Canon 1Ds Review

Name: Canon EOS-1Ds
Brand: Canon

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Main Features

11MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 1250

2.00" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

1585g. 156 x 158 x 80 mm

Replaced by Canon 1Ds MII

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Canon 1Ds Overview

Launched in December 2002 , Canon EOS-1Ds is a 11.0MP Pro DSLR camera with a Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and Canon EF lens mount. Canon later replaced 1Ds with 1Ds MII. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Canon EOS-1Ds vs Canon 1Ds MII

Canon 1Ds Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Canon 1Ds is a member of Canon's 1D series of cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this series and how their main specs have changed with each new version.

Canon 1D Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Dimensions	Weight
Canon 1D X III Compare	2020	20.0MP - Full frame	158 x 168 x 83mm	1440g
Canon 1D X II Compare	2016	20.0MP - Full frame	158 x 168 x 83mm	1530g
Canon 1D C Compare	2012	18.0MP - Full frame	158 x 164 x 83mm	1500g
Canon 1D X Compare	2011	18.0MP - Full frame	158 x 164 x 83mm	1340g
Canon 1D MIV Compare	2010	16.0MP - APS-H	156 x 157 x 80mm	1230g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
Canon 1D X MIII vs 1D X MII vs 1D C vs 1D X vs 1D MIV

Alternative Model names found for Canon EOS-1Ds: EOS 1Ds Mark I, 1Ds Mark 1, 1Ds M1, 1Ds MI, EOS 1Ds I and 1D s.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon 1Ds PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Canon 1Ds review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

45 Focus Points

1/8000s High Shutter Speed

Autofocus at f8 using center point

Timelapse Recording

0.7x magnification - Large Viewfinder

Top LCD Display

Flash Sync Port

High Shutter Life Expectancy - 150000 cycles

Magnesium alloy body elements

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CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Sensor shift Image Stabilization

No Articulating Screen

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

No Face Detection Focusing

Low Resolution Sensor: 11.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 1.250

Small LCD Screen ( 2.00")

Low Screen Resolution ( 120kdots )

Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps

Heavy Body: 1585g

No Environmental Sealing

No AF Micro Adjustment

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Canon 1Ds Physical Specs

Canon 1Ds weighs 1585 g (3.49 lb / 55.91 oz) and has external dimensions of 156 x 158 x 80 mm (6.14 x 6.22 x 3.15″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 773g, Canon 1Ds is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 80mm, it has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Canon 1Ds

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Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Canon 1Ds

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Max

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Canon 1Ds, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Canon 1Ds Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Canon 1Ds with its main competitors:

Canon 1Ds Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs 1Ds	Thickness	vs 1Ds
Canon 5D Compare	895g	690g lighter	75mm	5mm thinner
Canon 1Ds MII Compare	1565g	20g lighter	80mm	equal thickness
Canon 1D MIII Compare	1335g	250g lighter	80mm	equal thickness
Canon 5D MII Compare	850g	735g lighter	75mm	5mm thinner
Canon 1D X II Compare	1530g	55g lighter	83mm	3mm thicker
Canon 6D Compare	770g	815g lighter	71mm	9mm thinner
Canon 1Ds MIII Compare	1385g	200g lighter	80mm	equal thickness
Canon 1D MIV Compare	1230g	355g lighter	80mm	equal thickness

Weather Sealing

Canon 1Ds doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Canon 1Ds Lens Mount and Lenses

Canon 1Ds has a Canon EF lens mount and currently there are 257 native lenses available for this mount. EF mount has the widest and most complete native lens offerings in the DSLR world which helps Canon to protect its place as the number 1 choice amongst professional photographers all over the world.

Canon 1Ds doesn't have a sensor based image stabilization system but 77 of these lenses already comes with Optical Image Stabilization.

Weather Sealed Lenses for Canon 1Ds

There are 87 lenses with weather sealing for Canon 1Ds but bear in mind that 1Ds body doesn't have weather sealings.

Here are some of the most popular Canon 1Ds Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Canon EF Mount Lenses for Canon 1Ds

Model	Focal Length equiv.	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Canon EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM	24-105mm	35mm FF	670gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM	70-300mm	35mm FF	630gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III	75-300mm	35mm FF	480gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 35-350mm f3.5-5.6L USM	35-350mm	35mm FF	1385gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM	70-200mm	35mm FF	1490gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM	50mm	35mm FF	159gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II	80-200mm	35mm FF	250gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 35-80mm f4.0-5.6 III	35-80mm	35mm FF	175gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Here you can find the lenses that are compatible with 1Ds classified by suitability to certain photography types:

Check our Canon 1Ds Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

Canon 1Ds Sensor and Photography Features

Canon 1Ds has a 11.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4064 x 2704 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. 1Ds has a native ISO range of 100 - 1250 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Canon 1Ds is not the highest resolution Full frame camera. Sony A7R V with its 61.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Canon 1Ds vs Sony A7R V or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

Canon 1Ds DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Canon 1Ds sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 63 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Canon 1Ds here.

Let's look at how the size of the Canon 1Ds's Full frame sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Canon 1Ds Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Canon 1Ds LCD and Viewfinder

Canon 1Ds has a Fixed Type 2.00-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 120k dots. At only 2.00", the screen is on the smaller side and 120kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.

Unfortunately Canon EOS-1Ds doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best DSLR Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

1Ds has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a coverage of 100% and a magnification ratio of 0.7x. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later.

Canon 1Ds Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Canon 1Ds Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Canon 5D Compare	None	800shots	No	No	No
Canon 1Ds MII Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Canon 1D MIII Compare	None	2200shots	No	No	No
Canon 5D MII Compare	1920 x 1080	850shots	No	No	No
Canon 1D X II Compare	4096 x 2160	1210shots	No	No	No
Canon 6D Compare	1920 x 1080	1090shots	Yes	No	No
Canon 1Ds MIII Compare	None	1800shots	No	No	No
Canon 1D MIV Compare	1920 x 1080	1500shots	No	No	No

Canon 1Ds Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Canon 1Ds can shoot continuously at max speed of 3 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately 1Ds doesn't have a built-in flash but it has a flash shoe for mounting external flashes.

Focusing

Canon 1Ds features a Phase Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 45 points to choose from.

User Manual
You can download Canon 1Ds's User Manual here

What type of Photography is Canon 1Ds Good for?

In this section, we review and score Canon 1Ds in 5 different photography areas.

Canon 1Ds for Portrait Photography

Canon 1Ds has a score of 52 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Canon 1Ds for Portrait Photography

Canon 1Ds for Street Photography

Canon 1Ds has a score of 44 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Street Photography list.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Canon 1Ds for Street Photography

Canon 1Ds for Sports Photography

Canon 1Ds has a score of 74 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
45 Focus Points

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Read the details of how we scored Canon 1Ds for Sports Photography

Canon 1Ds for Daily Photography

Canon 1Ds has a score of 62 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Canon 1Ds for Daily Photography

Canon 1Ds for Landscape Photography

Canon 1Ds has a score of 36 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over the1Ds.

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Canon 1Ds for Landscape Photography

Canon 1Ds Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Canon 1Ds compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Canon 1Ds alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Canon 1Ds

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Canon 1Ds amongst Camera Decision readers.

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Canon 1Ds Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Canon 1Ds with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Canon 1Ds's price range.

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Canon 1Ds Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Canon 1Ds has an Overall Score of 46/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Canon EOS-1Ds is ranked #149 out of 209 in DSLR cameras (Top 20 DSLR), and ranked #553 out of 1259 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#553 out of 1259 in Top Ranking Cameras
#149 out of 209 in Top Ranking DSLR Cameras
#19 out of 36 in Top Ranking Pro DSLR Cameras
#92 out of 98 in Top Ranking Full frame Sensor Cameras
#17 out of 23 in Top Ranking Canon12 Lens Mount Cameras
#126 out of 379 in Largest Viewfinder Magnification Cameras (0.7x)
#39 out of 40 in Lightest DSLR Cameras with Full frame sensor(1585g)
#245 out of 918 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen
Geek Score: 0

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Frequently Asked Questions about Canon 1Ds

Does the Canon 1Ds have Image Stabilization?
Does the Canon 1Ds have RAW support?
Does the Canon 1Ds have Weather Sealing?
Does the Canon 1Ds have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Canon 1Ds?
What is the Sensor Size of Canon 1Ds?
is the Canon 1Ds a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Canon 1Ds have Touch Screen?
Does the Canon 1Ds have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Canon 1Ds?
What is the Weight of Canon 1Ds?
What are the Dimensions of Canon 1Ds?

Canon EOS-1Ds Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Canon
Model	Canon EOS-1Ds
Announced	2002-12-17
Body Type	Large SLR
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF
Number of Lenses	257
Focal Length Multiplier	1×
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	2.00"
Screen Resolution	120k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7x
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/8000s
Max Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	1/250s
Flash Modes	External
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	63
DxO Color Depth	21.8
DxO Dynamic Range	11.0
DxO Low Light ISO	954
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	Full frame
Sensor Dimensions	35.8 x 23.8 mm
Sensor Area	852.04mm²
Sensor Resolution	11 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4064 x 2704
Max Native ISO	1,250
Min Native ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	45
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	none
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	1585g
Physical Dimensions	156 x 158 x 80mm
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	Compact Flash (Type I or II)
Storage Slots	1