1D X - what do TIPA know that we don't?

[GuyF]

Flipping through a magazine yesterday and came across the results of the 2012 Technical Image Press Association awards. Best DSLR (professional) goes to the, as yet, unavailable 1D X. Just for the wild optimisim that they show I kinda wish the 1D X gets delayed 'til January. That'll teach 'em! And at this rate that isn't too far fetched.

http://www.tipa.com/english/XXII_tipa_awards_2012_13042012103433.php?iExpand1=70

Anyone else know of gear winning top awards before the finished production article hits the buying public?

One thing that makes me a wee bit suspicious of the whole TIPA award thing is that just about every manufacturer gets an award - best premium camera goes to Leica. Who defines what "premium" means?

Still, kept me amused for a few minutes.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

In case you did not know, magazines make up issues 3-6 months in advance. They try to time articles with the release of a camera, but in this case, were obviously left hanging. However, they likely have had a preproduction camera to test, so their award is not totally blind.

 

[GuyF]

Spokane - That would be a fair point if it were just a single magazine dishing out its own awards but this is a bit bigger. From the TIPA website:

"The annual meeting of the Technical Image Press Association to vote for the best photographic and imaging products in 2012 was held on 24 March 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa.

This year at the TIPA General Assembly 29 member magazines and the Camera Journal Press Club (CJPC) of Japan voted for the best product in each category. The General Assembly selected the best photo and imaging products in 2012 in 40 categories.

TIPA has member magazines from nine European countries plus Australia, Canada, China, South Africa and the USA."

Do you think awards should be handed out to products that are still in pre-production (the awards were only decided at the end of March)? Okay, the various journalists might've seen the 1D X in a number of guises as it gets developed but I still think it a bit too soon to declare it the best. Time will tell.

 

[Loswr]

The only meaningful competition is the D4, which has two less MP. Clearly, the 1D X must be the winner... :

 

[Razor2012]

The only meaningful competition is the D4, which has two less MP. Clearly, the 1D X must be the winner... :

Wait, the D3X has 24.5MP.

 

[Loswr]

Meh. Old tech, too slow.

 

[JR]

one thing I can say, shooting with the D4 currently (while I wait for my 1DX), the Canon 61 point AF system (since I only tried it on the 5D mkiii) is better then Nikon AF system found in the D4 and D800. More accurate and faster.

 

[Razor2012]

Meh. Old tech, too slow.

But isn't it all about MP? :

 

[Razor2012]

one thing I can say, shooting with the D4 currently (while I wait for my 1DX), the Canon 61 point AF system (since I only tried it on the 5D mkiii) is better then Nikon AF system found in the D4 and D800. More accurate and faster.

But it doesn't matter when you have all those MP.

 

[Loswr]

It was all about MP...until Canon decided it wasn't...

 

[Razor2012]

It was all about MP...until Canon decided it wasn't...

Or when Nikon decided it was.

 

[JR]

one thing I can say, shooting with the D4 currently (while I wait for my 1DX), the Canon 61 point AF system (since I only tried it on the 5D mkiii) is better then Nikon AF system found in the D4 and D800. More accurate and faster.

But it doesn't matter when you have all those MP.

Well the 1DX does have more MP then the D4 but will see how good the 1DX sensor is. After trying both the D800 and D4 I must say both Nikon sensor are really good and give good result. I think the 1DX AF will just kiil the D4 AF system. Nikon is having serious AF problem with the D800 which share its AF with the D4...

 

[briansquibb]

Meh. Old tech, too slow.

But isn't it all about MP? :

The Nikon fanboys on this forum are trying to convince us that 14.x DR is needed to shoot 8DR images

 

[Razor2012]

one thing I can say, shooting with the D4 currently (while I wait for my 1DX), the Canon 61 point AF system (since I only tried it on the 5D mkiii) is better then Nikon AF system found in the D4 and D800. More accurate and faster.

But it doesn't matter when you have all those MP.

Well the 1DX does have more MP then the D4 but will see how good the 1DX sensor is. After trying both the D800 and D4 I must say both Nikon sensor are really good and give good result. I think the 1DX AF will just kiil the D4 AF system. Nikon is having serious AF problem with the D800 which share its AF with the D4...

IMO a camera is only as good as the sum of all it's parts. In this example, I would take less MP and better AF.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Spokane - That would be a fair point if it were just a single magazine dishing out its own awards but this is a bit bigger. From the TIPA website:

"The annual meeting of the Technical Image Press Association to vote for the best photographic and imaging products in 2012 was held on 24 March 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa.

This year at the TIPA General Assembly 29 member magazines and the Camera Journal Press Club (CJPC) of Japan voted for the best product in each category. The General Assembly selected the best photo and imaging products in 2012 in 40 categories.

TIPA has member magazines from nine European countries plus Australia, Canada, China, South Africa and the USA."

Do you think awards should be handed out to products that are still in pre-production (the awards were only decided at the end of March)? Okay, the various journalists might've seen the 1D X in a number of guises as it gets developed but I still think it a bit too soon to declare it the best. Time will tell.

I forgot to tell you that I agree, the award is a farce.

As noted, they do this all the time, its about selling magazines, it does not matter what country the magazine is in, they get paid from advertizing according to circulation. They definitely got burned. This is why is why online reviewers that actually wait and purchase a production camera to review are more believable than magazines that have to decide on a story months in advance. They likely had multiple stories ready if there was any competition or doubt. The results were likely worked out in advance, and only a formality when a vote was taken.

 

[dr croubie]

Anyone else know of gear winning top awards before the finished production article hits the buying public?

Maybe not gear, per se, but I remember a few years ago in a music poll: I can't find a link to anything definite, I think it was the Arctic Monkeys released an album after it had already been voted as one of the best albums of the year/decade/whatever. That to me doesn't say good music, that says good marketing, and pretty much poisoned me from enjoying anything they released for ages.
Now with the 1DX that could also be the case, or maybe they're just basing it off pre-production models they've had their hands on, or on-paper specs.

One thing that makes me a wee bit suspicious of the whole TIPA award thing is that just about every manufacturer gets an award - best premium camera goes to Leica. Who defines what "premium" means?

Probably if there's competition that does pretty much the same thing in most aspects but is less than half the price, or the markup from raw-ingredients to finished product is far above the others, or people still buy it despite there being much better (technology-wise, maybe not ergonomics-wise) competition, then I think that defines as premium.
Actually, the iphone pretty much ticks all those boxes too. Does that make it a 'premium' phone?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

One thing that makes me a wee bit suspicious of the whole TIPA award thing is that just about every manufacturer gets an award - best premium camera goes to Leica. Who defines what "premium" means?

Its about money. A magazine has to sell issues, and has to have advertisers. If you don't advertise, your chance of getting a award is near zero, but if you do, you will win best of something.

 

[AdamJ]

The Sigma 180mm macro won a TIPA award and that hasn't yet seen the light of day, either. It just goes to show how worthless and meaningless those awards are - no credibility or integrity.