The Canons of Navarone
You know it’s a special day when Canon drag me out to attend a press launch.
This time around, it was more than worth it - as a long-time Canon user, I’m rather excited about the new top-of-the-shelf from the Nipponese photography powerhouse!
The Canon 1Ds mark III has been a long time coming, but hell, this time, they’ve really outdone themselves.
More of an evolution than a revolution, the Canon 1Ds mark III is ensuring that Canon is staying top of the dSLR hill for another while to come - with an amazing 21 megapixels from a full-frame CMOS chip.
The big difference from the mark II is that the Canon 1Ds is snappier all around - the camera has two Digic 3 processors built in, and can reel off 5 frames per second in full 21 mpx resolution. You can keep this up for 56 photos in JPEG mode, or 12 photos in RAW. Compared from the specs of the Canon EOS 1D mark 3, the speeds don’t sound too incredible, but do remember that you’re talking about a wild, medium-format crushing resolution, high speed, and dSLR convenience! Absolutely amazing
Canon EOS 40D
The other big news from Canon is the 40D - it’s an evolution from my current camera, the Canon EOS 30D.
It keeps the 10 megapixels, but gets a slightly rounder design, an integrated dust-cleaning system, and an absolutely wicked new screen - it’s hard to convey with images, but the new LCD (known as the PureColor II LCD screen, if you’re into the technobabble) really stands apart from the screen on the 30D - it’s bigger, the colour reproduction is in a league of its own, and it really helps you taking photos - you can see what you’re doing, at last!
Want one!
I’ve had a play-around with the 40D and the Canon EOS 1Ds mk3. They’re both great cameras, but the 40D is a minor change. The 1Ds, however - wow. Trust me - it’s an absolute beast, and it’s the best camera I’ve ever had the honour of holding in my hands.
Now all I need to do is to convince Canon to give me one - chances of that happening are slim though, I imagine. I can but hope, right?
If you wanna get some more photos, check out the Canon EOS Launch gallery over at T3.co.uk!
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Insights, suggestions and comments
“medium-format crushing resolution”
what about the hasselblad h3d…
Christopher: Yeah the new 1dsmIII is medium format crushing. What it doesn’t say is that medium format digital backs are now large format-crushing. So digital SLRs are moving into the domain of medium format, while medium format are moving into the stratosphere. Pricing included.
In a way I’m kind of glad they didn’t announce an upgrade to the 5d as well. I don’t want them to update it until I can afford it :P
BTW, I used your success story with Photocritic and your Macro Photography book as part of a talk I gave this weekend at BarCamp Vancouver :)
Who wants to spend all his student loan on a new camera? I do!
ill just stick with film…
this sure makes the 1d mark 3 look like a ridiculous overpriced toy, doesn’t it? the ds is a pro camera- quiet shutter, full frame, 21 megapixels. putting the same 10.1 mp sensor in all 3 other models (xti, 40d, 1d mk 3) seems chintzy as hell
Quote: “Canon EOS 40D
The other big news from Canon is the 40D - it’s an evolution from my current camera, the Canon EOS 30D.
It keeps the 10 megapixels,…”
Uh, the 30D is an 8MP camera.
Good previews of both over at dpreview;
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0708/07082009canoneos1dsmarkiii.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0708/07082010canoneos40d.asp
The 1ds mk3 looks amazing, but keen to see more about the 40d… since it doesn’t involve a re-mortgage… ;)
Is 1 D mark III really FF? Isn’t it 1.3x?
I just got back from four days with Canon where I was working as principal photographer on the UK launch of the 1Ds Mk3. Got my hands on the camera on sunday, the day before the worldwide embargo was lifted and used it all day, every day since. The four cameras we had were all “pre-mass” ie the final prototypes and we were working with the final beta copy of the new DPP software. What this means is that the production stuff will be tweaked and refined (this is why we were not allowed to hand over Raw files to anyone). The results from these pre mass models was awsome! I normally shoot on 1Ds Mk 2’s and everything about the new camera blows the Mk2 out of the water. I’m not a Canon employee, I was just a (rather privileged) guest and believe me this thing is the best DSLR I have seen, in every respect.
Someone mentioned the comparison with a MF back. It’s a difficult call. I guess as with film, ‘a good big-un will always be better than a good little-un’ but then on the other hand which medium format model alows you to shoot at 5 fps and has a range of lenses that equate to the Canon line (14mm to 600mm)? Then of course you have to ask yourself, “how much information do I really need?”. My Mk2 produces A0 prints on a regular basis and bigger when needed. If there is a downside it’s only that my clients retouch bill will go through the roof, as the added resolution from the new camera asks a lot of questions of models and make-up artists.
Did I like it?
I’ve ordered two!!
1 ds iii is 1.0x and 21mp. 1d iii is 1.3x and a piddling 10.1 mp. but at least it’s loud and shoots off a lot of frames, right? for half the price of a 1d iii you can get a 5d, which is full frame and has more mp. you give up the shake and bake sensor and 10fps. i’d call that a reasonable tradeoff
The 40D is what I’ve been waiting for! I’ve been wanting to upgrade from my Rebel XT, but wanted to get a upgrade in mega pixels too (what’s with the 30D only having 8?), 10 MP sounds so much more, uh, professional :)
“ill just stick with film…” LOL
I am just a beginner but have been privileged to be able not only to hold but to use the Canon 1D Mark III (We call it “Arnold”). I do a lot of horse show stuff in low light situations shooting things like Barrel Racing. I could not believe how clear the shots from the Mark III came out in the indoor arenas! WOW, huge improvement over what i usually use, the 30D. Now if only I had a rich uncle…..
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