This is the Canon 1Ds Mark II from 2004, a 16.7mp full frame digital camera and the second iteration of Canon’s first full-frame DSLR. It’s hard to believe that this camera is 18 years old as of writing this article. I fully expected to shoot with it a bit then put it away, but had a complete blast wandering around Brookside Gardens with it.
The Mark II is a large and heavy camera, especially compared to the Sony A7II kit I just picked up, but is by no means unwieldy. In fact I felt very much like a photographer with this beast in my hands. It has all the buttons an switches you could ask for, each with a precise sound and feel that is hard to replicate on more modern cameras. Everything has a purpose and there is nothing extraneous on the camera. This was the peak of digital camera design in 2004 and it holds up well in 2022.
| Make | Canon |
|---|---|
| Model | EOS-1Ds Mark II |
| Year | 2004 |
| Format | Digital (Type I or II CF card, SD memory card) |
| Sensor | full-frame (16.7 MP) |
| ISO | 50-3200 (boosted) |
| Lens | Interchangeable (Canon EF mount) |
| f1.8 50mm | |
| Focus | 0.45m – ∞ |
| Max Aperture | f1.8 |
| Optical Zoom | lens dependent |
| Special Features | full frame |
The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II has significant upgrades compared to Canon’s first full-frame DSLR, the 1Ds. Introduced in November of 2004, the Mark II has a 16.7MP sensor vs the original 11MP, boosted ISO range of 50-3200 (100-1600 for the 1Ds), and double the number of shots per battery charge, all while weighing slightly less. The Mark II can utilize both compact flash (CF) and SDHC cards up to 32GB in size, provided the latest firmware is installed.
Sample images taken at Brookside Gardens using the Canon EF f1.8 50mm lens. Having shot a lot of of film, I tend to shoot digital the same way, one shot per image. Being digital I know it’s not necessary but I feel the results are better shots as more thought is given to each one without relying on the “spray-and-pray” school of photography.
