AGENDA
NEWS
Canon’s new pro-level EOS-1D XMark III hits back at the mirrorless onslaught with incredible new technology
J ust when it seemed the DSLR had been overlooked as a professional filmmaking tool in favour of full-frame mirrorless cameras, Canon delivers its new£6500/$6500 EOS-1D XMark III. It might be designed primarily for professional sports photographers, but it has the highest spec of any non-cinema camera for filmmakers. The headline news is that it offers 5.5K 12-bit Raw video internal recording to twin CFExpress cards, the first camera outside the Canon cinema EOS range to offer Raw video. It also records uncropped 4K/60p with Canon Log in 10-bit 4:2:2, giving up 12 stops of dynamic range. Thanks to its new full-frame sensor and fast processor, the EOS-1DXMark III can record video as 12-bit CRMfile at 5.5K (5472x2886), allowing very detailed oversampled 4K footage. DCI 4K recording is possible using the full sensor area or in a croppedmode while 5.5K Raw uses the full width of the sensor. The camera can also record using Canon Log, captured as a 10-bit HEVC/H.265 file, and supports file recording in theMP4 format for fast transmission of files. In Log, the lower limit of the automatic setting range of ISO sensitivity is ISO 400. Other picture profiles are Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Fine Detail, Neutral, Faithful and Monochrome, plus three user- defined customised settings. The camera also shoots at 120fps in HDmode for super slow-motion. When shooting 100/120fps, the recording is limited to 7m29secs and is 8-bit, MPEG- 4 H.264 / AVC, and the recording format is MP4 only.
camcorder, rather than the super- fast snap-in of a stills camera. This Movie Servo AFmodemeans you can set tracking sensitivity, AF speed and Face Tracking priority. Using Touch AF on the rear screen, you can track focus by touching the relevant area. Subject tracking in moviemode is improved due to the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system’s ability tomaintain focus whenworking within changing scenery. The new EOS-1 has a fast new DIGIC X processor, 20.1-megapixel sensor and brand newmirror system and shutter. This allows 16fps stills shooting when used with the optical viewfinder, but switch to live view and the camera can shoot stills at 20fps withmechanical or electronic shutter, with full AF. The new sensor offers Canon’s widest ISO range yet, with extended settings from ISO 50-819,200. It’s the first camera to use a High Detail Low-Pass Filter, which samples the light point over a greater number of points, achieving sharper and higher resolution images while preventingmoiré. It’s the first of Canon’s pro EOS-1 series cameras to feature built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. TheWi-Fi can be used for FTP or connecting via EOS Utility, as well as connecting to a smartphone. Its Bluetooth connectivity uses the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol, providing a constant connection to a compatible smart device yet requiringminimal battery power. By opening Canon Camera Connect, the EOS-1D X Mark III automatically connects to compatible devices, allowing image review, sharing, and remote Live View shooting.
It’s the first EOS-1 series camera to support Move Digital IS – providing five-axis image stabilisation as found in the Canon EOS C500Mark II cinema camera, which costs almost three times the price. However, this doesn’t work when shooting Raw. The EOS-1D XMark III also uses Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus in 4K and Rawmode, apart from at 50/60p. The new EOS iTR AF X autofocus systemuses 191 focus points and enables Face Tracking and Head Detection AF functions. These use what Canon calls Deep Learning Technology, tomaintain focus onmoving subjects. When working in live view, Dual Pixel CMOS AF uses 3869manually selectable points and provides a smooth, natural focusing quality similar to the smoothness of a
ABOVE A rugged, weather-sealed exterior houses a whole heap of tricks and gizmos for serious filmmakers
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2020
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