{"id":629,"date":"2012-12-11T15:51:04","date_gmt":"2012-12-11T22:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arihazeghiphotography.com\/blog\/?p=629"},"modified":"2013-01-17T02:18:12","modified_gmt":"2013-01-17T09:18:12","slug":"eos-1dx-field-review-and-impressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arihazeghiphotography.com\/blog\/eos-1dx-field-review-and-impressions\/","title":{"rendered":"EOS 1DX field review and impressions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction <\/strong><\/p>\n

On Oct. 11 2011, Canon Inc. introduced the EOS 1DX, their latest flagship professional DSLR camera. According to Canon the EOS 1DX was the successor for both EOS 1D Mark IV and the ancient EOS 1Ds Mark III that was long out of production, effectively unifying the 1D series into one full-frame body. The EOS 1 series are the camera of choice for many working professionals given their durability and performance. They also showcase the company\u2019s latest achievements in image sensor, image processing and auto focus (AF) technology. Key features of the EOS 1DX include a full-frame 18.1 Mpixel CMOS image sensor with Dual Digic5+ DSP, 12 fps continuous shooting speed (14fps with limitation) and an all-new 61-point AF module with up to 41 cross-type sensors (with select lenses), plus various other software and hardware improvements.<\/p>\n

The EOS 1DX keeps the traditional EOS 1 looks, sculpted from solid magnesium alloy and covered with thick rubber it feels chunky and substantial. As with all EOS 1 bodies, you know EOS 1DX means busniess as soon as you pick it up. There are various functional and ergonomic improvements. The grip is deeper and better sculpted compared to EOS 1D Mark IV. It fits nicely in your hand. My hands are not very large but I always found the EOS 1D Mark IV grip was somewhat inadequate when handholding 500mm and 600mm super-telephoto lenses, in particular, the vertical grip was very uncomfortable for me. On the EOS 1DX both grips have been substantially improved. The new camera is wider, taller and deeper than its predecessors, it is also about 6 oz heavier. The size\/weight increase over the EOS 1D Mark IV is due to the larger prism and mirror box required to house the full-frame sensor. Overall the ergonomics is a major improvement over the 1D Mark IV, especially for people who handhold super-telephoto lenses.<\/p>\n

In terms of functionality the EOS 1DX features three fully customizable buttons. Two on the front by the lens mount and one close to the shutter release button labeled as M-fn. These buttons can be programed for complex operations such as changing the number of AF expansion points or changing AI-servo tracking sensitivity on the fly. Fortunately handhold operation is possible since the front buttons can be pressed conveniently by the middle finger while the top button is easily accessible by the index finger. The photographer can execute various functions without the need to take their eyes off the view finder, a great advantage. In contrast, the EOS 1D Mark IV does not feature any programmable button that can be tied to AF custom functions for instance.<\/p>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

EOS 1DX (right) vs. EOS 1D MArk IV (left). The EOS 1DX is a larger body. Note the two customizable buttons by the lens mount which are also duplicated for the vertical grip.<\/p><\/div>\n

The top of the bodies are very similar, the EOS 1DX has a slightly larger LCD but the information layout is identical, it also has a dedicated white-balance button.<\/p>\n

\"top_view\"<\/a>

EOS 1DX (left) vs. EOS 1D Mark IV (right).<\/p><\/div>\n

The EOS 1DX now features a RJ-45 (LAN) port for direct connection to wired networks, this feature has no use for me but I can imagine it could be very useful for studio shooters or applications where the camera is fixed. Unfortunately Canon have missed the boat on USB 3.0, and the EOS 1DX still uses the old USB 2.0 interface.<\/p>\n

\"Side_view<\/a>

EOS 1D Mark IV (left) vs. EOS 1DX (right). The rubber doors that reveal the terminals have been redesigned.<\/p><\/div>\n

The EOS 1DX also features a sightly larger LCD (3.2″ vs. 3″) which also has more pixels, interface menus and images look crisp and color rendition is very good. It is wider than the EOS 1D Mark IV LCD. The numeric LCD has not changed much, a minor addition is that it can now display video format (HD or SD). The rear buttons are now larger and easier to press when wearing gloves. There is a dedicated live-view button. Canon have also redesigned the joystick, which now features a soft click. It takes some getting used to but it makes for easier and faster scrolling in magnified view. Unlike the EOS 1D Mark IV, the joystick is also duplicated for the vertical grip. Perhaps the most important difference on the back of the camera is the memory compartment. The EOS 1DX now features dual CF card interface while the EOS 1D Mark IV featured a CF and a SD card slot as if Canon were uncertain about the future of CF format. The dual CF interface is extremely useful compared to CF+SD, since the SD card interface is somewhat slow in all Canon cameras (does not support SDUHS). Therefore the SD slot was not usable for action shooting in the past. Now you can effectively double the capacity and not worry about running out of memory, kudos to Canon.<\/p>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

EOS 1D Mark IV (left) and EOS 1DX (right) notice the larger LCD plus dual joysticks for both horizontal and vertical grips.<\/p><\/div>\n

The EOS 1DX finder is much larger and brighter than that of the EOS 1D Mark IV given the full frame prism. Unlike permanent etch marks in the EOS 1D Mark IV, the 1DX has a transmissive LCD and can overlay various information given the settings and the state of the camera. There AF points are displayed in black instead of red, I had no problems with that. <\/p>\n

The EOS 1DX also features a slightly larger capacity Li-ion battery pack battery pack (28Wh vs. 26Wh). Overall the new camera brings major ergonomics and functional improvement without being radically different from the older model, which is welcome.<\/p>\n

\"side_view2\"<\/a>

EOS 1DX (right) has a deeper and better sculpted grip compared to EOS 1D Mark IV (left)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Static image quality comparison <\/strong><\/p>\n

In the past upgrading to a new 1 series camera was a no-brainier task for wildlife photographers. This time the new image sensor brings a dilemma for wildlife photographers. The full-frame CMOS image sensor in the 1DX is approximately 70% larger in area compared to the APS-H sensor in the EOS 1D Mark IV, offering a significant advantage in SNR at RAW level. However in principal, this is only true if the entire sensor area is used for imaging, i.e. without too much cropping. On the other hand, the pixel pitch for 1DX is 6.95um compared to 5.7um for EOS 1D Mark IV’s APS-H sensor. The EOS 1D MarkIV sensor has about 44% more pixels per unit area which gives it a respectable resolution advantage on paper. Wildlife and avian subjects are sometimes difficult to approach in the field, in these cases photographers are limited by the focal length of the optics. It can be readily seen that in these cases the balance in overall image quality can tip in favor of 1D Mark IV due to its higher resolution for rendering fine details. However Canon indicate the image sensor in 1DX is substantially improved compared to the 1D Mark IV and are confident it will produce an overall superior output. I will put this claim to the test.<\/p>\n

I devised two different tests: I first photographed the target (a decoy owl with added feathers!) at equal field of view (FOV) for both cameras. In the field this would translate to shooting from a bit closer or using a longer lens with the EOS 1DX. I used a zoom lens, the EF 70-200 f\/2.8L IS II to equalize the FOV. I used manual focus in live view mode to ensure sharpest focus was on the feathers. Since the total number of pixels is close (16 Mpixel vs. 18 Mpixel), I left the RAW output at 100%. Then I shot the same target at 200mm from equal distance. This translates to the focal-length limited case. In the 1DX file the subject will have fewer pixels. Since I am interested in making large prints and displaying my files on large high definition screens, I digitally up-sampled the 1DX file to normalize the size of the subject. I used bicubic method in Photoshop CS6 which I also use for printing. I used Canon DPP for RAW conversion and removed the chroma (color) noise so that the details can be evaluated clearly. For details of processing please refer to my guide<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The lowest ISO that I use is ISO 400, I use ISO 1600 pretty frequently. I usually do not exceed ISO 3200 with my EOS 1D Mark IV, for this test I pushed the ISO to 6400 to test if the new camera raises the bar on the ISO ceiling. The results are shown in Fig. 1-3 and Fig. 4-6 for the equal FOV and equal distance scenarios respectively.<\/p>\n

\"decoy<\/a>

Test subject, a decoy owl with added feathers.<\/p><\/div>\n

Equal FOV<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

Fig. 1 Left EOS 1DX, right EOS 1D Mark IV. EF 70-200mm f\/2.8 IS II at 200mm and 145mm respectively f\/8 0.8sec ISO 400. Both files at 100%.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

Fig. 2 Left EOS 1DX, right EOS 1D Mark IV. EF 70-200mm f\/2.8 IS II at 200mm and 145mm respectively f\/8 1\/5sec ISO 1600. Both files at 100%.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

Fig. 3 Left EOS 1DX, right EOS 1D Mark IV. EF 70-200mm f\/2.8 IS II at 200mm and 145mm respectively f\/8 1\/20sec ISO 6400. Both files at 100%.<\/p><\/div>\n

Equal distance<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

Fig. 4 Left EOS 1DX, right EOS 1D Mark IV. EF 70-200mm f\/2.8 IS II both at 200mm , f\/8 0.8sec ISO 400. Target in EOS 1DX file up-sampled digitally to match that of EOS 1D Mark IV using bicubic method in Photoshop.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

Fig. 5 Left EOS 1DX, right EOS 1D Mark IV. EF 70-200mm f\/2.8 IS II both at 200mm , f\/8 1\/5sec ISO 1600. Target in EOS 1DX file up-sampled digitally to match that of EOS 1D Mark IV using bicubic method in Photoshop.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

Fig. 6 Left EOS 1DX, right EOS 1D Mark IV. EF 70-200mm f\/2.8 IS II both at 200mm , f\/8 1\/25sec ISO 6400. Target in EOS 1DX file up-sampled digitally to match that of EOS 1D Mark IV using bicubic method in Photoshop.<\/p><\/div>\n

There is no surprise that the EOS 1DX is superior in the former scenario. Visual noise levels remain comparable at ISO 400, the 1DX starts to pull ahead at ISO 1600. At ISO 6400, the EOS 1D Mark IV fails to deliver a useful image with feather details annihilated by poor SNR. The EOS 1DX however still maintains a usable image that is significantly cleaner. I consider this ISO usable for my work.<\/p>\n

The latter test is more tricky as you might expect. At ISO 400 the EOS 1D Mark IV’s higher pixel density does render finer details while visual noise level is comparable. At ISO 1600 the two files are closer while 1DX file looks cleaner despite the modest digital up-sampling and even shows ever slightly more detail in some areas where contrast is low. At ISO 6400 it is again a clear win for the EOS 1DX (notice how EOS 1D Mark IV has lost feather details).<\/p>\n

So we can see that, even in the focal length limited situations, the EOS 1DX performs better at higher ISOs. This proves that Canon have made measurable improvements to the image sensor, or the readout circuit or both. In contrast, I did not see such improvement when comparing EOS 5D Mark III with EOS 5D Mark II.<\/p>\n

Real-world avian photography is a combination of very different situations on the other hand. When I traveled to Haines, AK last month for photographing bald eagles<\/a>, the eagles were close such that often we had to take off the tele-extenders to avoid clipping. Even without the extender, some frames were clipped due to the eagles’ size and proximity. In contrast, when I photograph white-tailed kites, the small skittish raptors in California, I usually use the tele-extender 1.4X all the time and prefer working with longer focal lengths. Therefore, I do not personally believe avian photography can be labeled one way or the other. There will be situations where the EOS 1D Mark IV will produce a file with finer detail overall but there are probably more situations where the EOS 1DX will produce a higher quality file for flight photographers who rely on higher ISOs frequently. The other important factor is the Auto Focus performance. Images with soft focus cannot produce a high quality output. A RAW file that is tack sharp makes a significantly better print as well as online presentation, even when compared to a slightly soft RAW file with twice as many pixels. So in my opinion, a real improvement in AF performance for a flight photographer far outweighs the pixel density arguments above.<\/p>\n

Next I will examine the field AF performance of EOS 1DX in comparison to my trusty friend, the EOS 1D Mark IV. <\/p>\n

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\nAF performance<\/strong>
\nMost of my photography is focused on flight shots of wild birds against varied backgrounds based on handhold super-telephoto technique. The handholding, acquisition and tracking skills of the photographer plays the most significant role in this method, but the camera AF performance also plays a major. Raptors fly fast and in erratic trajectories, so the photographer often has a single chance to lock focus on the subject at the critical time to capture the moment of peak action . I personally need AF that is very quick and accurate and can respond to my input in a fraction of a second. This is why I mostly use 1D series cameras. To this date, The EOS 1D Mark IV has had the best overall AF system that I have used. I had extensive experience with its AF system and it had helped me capture hundreds of dynamic flight images which constitute the majority of flight images in my portfolio. That is not to say the EOS 1D Mark IV AF was perfect in all conditions, but overall it seemed unlikely for Canon to significantly improve the already solid AF system. <\/p>\n

The highlights of the new AF system include a 61-point sensor with up to 41 cross-type sensors (with select lenses) and 5 dual-cross sensors (f\/2.8 only). With Canon super-telephoto primes at f\/4 you get 41 cross-type sensors. When adding a 1.4X Extender MKII or MKIII to f\/4 super-telephoto lenses 21 sensors will remain cross-sensitive at f\/5.6. With firmware version 1.1.1 which was introduced after the camera’s release the center AF sensor remains active and cross-sensitive at f\/8 (f\/4 super-telephoto lens with extender 2X). If AF expansion is enabled the 4 surrounding points also remain active at f\/8 but not selectable. Shown below is the EOS 1DX AF layout, superimposed on the EOS 1D Mark IV AF sensor grid. You can see that the EOS 1DX AF coverage is actually wider despite having a larger field of view due to its full-frame sensor. The details of the EOS 1DX AF system is published on Canon’s DLC website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"EOS<\/a>

EOS 1DX vs. EOS 1D Mark IV AF coverage. The EOS 1DX has a significantly larger finder. Despite the wider field of view the EOS 1DX has a wider AF coverage thanks to its very large AF sensor.<\/p><\/div>\n

When we compare the EOS 1DX specs directly to EOS 1D Mark IV, the most striking difference is the number of AF sensors with cross-type sensitivity. The EOS 1D Mark IV has only ONE cross-sensor at f\/4 and none at f\/5.6. The EOS 1DX has 41\/21. However the number of cross-type sensors is only one factor in overall AF performance. For e.g. the EOS 7D also features 19 cross-type sensors at f\/5.6, however its overall AF speed and precision falls considerably behind that of EOS 1D Mark IV for avian-in-flight photography. <\/p>\n

According to my interview with Chuck Westfall<\/a>, Canon USA’s technical adviser the EOS 1DX and the EOS 5D Mark III share the same AF module, however the servo drive speed for EOS 1DX is much faster than the EOS 5D Mark III due to its high-capacity battery pack which has a higher voltage. I purchased an EOS 5D Mark III when it first came out back in spring 2012 for the purpose of testing the new AF system. The new AF system proved quite capable (see one example below) especially in tracking and low-light performance. But overall it failed to provide the same level of experience compared to the EOS 1D Mark IV, mainly due to slow servo drive when coupled to 500mm and 600mm super-telephoto lenses (with and without 1.4X extender III), noticeable shutter lag and slow continuous shooting speed. Given these factors it was not possible to do an apple-to-apple comparison with the EOS 1D Mark IV. As a result I quickly went back to the EOS 1D Mark IV and gave up on the EOS 5D Mark III for flight\/action shots. <\/p>\n

\"Adult<\/a>

Adult White-tailed kite. EOS 5D Mark III 700mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 400, handheld. Click here<\/a> to see an HD file.<\/p><\/div>\n

When I first tried the EOS 1DX in the field, I immediately noticed the blazing fast servo drive. The servo drive is significantly faster than the EOS 1D Mark IV, especially when a tele-extender is attached. In fact I had to double check to see if I had an extender attached because unlike the EOS 1D Mark IV, I could not sense a drop in AF drive speed when the extender was attached. The focus just snaps onto target with the 1DX where as with the 1D Mark IV it rather glides onto the target. This allows rapid acquisition when raptors fly fast or when action happens unexpectedly. <\/p>\n

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to devise a method for a controlled test of AI-servo performance between two bodies for an erratic subject such as raptors in flight as there are too many parameters. Instead, I attempted to photograph a subjects I had shot extensively before in various conditions and was familiar with, the white-tailed kite. <\/p>\n

The EOS 1DX AF feels noticeably faster than the 1D Mark IV and does a better job with stability, i.e. it remains locked on the bird delivering a higher percentage of tack sharp files in a sequence when compared to the EOS 1D Mark IV. Below are some examples:<\/p>\n

\"kite<\/a>

Adult-white-tailed kite take off. EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 1600 handheld. Click here<\/a> to see an HD file.<\/p><\/div>\n

AF stability remained good during flight. <\/p>\n

\"adult<\/a>

Adult white-tailed kit. EOS 1D X, 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 1600 handheld. Click here<\/a> for an HD file.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"adult<\/a>

Adult white-tailed kite. EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 1600 handheld. Click here<\/a> to see an HD file.<\/p><\/div>

\"Adult<\/a>

Adult white-tailed kite. EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 1600 handheld. Click here<\/a> to see an HD file.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

One of the issues that I had with the EOS 1D Mark IV, was AF stability in AI-servo mode. Sometimes the camera would produce a soft frame in between two tack sharp frames for no apparent reason. I did not observe this issue as much with the EOS 1DX.
\nI also noticed that unlike EOS 1D Mark IV, the frame rate does not drop with EOS 1DX when tracking BIF. The camera appears to be shooting at 12 fps all the time while the 1D Mark IV sometimes slows down during action\/tracking to allow for AI-servo to catch up, especially in low light conditions. Now it is easier to capture the peak of action frame thanks to consistent 12 fps. To get the best out of the camera you need to use the fastest CF cards on the market, and it is nice that Canon finally replaced the useless SD card slot with a second CF slot. Now you can double the capacity and not worry about having to replace your card in the middle of action!<\/p>\n

\"Adult<\/a>

Adult White-tailed kite. EOS 1DX, 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 1600 handheld.<\/p><\/div>\n

In terms of field image quality, the EOS 1DX produces the highest quality output I have seen from any Canon body to this date. Its RAW files are very sharp and clean and color response is excellent. It is a solid one stop cleaner than EOS 1D Mark IV and the grain pattern is tighter. Unlike the EOS 1D Mark IV RAW files don’t lose sharpness when ISO is pushed beyond 1600. Click here<\/a> to see a 100% crop from RAW at ISO 1600 straight out of Canon DPP RAW converter with no processing.<\/p>\n

The Dynamic Range is also improved, unlike the EOS 5D Mark III, the EOS 1DX sensor does not suffer from high levels of fixed pattern noise (banding). It is possible to lift the shadows without much noise. In the example below, the light was somewhat harsh casting shadows on the far wing. I had to expose for the whites and then lift the shadows in post aggressively. I applied a shadow adjustment of +3 in DPP followed by a shadow adjustment of +70% in Photoshop (using the highlight\/shadow tool). After processing there is no visible noise on the far under wing. Click here<\/a> to see the unprocessed file. For details of processing please see my guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Adult<\/a>

Adult white-tailed kite in sidelight. 840mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 640. I liked this frame because the kite was carrying an usual prey, a warbler! Click here<\/a> to see an HD file<\/p><\/div>\n

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<\/p>\n

In order to really put the AF system to the test I decided to pick a tough subject, the American Kestrel. This is one of the smallest raptors in north America measuring just 6 inches tall. It flies very fast and erratically and is usually very difficult to approach. My friend Conrad Tan had located a kestrel in Half Moon Bay area which was more approachable. I spent an evening photographing the kestrel, we did not use any calls or baiting. Just before the sunset, Kestrel put up a show for us giving us multiple passes. Given the bird’s erratic nature it is really difficult to make much of an hour’s worth of shooting when there is only one bird in a large field, you only have a few chances and if you miss, the game is over. <\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel, EOS 1DX, 840mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1600 handheld.<\/p><\/div>\n

The EOS 1DX AF system showed exceptional performance when photographing the kestrel in flight. I immediately noticed an improvement over the EOS 1D Mark IV and despite the limited time I had, I was able to produce many frames that I liked. Grabbing focus on a darting kestrel against a varied background is quite difficult, even when the bird is flying across the frame. I had not been terribly successful with this kind of kestrel flight shots with the EOS 1D Mark IV, especially when a tele-extender was attached. It was possible to lock focus when the bird was hovering as well as immediately after take off or before landing using the pre-focus technique with the EOS 1D MK IV. With the EOS 1DX on the other hand, the servo drive is rapid enough to lock on the kestrel in mid flight. Of course, the photographer needs to acquire and track the kestrel quickly before it exists the frame but if you can center the bird promptly, the AF will lock. More amazing is the fact that the AF remains locked for relatively long period while shooting at 12 fps. This is so fast I could hardly see what was happening through the finder. below are some examples:<\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel, EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 500 handheld.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel, EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 500 handheld.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel. EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/2500sec ISO 500 handheld.<\/p><\/div>\n

Click here<\/a> to see a 3-frame sequence at 12fps:<\/p>\n

I photographed the kestrel against a variety of backgrounds and the AF algorithm was able to pick up the bird against busy patterns and contrast where I had some issues with the EOS 1D Mark IV in the past. <\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel take off against dark background (distant pine trees). EOS 1DX, 840mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 640 handhold. Click here<\/a> to see an HD file.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel against dark background (distant hills). EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1000.<\/p><\/div>\n

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<\/p>\n

One of the other advantages of EOS 1DX over EOS 1D Mark IV is the customizable controls on the camera body. There are two buttons by the lens mount that are programmable to an extensive degree. The photographer can tie each of these buttons to specific custom functions including all available AF custom functions. I usually use expansion AF mode in AI-servo, however in some conditions it might be best to use single AF point, or reduce the number of expansion points. You can program each of these buttons to switch to single AF point or a different expansion pattern while pressed. It is now possible to switch between AF modes\/settings while handholding a super-telephoto lens on the fly. This is a very useful feature.<\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel. EOS 1DX 840mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1600 handheld. Click here<\/a> to see an HD file.<\/p><\/div>\n

The high ISO capabilities of the EOS 1DX opens new possibilities for high speed shooting late in the evening. ISO 6400 is perfectly usable for making high quality prints while ISO 3200 is so clean I would use it with no reservation.<\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel. EOS 1DX 8400mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 3200. Click here<\/a> to see an HD file.<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>

\"Female<\/a>

Female American kestrel. EOS 1DX, 840mm f\/5.6 1\/3200sec ISO 1600 handheld.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

One of the original complaints about the new AF system in both the EOS 1DX and the EOS 5D Mark III was the lack of AF at f\/8. Since then, Canon have addressed this issue in the EOS 1DX with firmware 1.1.1. The center AF point is now active (and cross sensitive) plus the four surrounding AF sensors are used in AI-servo tracking if expansion is enabled. Given my limited time, I did not have a chance to try the EF extender 2X III yet but from what I have seen I am confident the AF performance will be a head and shoulder above the EOS 1D Mark IV. I will leave this for a future article.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong> <\/p>\n

The EOS 1DX is the new flagship professional DSLR from Canon and it well deserves the title. It is a solid improvement over the EOS 1D Mark IV in overall image quality, high ISO performance, dynamic range, speed of operation, buffer capacity, storage interface, controls and a surprisingly significant<\/em> improvement in AI-servo performance for flight photography. In my opinion the advantages it brings to the table for experienced flight photographers far outweighs the slight disadvantage it may have in low ISO resolution compared to the EOS 1D Mark IV. <\/p>\n

Of course the EOS 1DX is no cheap date, like the series II super-telephoto lenses. With an MSRP $6700 it is the most expensive “fast” camera Canon has ever made (note the ancient EOS 1DS Mark III was actually more expensive when it was introduced back in 2007). Of course one aspect of the camera I did not cover is its advanced video capabilities which I personally do not use and perhaps that is where some of the cost comes from. In addition to that the new camera is full-frame and has a larger sensor, prism and mirror box so it is understandable that the price had to increase relative to the EOS 1D Mark IV. I personally wish Canon offered a third version of the EOS 1DX with no video capability at all, for those of us who don’t use this feature while lowering the cost a little bit. However at the end of the day, in my opinion the EOS 1DX is the best body for flight Canon has made to this date. In retrospect the EOS 1DX can help you capture the killer <\/em> frame that you might miss otherwise, and that frame is priceless. I highly recommend this body to all pros and enthusiasts who like to make the highest quality flight images. <\/p>\n

pros<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2605New AF system, excellent AI-servo performance for challenging BIF.
\n\u2605Extremely fast super-telephoto servo drive even when extender is attached.
\n\u2605Highly customizable AF functions that can be programmed to physical buttons for quick toggle between AF parameters.
\n\u2605Excellent Full Frame sensor with very low read noise, low pattern noise, excellent color response, sharpness and exceptional high ISO performance.
\n\u260512 fps continuous shooting speed, does not slow down in AI-servo mode.
\n\u2605Largest, brightest viewfinder Canon has ever made with electronic overlay.
\n\u2605Large capacity buffer, can fire for more than 4 seconds at 12 fps in RAW mode while using the fastest CF cards
\n\u2605Dual CF slot.
\n\u2605Solid body with better controls and a larger LCD screen.
\n\u2605Larger capacity battery.<\/p>\n

Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2606More expensive than its predecessor.
\n\u2606At low ISO and focal length limited cases the EOS 1D Mark IV has some resolution advantage.
\n\u2606About 6 oz heavier than the EOS 1D Mark IV.
\n\u2606Some features add cost but are not useful for all wildlife photographers such as LAN or video function.<\/p>\n

My verdict for flight photography: Highly recommended <\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope you enjoyed the review. Please keep visiting my website<\/a> and blog for more reviews, articles and images.<\/p>\n

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