18/07/2025
While I take a break from jumping back and forth editing two different weddings from this past weekend...
I have one of the latest and greatest cameras for my wedding and portrait sessions, but there's something about the simplicity of just picking up a 23 year old camera and just snapping some photos in JPG and posting whatever you get straight out of camera. No editing. No striving for "perfection". Just letting the camera give you it's characteristics instead of you overthinking and trying to make them look a certain way. I have the RAW files in the event that I find one I really want to edit on a deeper level, just in case.
I've had this Canon 1Ds for a few years now. I got it used off of eBay out of curiosity rather than a need for this camera. It was the first full-frame DSLR camera from Canon, and it was a whopping $7,999 at launch. Mine was like $150 with no battery or charger which ended up costing half the price of the camera. In fact the genuine charger can often be found for more than the camera itself!
I love how these photos look. Are they hang on the wall worthy? Nah. But... they're proof that before you go out dropping hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a brand new entry level camera, you just may be able to find something the pros used years back for a fraction of the price, the images look great (mind the limitations of the low-light performance) and you'll have money for some interesting and fun lenses.