Canon EOS-1D X Review

Whether shooting outdoors, indoors, or making HD videos, the Canon EOS-1D X offers an unparalleled combination of speed, resolution, and image quality.

Our fingers were itching to get our hands on the new Canon EOS-1D X. So, once we got a hold of it, we put it to rigorous testing straight away. This new full-frame digital SLR became our companion during most of the major drives we attended last month. I must confess that our way of testing is the opposite of just sitting pretty and taking landscape photos – we like to push the equipment to its limits, and use the camera for what it’s truly built for.

By now, I think, everyone would be aware of the fact that 1D X is the fastest D-SLR around, and, thanks to its new sensor – an 18MP full-frame CMOS chip – it’s capable of shooting at 12 frames per seconds. This meant was that we could take motion shots – panning or tracking – of the cars that we were testing in a jiffy. This new flagship camera is a combination of both the EOS-1D and EOS-1Ds. In other words, it lets you take high-resolution photos at high speed. Once switched on, the camera takes just a fraction of a second to get ready and shoot.

Now, many may crib that Canon has reduced the resolution from 21.1 megapixels down to 18.1 megapixels compared to the 1DS, but the 1D X has much better image noise reduction at higher ISO speeds. So, it certainly provides cleaner pictures in low light conditions. In fact, even in the dark you can shoot without a tripod and expect to get pretty good results.

Now, I apologise in advance for donning the nerd cap, but the new sensor has a 16-channel, dual line readout, compared to the previous generations’ 8-channel. So, what does this mumbo-jumbo translate to in actual use? Well, like I said, the 1D X captures high quality photos at low-light conditions in hand held mode – the kind of shots where you would normally end up setting up a tripod.

The 1D X feels sturdy, and it reassures you with its solid build quality. Though the camera feels slightly heavy, weighing 1.5 kgs, you never actually feel weighed down by it. With a rubberised grip, and a second joystick at the rear of the camera, it makes sure that you can shoot in either portrait or landscape mode with equal ease. Moreover, the ergonomics of the camera are so good that it never really feels heavy or clumsy.

What makes this camera special is that you can shoot in virtually any condition without worrying about the camera’s ability to focus. It has 51 focus points – let me repeat, 51 – which essentially means that you can focus on any point in your field of vision. Moreover, it provides lifelike and phenomenally images no matter what zoom range it’s on.

Moving on from still photography to HD video recording, it comes with a new mode called ‘All-I,’ which offers very high image quality. The catch here is that it eats up a lot of memory card space. The other option is the more standard IPB compression, which takes up around 1/12th of the space.

With the new Firmware Update Version 2.0.3, you can enhance the images and get fantastic AF performance and more control of exposure and customisation.

The Canon 1D X has a lot to offer for a professional photographer. The high quality images, high speed continuous shooting mode – which fires with machine gun rapidity, and makes a very satisfying sound while its at it – the number of focus points and ISO settings with high shutter speeds makes the 1D X the perfect tool not only for automotive photography but pretty much anything you can think of. It’s the best camera we’ve ever tested, but it is pricey – as the good things in life tend to be! That being said, Rs.  4.40 lakhs is certainly steep. Of course, we would buy one if we could afford it…