Canon EOS-1D X field review

Posted on 24/08/2012 by Zach Honig

Just before Halloween in 2009, Canon announced its most powerful DSLR to date. The $5,000 full-frame EOS-1D Mark IV was the company's answer to Nikon's market-leading D3S, which rang in just shy of $5,200. On the basis of price alone, Canon won that round. Then, after two years of silence, the company launched its new flagship, the 1D X. The date was October 18th, 2011 -- roughly 10 (or "X") years after the very first model in the series was announced, way back in 2001. A decade ago, Canon priced that introductory 1D at $5,500 -- a princely sum considering the 4.15-megapixel CCD on board. Now, the 1D X, which is arguably the most powerful sub-five-figure camera available, commands 6,799 of your hard-earned dollars, or $800 more than the D4, Nikon's $6,000 equivalent. All this talk of price may seem to skirt the camera's long list of lust-worthy features, but when the cost of any piece of hardware approaches a year's tuition at a public university, a purchase decision deserves thorough consideration.

A camera in this league is absolutely to be used as a professional tool. And while deep-pocketed amateurs may pick one up -- in the way folks with cash to burn may build a collection of overpowered two-seaters -- the vast majority will live in $30,000-plus kits, where they'll reach six-figure shutter counts, and will likely change hands several times before their eventual retirement. Right now, you're probably researching the 1D X as exhaustively as you would a new car -- in fact, you may have even lined up a test drive, through the company's Canon Professional Services group. Many months after it was first announced, we've had an opportunity to take the new eXtreme model for a spin ourselves, and it's every bit as impressive as its price tag suggests. Canon's top model isn't any smaller or lighter than its predecessors, the 1D Mark IV or 1Ds Mark III -- but is all that bulk justified, despite strong contenders like the workhorse 5D? Buckle up and join us in the field (ahem, after the break) to find out.

Gallery: Canon EOS-1D X review

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Canon EOS-1D X field review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges

Posted on 02/07/2012 by Jamie Rigg

If you've been wondering what kind of eye candy Canon's EOS-1D C is capable of, you might be in luck. The crew over at EOSHD have apparently snagged some 4K sample footage from an early prototype of the unreleased, professional-grade DSLR. The clip looks slick to us, albeit lacking in the scenery department. Even so, EOSHD comments that while a "massive step up for image quality compared to all previous DSLRs" the video footage isn't as sharp as stills from the 1D X (the 1D C's less-endowed sibling) and "not near what true 4K should look like." (Of course, anyone looking for true 4K is advised to step up to Sony's $70k F65 CineAlta, so we guess you get what you pay for). You can check out the minute-long clip, unfortunately scaled to a Vimeo-friendly 1,920 x 1,080, after the break. If your discerning eye demands the raw footage, however, why not grab the few seconds available at the source link and let us know your thoughts? That's what the comments are for, after all.

Continue reading First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges

First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon unveils EOS-1D C and C500 4K Cinema cameras, two new lenses ahead of NAB (updated)

Posted on 12/04/2012 by Zach Honig

In a departure from its last introduction as dramatic as the C300's Hollywood launch itself, Canon has quietly announced two additional cameras to sit alongside the company's former lone flagship. You may have caught a glimpse of the EOS-1D C at the C300 launch, but what six months ago was a mere mock-up has actually become a reality, likely to ship sometime this year. More out of left field, however, is the C500 -- a higher-end version of the C300 that adds several shooting modes, dual 3G-SDI ports and a larger, permanent grip. Both cameras can capture 4K video, but in substantially different ways.

Canon teases 'exclusive screening' in Las Vegas, new Cinema EOS products coming at NAB?

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Canon C300 cinema camera hands-on (video)

The $15,000 1D C, which has the same chassis and still shooting features of its less-abled cousin, the EOS-1D X, pipes 4096 x 2160 8-bit 4:2:2 video to a CF card at 24 fps. Unlike the X, however, the C swaps a headphone jack for the X's PC socket, that's usually used for hooking up strobes. The higher-end C500 requires a dedicated external recorder, but offers two full-RAW output options: 4096 x 2960, that will be better suited for motion picture capture, and 3840 x 2160 for 4K TV. Both of these modes offer 10-bit 4:4:4 at 60 frames-per-second. There's also a half-RAW option, at 4096 x 1080 or 3840 x 1080 resolutions, also 10-bit 4:4:4, but at 120 fps. The C500 also includes dual CF slots, but that recording option is only available for 1080p (which can be captured to CF concurrently). Both cameras support Canon Log Gamma, empowering colorists to correct color in post production with more versatility by capturing additional information and a higher dynamic range.

Gallery: Canon Cinema EOS-1D C and C500