As I got too frustrated photographing from my wheelchair and not being able to approach my subjects in the distance and angle I wanted , I did quit photography for exactly ... one week ! I was so discouraged , I sold every single piece of equipment I owned and thought I'd better start a new hobby . Whilst I was boring myself more than I thought it ever possible , I noticed the significant price drop on the 1D associated with another discount of € 500 on the purchase of the body and a lens . Any Canon lens, not only a L lens. I didn't take long to convince myself this was the opportunity to get that mythical 1D I had been dreaming about since December 2001 . Even if I know the newer , better replacement of it is just behind the corner . Maybe it will also be cheaper but I'm not the waiting type and decided to bite the bullet .

How does the 1D compare to my 10D ?

More bells and twistles . More settings . A little confusing in the beginning as the automatisms are still in place . I start to get it under control .

What seems the biggest difference is the responsiveness of the camera . Everything works faster . AF , shutter . Also , it's noisier . The mirror slap is as loud as on my old EOS 600 . Splendid !

Also , the bright and large viewfinder shows 98% of the captured image .

The image quality is on par with it's build quality . So far , after only 300 shots and 3 days of use , I'm impressed by it's dynamic range , and the 3D impression of the images . The resized pictures shown here do not justice to the originals which just pop out the screen of my old Eizo . With 2Mp less than the 10D , the images are incredible in detail . Not the silky smoothness I was used to get with the D30/D60/10D but something harsher , more vibrant . The images rolling out of the camera are so sharp and colorful . This is due to a much less aggressive AA filter . In countrepart , I find some banding in underexposed pics ( my fault ! ) and strange patterns on roofs , brick walls , grilles where the frequency of the pixel pitch clashes with the frequency of the lines of those subjects ( thank you , Adam-T for explaining this ) .

The banding issue , although well-known , is rather disapointing . Even at ISO 200 , I get banding in the underexposed areas .

Well , I guess I will need Fred Miranda's ISOR-BR Pro action to minimize this unwanted characteristic ...

Update : I used every available noise reduction software ( except NoiseNinja ) and ther's no cure . At least for me .

After 2500 shots and much testing and humility , I start to understand where to do the light metering for every single shot in order to avoid the banding . I need to forget my Ektachrome days and find the right compromise between the hig-and low lights . Metering for the high lights is looking for trouble and , as the dynamic range is much wider than on the previous Canon dslr's I used so far , the problem can be ( almost ) easily cured .

On the other hand , the L ( ISO 100 ) setting allows unexpectedly clean pictures . At least in flat light conditions .

Canon claims the dynamic range is not as good as at ISO 200 but , this , I need some bright sun to test .

I won't bash the 10D here . It's certainly better for landscapes where it will give more detail . It will , also , produce larger prints . It's a great all-round performer for which I had no complaints at all .

Do I regret my ' upgrade ' ? No . At least , not so far . I'm so much impressed about how my 1D works , I already know we are going to be a great team . Even , if it's performance will always be greater than mine .

Conclusion : To cover all aspects of photography , the 1D alone will not fill the bill . I'm plenty happy with my 1D for people photography , candids , sports . For those who want to photography landscapes , weddings ( large groups ) , high ISO noise and banding free shots , wildlife where serious cropping is needed , I consider a 10D will be a perfect partner to the 1D . Or the 1Ds for the more wealthy .... except for the high ISO's ...

Also , new and/or novice happy owners shouldn't hesitate to accept a rather long training curve to be able to get the quintescence out of this historical benchmark of dslr's . When I look to my 13x19' prints , I know I started a looooonnng love affair with my 1D ...

Update : Despite it's brilliant performance , the 1D didn't convince me after 3000 shots . I very regretfully sold it because of the noise and banding that I was not able to keep under control , let alone avoid even at low ISO's . It was a real heartache to part with it but I missed the clean files of my 10D . So , a new sample of that camera takes care of my photography .....