The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is the company's latest flagship
camera. Its lineage and price tag make clear that it's aimed at professionals,
but what does that really mean? We've had our hands on a prototype, so click
through this slideshow for a closer look the all-new Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.
Handling
The first thing to notice is how similar the body layout and
design is to previous models. More so than any other part of the market,
pro-level cameras need to be consistent with their predecessors. Working
professionals need to be able to pick up the new camera and use it perfectly,
the first time they take it out. This may not mean using it to its full
potential but, at the very least, it needs to perform as well as the camera
they've been using.
To give some idea of how familiar pro shooters become with
their cameras, our team photojournalist Jordan Stead's first response upon
picking up the camera was: 'I noticed the AF selection joysticks have changed.
They're larger and less pointy.' Indeed, the AF selection joysticks are
considerably larger, gaining 5D-series-style crenelations around the edges,
while maintaining the portcullis-like surface pattern.
Unfortunately, leaving everything the same isn't always a
good thing, as it can mean the camera's behavior doesn't keep pace with its
evolving feature set.
The EOS-1D X II lets you use Auto ISO in manual exposure
mode and allows the use of exposure compensation to set the target brightness.
However, the +/- exposure compensation button on the top plate doesn't work in
M mode: instead you need to customize a different button to set exposure
compensation, or remove your eye from the viewfinder and use the Q menu. This
makes little sense when you have a dedicated exposure compensation button.
A gripe, and a like
There's also no quick way to switch between having the
camera automatically select a starting AF point vs manually selecting one in
continuous AF tracking (AI Servo with iTR). Instead you have to dig through the
menus to specify this. We believe some photographers will want to manually
choose their subject by selecting an AF point and initiating focus with it, but
it would be nice to quickly switch to an auto mode - where the camera selects
the nearest target - to respond to a quickly
While we're on the subject of quickly switching AF modes,
though, it's worth highlighting one of our favorite custom controls:
OneShot<-->AI Servo and AF<-->. Assigning a button to these
features allows you to quickly swap between single and continuous AF, and
between two AF area modes commonly used (e.g. single point vs. all 61 points).
This allows a photographer to quickly adapt to changing scenarios.
Making a class-leading AF module better
By now Canon shooters should be very familiar with the
61-point AF system that debuted in the 1D X, and a version of which can also be
found in the 5D Mark III and 5DS/R cameras. This module has been updated for
the better in the 1D X II. It offers 24% more vertical coverage, by moving
focus points further apart, which also increases the central AF area by 8%. The
center AF point is now sensitive down to -3EV in One-Shot AF, which will be a
boon for low light - and we think particularly wedding and event -
photographers.
Speaking of wedding and event photographers - one consistent
complaint leveled at the 1D X was the lack of continuous AF point illumination.
This could make it difficult to, for example, follow a dark subject on a
wedding dance floor with your center AF point long enough for it to lock focus.
In these situations, we'd often find ourselves activating the AF grid (which
lights up all points red) on a 5D Mark III just to get a glimpse of where our
selected AF point was in relation to the subject.
With the 1D X II, you can choose to have AF points
constantly illuminated, with your selected AF point indicated by red-lit square
brackets, while every other AF point is indicated by red dots. Two levels of
brightness that are user-selectable control how bright red points appear. In AI
Servo mode, you can have your selected AF point lit red as long as the subject
is in focus, but we'll withhold judgement on the exact implementation until
we've been able to use a production camera.
Intelligent AF with a 360k-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor
The metering sensor on the 1D X II has experienced a
significant increase in resolution. With 360,000 RGB+IR pixels, it's the
highest resolution metering sensor we've ever seen. This should lead to
accurate metering, and also enables the camera's anti-flicker shooting feature,
which delays the shutter firing so that it syncs-up with the brightest moments
of the fluctuations that occur with some artificial lighting.
But the implications of a high resolution metering sensor
are most exciting for autofocus. Why? Think of the metering sensor as a low
resolution image sensor that can be used to find faces and recognize objects so
it can tell the AF system which points to use to follow them (something Canon
refers to iTR, and we generally refer to as subject tracking). The main image
sensors of DSLRs can't be used to do this (as they can on mirrorless cameras),
because they are blocked by the reflex mirror between exposures. However, the
metering sensor, embedded in the viewfinder hump, can see the scene in front of
the lens whenever the mirror is down. This has prompted the use of increasingly
high resolution sensors to provide the cameras with scene and subject awareness.
For example, Nikon announced a 180,000-pixel RGB metering sensor in their
recent D5/500 announcements (we analyzed its implications here).
So how does it work? Our initial impressions are that
subject tracking remains a bit erratic and highly dependent on your shooting
scenario - in other words, on the face of it, not as versatile as Nikon's
class-leading 3D tracking. While we'd expect it to remain very good at
following subjects well-isolated in depth (typically distant subjects shot with
telephoto lenses, such as birds), it doesn't appear to be quite accurate enough
to track, say, the eye of a face.
We were somewhat surprised by this, given the pinpoint
precision Nikon 3D tracking is capable of with a far lower resolution
91,000-pixel RGB metering sensor, and given the accuracy with which the 1D X II
itself tended to focus on eyes of faces in One-Shot AF (with 61-point Auto AF).
Our guess is that when it comes to iTR, Canon continues to rely heavily on
distance information to subject track, which may serve it well for
birds-in-flight, distant wildlife, and sports photography, but is known to have
its limitations.
In other words, it's not just about how many pixels your
metering sensor has, but how you use them. It should be noted though that these
impressions are based on limited use of a pre-production camera, so we're not
drawing any definitive conclusions at this stage. And at the end of the day,
that the camera can focus or subject track at all at 14 fps is nothing short of
impressive.
Face detection in viewfinder shooting
Face detection in OVF shooting is nothing new: cameras like
the original 1D X, 5DS, 7D Mark II, a
In our brief time with the EOS-1D X Mark II, face detection
indeed appeared to work very well. When the camera is set to iTR (Face
Priority), and 61-point mode with Auto selection, in single AF (One-Shot) mode
the camera is really good at finding the nearest face and focusing on it – and
it even appears from our initial testing to prioritize eyes or the plane of a
person's cheeks. Traditionally, we’ve found face detection in OVF shooting on
Canon cameras like the 7D Mark II and 5DS to focus on the nose – possibly due
to the low resolution of the metering sensor and the camera ostensibly just
telling the PDAF system to focus in the general vicinity of the face (dedicated
PDAF systems tend to prioritize the nearest object - like noses). With the
spatial resolution of a 360,000-pixel RGB+IR sensor, though, we expect the eyes
to be distinguishable features, and we found the majority of shots shot with
‘Auto’ AF area with face priority to be focused on or near the eyes, less so
the nose. The system was also good at not getting confused by objects
obstructing parts of faces - impressive.
That said, results were less impressive in continuous AF
mode (AI Servo), where iTR kicks in and can lead to erratic results. In Servo
61-point AF with iTR, we found the camera to start on or near the eye of a
detected face, but then wander off to a nose, or the subject’s hair. This is
consistent with our previous experiences – we’ve found iTR to be somewhat
inaccurate at sticking to your initial subject (e.g. the eye of a face),
potentially due to its heavy reliance on distance information over pattern
recognition for subject tracking. However, we would’ve expected the
360,000-pixel RGB+IR sensor to significantly increase the accuracy of iTR for
subjects such as faces and facial features, and nearer objects in general. Yet
our initial impressions are that if it does, it’s not obvious (as yet).
Please note, though, again, that our initial assessment is
based on use of a pre-production EOS-1D X Mark II.
Backwards compatibility
As well as offering familiar ergonomics, the camera offers a
good degree of backwards compatibility.
This means that any professionals who've built up a
collection of LP-E4 batteries with their previous cameras. However, the
difference between the two isn't simply a matter of capacity: reverting to the
older packs will see the maximum continuous shooting rate from from 14 fps
(with 16 fps in live view) back to the 12/14 fps rate offered by the original
1D X. The new battery also offers an impressive figure of 1210 shots on one
charge, according to CIPA standards.
CFast / Compact Flash
This attempt to maintain backwards compatibility risks
adding complications, though. For existing us
We have concerns about the wisdom of using two such similar
cards alongside one another in the high-pressure circumstances the 1D X II will
be used in. It's a concern echoed by pro shooter Jordan Stead:
'I'll probably stick with [CompactFlash] for now: there
don't seem to be enough advantages to CFast if you're not shooting 4K,' he
says. 'Also, I'd worry about whether you can accidentally try to mash the wrong
card into the wrong slot, because they're so similar. If you're on the sidelines,
dealing with runners [running cards back from the camera to a laptop], they're
not going to know the difference - I'd worry about them breaking my card reader
or bringing me the wrong card.'
Speed benefits
With a CFast card, the camera can shoot nearly as many Raw
files in a burst as the original 1D X could manage with JPEGs (170 vs 180),
meaning that beyond the increase in storage required, there's effectively no
performance cost to shooting Raw.
The significance of this may not so much be a question of
having such a large buffer, but in the fact that it essentially removes one of
the key limitations to shooting Raw.
'For the shooting I do, [a 12 second buffer] is
unnecessary,' says Stead. 'I can't remember ever shooting more than 3 or so
seconds in a burst, but it's good to know that you're never going to hit its
limit [literally, with unlimited JPEG shooting].'
What is it?
And several other upgrades have also been made that reduce
any impact of the larger file sizes that Raw brings. The speed of the Ethernet
port has been increased from 100Mbps to 330Mbps while the new WFT-E8A Wi-Fi
accessory now supports the substantially faster 802.11ac standard. There's also
a USB 3.0 connector, giving plenty of high-speed options for file transfer.
All of these make it easier to transfer large files off the
camera quickly, however you're delivering your images.
On the go
On top of this, the camera's post-shot in-camera Raw
processing has been improved, and it's now possible to apply all the digital
lens corrections previously offered by Canon's Digital Photo Professional
software in the camera as a post-processing option. This allows lens-specific
distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberration and color blur to be corrected.
The camera's JPEG engine also gains a diffraction optimizing function that
tries to correct for diffraction if you shoot using small apertures.
The 1D X II also features built-in GPS. 'GPS is cool, too -
it's another thing that the camera is embedding for you, meaning that you don't
need to stop and add that information yourself,' highlights Stead.
Video capabilities
Looking closely at the EOS-1D X II's video capabilities
tells an interesting story. The camera still lacks the focus peaking and zebra
warnings offered on the Cinema EOS cameras the company makes for professional
video work. And, for that matter, the Log Gamma option that appeared on the 1D
C (so it's not clear whether this camera eliminates the need for a 1D C II).
The camera can also only output 1080 footage over HDMI, which suggests Canon
doesn't expect (or want) it to take the place of one of its more video-focused
models.
Video for non-videographers
Saying that the 1D X II doesn't appear to be designed for
professional video doesn't mean it can't offer video for professionals; it
merely depends on which profession. With its touchscreen-operated Dual Pixel AF
system, the 1D X II should be one of the easiest cameras to capture footage
with if you're not an experienced videographer. The autofocus should be able to
refocus without distracting focus wobble simply by tapping the screen. What's
more, tracking sensitivity and AF speeds can be adjusted for movie recording,
allowing videographers to optimize continuous focus for their particular
application.
We're a little perplexed, though as to why this Dual Pixel
AF isn't available for continuous AF in stills shooting. Clearly, continuous
Dual Pixel AF is possible (Movie Servo AF), yet it's simply disabled for
stills.
The only thing we're surprised to see is that it doesn't
appear to be possible to use Auto ISO and exposure compensation when manually
exposing in video. Setting the shutter speed and aperture, then leaving the
camera to use ISO to maintain a pre-specified brightness is one of the easiest
ways to shoot.
But what about 4K?
The biggest upgrade in the camera's video spec is the
addition of 4K shooting but, interestingly, this can only be captured using the
Motion JPEG format and the wider-than-16:9 DCI 4K aspect ratio (4096 x 2160
pixels). Both of these choices seem odd: the All-I H.264 compression the camera
uses for its 1080 footage would be a more efficient choice of codec and the
16:9 UHD flavor of 4K is better suited to certain applications.
However, along with 4K capture, the 1D X II includes tools
to grab 8.8MP frames from its 4K files: at which point the decision to save
every frame as an individual JPEG makes slightly more sense. Wedding shooters
might even use this feature to document receptions in complete silence: despite
the 1D X II gaining a continuous silent drive mode like the 5DS/R, it's not all
that silent.
The 1D X II also gains a headphone jack, important for
monitoring sound levels during video recording.
First impressions
Overall, the EOS-1D X II looks pretty much exactly as we
thought it would look. It's a solid, high-performance DSLR that works in
basically the same way as its predecessors. It improves on them in several
respects, which will matter for those that depend on key aspects Canon has improved
- F8 autofocus across the entire array, for example, could be game changing for
some. But overall, it does not represent a major paradigm shift in either
Canon's state-of-the-art, or the digital camera market as a whole. This isn't a
criticism - this is what progress looks like at the very top of the market,
where letting working professionals get the shot they need matters a lot more
than piling on fancy features.
That said, there are two main ways in which we think the
camera may prove particularly significant, once it gets into the hands of pro
photographers.
The first is autofocus performance. Canon has been
developing its iTR autofocus tracking for some time and there's still a chance
it'll shine when put to use in the field (despite our initial impressions of
its accuracy). And the fact that iTR and AF in general even function at 14 fps
is amazing. In the EOS-1D X Mark II, Dual Pixel AF makes its debut in
full-frame format. This not only offers fast, precise, and decisive AF in
video, but also accurate and quick AF in Live View for stills shooting, albeit
of static subjects, without the need for lens-specific calibration, ever.
The second area in which the EOS-1D X Mark II could raise
the bar is workflow. The 1D X II features a series of improvements that could
make Raw shooting much easier to incorporate into a high-speed press
photography workflow. Equally if it helps stills-focused photojournalists to
shoot effective video clips, it could prove to be much more of a breakthrough
than it initially seems.
It's this second aspect that caught Stead's eye: 'Everything
seems designed to help get the images out of the camera and onto the wires as
quickly as possible, without the need for a computer - whether you're a JPEG or
Raw shooter. It looks like the perfect sports/wire service camera.'
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