Canon USA Introduces EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera

[Markus Nord]

Originally Posted by Thierry Humeau

I hope Canon adds a headphone jack on the final release of the 1Dx. This is a serious oversight. That itself and a few other crucial features found on Nikon's D4 make it quite a better choice for pro video. Not to mention that the D4 is $1,000 cheaper.

T.

I too hope that Canon got the time to put a headphone jack on the camera, but I don't think that we'll se a change in the hardware. But I really hope that they took the opertunity to work on the roadmap for the software, and I really do think they have... Coz I have not seen any new video online for a long time now...

[Thierry Humeau]

I really like the scale-able sensor crop choices on the D4. I have been thinking about this for years, it just makes a lot of sense. I am wondering how the image quality holds up but even at the highest crop ratio (x 2.7), the footprint on the sensor is a 1:1 pixel match to full HD 1920x1080 raster. It's not the 4K sensor of the C300 or 2K of the F3 but it still should yield very good quality.

Thierry.

[Brett Sherman]

I agree with Thierry. The big problem with large sensor camera's is the cost and size limitations of good lenses. To get the zoom range you need for run and gun you give up sharpness and aperture size. And the lens gets really big and heavy. Sensor cropping solves this problem. Get a good mid-range zoom with large aperture and then use the sensor cropping to achieve a greater zoom range.

[Mark Kenfield]

I'm particularly excited by the idea of a D4 with a PIX 220/240 recorder. You'll get a Vistavision-sized sensor, 4:2:2 ProRes and XLR inputs - and all for around $8,000

By just about any measure, that's a remarkable combination.

[Josh Dahlberg]

Mark, that's exactly where I'm headed... *If* the D4 can resolve detail (and suppress moire) on a similar level to the GH2 (ie: vastly better than the previous generation of Canon DSLRs).

Surely Canon can add the 1:1 pixel crop mode and clean HDMI out to the 1Dx via firmware : they would be silly not to, even with the C300 to protect, lest people like you and I move to Nikon.

[Tim Polster]

No question the D4 with uncompressed output is a milestone for DSLRs but I would not discount the I-frame encoding option on the 1Dx. Canon was a little vague in the inital product announcement about this bitrate. Imho, I would rather have in-camera 4:2:2 with a decent I-frame bitrate than lug around an external recorder. Although the PIX recorders are perfect for DSLRs with their excellent audio preamps built right in.

I would think Canon will meet Nikon with a great internal solution or match the cleam HDMI feed. Both are going to be astounding still cameras and we will have to see about the video improvements.

[Peer Landa]

Some more info about the 1DX was published today by Canon:


-- Advanced movie shooting functions --

(1) Improved movie recording functionality
The movie recording size menu allows users to choose between the ALL-I compression format, which is ideal for movie editing, and the IPB compression format, which is better for longer recordings (Figure 5). The EOS-1D X also provides various time code settings (Figure 6), which are essential to professional video editing.

(2) Elimination of the 4 GB file size limit
On previous models, movie recording ended once the file size for one continuous shot reached 4 GB. This restriction has been removed on the EOS-1D X, so users can record a continuous clip up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds long, regardless of the file size.

(3) Reduced moiré and color artifacts
Improvements to the CMOS sensor and the image processing applied to movies have dramatically reduced the occurrence of moiré and color artifacts.

(4) Exposure control and ISO speeds
Movies can be recorded with Program AE for movies, shutter-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, and manual exposure. The highest ISO speed setting for movie recording is now equivalent to ISO 204800.


Here's the entire article:
Canon Camera Museum - Technology Hall - Technical Report January 2012


-- peer

[Charlton Chars]

What a nice camera. Canon’s EOS DSLR cameras and accessories have a long-standing legacy of providing high-quality results to professionals *in a wide range of markets.

[Nigel Barker]

I had the opportunity to handle a 1DX at the Broadcast Video Exhibition in London this week. The camera feels great & very complete considering it's about two months off shipping. There is a choice between High or Low compression with the former all-I frames. There were pages of menu setup for AF for stills (the major market). Otherwise the video setup looked pretty similar to the 5DII except for 1280x720@50p (PAL). I didn't have a CF card so couldn't test recording even assuming that Canon would have allowed me to. Focusing in Live Mode by half pressing the shutter button was faster than on the 5D but Quick Mode was about the same (presumably the time to flip the mirror down & up is the limiting factor. Cranking up the ISO to 20000 & stopping down to F22 there was still a great well exposed image on the LCD screen. With such noise free high ISO available I look forward to using my favourite 24-105mm F/4 IS in even the darkest of situations.

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

"...continuous clip up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds long, regardless of the file size."

That's a great plus for video shooting. I hope that they also include this in the Canon 5D Mark III. The crop mode of the Nikon D4 & D800 are also a big plus factor for those who sometimes need extra reach with telephoto lenses...something that all future DSLR cameras should provide, especially the full-frame bodies.

[Bill Koehler]

Originally Posted by Peer Landa

Some more info about the 1DX was published today by Canon:

-- Advanced movie shooting functions --

(2) Elimination of the 4 GB file size limit
On previous models, movie recording ended once the file size for one continuous shot reached 4 GB. This restriction has been removed on the EOS-1D X, so users can record a continuous clip up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds long, regardless of the file size.

Either they are spanning (multiple files) or the file system has changed to something like exFAT which allows files greater than 4 GB in size. I read the article referenced and it doesn't make explicit which has occurred, to my mind anyway.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Bill Koehler

Either they are spanning (multiple files) or the file system has changed to something like exFAT which allows files greater than 4 GB in size. I read the article referenced and it doesn't make explicit which has occurred, to my mind anyway.

MXF ( as used on Canon's XF100/300 & C300) uses spanning. AVCHD uses spanning. Do any solid state cameras record to a single monolithic file?

[Jon Fairhurst]

Spanning is likely. It ensures higher compatibility and may have lower licensing costs.

[Thierry Humeau]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

MXF ( as used on Canon's XF100/300 & C300) uses spanning. AVCHD uses spanning. Do any solid state cameras record to a single monolithic file?

Yes, XDCAM Disc cameras and Sony's PMW-500 (SxS cards) don't have a limit on file size aside from the disc maximum capacity less overhead.