Canon 1D C vs 5DS

The Canon EOS-1D C and the Canon EOS 5DS are two professional cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in April 2012 and February 2015. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The 1DC has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the 5DS provides 50.3 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon 1D C		Canon 5DS
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
17.9 MP, Full Frame Sensor		50.3 MP, Full Frame Sensor
4K/24p Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 100-51200 (50-204800)		ISO 100-6400 (50-12800)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.2" LCD, 1040k dots		3.2" LCD, 1040k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
14 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
1120 shots per battery charge		700 shots per battery charge
158 x 164 x 83 mm, 1545 g		152 x 116 x 76 mm, 930 g

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS-1D C and the Canon EOS 5DS? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 1D C and the Canon 5DS is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 5DS is considerably smaller (32 percent) than the Canon 1D C. Moreover, the 5DS is substantially lighter (40 percent) than the 1DC. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 1DC gets 1120 shots out of its LP-E4N battery, while the 5DS can take 700 images on a single charge of its LP-E6 power pack. As can be seen in the images above, the 1DC has a battery grip built in. This facilitates image-taking in portrait orientation and gives it additional battery power. In order to provide similar functionality for the 5DS, Canon provides the BG-E11 vertical grip as an optional accessory (see here on eBay).

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D C»	6.2 in	6.5 in	3.3 in	54.5 oz	1120	Y	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 5DS«	6.0 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	32.8 oz	700	Y	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS
	Canon 1D X Mark III« »	6.2 in	6.6 in	3.3 in	50.8 oz	2850	Y	Jan 2020	6,499			Canon 1D X Mark III
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	6.2 in	6.6 in	3.3 in	54.0 oz	1210	Y	Feb 2016	5,999	-		Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 5D Mark IV« »	5.9 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	31.4 oz	900	Y	Aug 2016	3,499			Canon 5D Mark IV
	Canon 5DS R« »	6.0 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	32.8 oz	700	Y	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS R
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	6.0 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	33.5 oz	950	Y	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 6D« »	5.7 in	4.4 in	2.8 in	27.2 oz	1090	Y	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 1D X« »	6.2 in	6.6 in	3.3 in	54.7 oz	1120	Y	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 5D Mark II« »	6.0 in	4.5 in	3.0 in	30.0 oz	850	Y	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	5.9 in	6.3 in	3.1 in	48.9 oz	1800	Y	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1Ds Mark II« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	42.9 oz	1200	Y	Sep 2004	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark II
	Canon 1Ds« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	44.6 oz	600	Y	Sep 2002	8,999	-		Canon 1Ds
	Nikon D850« »	5.7 in	4.9 in	3.1 in	35.5 oz	1840	Y	Jul 2017	3,299			Nikon D850
	Nikon D810« »	5.7 in	4.8 in	3.2 in	34.6 oz	1200	Y	Jun 2014	3,299	-		Nikon D810
	Nikon D4« »	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.6 in	47.3 oz	2600	Y	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
Convert to Metric
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 5DS was launched at a markedly lower price (by 75 percent) than the 1DC, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the 5DS uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 6 (Dual)) than the 1DC (DIGIC 5+ (Dual)), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the 5DS offers a higher resolution of 50.3 megapixels, compared with 17.9 MP of the 1DC. This megapixels advantage translates into a 68 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the 5DS has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.14μm versus 6.95μm for the 1DC). However, it should be noted that the 5DS is much more recent (by 2 years and 9 months) than the 1DC, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Canon 5DS implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the 5DS for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 43.4 x 29 inch or 110.3 x 73.6 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 34.8 x 23.2 inch or 88.3 x 58.8 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 29 x 19.3 inch or 73.6 x 49 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 1D C are 25.9 x 17.3 inch or 65.8 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 20.7 x 13.8 inch or 52.7 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 17.3 x 11.5 inch or 43.9 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Canon EOS-1D C has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 50-204800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 5DS are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-12800.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the 1DC provides a higher video resolution than the 5DS. It can shoot video footage at 4K/24p, while the 5DS is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1DC and the 5DS are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the 1DC has a higher magnification than the one of the 5DS (0.76x vs 0.71x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon 1D C and Canon 5DS in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

The Canon 5DS has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The 1DC writes its imaging data to Compact Flash cards, while the 5DS uses Compact Flash or SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS-1D C and Canon EOS 5DS and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

It is notable that the 1DC has a headphone jack, which is not present on the 5DS This port makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process.

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

The 5DS is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the 1DC has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the 1DC from Canon. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon website.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 1D C and the Canon 5DS? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS-1D C:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/24p vs 1080/30p).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.71x).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (14 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More portrait friendly: Features an integrated vertical grip for easier portrait shooting.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (1120 versus 700) on a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in April 2012).

Advantages of the Canon EOS 5DS:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (50.3 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 68%.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 6 (Dual) vs DIGIC 5+ (Dual)).
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (152x116mm vs 158x164mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 615g or 40 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.0 vs 2.0).
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (75 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 9 months of technical progress since the 1DC launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 5DS comes out slightly ahead of the 1DC (8 : 7 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 1D C and the Canon 5DS place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 1DC or the 5DS. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D C»	-	-	-	-	-	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 5DS«	+	83/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS
	Canon 1D X Mark III« »	-	-	-	-	-	Jan 2020	6,499			Canon 1D X Mark III
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	-	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	5,999	-		Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 5D Mark IV« »	+ +	87/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	3,499			Canon 5D Mark IV
	Canon 5DS R« »	+	83/100	5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS R
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	+ +	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 6D« »	+ +	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 1D X« »	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 5D Mark II« »	91/100	79/100	4/5	5/5	-	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	-	+ +	4.5/5	-	-	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1Ds Mark II« »	-	+ +	-	-	-	Sep 2004	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark II
	Canon 1Ds« »	-	+ +	-	-	-	Sep 2002	8,999	-		Canon 1Ds
	Nikon D850« »	+ +	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Jul 2017	3,299			Nikon D850
	Nikon D810« »	-	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	3,299	-		Nikon D810
	Nikon D4« »	-	-	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (-) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

Specifications: Canon 1D C vs Canon 5DS

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

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