In the frame
As ever, the vertical grip duplicates a few of the controls available on the standard grip, but new to the EOS-1D X is another joystick on the back, the better to skip through the menus and select autofocus points. The viewfinder’s enormous and very bright; 100% frame coverage is a given at this price, but even so the .76x magnification means it’s easy to see what you’re doing and what the camera’s focussed on.
Full length photos: no crop factor with lenses on this model
Like previous models, it’s extremely well-balanced, although the new-look menu system might take a bit of getting used to. Whether the two customisable function buttons on the front are any use remains to be seen, but it’s a nice idea for those who need to shuffle between modes not already catered for by buttons elsewhere.
Canon's WFT-E6 attachment delivers wireless connectivity
The EOS-1D X has its work cut out for it. The Nikon D3s has carved itself a neat little niche thanks to entirely respectable performance and outstanding ISO capabilities, and the EOS-1D X is much more expensive: £5,299 on release, versus the two year-old D3s’ price of £3,577. The next few months will be interesting, with Nikon much-rumoured to release a high-end DSLR before Christmas, and the Canon EOS-1D X set to touch down in the first quarter of next year. Until then, photographers will have to salivate and save in equal measure. ®
Hands on with Canon's EOS-1D X full-frame DSLR
COMMENTS
Touch screen controls make no sense when the camera is held against your face. Unless you have a particularly agile tongue.
I'm not a pro, or am I? Anyway...
I'd say even before the lenses the thing that matters the most is the grissly sinuey hunk of meat behind the camera, i.e. the photographer themselves, and the only way they will get up to scratch is lots of practice. A cursory glance around Flickr will show amazing pictures created on the most humble of equipment.
I just wish these **full frame** digital SLRs weren't so huge, admittedly this is something from the film days too (the EOS 3 and EOS 1/n/v weren't exactly small either) -- and this is one reason I still use my Olympus OM2ns all the time, they're small and fit my small hands.
I know there's micro 4/3rds but there's trade off there too.
Note to self: Subscribe to the notion that a professional photographer hulks around massive man-cameras with paparazzi zoom lenses :)
That said, I still use a Minolta Autocord and that's not that small. But it is light!
Oh well whatever, the most important thing remains the photographer and their vision whether they use a little Canon Ixus or a Nikon D3x
looks nice but no longing here ... for once
I've owned a number of Canon DLSRs over the years (since the D30) and I've had my 1DsIII for about 3 1/2 years now and setting aside the absence of video - which is not my thing anyway - I am still very happy. Looking at the new 1DX I am impressed but that sense of longing and "how can I affford it?" isn't there this time. Phew. For professionals - as opposed to just keen amateurs like me - this will be a nice top of the line model and good luck to Canon...
PS For those who are not pros, remember its all about the lenses in the end.
I agree
I bought all my digital cameras because they look cool and not because they take good pictures or are good cameras.
re: cropped sensor DSLRs
They're very close to APS-C sized sensors. Canon and Nikon are slightly different to each other, nbut not very much. Nikon has a crop factor of 1.5, Canon's is 1.6. In both cases they can use the same lenses as their film bases ancestors (Nikon going right back to ancient manual lenses, Canon not so far back since they changed mounts when they introduced autofocus). The use of a lens designed for a larger sensor (or piece of film) has two main effects:
1) The image circle projected by the lens is bigger than it needs to be. This can be a positive since lenses which might have had slight vignetting problems are now bright across the whole i image. On the downside you're possibly carrying more glass than you need to be. Both Canon and Nikon have smaller lighter lenses designed specifically for the smaller sensors at those focal lengths where a saving can be made.
2) Framing is as if you were using a longer focal length than the real focal length. Multiply the focal length by the crop factor to get the equivalent. So a 50mm prime goes from being your 'normal' lens to a mild telephoto 80ish mm, which makes a nice portrait lens. A 35mm wide angle prime becomes a nice 'normal'. With zooms its not worth worrying so much, zoom till the framing is right, but you'll find lens changes being required at different times than you're used to.
Alternatively just get a full frame digital.
