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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Canon has brought the best of the EOS-1D Series of digital cameras into one phenomenal
model: the new flagship of the EOS line, the EOS-1D X*. Its full-frame 18.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor and all-new Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors deliver high quality image capture at up to 12 fps (14 fps in Super High Speed Mode) and a powerful ISO range of 100 - 51200 (up to 204800 in H2 mode) provides sharp, low-noise images even in the dimmest low-light conditions. An all-new, 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF and 100,000-pixel RGB Metering Sensor that uses a dedicated DIGIC 4 Image Processor, makes the EOS-1D X reach new levels of focus speed and accuracy delivering advanced tracking even for the most challenging shooting situations. Taken all together, the EOS-1D X’s improved HD video capture, numerous connectivity options, combination of processing power and durable construction, including shutter durability tested to 400,000 cycles, make it the ultimate EOS.Brilliant Sensor, Supercharged Processors
18.1 Megapixel full-frame SMOS sensor
The EOS-1D X features a newly developed Canon full-frame 18.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor that’s designed from the ground up to create high resolution, perfectly detailed images with unprecedented speed and clarity. A full 24 x 36mm, the sensor captures 5184 x 3456 large individual 6.95 µm pixels and has a much-improved S/N ratio resulting in better images from the start. A new photodiode structure with an increased photoelectric conversion rate increases the sensor’s sensitivity by approximately 2 stops over previous models, meaning higher ISOs with the lowest noise of any EOS digital camera. And a 2-line 16-channel simultaneous signal readout means speeds of up to 12 fps (RAW + JPEG) and even 14 fps (Super High Speed Mode) are possible!
Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors for enhanced noise reduction and blazing processing speed
For a whole new level of performance, the EOS-1D X uses Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors. Working with four 4-channel A/D converter front-end processing circuits, and delivering speeds of up to 12 fps (RAW + JPEG), and 14 fps (JPEG), and the Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors improve data processing performance up to 30% over previous processors and feature new algorithms that promote greater noise reduction at higher ISOs. In addition to conventional image processing functions the Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors offer real-time compensation for Chromatic Aberration in both still and motion images. With the power of these two processors, speed improvements are noticeable from the instant the camera is turned on and the stunning results speak for themselves
Canon's Most Sophisticated AF, Period
All new 61-Point High Density Reticular AF
The newly designed 61-Point High Density Reticular AF features an Offset Array Sensor (with staggering AF point arrangement) to deliver greater accuracy, no matter the situation. It offers multi-zone wide-area
AF for better tracking, has 5 central dual cross-type points (f/2.8 diagonal), 21 central cross-type points (f/5.6 horizontal & vertical) and 20 outer cross-type points (f/4.0 horizontal), and is sensitive in extremely low-light situations (EV-2 for a central point with a f/2.8 lens).Intelligent Exposure, Fast
EOS iSA (Intelligent Subject Analysis System) Powered by Canon DIGIC 4 Image Processor
The EOS-1D X features a brand new 100,000-pixel RGB Metering Sensor with a dedicated DIGIC 4 Image Processor that delivers substantial improvements in evaluative ambient and flash metering. The sensor has 252 distinct zones, with 35 zones specifically designed for low-light metering. The meter’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor uses a new EOS iSA (Intelligent Subject Analysis System) that incorporates face and color recognition data for more stable performance under rapidly changing lighting situations.
Sopisticated Full 1080 HD Recording at the Touch of a Button
EOS HD Video Recording
Addressing the requests of the pros, the EOS-1D X captures HD video with an unprecedented level of sophistication for a digital SLR. It offers both All-I and IPB compression, supports H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile, and automatically splits files greater than 4GB (FAT specifications) for extended recording up to 29:59 minutes without interruption. It offers the option of timecoding only during recording (Rec Run) or at all times (Free Run)—useful for multi-camera shoots. The EOS-1D X offers easy operation with the new Live View shooting/Movie shooting button. Improved sound recording adjustment capabilities offer 64-step volume control; and a sound recording level meter that is accessible through the Quick Control screen during video shooting. With the Silent Control function, adjustments can be made quietly with a touch pad located on the inner portion of the Quick Control Dial. The built-in wind filter helps suppress unwanted wind noise that can distort or muffle sound.
| AII-I | Compresses each frame. Although the file size is larger than IPB, each frame is not affected by the previous and next frames, making it suitable for editing and extracting frames. |
| IPB | Compresses the movie frame by referencing the previous and next frames. High compression is used, making it suitable for recording long movies. |
 | Live View shooting/ Movie shooting button Quick Control button Touch pad | Multi-Function Button 2 Depth-of-Field Preview Button Vertical-Grip Depth-of-Field Preview Button Vertical-Grip Multi-Funciton Button 2 |  |
Extraordinary Ergonomics
Easier, More Enjoyable Photography
Improved handling with addition of new customizable controls
Reconceived based on the experience and feedback of professional users, the EOS-1D X’s new ergonomic design is more comfortable and intuitive than ever. With a refined and intelligent layout of all control buttons and dials, shooting settings can be made with just the right hand, and quick image check and image processing operations with just the left. New, assignable and tactile function buttons located on the front of the camera enable fast access to features the photographer uses frequently. The vertical grip has been redesigned for comfort and familiarity, and combined with a vertical position Multi-Controller, Mfn2 and Depth-of-Field preview buttons provides every option found with horizontal for uninterrupted, intuitive shooting no matter the camera’s orientation.
During shooting, the EOS-1D X’s dedicated Quick Control button enables speedy changes of nearly every shooting parameter with the touch of a button. During playback, pressing the Quick Control button enables the photographer to protect images, rotate, rate, resize, view highlight alert, AF point and much more. Plus, with the EOS-1D X’s new Multi Function Lock, the Main Dial, Quick Control Dial and Multi-Controller can all be locked, individually or together.
 |  |
| 3.2" TFT LCD Monitor The EOS-1D X’s 3.2" TFT LCD monitor has 1,040,000 dots, anti-reflective construction and features Canon’s Clear View II technology for bright, sharp display in any number of shooting situations. | Optional Canon Wireless File Transmitter & GPS The EOS-1D X is compatible with the new WFT-E6A Wireless File Transmitter for wireless LAN and Bluetooth transfer with the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n standards, performing up to 2.5x faster than previous models. |
What's in the Box
- EOS-1D X Digital SLR Body
- Eyecup Eg
- Battery Pack LP-E4N
- Wide Neck Strap L7
- Cable Protector
- Stereo AV Cable AVC-DC400ST
- USB Interface Cable IFC-200U
- EOS Digital Solution Disc
- Software Instruction Manual
Product Description
Canon EOS 1D X Digital SLR Camera - BODY ONLY 5253B002
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
194 of 221 people found the following review helpful
By S. Meyer
This is a summary of my experience with the Canon 1DX for the first three months. My previous camera was the 5DII, used mainly for weddings and portraits. What I mostly look for in a camera is low light performance. Here's my review.
1st Day 7/20/2012: I took several photos of my 13 year old daughter in dark incandescent light at 6400 and 25,600 ISO with an 85/1.2II lens at f/2.0. I ran both photos through LR4 with +10 noise reduction. I always shoot in RAW, so some post processing noise reduction is a must. Here's what I noticed. At 6400 ISO, I could see the downy blond baby hairs on her forehead and there wasn't much noise in the dark areas, just a bit of grain. At 25,600 ISO, the dark areas had grainy noise and those little downy hairs disappeared. But, the image was totally usable. My wife really liked it. I noticed that at these high ISO's any underexposure results in a significant increase in noise. So, overexposing a little minimizes noise at the higher ISO's. The autofocus is blazing fast in good light, and in dim light slows down. It takes about 1 to 3 seconds to focus in low light, and as long as there is an area of contrast, it will focus. Low light AF is about a third stop improvement over my 5DII, which was a pretty solid low light focuser (because I had sent it in to have AF tweaked). I was expecting more, but I'll take it because it's better than the 1DIV. I borrowed a 1DIV for 5 weddings and it hunted badly in low light, about a stop worse than my 5DII. Up to 12,800 ISO, I wouldn't hesitate to use the images from the 1DX. Images up to 25,600 ISO are usable depending on how much noise and detail are desired. There is one deficiency I noticed. In Manual mode, the exposure indicator does not show up on the top LCD, but only when looking into the viewfinder. It really should. I called Canon and it turns out this is unique to the 1D's. It is displayed for Av and Tv modes, where it is centered until exposure compensation is used. When posing a group I take a quick exposure reading on the top of 5DII without looking through the viewfinder because once I put the camera up to my face, people expect me to start snapping. Well, since weddings are my mainstay, I can usually guess to within 1/2 stop anyway, so I suppose I can live without this feature.
7/26/2012 Update: I wanted to see how long it took for the buffer to fill up with a UDMA card. It got to around 200 or 300 and error code 30 appeared. It didn't go away and Canon CPS said it was a locked shutter. I sent it in for a new unit and I'm waiting for it.
7/30/2012 Update: I received the replacement, took it out of the box and snapped photos for a half an hour. When I put the cap on the 85/1.2II I accidentally pressed the shutter button halfway and got an error code 80. It went away after taking the cap back off. Canon said it wasn't mechanical, likely software or electrical. That was good enough for me.
8/8/2012 Update: I went to the park and photographed my daughter swinging using the 85/1.2II lens. This is probably Canon's slowest focusing lens because of the way it moves the entire heavy internal glass. It's meant for portraits, not for sports. With my daughter coming toward me, the AF tracked her in AIServo. To give some perspective, this is something I have never been able to do with the 5DII and 40D. The glass takes over a second to move from one end to the other. Looking at them in LR4, I had a 50% keeper rate, which is excellent given that the 5DII would have had none. This camera pushes AF very hard. I'm liking this. What I'm not liking? The AF point doesn't light up when I press the shutter halfway down until it locks focus. That means in very dark conditions, I have to guess where the AF point is so I can focus it on the intended spot. This kind of defeats the super low light capability. I could press the AF selection button to light it up, but that's a delay which defeats the element of speed and it also lights up all the AF points like a Christmas tree. It took several calls to Canon CPS for me to realize that this feature, which was on the 5DII, is now gone. Some of Canon's CPS techs were convinced it was there and it just needed to be turned on. It's really gone.
8/13/2012 Update: I shot two weddings. One was very dark and went late into the night. I did some portraits of the couple walking around the gardens in the dark as I experimented with off camera flash. These images are usually my clients' favorites because of the dramatic light effects. But, it's usually the end of the day and clients are tired. I have to work fast. The AF not blinking with a half-press of the shutter button was a problem. It took nearly 10 to 20 seconds to lock focus versus 3 to 5 seconds with the 5DII. After a few of these, the couple wanted to head back. With the 5DII, I half press the shutter button and the AF point blinks to let me know where it is. Then, I move this AF point to focus on a high contrast area of the face or edge of the white dress, recompose, and take the shot. Then, it's off to the next pose or location for another shot or two. With the 1DX, I was unable to locate a high contrast area without knowing exactly where the center AF point was. It was grayed out. As a workaround, I tried using the AF point selection button on the back. It lit up all the AF points and blinded that eye to the dark. Using this camera in low light now requires a minimum of 2 to 3 seconds more to lock focus versus the 5DII. I'm baffled as to what Canon was thinking when they decided to eliminate this feature.
8/28/2012 Update: I shot another wedding with the 1DX in relatively good light. I did the formals at ISO 1600 as I generally do with the 5DII. I used a tripod and dragged the shutter, which results in images that are sharp, yet with the look of balanced lighting. What I noticed is that at 1600 ISO, the 1DX was maybe 1/2 stop ahead of the 5DII in terms of noise and detail rendition. I expected the images to be a full 2 stops cleaner at 1600 ISO, more like 400 ISO on the 5DII. I also noticed that 4000 ISO images weren't all that different from ones at 1600 ISO. Noise hardly changed. The lighting at this wedding was dim incandescent with backlighting from windows. At an outdoor wedding I did two weeks ago, 1600 and 4000 ISO were much cleaner in the dark areas throughout the entire wedding. So, now I'm wondering if mixed lighting affects noise.
I used auto white balance for the entire day and it was very accurate. It got confused on a few images with mixed light, but even then it wasn't far off. It was a small wedding and I shot just under 1200 images, with about 400 repeats in the mix. The battery was still at half charge at the end. One issue I ran into was that on three separate incidents, with the 85/1.2II and 16-35/2.8II lens, AF quit working. Nothing would happen when I pressed the shutter button, even when I depressed it all the way to take the photo. Focusing on something else worked for the first two instances, and for the third, I had to restart the camera. I remember having this issue when I first got my 5DII and I had to send it in twice before it was fixed completely. So, I'm hoping this was operator error and not the same issue.
8/29/2012 Update: I installed the new firmware. This had a fix for error code 80 from 7/30/2012.
9/4/2012 Update: I shot two more weddings. I wanted to better understand how mixed lighting affects noise in the dark areas at higher ISO's because I had noticed some high noise levels from 1600 to 4000 ISO in my 8/28/2012 update. At one wedding, skin tones were very dark and so were the suits, and lighting was mixed. The wedding party had many people, so for group shots I used f/11 to get enough depth of field with a 35mm/1.4 lens. I went to 8,000 ISO, then to 12,800 ISO. The 8,000 ISO images looked fine with +25 noise reduction in LR4. I would not hesitate to blow these up to 11x14 or even larger. ISO 12,800 came close to looking like the 8,000 ISO with more noise reduction applied. I'm conservative, and another photographer said he would use these up to much larger sizes. What I did differently at this wedding was to overexpose the entire image by 1/2 stop by exposing for the darker areas, then bringing exposure down in post processing. This minimized noise in the dark areas, even though I dodged some exposure back into them. What I had encountered in my 8/28/2012 update - high noise levels from 1600 to 4000 ISO - was the result of underexposing the dark areas of the image.
No issues with the AF freezing.
1DX colors are more accurate than the 5DII. If a scene is cloudy, the 1DX will produce an image that is cooler, not necessarily more blue, but more true to what it is. At first I thought these images had a more dead-looking skin tone and didn't like it. But, now I'm realizing it's just more accurate than what it was with the 5DII. Also, now that I've examined a couple thousand 1DX images next to 5DII images taken by my assistant, I'm noticing that 5DII images have a slightly purple tint that creeps in when I reduce color temperature of an image that was shot in strong yellow incandescent light. Not so much with the 1DX.
Conservatively here's how I see the noise levels on the 1DX compared to the 5DII (for example, noise at ISO 4000 on the 1DX looks roughly like noise at ISO 1600 on the 5DII). These comparisons are AFTER noise reduction was applied in LR4 on RAW files.
5DII 1DX
800 1600-2000
1600 4000
2000 6400
3200 12,800
1DX noise looks more like film grain and cleans up better than 5DII noise. So, at times I can get ISO 6400 on the 1DX to look like ISO 1600 on the 5DII by overexposing and bringing it back in post processing. Read more ›
1st Day 7/20/2012: I took several photos of my 13 year old daughter in dark incandescent light at 6400 and 25,600 ISO with an 85/1.2II lens at f/2.0. I ran both photos through LR4 with +10 noise reduction. I always shoot in RAW, so some post processing noise reduction is a must. Here's what I noticed. At 6400 ISO, I could see the downy blond baby hairs on her forehead and there wasn't much noise in the dark areas, just a bit of grain. At 25,600 ISO, the dark areas had grainy noise and those little downy hairs disappeared. But, the image was totally usable. My wife really liked it. I noticed that at these high ISO's any underexposure results in a significant increase in noise. So, overexposing a little minimizes noise at the higher ISO's. The autofocus is blazing fast in good light, and in dim light slows down. It takes about 1 to 3 seconds to focus in low light, and as long as there is an area of contrast, it will focus. Low light AF is about a third stop improvement over my 5DII, which was a pretty solid low light focuser (because I had sent it in to have AF tweaked). I was expecting more, but I'll take it because it's better than the 1DIV. I borrowed a 1DIV for 5 weddings and it hunted badly in low light, about a stop worse than my 5DII. Up to 12,800 ISO, I wouldn't hesitate to use the images from the 1DX. Images up to 25,600 ISO are usable depending on how much noise and detail are desired. There is one deficiency I noticed. In Manual mode, the exposure indicator does not show up on the top LCD, but only when looking into the viewfinder. It really should. I called Canon and it turns out this is unique to the 1D's. It is displayed for Av and Tv modes, where it is centered until exposure compensation is used. When posing a group I take a quick exposure reading on the top of 5DII without looking through the viewfinder because once I put the camera up to my face, people expect me to start snapping. Well, since weddings are my mainstay, I can usually guess to within 1/2 stop anyway, so I suppose I can live without this feature.
7/26/2012 Update: I wanted to see how long it took for the buffer to fill up with a UDMA card. It got to around 200 or 300 and error code 30 appeared. It didn't go away and Canon CPS said it was a locked shutter. I sent it in for a new unit and I'm waiting for it.
7/30/2012 Update: I received the replacement, took it out of the box and snapped photos for a half an hour. When I put the cap on the 85/1.2II I accidentally pressed the shutter button halfway and got an error code 80. It went away after taking the cap back off. Canon said it wasn't mechanical, likely software or electrical. That was good enough for me.
8/8/2012 Update: I went to the park and photographed my daughter swinging using the 85/1.2II lens. This is probably Canon's slowest focusing lens because of the way it moves the entire heavy internal glass. It's meant for portraits, not for sports. With my daughter coming toward me, the AF tracked her in AIServo. To give some perspective, this is something I have never been able to do with the 5DII and 40D. The glass takes over a second to move from one end to the other. Looking at them in LR4, I had a 50% keeper rate, which is excellent given that the 5DII would have had none. This camera pushes AF very hard. I'm liking this. What I'm not liking? The AF point doesn't light up when I press the shutter halfway down until it locks focus. That means in very dark conditions, I have to guess where the AF point is so I can focus it on the intended spot. This kind of defeats the super low light capability. I could press the AF selection button to light it up, but that's a delay which defeats the element of speed and it also lights up all the AF points like a Christmas tree. It took several calls to Canon CPS for me to realize that this feature, which was on the 5DII, is now gone. Some of Canon's CPS techs were convinced it was there and it just needed to be turned on. It's really gone.
8/13/2012 Update: I shot two weddings. One was very dark and went late into the night. I did some portraits of the couple walking around the gardens in the dark as I experimented with off camera flash. These images are usually my clients' favorites because of the dramatic light effects. But, it's usually the end of the day and clients are tired. I have to work fast. The AF not blinking with a half-press of the shutter button was a problem. It took nearly 10 to 20 seconds to lock focus versus 3 to 5 seconds with the 5DII. After a few of these, the couple wanted to head back. With the 5DII, I half press the shutter button and the AF point blinks to let me know where it is. Then, I move this AF point to focus on a high contrast area of the face or edge of the white dress, recompose, and take the shot. Then, it's off to the next pose or location for another shot or two. With the 1DX, I was unable to locate a high contrast area without knowing exactly where the center AF point was. It was grayed out. As a workaround, I tried using the AF point selection button on the back. It lit up all the AF points and blinded that eye to the dark. Using this camera in low light now requires a minimum of 2 to 3 seconds more to lock focus versus the 5DII. I'm baffled as to what Canon was thinking when they decided to eliminate this feature.
8/28/2012 Update: I shot another wedding with the 1DX in relatively good light. I did the formals at ISO 1600 as I generally do with the 5DII. I used a tripod and dragged the shutter, which results in images that are sharp, yet with the look of balanced lighting. What I noticed is that at 1600 ISO, the 1DX was maybe 1/2 stop ahead of the 5DII in terms of noise and detail rendition. I expected the images to be a full 2 stops cleaner at 1600 ISO, more like 400 ISO on the 5DII. I also noticed that 4000 ISO images weren't all that different from ones at 1600 ISO. Noise hardly changed. The lighting at this wedding was dim incandescent with backlighting from windows. At an outdoor wedding I did two weeks ago, 1600 and 4000 ISO were much cleaner in the dark areas throughout the entire wedding. So, now I'm wondering if mixed lighting affects noise.
I used auto white balance for the entire day and it was very accurate. It got confused on a few images with mixed light, but even then it wasn't far off. It was a small wedding and I shot just under 1200 images, with about 400 repeats in the mix. The battery was still at half charge at the end. One issue I ran into was that on three separate incidents, with the 85/1.2II and 16-35/2.8II lens, AF quit working. Nothing would happen when I pressed the shutter button, even when I depressed it all the way to take the photo. Focusing on something else worked for the first two instances, and for the third, I had to restart the camera. I remember having this issue when I first got my 5DII and I had to send it in twice before it was fixed completely. So, I'm hoping this was operator error and not the same issue.
8/29/2012 Update: I installed the new firmware. This had a fix for error code 80 from 7/30/2012.
9/4/2012 Update: I shot two more weddings. I wanted to better understand how mixed lighting affects noise in the dark areas at higher ISO's because I had noticed some high noise levels from 1600 to 4000 ISO in my 8/28/2012 update. At one wedding, skin tones were very dark and so were the suits, and lighting was mixed. The wedding party had many people, so for group shots I used f/11 to get enough depth of field with a 35mm/1.4 lens. I went to 8,000 ISO, then to 12,800 ISO. The 8,000 ISO images looked fine with +25 noise reduction in LR4. I would not hesitate to blow these up to 11x14 or even larger. ISO 12,800 came close to looking like the 8,000 ISO with more noise reduction applied. I'm conservative, and another photographer said he would use these up to much larger sizes. What I did differently at this wedding was to overexpose the entire image by 1/2 stop by exposing for the darker areas, then bringing exposure down in post processing. This minimized noise in the dark areas, even though I dodged some exposure back into them. What I had encountered in my 8/28/2012 update - high noise levels from 1600 to 4000 ISO - was the result of underexposing the dark areas of the image.
No issues with the AF freezing.
1DX colors are more accurate than the 5DII. If a scene is cloudy, the 1DX will produce an image that is cooler, not necessarily more blue, but more true to what it is. At first I thought these images had a more dead-looking skin tone and didn't like it. But, now I'm realizing it's just more accurate than what it was with the 5DII. Also, now that I've examined a couple thousand 1DX images next to 5DII images taken by my assistant, I'm noticing that 5DII images have a slightly purple tint that creeps in when I reduce color temperature of an image that was shot in strong yellow incandescent light. Not so much with the 1DX.
Conservatively here's how I see the noise levels on the 1DX compared to the 5DII (for example, noise at ISO 4000 on the 1DX looks roughly like noise at ISO 1600 on the 5DII). These comparisons are AFTER noise reduction was applied in LR4 on RAW files.
5DII 1DX
800 1600-2000
1600 4000
2000 6400
3200 12,800
1DX noise looks more like film grain and cleans up better than 5DII noise. So, at times I can get ISO 6400 on the 1DX to look like ISO 1600 on the 5DII by overexposing and bringing it back in post processing. Read more ›
43 of 50 people found the following review helpful
By Mark Kitaoka
Although I didn't purchase my 1DX through Amazon, I'm posting this review. My local retailer obtained my camera before it became available on Amazon...regrettable!
I was never really a 'full frame zealot' and liked the 1.3 crop of the Mark IV. Gave me that extra bit of reach when I needed it, but conversely I was sometimes frustrated that I could not get as wide a shot as I wanted because of it. I purchased a 5D Mark III earlier this year since the 1DX was so delayed. I figured I would sell the 5D once the the 1DX came out. Bought the battery grip for it because I really missed the portrait grip and it had the extra joystick I was SO looking forward to on the 1DX. Then I got use to a full frame camera. The bokah on them is really stunning. Never really missed the extra reach losing 30% bought me with the Mark IV. Loved the new autofocus points too. Gave me more places to put my single focus point since I'm not a big focus and recompose guy. I find that technique for many of the apertures I shoot at caused me to lose DOF and as a result out of focus shots.
I also compared the ISO performance of the 5DIII with my Mark IV. Not a lot better on the 5DIII in what I shoot so I was a bit concerned about how much better the 1DX would be when it was released. Remember that I OFTEN shoot at high ISO for live theatrical performances. The average is around 6400-12800. If the scene has 'good' light I'm down around 1600-3200. In that 6400-12800 range the 5DIII was on par with the Mark IV.
The menu layout on the 5DIII is the same as the 1DX so when the 1DX was finally available I was better suited to get into the 1DX right away. What I really appreciated were the new AF menu layouts. Rather than having to go through all of the trial and error of figuring out how to configure AI Servo situations reading through the menu examples really helps me out. I'm not sure how often you use AI Servo, but I use it about for about 20% of my work both in studio and during live performances depending on the subject matter. Dance is one area where I find AI Servo to be very useful. I especially like the expansion point options on the 1DX, Zone expansion that was not available on the Mark IV.
The part that I absolutely HATE about the 1DX focusing versus the Mark IV is the elimination of the constant red illumination of the focus point. Let me explain. On the Mark IV even when you have not depressed the shutter or back focus button the focus points remains illuminated red. On the 1DX (and 5DIII too) unless you have pressed either focus button the focus point remains black. In the heat of the moment (where I am always at!) it's almost impossible to know where your focus point is at the time before pressing the shutter halfway or the back focus button. I have missed several shots because of this. Apparently Canon is working on a 'fix' but it's not as easy as it sounds. Apparently the exposure will change based upon the red illumination points and vary again depending on where that point is in the viewfinder. In my world I would gladly give up a slight change in exposure which can be fixed in Post versus having an out of focus shot. I hope they resolve this since it's my biggest bitch with the camera. (both of them)
I have found that with the 1DX ISO 25600 is VERY usable and about on par with the Mark IV's 12800. 25600 is better than the 5DIII's 12800, so for double the price you get 1 stop better low light performance. I rarely used 25600 on the Mark IV because it was just too noisy for my needs. My personal comparison is the 1DX's 25600 is on par with the Mark IV's 12800. BUT what I like is the ability to move up from 25600 to 51200 in 1/3 stop increments. I have used 32000 with great success when needed. But for me that's just one part of the overall equation.
I have not been able to print very large format images yet from the 1DX. I just finished an assignment up in Seattle and will report my findings once the billboards are printed. I can say this, with the Mark IV my images have been used on five billboard campaigns without any up-sizing through programs like Genuine Fractals or such with great success.
Handling
Now this area is VERY hard to explain, quantify, etc. When I was using the 5DIII in both a studio and live performance environment it just felt 'sluggish' to me compared to my Mark IV. Now don't assume I'm talking about the FPS difference as I rarely use that mode since I tend to be a single shooter. Most experienced action shooters including myself will tell you that anticipation and timing is the BEST way to get the 'moment' and although the high frame rate is great, it will never guarantee (and often miss) that defining moment we all strive to capture. No what I'm talking about is the absolute IMMEDIATE reaction from me thinking about pressing the shutter to actually having it 'click.' The 5DIII almost seemed like a point and shoot compared to the Mark IV and the 1DX makes the Mark IV feel sluggish! My best comparison is the feeling of driving a Porsche to a Lexus. There is a sharpness of turn in and handling that Porsche just seems to have down pat in my view. It's almost intuitive really. The 1DX feels like a Porsche Cayman in my hands.
Having that extra joystick in portrait mode is a real godsend. I don't know how many cuss words I've uttered having to span my short thumb across the back to the Mark IV to get to the single joystick. And it's as perfectly positioned as the one in horizontal position. I haven't had time to configure all of the other buttons on the camera, but am looking forward to using those features.
I own and use Canon's 85mm f1.2 II L lens for portraiture, but rarely used it for performance shooting. The reason is it's just too slow to focus quickly enough in low light theatre or dance. BUT the 1DX now drives autofocus on all lenses much quicker than the Mark IV or 5DII. Fast enough that I am now able to use the 85 for certain live performance sessions. Not sure what Canon did, but it's a welcome improvement.
Image Quality
Image quality on the 1DX is superior to the Mark IV in terms of dynamic range and the Mark IV was no slouch! For web work it's impossible for me to tell the difference between the Mark IV, 5DIII or 1DX. BUT in high quality print in large format both the 5DIII and 1DX have such a richness in color and color depth over the Mark IV.
Weather Sealing
Haven't been on assignment with the 1DX yet, but I am going to assume it's just as if not better weather sealed than my previous 1D bodies. When I've returned from harsh weather sessions in full rain, salt water or severe dust, I routinely held the camera under my sink's faucet to remove mud, dust and salt without ever worrying about moisture getting into the internals. I will do the same with the 1DX when the need arises.
Ethernet and WFT-E6A
I was both happy and sad that the 1DX utilizes dual CF card slots. Sad because I like to shoot wirelessly tethered to my iPad during client studio sessions using Eye Fi cards. No it wasn't the fastest on the Mark IV or 5DIII (the 5DIII is actually faster in transmission because it has a dedicated Eye Fi optimization) but it served me well. What I did love with the 1DX is the gigabit Ethernet connection which I'd use to replace the Eye Fi option for my clients. I was shocked at how fast the transmission from shutter press to the image appearing on my laptop screen transmitted. Less than a second with a 25 foot CAT 6 cable. But the more that I thought about going to a wired tether the more I worried about people tripping over the wire. You see in my studio sessions I have all kinds of folks around from Marketing types to Art Directors, hair and makeup, set people, etc.
So I figured I'd buy the WFT-E6A module and try it out for my session. If it didn't work well I thought I'd just return it and go with the wired option. I tested the performance before I left for the assignment. Keep in mind I'm using the smallest JPG size along with RAW files to my cards. I am only sending the JPGs to the laptop wired or wireless. I was shocked to find that the performance using those parameters was about the same as my wired option using Canon's EOS Utility software. Now for those who like to pixel peep or just 'have to be right' (like an old girlfriend I had to get away from!) I am not sure the actual time difference between wired and wireless transmission, but in human terms it is negligible. My client had started to complain that my camera to iPad to Shuttersnitch through Eye FI was a 'bit slow' during the sessions, so I was hoping he'd like this solution better. He was shocked and very pleased at the immediate performance of the new setup and felt it helped our workflow immensely and made our studio sessions even more efficient. So much for returning the transmitter after the session.....
Which leads me to being irritated with Canon for NOT including a wireless option in a 7K camera! Granted the WFT-E6A is weather proof and very small, but come on $600.00 for a wireless option that's not built in? Geesh. On personal work I missed not being able to wirelessly transmit small JPGs to my iPad like I can with my 5DIII and Mark IV using Eye Fi cards. So I searched several sites and found a way to do so with my new 1DX using the WFT-E6A WITHOUT a router using its Ad Hoc mode. YAY!
That's it for now, more after I have more experience with The Beast!
I was never really a 'full frame zealot' and liked the 1.3 crop of the Mark IV. Gave me that extra bit of reach when I needed it, but conversely I was sometimes frustrated that I could not get as wide a shot as I wanted because of it. I purchased a 5D Mark III earlier this year since the 1DX was so delayed. I figured I would sell the 5D once the the 1DX came out. Bought the battery grip for it because I really missed the portrait grip and it had the extra joystick I was SO looking forward to on the 1DX. Then I got use to a full frame camera. The bokah on them is really stunning. Never really missed the extra reach losing 30% bought me with the Mark IV. Loved the new autofocus points too. Gave me more places to put my single focus point since I'm not a big focus and recompose guy. I find that technique for many of the apertures I shoot at caused me to lose DOF and as a result out of focus shots.
I also compared the ISO performance of the 5DIII with my Mark IV. Not a lot better on the 5DIII in what I shoot so I was a bit concerned about how much better the 1DX would be when it was released. Remember that I OFTEN shoot at high ISO for live theatrical performances. The average is around 6400-12800. If the scene has 'good' light I'm down around 1600-3200. In that 6400-12800 range the 5DIII was on par with the Mark IV.
The menu layout on the 5DIII is the same as the 1DX so when the 1DX was finally available I was better suited to get into the 1DX right away. What I really appreciated were the new AF menu layouts. Rather than having to go through all of the trial and error of figuring out how to configure AI Servo situations reading through the menu examples really helps me out. I'm not sure how often you use AI Servo, but I use it about for about 20% of my work both in studio and during live performances depending on the subject matter. Dance is one area where I find AI Servo to be very useful. I especially like the expansion point options on the 1DX, Zone expansion that was not available on the Mark IV.
The part that I absolutely HATE about the 1DX focusing versus the Mark IV is the elimination of the constant red illumination of the focus point. Let me explain. On the Mark IV even when you have not depressed the shutter or back focus button the focus points remains illuminated red. On the 1DX (and 5DIII too) unless you have pressed either focus button the focus point remains black. In the heat of the moment (where I am always at!) it's almost impossible to know where your focus point is at the time before pressing the shutter halfway or the back focus button. I have missed several shots because of this. Apparently Canon is working on a 'fix' but it's not as easy as it sounds. Apparently the exposure will change based upon the red illumination points and vary again depending on where that point is in the viewfinder. In my world I would gladly give up a slight change in exposure which can be fixed in Post versus having an out of focus shot. I hope they resolve this since it's my biggest bitch with the camera. (both of them)
I have found that with the 1DX ISO 25600 is VERY usable and about on par with the Mark IV's 12800. 25600 is better than the 5DIII's 12800, so for double the price you get 1 stop better low light performance. I rarely used 25600 on the Mark IV because it was just too noisy for my needs. My personal comparison is the 1DX's 25600 is on par with the Mark IV's 12800. BUT what I like is the ability to move up from 25600 to 51200 in 1/3 stop increments. I have used 32000 with great success when needed. But for me that's just one part of the overall equation.
I have not been able to print very large format images yet from the 1DX. I just finished an assignment up in Seattle and will report my findings once the billboards are printed. I can say this, with the Mark IV my images have been used on five billboard campaigns without any up-sizing through programs like Genuine Fractals or such with great success.
Handling
Now this area is VERY hard to explain, quantify, etc. When I was using the 5DIII in both a studio and live performance environment it just felt 'sluggish' to me compared to my Mark IV. Now don't assume I'm talking about the FPS difference as I rarely use that mode since I tend to be a single shooter. Most experienced action shooters including myself will tell you that anticipation and timing is the BEST way to get the 'moment' and although the high frame rate is great, it will never guarantee (and often miss) that defining moment we all strive to capture. No what I'm talking about is the absolute IMMEDIATE reaction from me thinking about pressing the shutter to actually having it 'click.' The 5DIII almost seemed like a point and shoot compared to the Mark IV and the 1DX makes the Mark IV feel sluggish! My best comparison is the feeling of driving a Porsche to a Lexus. There is a sharpness of turn in and handling that Porsche just seems to have down pat in my view. It's almost intuitive really. The 1DX feels like a Porsche Cayman in my hands.
Having that extra joystick in portrait mode is a real godsend. I don't know how many cuss words I've uttered having to span my short thumb across the back to the Mark IV to get to the single joystick. And it's as perfectly positioned as the one in horizontal position. I haven't had time to configure all of the other buttons on the camera, but am looking forward to using those features.
I own and use Canon's 85mm f1.2 II L lens for portraiture, but rarely used it for performance shooting. The reason is it's just too slow to focus quickly enough in low light theatre or dance. BUT the 1DX now drives autofocus on all lenses much quicker than the Mark IV or 5DII. Fast enough that I am now able to use the 85 for certain live performance sessions. Not sure what Canon did, but it's a welcome improvement.
Image Quality
Image quality on the 1DX is superior to the Mark IV in terms of dynamic range and the Mark IV was no slouch! For web work it's impossible for me to tell the difference between the Mark IV, 5DIII or 1DX. BUT in high quality print in large format both the 5DIII and 1DX have such a richness in color and color depth over the Mark IV.
Weather Sealing
Haven't been on assignment with the 1DX yet, but I am going to assume it's just as if not better weather sealed than my previous 1D bodies. When I've returned from harsh weather sessions in full rain, salt water or severe dust, I routinely held the camera under my sink's faucet to remove mud, dust and salt without ever worrying about moisture getting into the internals. I will do the same with the 1DX when the need arises.
Ethernet and WFT-E6A
I was both happy and sad that the 1DX utilizes dual CF card slots. Sad because I like to shoot wirelessly tethered to my iPad during client studio sessions using Eye Fi cards. No it wasn't the fastest on the Mark IV or 5DIII (the 5DIII is actually faster in transmission because it has a dedicated Eye Fi optimization) but it served me well. What I did love with the 1DX is the gigabit Ethernet connection which I'd use to replace the Eye Fi option for my clients. I was shocked at how fast the transmission from shutter press to the image appearing on my laptop screen transmitted. Less than a second with a 25 foot CAT 6 cable. But the more that I thought about going to a wired tether the more I worried about people tripping over the wire. You see in my studio sessions I have all kinds of folks around from Marketing types to Art Directors, hair and makeup, set people, etc.
So I figured I'd buy the WFT-E6A module and try it out for my session. If it didn't work well I thought I'd just return it and go with the wired option. I tested the performance before I left for the assignment. Keep in mind I'm using the smallest JPG size along with RAW files to my cards. I am only sending the JPGs to the laptop wired or wireless. I was shocked to find that the performance using those parameters was about the same as my wired option using Canon's EOS Utility software. Now for those who like to pixel peep or just 'have to be right' (like an old girlfriend I had to get away from!) I am not sure the actual time difference between wired and wireless transmission, but in human terms it is negligible. My client had started to complain that my camera to iPad to Shuttersnitch through Eye FI was a 'bit slow' during the sessions, so I was hoping he'd like this solution better. He was shocked and very pleased at the immediate performance of the new setup and felt it helped our workflow immensely and made our studio sessions even more efficient. So much for returning the transmitter after the session.....
Which leads me to being irritated with Canon for NOT including a wireless option in a 7K camera! Granted the WFT-E6A is weather proof and very small, but come on $600.00 for a wireless option that's not built in? Geesh. On personal work I missed not being able to wirelessly transmit small JPGs to my iPad like I can with my 5DIII and Mark IV using Eye Fi cards. So I searched several sites and found a way to do so with my new 1DX using the WFT-E6A WITHOUT a router using its Ad Hoc mode. YAY!
That's it for now, more after I have more experience with The Beast!
19 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning - new firmware allows f8 AF and also red AF indicator in AI Servo mode
August 27, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase
I had been saving up for some time for the Canon EOS 5D MarkIII. I wanted to upgrade from crop sensor Canon to full frame Canon. I saved the money up, and just as I was prepared to pull the trigger, along came an unexpected windfall that essentially doubled the cash at my disposal. I researched, and awaited reviews (and pre-release reviews/thoughts) for a few months to decide if I would prefer a lens and 5D MkIII or "just" a 1Dx.
I went with a 1Dx, based on my desire to own top of the line and not be limited by the tool in my hand. I couldn't be happier.
I am not a professional. I am simply a photography student and photography enthusiast that had too much money available to him when making a purchase. Moving from cropped sensor, via my 3 year old Canon XSi, to full frame, was an eye opening experience.
Weight:
On its own, this camera is just shy of 3.5 (3.4) lbs or 1.54 kg. It is HEAVY when compared to any cropped sensor camera. The size and weight still over shadows a crop prosumer DSLR, even with the battery grip installed (mine was roughly 1.6 lbs or 725 g and the 7D, top of the line crop prosumer, would be right around 2 lbs w/ grip).
Add on a quality L series lens, such as the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, not unheard of for wedding photographers, and you're looking at just north of 6 lbs (2.72 kg), and you have a heavy beast of a camera.
And the first thing you will want to do, and in fact, I would recommend you purchase along with the camera, is to replace the poor, poor quality Canon neck strap. Yeah, the gold colored embroidery is nice, but I'm sorry, for this price you can't include a strap of a higher quality and usefulness than what's provided with Canon's "bottom of the price barrel" DSLRs? I went with a OP/TECH USA 1501012 Pro Strap, which turned up only a few days ago. I plan to write up a full review on that when I have used it long enough to properly review it. This isn't just a Canon flaw. Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Olympus all suffer from poor neck straps included. Of course, most professionals that have been working in photography for years already have a brand and model strap they prefer - for those just moving to into the ranks of full frame cameras, you will definitely want to watch the strap.
Ease of Use:
If this is your first DSLR, you're in for a steep learning curve. If you're accustomed to a non-weather proofed Canon, you're in for a smaller adjustment. In order to keep the 1Dx properly weather resistant, Canon uses buttons for anything and everything possible. WB, ISO, etc. are all set with buttons. The dials are used for aperture and similar type function changes, but most everything is button based.
Overall, the buttons, for my medium sized hands, seem to be properly and appropriately placed. I'm finding that I can have my finger on the shutter button, press the AF button and then control the little joystick on the camera without looking and by feel alone. After using the camera for roughly 2 hours in near complete darkness, I think the button configuration is about as close as you can get to perfect.
The additional portrait style shutter release, which includes all of the AF functions and the dial, means battery grips aren't needed. And to conserve power, you can actually turn this function "off" until you need it. I'm finding I just leave it on, as sometimes I like to recompose to portrait just to see how things look. It's great to finally have a camera where this capability isn't added as an afterthought.
One thing I really appreciate is the button that can be pressed to light up the 2 camera LCD displays. These are not to be confused with the LCD monitor as Canon calls it on the rear of the camera. These are the displays that show you WB, ISO, Aperture, etc. In darkness, this function is a life saver and I'm sure they've had this on previous bodies - it is my first experience with it. The orange color didn't ruin my night vision, which is an added bonus.
An oversight on a camera with such a tremendous ability in near complete darkness shooting, is that none of the buttons have any lighting at all. You had better study your camera in detail and know it front to back, top to bottom, if you plan on any real night shooting. The argument could be made that this lighting could affect AF or some other camera function, but perhaps there's some way to link this to a certain length of time and when you depress the shutter button half way, it turns those lights off? Long and short of it is, if you shoot in darkness, "know thy camera."
AF in AI Servo mode is nothing short of amazing. There's a certain joy to mounting a high quality lens to this camera, picking it up, pointing at your chosen AF point and it takes almost no time to focus - THEN it can follow the subject near perfectly no matter where it heads. I've tried several of the AI Servo AF modes and this is where I plan to focus my learning next. The results I've gotten from just a few weeks with the camera are very good - once I know what I'm doing and which mode to use and when, I'll go from very good to great. I've captured images with this camera that my old XSi would have never been able to compete.
The camera is complicated. It's not something you'll pick up and "know" right out of the box. It has a learning curve.
Image Quality:
At normal ISO ranges, 100-1600, images are high quality and sharp. I've yet, even without any processing in Digital Photo Professional (or my preferred tool, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4), had anything that needed any large amount of sharpening, if at all. Low to no noise is order of the day for these ISO ranges.
Bumping into the 2000 - 12,600 range, you start to see some noise creeping in. I would say that at 12,600, the results are STILL better than the highest ISO of my old XSi (1600) and actually usable for prints. At 13x19 print size, you need to denoise a little, but they are still quite sharp at those ISOs.
Bumping into the 25,000+ range, you can probably pull off 8x10 quality. At 52,000 you will want to really shrink that image if you want to print.
The two "H" modes - 102,400 and 204,800, are essentially useless for prints. If you absolutely have to get the shot in complete darkness, this might give you a result, but it won't be decent, and it won't be something any paying customer is likely to want to pay for. It's a novelty, and I guess it's nice to have, but in real world photography, most users won't bother going there.
To me, it's amazing how far we've come in just the short time since the first Canon DSLR (D30...not the Kodak rebrands) was released. ISO was 1600. 12 years later, we have a camera that is capable of 128x the ISO range. It's only a matter of time before the big camera manufacturers can offer the 204,800 ISO and actually have it usable...
In terms of contrast, dynamic range and color, even discounting the 6 MP advantage over my XSi, the 1Dx provides some of the best dynamic range I've ever had the pleasure to see from a DSLR. And yes, I've used and seen RAW images from more than just my own XSi
Advantages:
12 fps burst mode. The sound of this is something that simply has to be heard. It's such a satisfying sound the first time you hear it. And with AI Servo, capturing that one sport shot you've always wanted, the bird in flight, the dog mid-jump... whatever fast action you want to grab, I can almost guarantee you'll have an easier time capturing it with this camera. No doubt.
Super-fast AF. This cannot be stressed enough. Mating the 70-200 mkII to this camera, picking up the camera, aiming and pressing the shutter button takes fractions of a second. In the high speed world of sports photography, this would be a heaven send.
Phenomenal low light performance. I've visited the Longwood Gardens Bruce Munro Lights display twice. The first time, I took my XSi and tripod. The second time, I took the 1Dx. I captured images, albeit at 12,600, hand held, that I could only achieve on tripod with the XSi. Granted, I can't hand hold at ISO 100 and have anything usable, but the quality, even at 12,600, is more than usable for any size print I personally will want. If I can't capture the image I want now, then it's almost certainly the photographer and not the camera.
Potential Issues:
As others have complained, the AF points only light up when AF lock is achieved. When you shoot in AI Servo, these lights NEVER light up. The workaround that I've found that is serviceable, is to hit the AF point button, have all the points light up, choose my AF point and compose my shot keeping this point in mind. This is a rather shoddy way to have to do things, but it does work. It's quite an oversight on Canon's part, but one I can personally work around.
Of course, if you only shoot during the day, this is probably less of an issue, or probably a non-issue. The hope on the Internet is Canon will fix this with a firmware upgrade. In my mind, the argument made thus far about why it is setup the way it is, is for AF and light metering. Read more ›
I went with a 1Dx, based on my desire to own top of the line and not be limited by the tool in my hand. I couldn't be happier.
I am not a professional. I am simply a photography student and photography enthusiast that had too much money available to him when making a purchase. Moving from cropped sensor, via my 3 year old Canon XSi, to full frame, was an eye opening experience.
Weight:
On its own, this camera is just shy of 3.5 (3.4) lbs or 1.54 kg. It is HEAVY when compared to any cropped sensor camera. The size and weight still over shadows a crop prosumer DSLR, even with the battery grip installed (mine was roughly 1.6 lbs or 725 g and the 7D, top of the line crop prosumer, would be right around 2 lbs w/ grip).
Add on a quality L series lens, such as the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, not unheard of for wedding photographers, and you're looking at just north of 6 lbs (2.72 kg), and you have a heavy beast of a camera.
And the first thing you will want to do, and in fact, I would recommend you purchase along with the camera, is to replace the poor, poor quality Canon neck strap. Yeah, the gold colored embroidery is nice, but I'm sorry, for this price you can't include a strap of a higher quality and usefulness than what's provided with Canon's "bottom of the price barrel" DSLRs? I went with a OP/TECH USA 1501012 Pro Strap, which turned up only a few days ago. I plan to write up a full review on that when I have used it long enough to properly review it. This isn't just a Canon flaw. Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Olympus all suffer from poor neck straps included. Of course, most professionals that have been working in photography for years already have a brand and model strap they prefer - for those just moving to into the ranks of full frame cameras, you will definitely want to watch the strap.
Ease of Use:
If this is your first DSLR, you're in for a steep learning curve. If you're accustomed to a non-weather proofed Canon, you're in for a smaller adjustment. In order to keep the 1Dx properly weather resistant, Canon uses buttons for anything and everything possible. WB, ISO, etc. are all set with buttons. The dials are used for aperture and similar type function changes, but most everything is button based.
Overall, the buttons, for my medium sized hands, seem to be properly and appropriately placed. I'm finding that I can have my finger on the shutter button, press the AF button and then control the little joystick on the camera without looking and by feel alone. After using the camera for roughly 2 hours in near complete darkness, I think the button configuration is about as close as you can get to perfect.
The additional portrait style shutter release, which includes all of the AF functions and the dial, means battery grips aren't needed. And to conserve power, you can actually turn this function "off" until you need it. I'm finding I just leave it on, as sometimes I like to recompose to portrait just to see how things look. It's great to finally have a camera where this capability isn't added as an afterthought.
One thing I really appreciate is the button that can be pressed to light up the 2 camera LCD displays. These are not to be confused with the LCD monitor as Canon calls it on the rear of the camera. These are the displays that show you WB, ISO, Aperture, etc. In darkness, this function is a life saver and I'm sure they've had this on previous bodies - it is my first experience with it. The orange color didn't ruin my night vision, which is an added bonus.
An oversight on a camera with such a tremendous ability in near complete darkness shooting, is that none of the buttons have any lighting at all. You had better study your camera in detail and know it front to back, top to bottom, if you plan on any real night shooting. The argument could be made that this lighting could affect AF or some other camera function, but perhaps there's some way to link this to a certain length of time and when you depress the shutter button half way, it turns those lights off? Long and short of it is, if you shoot in darkness, "know thy camera."
AF in AI Servo mode is nothing short of amazing. There's a certain joy to mounting a high quality lens to this camera, picking it up, pointing at your chosen AF point and it takes almost no time to focus - THEN it can follow the subject near perfectly no matter where it heads. I've tried several of the AI Servo AF modes and this is where I plan to focus my learning next. The results I've gotten from just a few weeks with the camera are very good - once I know what I'm doing and which mode to use and when, I'll go from very good to great. I've captured images with this camera that my old XSi would have never been able to compete.
The camera is complicated. It's not something you'll pick up and "know" right out of the box. It has a learning curve.
Image Quality:
At normal ISO ranges, 100-1600, images are high quality and sharp. I've yet, even without any processing in Digital Photo Professional (or my preferred tool, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4), had anything that needed any large amount of sharpening, if at all. Low to no noise is order of the day for these ISO ranges.
Bumping into the 2000 - 12,600 range, you start to see some noise creeping in. I would say that at 12,600, the results are STILL better than the highest ISO of my old XSi (1600) and actually usable for prints. At 13x19 print size, you need to denoise a little, but they are still quite sharp at those ISOs.
Bumping into the 25,000+ range, you can probably pull off 8x10 quality. At 52,000 you will want to really shrink that image if you want to print.
The two "H" modes - 102,400 and 204,800, are essentially useless for prints. If you absolutely have to get the shot in complete darkness, this might give you a result, but it won't be decent, and it won't be something any paying customer is likely to want to pay for. It's a novelty, and I guess it's nice to have, but in real world photography, most users won't bother going there.
To me, it's amazing how far we've come in just the short time since the first Canon DSLR (D30...not the Kodak rebrands) was released. ISO was 1600. 12 years later, we have a camera that is capable of 128x the ISO range. It's only a matter of time before the big camera manufacturers can offer the 204,800 ISO and actually have it usable...
In terms of contrast, dynamic range and color, even discounting the 6 MP advantage over my XSi, the 1Dx provides some of the best dynamic range I've ever had the pleasure to see from a DSLR. And yes, I've used and seen RAW images from more than just my own XSi
Advantages:
12 fps burst mode. The sound of this is something that simply has to be heard. It's such a satisfying sound the first time you hear it. And with AI Servo, capturing that one sport shot you've always wanted, the bird in flight, the dog mid-jump... whatever fast action you want to grab, I can almost guarantee you'll have an easier time capturing it with this camera. No doubt.
Super-fast AF. This cannot be stressed enough. Mating the 70-200 mkII to this camera, picking up the camera, aiming and pressing the shutter button takes fractions of a second. In the high speed world of sports photography, this would be a heaven send.
Phenomenal low light performance. I've visited the Longwood Gardens Bruce Munro Lights display twice. The first time, I took my XSi and tripod. The second time, I took the 1Dx. I captured images, albeit at 12,600, hand held, that I could only achieve on tripod with the XSi. Granted, I can't hand hold at ISO 100 and have anything usable, but the quality, even at 12,600, is more than usable for any size print I personally will want. If I can't capture the image I want now, then it's almost certainly the photographer and not the camera.
Potential Issues:
As others have complained, the AF points only light up when AF lock is achieved. When you shoot in AI Servo, these lights NEVER light up. The workaround that I've found that is serviceable, is to hit the AF point button, have all the points light up, choose my AF point and compose my shot keeping this point in mind. This is a rather shoddy way to have to do things, but it does work. It's quite an oversight on Canon's part, but one I can personally work around.
Of course, if you only shoot during the day, this is probably less of an issue, or probably a non-issue. The hope on the Internet is Canon will fix this with a firmware upgrade. In my mind, the argument made thus far about why it is setup the way it is, is for AF and light metering. Read more ›
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