Canon’s new EOS-1D X Mark III is not just fast but also accurate, writes Izwan Ismail
AS smaller and lighter mirrorless cameras become the preferred tool among many photographers today, the once-mighty dSLR does seem outdated.
But that may not be true as dSLR cameras, especially the flagship ones, still have many advantages compared to the mirrorless rivals.
That’s why long-time players, like Canon, are still holding strong to the dSLR legacy.
The company knows that certain photography genres like sports, landscape and adventure still demand a camera that can withstand the elements of nature, and this is why cameras like the EOS-1D X Mark III is still relevant.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Being the flagship model, Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark III is built like a tank with an all-weather-sealed body made of magnesium alloy.
The camera is chunky and feels good in the hand. Those who are familiar with the 1D X series will quickly feel at home with this latest model.
FEATURES
The camera is designed for professionals, especially those in the sports arena, and this can be seen in some of its features.
They include a newly developed 20.1 megapixel 35mm full frame CMOS sensor; continuous shooting speeds of up to 16 fps (viewfinder shooting) and up to 20 fps (Live View) with AF/AE tracking; DIGIC X image processor; new AF sensor combined with AI Servo AF IV for significant improvement in AF speed and tracking performance; 4K UHD and 4K DCI movie recording at 60p/50p; and Canon Log 4:2:2 10-bit in-camera recording.
I took the camera to Kuala Terengganu recently for some test shots at the beach as well as around the city and was impressed with its performance and results.
The high-resolution screen at the back of the camera is also touch-enabled, making it very easy to select a subject and capture it.
It can also be used in video mode — tap the subject’s face and the focus point will keep on following it.
SPEED
The fast shooting capability — 16 fps — ensures photographers will not miss a scene.
At the beach, I could capture all the essential moments of the waves splashing.
What’s great about this camera is its huge buffer. With the ultra-fast transfer speed of the new CFexpress card, the camera can achieve a continuous burst rate of 1,000 shots in RAW format.
With the previous EOS-1D X Mark II, a photographer can shoot at 14 fps for 12 seconds until the buffer is filled. For the EOS-1D X Mark III, the duration can last for a minute at 16 fps.
Such speed and huge buffer technically will allow you, for example, to shoot a penalty shootout from the moment the player runs to kick the ball to the moment the ball lands in the net.
If you need an even faster burst rate, you can opt for Live View shooting, which is capable of high-speed burst shooting at up to 20 fps for both RAW and RAW + JPEG recording. Focus and exposure can also be maintained via AF/AE tracking.
Additionally, the EOS-1D X Mark III also has the ability to focus extremely well in low-light situations (as low as EV-6).
Another feature is the dual functionality of the AF-ON button located on the top back of the camera.
It allows you to select a focus point by just moving your thumb on it, like how you move a cursor on a trackpad. This can be done easily even if your eye is glued to the viewfinder.
Image quality
Images from the The EOS-1D X Mark III are clean, sharp and vibrant. Its low-light performance is also great. I’m not worried about bumping up the ISO to 12000 as the images will still be clean.
The camera has an ISO 100 to 102400 range and is expandable to 50-819200.
The camera features a high-resolution AF sensor that adopts a square pixel design, which results in an increase in pixel density for both vertical and horizontal directions.
This pixel miniaturisation increases the pixel density by 28 times, resulting in a significant increase of AF points from 61 points (EOS-1D X Mark II) to 191 points (for optical viewfinder shooting) in the EOS-1D X Mark III.
The processing speed of the new AF sensor is also faster by 40 times than the EOS-1D X Mark II, resulting in significant improvement in subject recognition and tracking performance.
With the increased number of pixels, minute variations in distance to the subject in focus can be accurately detected. This brings a dramatic improvement to AF accuracy.
All 191 AF points support exposure of up to f/8 over the entire AF area, with 65 cross-type AF points at f/8. This makes the EOS-1D X Mark III great for use with extenders, especially for wildlife or sports photographers.
STORAGE AND 4K VIDEO
The EOS-1D X Mark III uses the new CFexpress cards for storage and has a dual slot for it.
CFexpress is a new recording media format for high-speed transfer data. As mentioned earlier, the ultra-fast transfer speed of CFexpress media, coupled with the camera’s extended buffer memory, allows the EOS-1D X Mark III to achieve a continuous burst rate of 1,000 shots (RAW).
While the CFexpress cards are excellent for blazing fast transfer of images and videos, they are very expensive.
For example, a SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress 128GB card costs around RM750 and you will need two cards if you want a backup.
Anyway, the camera can give you up to 2,850 shots per full charge battery, which is a lot.
Card aside, the EOS-1D X Mark III is also the first Canon full-frame camera to feature 4K video without cropping, with the camera supporting movie recording in both the 4K UHD (3840 x 2160, 16:9) standard.
EASY TRANSFER
The EOS-1D X Mark III is also equipped with built-in GPS receiver with logging function.
This makes it easier and more efficient for news photographers or nature/landscape photographers to maintain a log of shooting locations and manage files.
The EOS-1D X Mark III supports up to SuperSpeed Plus USB (USB 3.1 Gen 2) transfer speed.
The camera comes with built-in WiFi with FTP functions. This greatly helps photographers in the field as they can quickly transfer images conveniently without any additional add-on devices.
Personally, I think the WiFi from the Canon Camera Connect app in one of the fastest in the industry currently. It’s just blazingly fast.
In terms of durability, the EOS-1D X Mark III has a projected shutter life of 500,000 cycles.
The main structural parts of the camera are made of magnesium alloy for lightweight and high rigidity. It is also water- and dust-resistant.
If you are working in an industry where speed matters or you need a robust camera to take to a harsh environment, the EOS-1D X Mark III can easily do the job.
It is priced at RM29,999 (body only).