Canon EOS-1D X f/8 to be Added? [CR1]

[Canon Rumors]

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Could it be? I have received two random emails saying that “f/8″ autofocus in the 1D X will be added to the final firmware for the camera.

By f/8, I mean the ability to have autofocus when the widest aperture of a lens is f/8. i.e.  a 500 f/4L IS with a 2X teleconverter. Which is 1000mm f/8.

We had heard previously that the perceived shortcomings in the 1D X could be fixed in firmware.

Canon EOS-1D X at B&H

cr

[CrimsonBlue]

That would be excellent news, and worth waiting an extra few weeks. 

[Mark D5 TEAM II]

Only *two* random emails? I'll send another and maybe it would become a CR2 rumor . This f/8 non-issue is overwrought as it is. I suspect this is because that's the only feature that the D4 has over the 1Dx. Everything else is inferior on the D4. Did it occur to the fanbois that the previous Nikons didn't have this f/8 capability while the EOS-1 series has had it since the mid-90s? No one has trumpeted it as a huge advantage until now that the shoe is on the other foot.

[zim]

May I ask what I suspect is a dumb question please…..
Would the f8 issue be resolved if Canon designed a new ‘faster’ teleconverter? Is that possible?

[Stu_bert]

one hopes that it does not impact in any way on the rest of the AF performance, which appears to be extremely good by all reports. Maybe Canon could implement it as an option which you can toggle on / off, or it auto-detects the f/8 and adjusts....

[Stu_bert]

May I ask what I suspect is a dumb question please…..
Would the f8 issue be resolved if Canon designed a new ‘faster’ teleconverter? Is that possible?

Zim, I guess if you didn't lose the 2 stops of light, and therefore f/8 for an f/5.6 lens then you would be fine. But presume to achieve the 2x and the size of the teleconverter means this is not possible or not possible in a cost effective way....

[Stu_bert]

Only *two* random emails? I'll send another and maybe it would become a CR2 rumor . This f/8 non-issue is overwrought as it is. I suspect this is because that's the only feature that the D4 has over the 1Dx. Everything else is inferior on the D4. Did it occur to the fanbois that the previous Nikons didn't have this f/8 capability while the EOS-1 series has had it since the mid-90s? No one has trumpeted it as a huge advantage until now that the shoe is on the other foot.

One of the reasons I bought my 1Ds was on the basis of the f/8 capability.... so yes I care if none of the future Canon bodies, Pro or Prosumer do not have this capability

[neuroanatomist]

May I ask what I suspect is a dumb question please…..
Would the f8 issue be resolved if Canon designed a new ‘faster’ teleconverter? Is that possible?

Sorry...not possible.

[rbr]

Only *two* random emails? I'll send another and maybe it would become a CR2 rumor . This f/8 non-issue is overwrought as it is. I suspect this is because that's the only feature that the D4 has over the 1Dx. Everything else is inferior on the D4. Did it occur to the fanbois that the previous Nikons didn't have this f/8 capability while the EOS-1 series has had it since the mid-90s? No one has trumpeted it as a huge advantage until now that the shoe is on the other foot.

Nikon cameras have never disabled af with an f8 lens, and they have always worked fairly well with them (so I am told). Nikon also doesn't offer a 800 f5.6 lens (or a 400 f5.6) that is frequently used with a 1.4x by Canon owners. It is also no secret that Canon's new 2xIII teleconverters work very well with the current 500 f4 and 600 f4 lenses and that Nikon's current 2x TC is not of the same quality. If you were a bird photographer using Canon cameras and had tens of thousands of dollars invested in big white lenses, the loss of af at f8 is not a trivial matter.

[KeithR]

This f/8 non-issue is overwrought as it is.

Why? Because it doesn't matter to you?

It matters immensely to several of my pro bird photography buddies.

[zim]

Ah well...... Ye canna change the laws of physics 
Thanks for the replys guys

[KeithR]

Ah well...... Ye canna change the laws of physics 

It's not the laws of physics that's at issue, it's entirely the design choices made for the 1DX - previous 1D bodies have had no problem with f/8 AF.

[Jan]

Hum... as far as I understood the AF-sensor, adding f/8 support via firmware is not possible, if the sensor wasn't designed to do f/8 focusing. But the 1DX isn't going to be my next camera body anyway...

[neuroanatomist]

Ah well...... Ye canna change the laws of physics 

It's not the laws of physics that's at issue, it's entirely the design choices made for the 1DX - previous 1D bodies have had no problem with f/8 AF.

The question at hand was about the possibility of designing a 'faster teleconverter' as a workaround for the f/8 issue. Optical physics is quite relevant for that question.

[liv_img]

Yes, Canon, yes, please!!

(Although in a very recent 1DX presentation a Canon rep told me that it's impossible to correct this issue in firmware).