This year started with a bang by Canon. In early February, when some of us were still recovering from New Year’s related debaucheries, the Japanese electronic imaging behemoth unleashed their top dog DSLR – the much anticipated EOS-1D X Mark II with a hell of a overhaul in the video department. Canon’s crown jewel in their DSLR arsenal was presented with plenty of fanfare as the world’s first DSLR to shoot 4K DCI in 60fps.
Canon also gave the 1D X Mark II a Cfast 2.0 card slot to fit all that 4K goodness in addition to giving the tank some super-slow motion at 120fps in Full HD. Dual-pixel AF as standard was just the icing on the cake. In case you are not caught up with the Canon 1D X Mark II, check out B&H’s First Look video below:
Sure, for most shooters, the 1D X Mark II is way too expensive at $6,000 (which already includes a $300 discount and also gets you a free 64GB Sandisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 card and a reader) but for high-end sports photographers and video professionals already heavily invested in the Canon EOS Cinema line with C100 Mark II’s or C300 Mark II’s, the 1D X II has a lot going for it.
The 1D X Mark II is built like a tank, it’s weather-sealed as you would expect from a top-of-the-line big boy DSLR and now with the impressive video features the image quality does rival some of its bigger brothers in the EOS Cinema line, at least in my opinion. Below you can see some new footage shot on the 1D X Mark II and make up your own mind.
Here is a behind the scenes video by Canon HK for those who speak Cantonese (I guess they talk about the touch screen functionality of the back LCD screen in AF in video mode and also the Wi-fi capabilities by the looks of it) – if any of our HK readers care to elaborate on any other details in the comment section, that would be greatly appreciated.
CanonRumors even tells us that Canon is shipping large quantities of the 1DX Mark II across North America and that demand has been overwhelming with “initial inventory at most major retailers isn’t enough to meet all of the preorders, but more cameras are expected in waves during the month of May…”
Canon 1D X Mark II Highlights
- 20.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
- Dual DIGIC 6+ Image Processors
- 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
- DCI 4K Video at 60 fps, 8.8MP Still Grab
- 61-Point High Density Reticular AF II
- Native ISO 51200, Expanded to ISO 409600
- 14 fps Shooting, 16 fps in Live View
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF
- Built-In GPS, CFast & CF Card Slots
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Order Links:
- US – $5,999 (includes 64GB CFast 2.0 card and Reader) – B&H
- UK – £5,199 (includes 64GB CFast 2.0 card and Reader) – WexPhotographic UK
To some the lack of Canon LOG gamma or the premium price tag may be a deal breaker and I totally get it. This is a bit of a specialty camera, it’s not targeting the everyday user – it is a high-end piece of kit for professionals who earn a living relying on professional tools. It’s big and heavy and for 6 grand, if you are shooting only video you are probably better of getting a proper video camera. There’s quite a few of them around in this price range depending on your needs.
However, I still do believe that there is a reason why Canon are saying that the pro community has responded very positively to the 1DX Mark II by voting with their wallets and buying them in droves. I hear the same things in the UK – specialty photographic retailers are stocking up and anticipating high-volume (comparable to the 1D X range, maybe not a 10,000 units a month, but at 6 grand close enough for them to make a decent margin of a few sold 1D X IIs).
Love them or hate them, Canon know how to make a high end product appealing to high end professionals. To be continued.
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