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Photography News Issue 29 absolutephoto.com
Preview
First look
Canon EOS- 1D XMark II In a year that will see the Olympics in Rio and the Euros in France, Canon has updated its own sporting great
Specs
Price TBC (expected around £5199 body only) Sensor 21.5-megapixel CMOS with Dual DIGIC 6+ processor Sensor format 35.9x23.9mm, 5472x3648 pixels ISO range 100-12,800 (expandable down to 50 and up to 409,600) Shutter range 30secs to 1/8000sec, plus B Drivemodes 8fps continuous, up to 83 JPEGs, or 33 lossless compressed Raws. At 3fps, endless JPEGs and lossless compressed Raws Metering 360,000-pixel RGB+IR sensor, 216 zones. Evaluative, partial (approx 6.2%), spot (approx 1.5%), centre- weighted Autofocusmodes AI Focus (AI Servo AF III+), One Shot Autofocus points 61 Exposuremodes Program AE, shutter-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, manual, Custom x3 Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3 or 0.5EV stops, AEB +/-3EV in 0.3 or 0.5EV stops Max frame rate 14fps for unlimited JPEGs or 170 Raw files using CFast 2.0 card Monitor Fixed 3.2in touchscreen, 1620k dot resolution Video functionality 4K (4096x2160 pixels) at 60p/30p, Full HD at 120p/60p/30p/25p/24p Other Built-in GPS Interface USB 3.0, HDMI mini out, stereo mini jack, headphone socket, RJ-45 Ethernet Storage
Words by Roger Payne
There’s nothing like an Olympic year to get DSLR designers focused on producing new flagship models. Nikon has already announced its offering, andnowCanonhasweighed in with its own new crown jewel. Like the Nikon D5, the EOS-1D X Mark II will be available before the summer (in plenty of time to capture the cream of the sports world in Rio) and this latest slabof uber-techboasts eye-watering spec and performance. When it comes to headline- grabbing features, the EOS-1D X Mark II has plenty. Every aspect of its design and functionality represents the cutting edge of what the company can offer and it makes you wonder what the designers can come up with next. Faster, more powerful, higher resolving; the MkII is all those things, but it has been refined, tweaked and polished to the very highest standard. Let’s not beat about the bush, it’s bloody astonishing. My hands-on time with the MkII runs to a grand total of threeminutes. There’s only a certain amount that you can do with a thoroughbred DSLR at a press announcement, but I’ve spoken toprofessionalswhohave used the camera in its beta form and they have nothing but praise for the changes and refinements Canon has made. Like the 1D X it replaces, it’s a daunting camera when you first pick it up; chunky, heavy and bristling with buttons and switches it’s the sort of camera that urges you to take good pictures. And you will, given the functionality at your disposal. The 20.2-megapixel full-frame resolution in itselfmaynot exactly set the world alight – there are models that offer plenty more pixels – but even this represents a gain of nearly 10% over the original 1D X. The jaw- dropping facts come when you learn that the camera will dispatch 14 of these full-frame images in a second
and, thanks to the new Dual DIGIC 6+ processors, keep going for up to 170 frames. We’re not talking JPEGs here, we’re talking Raw files. Shoot JPEGs and the camera will just keep on going until you fill the card, drain the battery or need a rest. The 14fps rate is also with full AF and AE tracking. If you switch to Live View mode and don’t need the reassurance of these two auto functions, the speed increases to 16fps. Now those lucky professionals at the Rio Games will be able to shoot the entire 100m final fromstart to finish, capturing around 140 frames in the process. To utilise these incredible speeds, users will need to slip a CFast 2.0 card into one of the two card slots. The other takes UDMA 7 compatible CF cards which allow you to capture a flurry of images at high speed, but can’t quite deliver the same performance. Naturally, the fun doesn’t stop there. The MkII is also the first professional stills camera from Canon to offer 4K video. Higher resolving movies can be recorded for up to 30 minutes at 60p, which is a notable scalp over the Nikon D5 that can only record for three minutes at 4K,whilevideocanalsobe shot at 120
frames in Full HD – perfect for high- quality slow-motion. Again, a CFast card is needed for the maximum 4K capability, which also allows you to extract individual 8.8-megapixel frames from the footage. Speed is nothing without control and although the 14fps rate is with AF and AE active, both auto systems have been beefed up to cope. The autofocusing has the same 61 points as the 1D X, but now 41 of these points have the more accurate cross- type sensors over an expanded area within the frame. The system is also sensitive down to -3EV and, for the first time, offers AF support at f/8 on all 61 points – handy if you shoot with a teleconverted lens. Tracking sensitivity has also been boosted with the new AI Servo III+ system that responds to sudden changes in subject movement to ensure you stay on top of the action. Metering is taken care of by a new 360k RGB+IR sensor, while the Flicker Detection function, first seen in the EOS 7D Mark II, jumps across into this flagship model. This assesses the (undetectable to the human eye) variances in artificial lighting levels and guarantees more consistent results in such conditions.
Dual card slots CFast 2.0, CompactFlash (UDMA 7 compatible) Dimensions (WxHxD) 158x167.6x82.6mm Weight 1340g (body only) Contact canon.co.uk
Initial verdict
doubt of its astonishing capabilities that should make it something of a no-brainer; assuming your bank manager agrees, of course. As previously mentioned, while I’ve had no time to shoot with the camera, I know photographers who have and have heaped praise on the beta version. If you don’t have the money to buy one, join the club! But we can at least look forward to some of the functionality appearing in models more in tune with our finances in the years to come.
14fps, everyone will benefit from better AF and more accurate metering. The camera’s headline statistics also underline where, for the time being at least, DSLRs remain vastly superior to mirrorless models. Compact system cameras may be trying to eat DSLRs’ dinner, but the EOS-1D X Mark II shows that they won’t be scoffing the coffee and mints for some time to come. If you’re lucky enough to be in a position to afford an EOS-1D X Mark II, there can be little
So much to say, so little space – I’ve really just scratched the surface here and haven’t even started on the small, subtle changes that combine to make significant handling and functionality improvements. Granted, this model may be beyond the financial reach of most PN readers, but its capabilities are exciting and can’t be ignored. Features and performance introduced here will inevitably filter down into cheaper models as time goes by and while you may not want to shoot at
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