New Canon EOS 1D-X

[stevebedder]

Anyone got their eye on one of these beauties....

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2117789/canon-announces-development-eos-1d

[Oldboy]

No. 

[picsfor]

i would like one, covers my needs slightly better than 5D2, but i don't have a budget unless i flog both 5D2's and a lens.

Can't see what i'll get will be worth the trade in.

[Colin]

Yes when I win the Euromillions.

[Hinfrance]

I can't see where you put the petrol, and does it have four seats?

[stevebedder]

Having had a quick look at the spec it does look like it's got some fancy new features but will no doubt be a bank breaker!!

Deffinitley not an option for me, the wife wants the bedroom and bathroom decorating and I'm not sure she'd be best pleased if I suggested a new camera instead of a new bath.........shower, sink, toilet, carpet, tiles, lights, radiators, walls, installation........ 

[picsfor]

i like the high iso, the focusing system (if it works) and the slightly lower mp count on the sensor.
Oh, and the gigabit connector for transferring images or working tethered whilst some one the other side of the world views the pics as they come through 

Frame rate is nice, but not a deal breaker - as is dual CF slots.

[mondmagu]

The first thing that comes to mind is Abba's song: Money,Money,Money.......... in a rich man's world.
Too rich for me and my humble needs.


Des

[Jonathan]

Bizarrely I see a lot of pro Canon users who are quite angry over this camera.  They seem to be bracing themselves for another kicking from Nikon (and Sony too if they ever get their act together and sponsor big name photographers).

Nothing on the spec sheet seems that exciting (it's a fusion of 2 cameras and some things "a bit better") but then spec sheets aren't that exciting these days - most things have been done you can only do them better.

I suspect we won't know whether it's any good for a couple of months or so.

[picsfor]

i'll let you know next week what i think after i've had a play with it...

Good thing is, i won't be able to get carried away and actually buy one 

[anglefire]

Seems a strange thing to do, merging the two lines, though it has been on the cards for a few years.

It has pushed the price up by about £500 (Based on list prices) of the MK IV and about the same as a 1Ds MK III - and I don't see any studio togs being that fussed over the high iso.

Not sure Nikon will give them a kicking this time around, but it is very much catch up on some features.  I don't think there is much that Nikon haven't had on low end cameras for some time - like the grid overlay.

Might stop the change over to Nikon, but can't see it drawing many back from the dark side.

[Jonathan]

i'll let you know next week what i think after i've had a play with it...

Did you book your time?  Apparently Canon are pre booking fondle sessions at their solutions expo (aka "Focus?  We don't need no steenkin Focus".)

[Cathus]

I could do with a second body for sports shooting as the 5D MkII doesn't really cut and is a 'make do' alternative. (But I ain't got 5 grand spare)

I can't see studio and wedding photographers getting particularly excited about it.

I heard someone saying last week that they will do a studio version of the camera later, but that seems to defeat the object of merging the 2 D strands, and I;ve not seen that mentioned anywhere else so far.

[picsfor]

loads of rumours about what Canon might be doing.

Why wouldn't a wedding tog get excited? 51.2k working iso? 204k iso on H2 - for those places that don't allow flash...
14fps is never to be sneezed at if it's there.
18mp FF is more than enough sensor for a wedding tog, otherwise why do so many wedding togs still use 13mp Nikons?
1 hour worth of video if needed - saves carrying the camcorder around...

Studio might be a bit different - the price of a 5D2 killed the 1Ds3 and that was the studio/ landscape camera of choice, so don't see much change at the moment.

I suspect if i were a pro tog and looking at upgrading my 1D3, this would not be a bad move. Even some 1D4 togs might be interested in the upgrade for the 14fps and high iso.

But that price is not for me - my 5D2's will have to do - i can't get on with the 7D, even with a battery grip. Just feels wrong in my hand.

[picsfor]

So, had a play with this camera. Is it all Canon say it is?

Umm, in a word - yes! 

61 point AF focus system was stunning, really. I locked onto stuff that was in almost darkness and it really didn't care about the darkness. Select any or all of the points to focus with and again, blistering, and with the new dual mini joystick you can flick between focus points as quickly as you can press the shutter button. Remember, the AF focusing is being powered by the same sensor that powers the 5D2 alone!

ISO settings - bring it on, really. They had a picture to show, taken with an ISO of 25600 and 51200 (both working iso's on this camera), and i kid you not, i've got almost simlar pictures i've taken using a tripod and cable release. Even the 204k iso would be good enough 'to get that shot' if you were pushed. Yes, there was a noticeable difference in noise between 25600 and 51200, but in the real world - we are getting to the pixel peeper level.

Additional programmable button to operated operated by fore and middle fingers duplicated for portrait and landscape use were nice touches. My demo model had 1 configured for activating the video function with it's own video shutter button - but basically you could use them for almost anything.

The ergonomics have been tweaked a bit, making it much more comfortable to hold in the hand.

The Dual CF slots instead of 1 Cf and 1 SDHC is a welcome improvement.

The Gigabit connector port is a real welcome boost. Apart from lightning quick data transfer, tethering options have been opened up a bit. Price of a nice Cat 5 cable is many time cheaper than a wireless unit - and in a studio environment that could prove useful, although in the wild it could save much changing of memory cards if hooked into an EHD!

Video has again been tweaked, making this the new video beast, replacing the 5D2. It has variable sound controls for mic unit, and a few extras, but really have to question the benefits for that price - but the guys i was with at the time of playing seemed well impressed with the improved video feature. Apparently it is the moire that is the real bonus.

12fps, or 14fps. What can i say - it gives you a head ache. The slow frame rate is about 5-7 fps! It has a burst rate of 10 seconds at 12 fps, giving a nice 120 images to choose from - which should get you 'that' shot.

It was a bit heavier than the 1D4, but i felt the improved ergonomics countered this.

For a lot of pros, whose living depends on getting the shot, i think this will become a decidedly must have upgrade. Do not think the RRP of £5300 will hold, suspect more around the £4200- £4500 will be the street price - but for the Olympics shooters, Canon can certainly expect a few golds with this. Almost all other non studio and landscape pros will want one. Fashion togs still seemed happy with the 5D2, unless they know something about a 5D3!

So there you go. My view on this beast, and yes - if i had money to burn, i would get one. It felt more comfortable and not any heavier than my 5D2 with battery grip attached. I can cope with the 3mp reduction in sensor as i have often said. But, in my current unemployed status - money is not something i have to burn!