Value Assessment

The Canon 5D Mark II has a list price of $2699, compared to the Canon 1Ds Mark III at $7999. The fact that the files and performance are so comparable, the question of value is a fairly simple assessment. Clearly the 5D Mark II is not only rising to the bar set by its big brother - and in many cases surpassing that bar - but because it is less than half the price and significantly more versatile with the inclusion of HD video, it is clearly the better value. (We can only wonder if Canon will consider accelerating development of their flagship camera to include the recent technology improvements; the product life of most high-end Canon DSLRs is around three years, and the 1Ds Mark III has had a run of about two years now. If you want some fun, search “Canon 1Ds Mark IV release” for all the latest rumors.)

Conclusion

Even without considering the inclusion of the HD video feature of the 5D Mark II, the camera seems to be a calculated risk by Canon. By effectively forcing the obsolescence of their flagship camera, it either challenges the product development team to release a new generation 1Ds to set a new, even more impressive standard, or it simply sacrifices the legendary 1Ds models to the fates of digital technology development. In any case, for the working photographer or the dedicated amateur looking for the best camera for the money, the winner is the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, hands down.