Everything you say makes perfect sense, John. Like I said, I would love to have two DSLRs...

As it is, I have the EOS 1vhs, and I keep all my bodies in the same Pelican case, so it's with me when I work. I can't say that I would go out and buy a film SLR if I didn't already have one...

The thing is, when you do commercial jobs, you start to get paranoid about absolute worst case senarios. To me, a few rolls of film in the bag is cheap peace of mind...

Quote Originally Posted by Photo-John
When I bought my 1D I kept my EOS 3 as a backup for a year. Guess what? After I started using the 1D I had no interest in using the EOS 3, let alone keeping a stock of film available when I went to shoot an event. Plus, I like the quality of the digital SLR a lot more than 35mm film. It was just a matter of time before I convinced myself I needed a digital backup.

So after about a year of using on the 1D, I sold my EOS 3 and invested in a 10D. I would have liked a second 1D, but couldn't afford it. I also rationalized that the 10D would make a good compliment to my 1D. It's lighter, has a larger digital crop factor, and it's got more resolution than the 1D. Overall, I think I made the right decision. I found that I would shoot with a long lens on the 10D and a wide lens on the 1D and pretty much use both at the same time. And the smaller size and weight of the 10D was a definite benefit. I took the 1D on a serious mountain bike ride - once. It's too heavy and too expensive. The 10D is a great compromise for the trail. And as far as image quality goes, it's no compromise at all. While I have no complaints about the 1D's image quality. I do think the CMOS sensor is better.

I'm not sure what's right for you. Michael mentioned consistency. I actually think that for consistency's sake, the 10D might be better than the 1D. Sure, the controls are a little different. But the 10D's CMOS sensor should deliver closer image quality to the Mark II. And I would worry about the 4 megapixel files from the 1D seeming too small compared to the Mark II. Plus, there's that compliment thing. I know you've been thinking about doing some fly fishing photography. I'd rather pack a 10D than my 1D. It's a lot smaller and lighter. It really makes a difference.