EOS-1D X Canon USA Press Release

[sandro]

does canon usually announce a camera 5 months before the release date?? :-\

 

[Justin]

Exactly my point. Canon's roadmap is all banged up. For those of us including macfly with thousands if not tens of thousands invested in glass this matters incredibly.

Why? If you have thousands or tens of thousands invested in Canon lenses (I do), you probably have a decent camera body (or more than one), right? If Canon mucks with their roadmap or decides to stop producing dSLRs altogether, how exactly does that affect the camera(s) and lens(es) you are using today?

Of course, it doesn't. It affects my buying decisions tomorrow. I dont' know about you but I buy a new iphone every 2 years. I buy a new mac computer every three years or so. I buy a new car, well I wait longer for that. These are tools. I want the better tools to take my photography to a better place (presumably). The better tool for me is a smaller body, higher pixel density sensor camera, that has a weak AA filter (guessing Canon has put in a strong one to improve moire). I own the best canon camera already for this job. We're all assuming that Nikon is about to top this spec in a significant way. Waiting for Canon's response. 1Dx ain't it.

 

[DJL329]

I don't understand why some people continue to argue the point that the 1Ds and 1D have merged. Is it because they are hanging onto hope?

I honestly see this as a good sign for those who need high MP yet not all of the bells and whistles of the 1DX. Why? Because I see this as a possible future for Canon DSLRs.

1DX: A sports and photojournalist camera that is the flagship for Canon DSLRs. $6800 (Correct my price if I'm wrong, I thought I read that in the release.)
5DMIII: This is where your big MP, FF camera comes in at. What were we thinking, 24-32? $3500-$3800
6D: Rumors have been out about a cheaper FF option. Why not put your 1DX sensor in this? $2800-$3000
7D/7DII: Continue on with the line as it is a beautiful seller and great camera: $1800-$2100
60D/70D: Last I heard, the 60D was easily outselling the T3i. I'm guessing the line continues: $1000

I have to agree. With the way that the 5D II ate into the sales of the 1Ds III, because the sensors were so similar, I figured Canon had to do something to differentiate them for the next release.

It will certainly be interesting to see how things shake out with the 5D II replacement. I'd certainly like to see some of the 1D X features, such as Multiple Exposure (I don't expect 9 exposures, of course) and chromatic aberration correction.

 

[Joes Dad]

This is evolutionary, perhaps not revolutionary, but certainly a move forward. I will purchase one in March. Makes me wonder though - what is happening in the Netherlands later today?

 

[alipaulphotography]

The camera sounds awesome. It is however a little out of price range for the moment. I am considering it as a 'good investment' though. I hope that the 5D MK III keeps the features relating to picture quality at least!

Less FPS, no built in battery grip and weaker autofocus are what I expect from the 5D mk III.

Fingers crossed.

 

[neuroanatomist]

a weak AA filter (guessing Canon has put in a strong one to improve moire)

Not sure about that - in CPN Europe's 8-page document (Technologies Explained – EOS-1D X), they state, "The combination of sensor and dual “DIGIC 5+” processors also greatly reduces colour fringing and moiré for professional quality footage." Canon USA's features tab states, "The CMOS sensor's new drive system significantly increases image processor performance, reducing color artifacts and moiré." To me, that sounds like digital removal of the moiré artifacts.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

Late to the party...

But anyways, I see this as a change in Canon's approach to the pro's market, and moving closer to Nikon's version.

Effectively, the 1DX pretty much fit the D3 category - the all-rounder FF pro camera.

So if the analogy works, there should be room for the D3H (high speed model), D3X (high MP model), and D3s (the revised all-rounder model) equivalent.

I guess it's good news for landscape shooters moving into the pro-camera field for not having to dish out the US$7000+ for the FF pro-body. However, I wish the price for the 1DX could stay in the US$5,000 range...

Well, the good news is that the 1DX can use the same battery as the 1D4 (LP-E4), even though it has another battery (LP-E4N).

The D2H shoots only 8 frames per second. It seems safe to say that if the D2 was slower they had a gap to fill.

I think this current camera fits the speed requirement very well; there's not much to be gained from even further speed increases (there's an option for a 14 FPS mode but that requires the mirror to be locked up).

 

[Edwin Herdman]

Bye bye Canon, hello Nikon.

You won't be seeing me here anymore, good luck with new Prosumer 18mp camera kids, and keep an eye on EBay, all my lenses etc will be there soon.

LOL Sorry, you'll just have to learn to frame your shots properly to begin with, instead of relying on cropping a 50MP file. Or yes, you can switch to Nikon and work with 12MP out of spite LOLOL Priceless

I suspect macfly is referring to the rumored 36 MP D800. If you do a little digging into macfly instead of bashing him (which I admit, I was guilty of in the past), you'll find he's a pro with an impressive portfolio, and often shoots with medium format bodies in addition to dSLRs. He appears to have a real need for higher resolution for print ads (thus the MF cameras), and was clearly hoping for a higher MP body from Canon, from a professional perspective.

Having said that, for me, 18 MP is just fine...

As a pro I would've hoped he had the perspective to realize that Canon most likely will be releasing a high megapixel camera as well. Canon releases according to their own roadmap, but it seems in this case that (against my belief) they targeted the area most in need of an improvement.

EDIT: Sorry for this post, I was assuming that Canon had not stated they were effectively discontinuing the 1D / 1Ds differentiation with this model, which they have, and which pulls all the wind out of my argument here.

 

[Pau]

Wow. This camera is amazing. Even though this camera is way out of my price range I wanted to bring up something.
This camera does:
17 915 904(pixels) x 14(fps) = 250 822 656 (pixels per second)

On the other hand, 4k digital cinema is:
7 020 544(pixels) x 30(fps)= 210 616 320 (pixels per second)

Of course, when the 1dx shoots 14 fps these pixels are compressed into JPEG format. Also, the 1dx cannot shoot at 14 fps per second for more than a few seconds, but I think it is interesting that it might be possible to shoot compressed 4k clips with this fantastic new camera.

 

[Justin]

a weak AA filter (guessing Canon has put in a strong one to improve moire)

Not sure about that - in CPN Europe's 8-page document (Technologies Explained – EOS-1D X), they state, "The combination of sensor and dual “DIGIC 5+” processors also greatly reduces colour fringing and moiré for professional quality footage." Canon USA's features tab states, "The CMOS sensor's new drive system significantly increases image processor performance, reducing color artifacts and moiré." To me, that sounds like digital removal of the moiré artifacts.

Thanks. Yes, hard to say for sure about the AA filter. I don't know that what you have cited tells us anything about a harware or software or combo process to remove the artifacts, if anything I would argue this description reads more like a hardware fix, but I'm out of my league on what these statements actually mean.

 

[HurtinMinorKey]

a weak AA filter (guessing Canon has put in a strong one to improve moire)

Not sure about that - in CPN Europe's 8-page document (Technologies Explained – EOS-1D X), they state, "The combination of sensor and dual “DIGIC 5+” processors also greatly reduces colour fringing and moiré for professional quality footage." Canon USA's features tab states, "The CMOS sensor's new drive system significantly increases image processor performance, reducing color artifacts and moiré." To me, that sounds like digital removal of the moiré artifacts.

Faster fps and 18MP means less pixel line skipping, so fewer analog artifacts. In effect this means that the camera will use a larger fraction of the sensor for each frame than it's predecessors.


Pau, Good point about the overall pixels per second. This leads me to believe that one of the upcoming video cameras has to be 4k capable at 30fps.

 

[neuroanatomist]

a weak AA filter (guessing Canon has put in a strong one to improve moire)

Not sure about that - in CPN Europe's 8-page document (Technologies Explained – EOS-1D X), they state, "The combination of sensor and dual “DIGIC 5+” processors also greatly reduces colour fringing and moiré for professional quality footage." Canon USA's features tab states, "The CMOS sensor's new drive system significantly increases image processor performance, reducing color artifacts and moiré." To me, that sounds like digital removal of the moiré artifacts.

Thanks. Yes, hard to say for sure about the AA filter. I don't know that what you have cited tells us anything about a harware or software or combo process to remove the artifacts, if anything I would argue this description reads more like a hardware fix, but I'm out of my league on what these statements actually mean.

Not at all...I think Canon is being vague about the implementation, and almost certainly that's intentional.

 

[Ivar]

Sony does 24MP@12fps, RAW. While the bit depth is bigger in the 1Dx, the overall data processing result is still better on the Sony side.

Sorry for repeating this but one shouldn't take Canon figures as de facto the best, those times seem to be over.

Wow. This camera is amazing. Even though this camera is way out of my price range I wanted to bring up something.
This camera does:
17 915 904(pixels) x 14(fps) = 250 822 656 (pixels per second)

On the other hand, 4k digital cinema is:
7 020 544(pixels x 30(fps)= 210 616 320 (pixels per second)

Of course, when the 1dx shoots 14 fps these pixels are compressed into JPEG format. Also, the 1dx cannot shoot at 14 fps per second, but I think it is interesting that it might be possible to shoot compressed 4k clips with this fantastic new camera.

 

[Meh]

Bye bye Canon, hello Nikon.

You won't be seeing me here anymore, good luck with new Prosumer 18mp camera kids, and keep an eye on EBay, all my lenses etc will be there soon.

LOL Sorry, you'll just have to learn to frame your shots properly to begin with, instead of relying on cropping a 50MP file. Or yes, you can switch to Nikon and work with 12MP out of spite LOLOL Priceless

I suspect macfly is referring to the rumored 36 MP D800. If you do a little digging into macfly instead of bashing him (which I admit, I was guilty of in the past), you'll find he's a pro with an impressive portfolio, and often shoots with medium format bodies in addition to dSLRs. He appears to have a real need for higher resolution for print ads (thus the MF cameras), and was clearly hoping for a higher MP body from Canon, from a professional perspective.

Having said that, for me, 18 MP is just fine...

I`ll second neuro`s comments... check out macfly`s website to know that his work is impressive and he would know the importance of resolution to his own work that I believe he has said before includes billboard ads. Although brashly stated, macfly has a good point that some photography greatly benefits from higher resolution and I`m sure he stated in a previous post around a month ago that he is often forced to use Hassleblad MF and he dislikes that camera therefore was hoping and praying Canon will release a camera that can match. Perhaps that was wishful thinking, a 35mm FF sensor may just not be able to come close enough to what a MF sensor can do.

Justin made some good points as well. Although Canon is trying to state this camera is an all-around best choice, that`s just marketing BS... they may not believe for a second an 18MP FF sensor will work for high-end studio, fashion, landscape. I think Justin is correct in saying Canon clearly designed this for photojournalists, sports, weddings, etc. where 18MP is enough and fast shutter speeds and low-light performance trumps everything. Of course, not all sports shooters are going to love this camera... not enough pixels on subject for long-range shots so need to go up 1 in lens choice (e.g. 400mm instead of 300mm). Another issue is the max sync speed is down to 1/250s which might bother outdoor shooters trying to overpower the sun with strobes... for example Dan Carr talks about his on his web-site. Overall, as another member stated earlier today, don't forget Canon is in the business to sell cameras and they are building this camera for the possibly the biggest segment of pros... those working in the field (rough and wet conditions) who need fast shutter speed and low light performance.

Before macfly and others that have similar needs, waiting for the 5D3 before defecting to Nikon might pay off. If they increase the resolution to 30MP, improve the AF, and just slightly improve build quality (logical improvements to make), it might be a great studio camera... after all 5D2 did destroy 1Ds3 sales so Canon heard the money loud and clear... pros who would otherwise use the 1Ds3 went straight for the 5D2 clearly voting with their dollars that they can live without the rugged build quality of the 1 series.

 

[Canon-F1]

Another issue is the max sync speed is down to 1/250s which might bother outdoor shooters trying to overpower the sun with strobes... for example Dan Carr talks about his on his web-site. Overall, as another member stated earlier today, don't forget Canon is in the business to sell cameras and they are building this camera for the possibly the biggest segment of pros... those working in the field (rough and wet conditions) who need fast shutter speed and low light performance.

there is much nonsense in your post but this is the worst....

do you think 1/250 or 1/300 of a second makes a big difference in overpowering the sun?

please get a clue what you are talking about.....

 

[docsmith]

If the $6,800 price point is real, then what everyone is upset about may simply have been a business decision on Canon's behalf. I've heard for a long time that the sensor is the most expensive part of a camera. I heard predictions before the announcement that this camera would cost $10k-$12.5k. What we have is a well featured camera in every way except MP that is priced to sell. Canon probably could have put a 36 MP FF sensor in the 1D X, but it probably would have pushed the camera to the $10-12K range. And I am guessing that the $10-12.5K market for a still camera is pretty small. So, we have a very well featured camera, we are still waiting to see about the high ISO performance and DR, but the promise is there....the only real drawback that I see is it is "only" 18 MP....all for $6,800.

I'm impressed.

 

[Cropper]

Here´s some detailed info about all the goodies packed into the seemingly amazing 1D X :

http://media.the-digital-picture.com/Information/Canon-EOS-1D-X-Technologies-Explained.pdf

And a video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MjFZN0fO5M


It seems like a great move from Canon, but there's no way that this can be considered a suitable replacement for the 1Ds III.

If the high ISO quality and improved DR is there, then it´s a great leap forward from the 1D Mark IV, but the concept of the high resolution, ultra high quality top of the line studio camera that the "Ds" implies is simply not there.

However, I don´t think Canon will leave that segment unattended for too long. There was a rumor a while ago regarding a completely different studio MF "killer" kind of camera from Canon. It could very well turn out to be true, in a not too distant future. So for those disappointed I wouldn't jump ship just yet...

Congratulations to the CR Guy. He totally nailed this one !!!

Now what about lenses ?

 

[Meh]

Another issue is the max sync speed is down to 1/250s which might bother outdoor shooters trying to overpower the sun with strobes... for example Dan Carr talks about his on his web-site. Overall, as another member stated earlier today, don't forget Canon is in the business to sell cameras and they are building this camera for the possibly the biggest segment of pros... those working in the field (rough and wet conditions) who need fast shutter speed and low light performance.

there is much nonsense in your post but this is the worst....

do you think 1/250 or 1/300 of a second makes a big difference in overpowering the sun?

please get a clue what you are talking about.....

Direct quote from Dan Carr's web-site... are you going to tell him to get a clue???

"Overcoming the ambient light with your strobe power is a constant battle for location photographers and squeezing every last 1/3 stop of shutter speed is very useful."

When using strobes outdoors to stop action it is important to minimize the ambient light and this is done by reducing shutter speed and/or aperture. But reducing aperture also means increasing your strobe power to get the proper exposure. Shutter speed on the other hand does not affect the strobe exposure.

 

[K-amps]

This sounds like Canon have read my thoughts and made my perfect camera......how do I pre order? waiting till March is going to be torture to try one of these beasts out!

Macfly pulled a Kenraw instead ...

Kenraw is no longer jumping ship guys!! ;D

 

[HurtinMinorKey]

Why on earth would you need 30+ MP for a studio shoot? So you can print stuff on the sides of buildings? I'd rather have fewer larger pixels on the same size sensor.