Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Summary

I don't complain as I'm not buying it anyway. But I realise the specs are disappointing for many prospective users. Downgrading and not having a DPAF in 4K looks strange. Looks like this camera only shines in fps.

What I do worry about now is whether Canon is able to deliver a good high-MP camera this year. It looks like they're cutting the corners, reducing R&D costs and aren't catching up with Sony.
 
Upvote 0
Interesting. I was sure they'd move up to the 5.9K sensor in the C500 Mark II. I guess the processing still isn't there so they went for RAW and higher framerates at lower resolution. Sure, there are some aspects that aren't perfect like DPAF at RAW and full frame 60P but I'll wait for the final specs to see how that shakes out.

That being said, I'm guessing this thing is going to crank out some pretty nice video. Certainly comparable with many of the cinema cameras out there and with DPAF at most of the commonly used frame-rates. It will be a plus if the AF tracking is a little more like what we've seen in the R's rather than the 1DX2 which is still pretty much a tap to focus operation.

Stills shooters didn't get much. I'm guessing this is going to be an "i'll upgrade when my 1DX2 needs to be replaced" but who knows? Maybe the AF and the new AF/On gizmo will be a major step up in AF. Can't wait to see it in action.

I wonder if it will finally have a built in intervalometer?
 
Upvote 0

Aussie shooter

https://brettguyphotography.picfair.com/
Dec 6, 2016
1,183
1,817
brettguyphotography.picfair.com
I don't complain as I'm not buying it anyway. But I realise the specs are disappointing for many prospective users. Downgrading and not having a DPAF in 4K looks strange. Looks like this camera only shines in fps.

What I do worry about now is whether Canon is able to deliver a good high-MP camera this year. It looks like they're cutting the corners, reducing R&D costs and aren't catching up with Sony.
There is dpaf in 4k. Just not in 4k60.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0
What I do worry about now is whether Canon is able to deliver a good high-MP camera this year. It looks like they're cutting the corners, reducing R&D costs and aren't catching up with Sony.
Canon could have made this camera fast with a higher pixel count (perhaps just not quite as fast), and the DPAF cripple is probably just in firmware, but it's true that Canon can not compete with Sony R&D. Sony's sensor research is funded by being the world's largest phone camera sensor manufacturer, who are currently apologizing to their giant phone customers that this billion $ division of Sony just can't keep up with the damand for what they're producing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

tron

CR Pro
Nov 8, 2011
5,222
1,616
I do, as a serious amateur who invests much of my disposable income on wildlife photography I’d have hoped we, as a segment, would be better served.

late 20s to 30 MP is in my experience the sweet spot. Even a lowly 15% improvement in pixels on target makes my 500 more like a 600 and with a 1.4 my 700 more like 800. It would I’m fact have made it likely I would have bought a new 400 f2.8.
For now I use 5DsR for that reason. It's decent enough.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0
TBH the 20MP doesnt bother me either, I usually dont crop - It'll be a huge upgrade to my 1D mk IV. All the AF upgrades are right up my alley.

(Given that the M6 II got a 32MP sensor, it does seem odd to stay at 20MP. But I guess if dynamic range is superb....... I'll go with it?)

This isnt an amateur camera and looking at the specs and thinking about it......... I could well see my existing 1D being replaced. Events sports photo people who do 20,000 shots a day are going to lap the 1D X III up biiiig time
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0
TBH the 20MP doesnt bother me either, I usually dont crop - It'll be a huge upgrade to my 1D mk IV.
[Off topic] I had my old 1d IV out last week as a back up camera that ended up being used, and when editing I was surprised by just how sharp those 16 million pixels are. It really was a truely great camera. [/Off Topic]
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0

navastronia

R6 x2 (work) + 5D Classic (fun)
Aug 31, 2018
853
1,073
PS - the EF mount is dead, especially for pro users. Judging from the gorgeous RF glass already available, it's clear that major innovation, from this point forward, is coming almost exclusively to RF bodies, and I bet that when the real RF pro body debuts, it's gonna make a big splash, for the right reasons (gorgeous sensor, enough mp, great autofocus).
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0

unfocused

Photos/Photo Book Reviews: www.thecuriouseye.com
Jul 20, 2010
7,184
5,483
70
Springfield, IL
www.thecuriouseye.com
Serious Question: Does anyone know if HEIF files "bake in" the white balance like jpgs or perform more like a raw file, where you can totally adjust the white balance after exposure. The main reason I shoot in raw is to have the flexibility to change the white balance in post-processing. Very important to me since I shoot a lot of sports under artificial lights with a crazy mix of ambient colors.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0
I bet that when the real RF pro body debuts, it's gonna make a big splash, for the right reasons (gorgeous sensor, enough mp, great autofocus).

Maybe. Meanwhile Sony have apparently developed a FF A7SIII sensor that offers 60mp @ 15 FPS with outstanding low light and 4K @ 90fps, and they're calling it a consumer sensor. What will Sony's next pro camera sensors feature?
 
Upvote 0

navastronia

R6 x2 (work) + 5D Classic (fun)
Aug 31, 2018
853
1,073
Maybe. Meanwhile Sony have apparently developed a FF A7SIII sensor that offers 60mp @ 15 FPS with outstanding low light and 4K @ 90fps, and they're calling it a consumer sensor. What will Sony's next pro camera sensors feature?

They can call it whatever they want - it doesn't really matter. Sony just debuted the a9II (their sole "professional" mirrorless camera) with the same sensor as the original a9, so it's not immediately evident that they have some world-beating tech waiting in the wings.

And, aside from the fact that what you've posted here is an unconfirmed rumor, even if it were true, it wouldn't make any sense, since the A7SIII is a video camera first and will not have a 60mp sensor.
 
Upvote 0

PureClassA

Canon since age 5. The A1
CR Pro
Aug 15, 2014
2,124
827
Mandeville, LA
Shields-Photography.com
Well I'm buying for sure. Leaves me with couple questions though...

How good is the eye-AF compared to Sony, or Eye-AF-quality in general compared against PDAF.

Is HEIF still worse than RAW? I assume yes?

Maximum burst RAW-mode: 1000 or more (= as long as you could ever shoot)

Video goes up to 120fps on FullHD. Does is to DPAF on that, or disable DPAF like they did on 5D4 (which they didn't clearly advertise, and for which I'm still mad about.)

Hope the memory price comes down too.

I think the HEIF format was listed for HDR shooting (in camera processing). Not a RAW replacement.

And yes the 120fps is a big question of mine. On the 1DX2, not only did you not have AF or sound, but the 120FPS was baked in IN camera. I'd like to see a bit more clarification on certain video specs. I still scratch my head at no DPAF on 4k 60 at all. Maybe it's an error and it only means "while recording RAW" at 4k60. The specs also dont seem to specify if it will let 4k ProRes RAW out of the HDMI to an external.

I could not care one ounce less what codec Canon chooses. I would much rather let my Ninja V do that work and record directly to ProRes and save myself a ton of time in post.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

PureClassA

Canon since age 5. The A1
CR Pro
Aug 15, 2014
2,124
827
Mandeville, LA
Shields-Photography.com
I really question what the "no DPAF in 4k60" actually means. Surely there is more to be clarified on this point.
Yeah, I'm fuzzy on this. The DX2 I'm 99% sure has this although I haven't shot video at 4k60 on mine in a while and can't recall right now but pretty sure I've done it with AF. I'm thinking this is perhaps no Intelligent Eye tracking at 4k60 in full frame? No DPAF in RAW at 4k60. Etc... Something to that effect. Losing that ability in the new camera would seem odd and if so, I'm thinking Canon would make a fix shortly after release considering how fast they were to react to the "no 24p in the EOS RP" issue.
 
Upvote 0
While it is certainly disappointing to not see more than 20mp, it is a brand new sensor, so if they were able to improve the image quality a lot, then that is great.

Remember that Canon has not released a camera in the past nine years where it didn't consider the sensor to be "all new," even when it was plainly a warmed over upgrade. Any modifications made to allow the chip to work with new firmware, differently configured microlenses, etc., make it "all new" in the language of Canon. This isn't to say that sometimes they do launch great upgrades on occasion, but I wouldn't put stock in that particular phrasing.

The mention of better image quality was said in the same breath as the new chip, which may indicate that the attempt at better image quality has more to do with how they cook the file, rather than the raw data gathered at the sensor.

We have to wait until we see the real specs, but so far this doesn't appear to be the body I was waiting for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0