Canon EOS-1D X field review

Posted on 24/08/2012 by Zach Honig

Just before Halloween in 2009, Canon announced its most powerful DSLR to date. The $5,000 full-frame EOS-1D Mark IV was the company's answer to Nikon's market-leading D3S, which rang in just shy of $5,200. On the basis of price alone, Canon won that round. Then, after two years of silence, the company launched its new flagship, the 1D X. The date was October 18th, 2011 -- roughly 10 (or "X") years after the very first model in the series was announced, way back in 2001. A decade ago, Canon priced that introductory 1D at $5,500 -- a princely sum considering the 4.15-megapixel CCD on board. Now, the 1D X, which is arguably the most powerful sub-five-figure camera available, commands 6,799 of your hard-earned dollars, or $800 more than the D4, Nikon's $6,000 equivalent. All this talk of price may seem to skirt the camera's long list of lust-worthy features, but when the cost of any piece of hardware approaches a year's tuition at a public university, a purchase decision deserves thorough consideration.

A camera in this league is absolutely to be used as a professional tool. And while deep-pocketed amateurs may pick one up -- in the way folks with cash to burn may build a collection of overpowered two-seaters -- the vast majority will live in $30,000-plus kits, where they'll reach six-figure shutter counts, and will likely change hands several times before their eventual retirement. Right now, you're probably researching the 1D X as exhaustively as you would a new car -- in fact, you may have even lined up a test drive, through the company's Canon Professional Services group. Many months after it was first announced, we've had an opportunity to take the new eXtreme model for a spin ourselves, and it's every bit as impressive as its price tag suggests. Canon's top model isn't any smaller or lighter than its predecessors, the 1D Mark IV or 1Ds Mark III -- but is all that bulk justified, despite strong contenders like the workhorse 5D? Buckle up and join us in the field (ahem, after the break) to find out.

Gallery: Canon EOS-1D X review

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Canon EOS-1D X field review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon recalls 68,200 EOS Rebel T4i DSLRs, says rubber grips can lead to skin rash

Posted on 14/08/2012 by Darren Murph

We've covered our fair share of product recalls over the years, but this one almost certainly takes the cake when looking at pure zaniness. Canon has recalled its EOS Rebel T4i -- some 68,200 units -- "due to a risk of allergic reaction." You read that right. As the story goes, a chemical used in the camera's rubber grips "can result in a reaction that changes the grips from black to white and poses a risk of skin irritation to the consumer," and while the company has only received a single report of a consumer developing a "minor rash" after contact, that's obviously enough to issue to recall. It involves T4i units with a 12-digit serial number that contain a second digit that is a "3" or "4" and a sixth digit that is a "1." If that's you, you're advised to stop using the camera and ping Canon USA to have replacement rubber grips installed free of charge. Specifically, you can ring 855-902-3277 and be prepared to be placed on hold for the better part of your adult life.

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Canon recalls 68,200 EOS Rebel T4i DSLRs, says rubber grips can lead to skin rash originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS M mirrorless camera hands-on (video)

Posted on 23/07/2012 by Zach Honig

There have been plenty of false alarms in recent months, but Canon's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) is finally here -- in fact, we're holding it in our hands. The EOS M is clearly reminiscent of a point-and-shoot, such as the company's high-end PowerShot S100. Sure, Canon could have added some of the dedicated controls that its professional user base would demand, but photojournalists aren't the target here, for a few reasons. Canon's primary motivation, at least from an official perspective, was to create a camera that serves to bridge the gap between pocketable compacts and full-size DSLRs with a simple user interface designed to educate, not intimidate. Also key, however, was avoiding cannibalization of the company's low-end and mid-range Digital SLR models, which clearly still have a place in the lineup one tier above this ILC.

Consumers willing to sacrifice hardware controls for a touchscreen-driven UI won't be missing out on much else -- functionally, the EOS M is a near-clone of Rebel T4i with the same 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 processor and 3-inch touchscreen. Even the advanced two-stage focusing system has made its way from the T4i, which utilizes both phase-difference and contrast AF in order to achieve focus more efficiently when capturing video. The housing design and lens mount are unlike any other that Canon has produced, however, combining features from other models without completely eliminating the need for a DSLR, or a compact for that matter. If you can get by without granular controls, you'll do just fine here -- the design really is spectacular. With an $800 price tag, the EOS M falls within the upper tier of the mirrorless category, and it remains to be seen whether it will be an obvious pick when it finally hits stores in October, a month after competitors tease their own products at the massive Photokina expo in Germany. How does it fare today? You'll find our impressions just past the break.

Gallery: Canon EOS M hands-on

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Canon EOS M mirrorless camera hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS M Digital Camera unveiled

Posted on 23/07/2012 by i4u

Canon unveiled today the Canon EOS M. Inspired by EOS technology, the EOS M leverages these core technologies and distills them down to provide outstanding video capture capabilities while retaining...

Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens

Posted on 23/07/2012 by Zach Honig

Rumors of a Canon mirrorless camera have circled the web since long before Nikon's foray into the compact ILC space. And while that manufacturer's model fell far short of some expectations, it appears that Canon's iteration may in fact have been worth the not-so-insignificant wait. Unlike the Nikon 1 Series, Canon's new EOS M isn't a drastic departure from the company's existing mid-range DSLR lineup. In fact, under the hood it's quite similar to the Rebel T4i, with an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 processor, 3-inch 1.04MP smudge-resistant touchscreen and the T4i's new hybrid autofocus system, which pairs both contrast and phase-difference AF for speedier, more accurate performance. Externally, however, the EOS M looks more like a cross between the PowerShot G1 X and S100, tipping the scale at 14.2 ounces with the included EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens, compared to 27.4 ounces for the T4i, and 19 for the G1 X. It's physically smaller than the G1 X as well, and only slightly larger than the pocketable S100. The camera offers a sensitivity range in line with the competition, ranging from 100 to 25,600 (extended) in still mode and 12,800 (extended) when shooting video -- captured in 1920 x 1080 format at 24, 25 or 30 progressive frames per second. There's also a continuous shooting mode at 4.3 frames per second with fixed focus and exposure.

The EOS M's control layout should be more familiar to Canon point-and-shoot owners than DSLR users -- as one component of the size compromise, dedicated buttons are replaced with touchscreen options and a bit of menu diving. There's also no electronic viewfinder, though a full-size hot shoe is included with full support for Canon's lineup of Speedlite flashes, including the new $150 90EX strobe and ST-E3-RT Transmitter, and the GP-E2 GPS Receiver. Though the camera lacks certain direct controls, it still supports full manual shooting, even in video mode. There's also a built-in stereo mic with manual level adjustment. In addition to that 22mm kit optic, Canon is offering an EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens for $300, or you can add the $200 EF-EOS M mount adapter to enable use with existing lenses. The $800 EOS M kit is set to ship in October, and will be available in retail stores in black, though Canon's online store will also stock a white model (which will be paired with the same black lens). You can peek at both configurations, along with the new lenses and accessories in the gallery below. Then shoot past the break for the full PR from Canon.

Gallery: Canon EOS M mirrorless camera

Michael Gorman contributed to this report.

Continue reading Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens

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Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked Image Claims to Be New Canon Mirrorless Camera

Posted on 20/07/2012 by shane

A new image has shown up online and it claims to be an unannounced Cannon mirrorless camera and lens. According to the person who leaked the image the camera will have an APS-C size image sensor....

Back to School 2012: Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera

Posted on 06/07/2012 by susan

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR Camera is available at Amazon for $3,484.00. Summer is in full swing and everyone is having a great time. The last thing on your mind is going back to school....

First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges

Posted on 02/07/2012 by Jamie Rigg

If you've been wondering what kind of eye candy Canon's EOS-1D C is capable of, you might be in luck. The crew over at EOSHD have apparently snagged some 4K sample footage from an early prototype of the unreleased, professional-grade DSLR. The clip looks slick to us, albeit lacking in the scenery department. Even so, EOSHD comments that while a "massive step up for image quality compared to all previous DSLRs" the video footage isn't as sharp as stills from the 1D X (the 1D C's less-endowed sibling) and "not near what true 4K should look like." (Of course, anyone looking for true 4K is advised to step up to Sony's $70k F65 CineAlta, so we guess you get what you pay for). You can check out the minute-long clip, unfortunately scaled to a Vimeo-friendly 1,920 x 1,080, after the break. If your discerning eye demands the raw footage, however, why not grab the few seconds available at the source link and let us know your thoughts? That's what the comments are for, after all.

Continue reading First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges

First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon Unveils New EOS Rebel T4i DSLR

Posted on 08/06/2012 by shane

Canon has announced its latest consumer focused DSLR camera called the EOS Rebel T4i. This is the new flagship camera for the Rebel series and it features an 18-megapixel CMOS APS-C image sensor. It...

Canon touts EOS Rebel T4i with improved video focusing system, EF-S 18-135mm and EF 40mm silent lenses (hands-on)

Posted on 08/06/2012 by Zach Honig

There wasn't much reason to upgrade with last year's T3i, but that's certainly not the case with the Canon EOS Rebel T4i. This new entry-level DSLR packs a redesigned 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with brand-new focus capabilities, enabling the camera to use both phase- and contrast-detection autofocus when paired with one of two new STM lenses. The center portion of the sensor uses traditional phase-detection technology, while points nearer to the perimeter aid by recognizing contrast in a scene, enabling a more accurate autofocus technique for both stills and video shooting. On the video front, the new lenses -- an EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM for $550 or the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM "pancake" for $200 -- allow for much more silent zoom and focusing during video capture, so you don't need to worry about those sensitive stereo mics picking up mechanical noise. The camera still did a bit of focus hunting while recording video during our hands-on, but autofocus performance was quite impressive while capturing stills, even in low light.

On the spec front, there's an articulating 3-inch Clear View smudge-resistant glass LCD, with a 1.04-megapixel resolution and new capacitive multitouch functionality, letting you pinch and zoom pictures and tap your way through menus just the same -- you'll still have the full array of physical controls if you'd prefer to go that route. There's the same bounty of video modes available with the T3i and T2i, including 1080 at 30p, 25p and 24p, 1080/60i and 50i, and VGA at 30 and 25 frames-per-second -- there's also a stereo mic on board, along with a dedicated microphone input jack on the side. In burst mode, the T4i can snap up to 5 consecutive frames per second. The camera also includes the same LP-E8 battery pack as previous Rebels, with a 1120mAh capacity. The Rebel T4i will be available in a body-only configuration for $850, $950 with the 18-55mm kit lens or $1200 with the new 18-135mm STM optic, all of which are set to ship later this month. If you feel that the new features don't justify the price, you'll rest easy knowing that Canon has no plans to pull the T3i from store shelves -- that T2i, however, is destined for retirement.

Gallery: Canon Rebel T4i hands-on