Canon EOS1d X - Short review

Hey,

something different for a change (for all the tech heads) this time with a small review of the new Canon flagship the EOS1d X that will be available from March 2012.
First impression, in terms of looks its pretty much the same as the 1d IV however with a number of new buttons. So now they have a direct button for live view as well as a button to check if camera is level (same as in the 7d and the 60d). Also the zoom function changed a bit, now requires to press the review button, then the zoom and then you can zoom in/out by turning the wheel, this is a bit of a change from the previous models incl. the 5dii and below and creates a bit of confusing at the beginning. Also a new addition, the joystick if used in the portrait mode, making it easier to use.

Now to the actual changes...
The EOS1d X is now a full frame camera compared to the 1d IV, so you loose the extra zoom if needed but gain the extra wide angle on the other side. However with 18megapixels you are able to crop in if needed. The speed of 12frames/sec in RAW is amazing and can be increased to 14 frames/sec if shot in JPG, so perfect for anyone who needs speed such as in wildlife and sports.
Furthermore, the increase in ISO is amazing and lets you shoot with very high ISO with very limited noise, I tried shooting at 51,200 ISO and the noise was very much acceptable and similar to what the 1d IV has in 12,400.
Another great feature are the 61 focus points spread evenly across which enables you to focus on various points, compared to the 5d II which has 9 focus points.
So for anyone who shoots in dark environment and/ or needs a fast shutter speed its an amazing camera. Even though the weight is a bit less than the IV it is still a heavy camera if you are running around a lot with it.

All in all from the little testing I was able to do, a great camera for any professional who focuses on either wildlife or sport and who needs a fast camera, high quality and the ability to shoot in a dark environment or fast shutter speed with a low aperture.

Moritz