good image quality Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:74.0
D3:81.0
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Viewfinder coverage Above average viewfinder coverage Help
100%
Storage slots Multiple storage slots Help
2
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Built-in flash No built-in flash Help
Professional
Weight Heavy Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:1,565 g
D3:1,300 g
Size Large Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:156x158x80 mm
D3:160x157x88 mm
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Movie format Do not shoot movies Help
No movies

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses

Snapsort is not aware of any interesting strengths shared by these two products.
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:3,200 ISO
D3:25,600 ISO
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:1,600 ISO
D3:6,400 ISO
True resolution Capture low resolution images Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:16.6 MP
D3:12.1 MP
Screen size Very small screens Help
EOS-1Ds Mark II:2.0"
D3:3.0"

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,750 body only
Size Is significantly smaller
Sensor cleaning Has a self cleaning sensor
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Viewfinder coverage Much less viewfinder coverage
Compare the D700 vs the EOS-1Ds Mark II
Compare the D700 vs the D3
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,097 body only

$1,227 with 55-200mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Dynamic range Has slightly wider dynamic range
Sensor size Has a much smaller sensor
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS-1Ds Mark II
Compare the D7000 vs the D3
Nikon D3S

Nikon D3S

Pro DSLR

$4,999 - $5,197 body only
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Movie format Records lower quality movies
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the D3S vs the EOS-1Ds Mark II
Compare the D3S vs the D3
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,160 - $2,400 body only

$2,799 with 24-105mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the EOS-1Ds Mark II
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the D3
Nikon D4

Nikon D4

Pro DSLR

$6,000 body only
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the D4 vs the EOS-1Ds Mark II
Compare the D4 vs the D3
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,329 - $1,821 body only

$1,498 - $1,800 with 28-135mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Sensor size Has a much smaller sensor
Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS-1Ds Mark II
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D3
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Dynamic range Has slightly wider dynamic range
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS-1Ds Mark II
Compare the D5100 vs the D3

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II.

Nikon D3 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D3X

Nikon D3X

Pro DSLR

$7,997 - $8,000 body only
Overall image quality Better image quality
True resolution Much higher true resolution
Low light performance More noise at high ISO
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly slower
Compare the D3X vs the D3

appearance

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Nikon D3
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Nikon D3
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Nikon D3

Find similar cameras

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discussion Which do you think is better?

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