Some personal thoughts on the upcoming EOS 1D Mark IV [Archive]

Benjamin

05-24-2009, 10:49 PM

Colin

05-24-2009, 11:30 PM

I don't know anything about the Casio camera that can supposedly do 60 frames per second, but that would seem very fast compard to either the Nikon or Canon 'speed' cameras. Does anybody know how the image quality compares? I'd think it'd be far worse, but I was just curious.

Would the 1d IV need to do 20 FPS to be competitive with newer machine guns?

alexniedra

05-24-2009, 11:33 PM

Would the 1d IV need to do 20 FPS to be competitive with newer machine guns?

20 fps?!

I can't see myself ever using 60 fps. Time to break out the HD camcorder....

But I never saw myself shooting with a Tokina lens, either. So...[:)]

Benjamin

05-25-2009, 12:03 PM

At least one thing that I finally realize after having gear fever for several years is that, one should always buy equipment according to need. We tend to forget about what we really need and what we really use our gear for; instead, we always look for what's new on the market and get ready to jump onto them. The cameras in hand now may still be more than capable for what we're doing, but we just replace it with something newer anyways.

On the other hand, however, the camera manufactures have to compete with each other so they will have to introduce new products every year and push the technology further and further. But I found that it's somehow irrelevant to our buying decisions.

That applies to my thought on the 1D IV.

HiFiGuy1

05-25-2009, 12:54 PM

Benjamin,

If the 1D Mk IV is all the camera you describe, even without movie mode, I would be seriously satisfied for it to be the next and last camera I buy in my lifetime. I will keep my 40D because I like the 1.6 FOVCF for wildlife and sports, but I really do believe that a camera with the qualities you described would suffice from now on.

Colin

05-25-2009, 02:25 PM

I get lens fever a whole lot more than body fever. I had full frame lust, but once that was satisfied, while a 5d2 would be awesome, as would a 1d3, they don't have, for me, the same pull as a lens that will do something with an image that I just couldn't do before.

It'd be nice to have more bodies for the sake of not having to switch lenses as often, but...

Give me 50 MP, fantastic performance at ISO 256000, Live View at single pixel magnification, 45 point autofocus that's flawless with 24 selectable points, 20 frames per second for up to 10 second bursts, dunk in a bucket quality weather sealing, and a price tag less than $4,500, and I'll figure out a way to make it work [:)]

Otherwise, for the near future, I'm actually pretty content trying to improve what I can do with my archaic 5D which, if I do my part, turns in resolution that far exceeds expectations I had with my prior, limited, film camera experience. Heck, my rebel XT blew my mind after the first time it wore a 70-200 f/2.8 IS in good light. If I were buying now, I'd buy the better bodies, but since I've already got what I've got, and it's paid for...

Is that heresy?

Jon Ruyle

05-25-2009, 02:34 PM

Knowing that I have the best
sport camera in hand is a peace of mind, and from time to time I like to
take advantage of the ultra high speed to shoot something that’s hard to achieve
with any other camera.

I agree with all you said: whatever form the 1DIV takes, it won't be less useful in 10 years than the day it is released. As for peace of mind you may derive from knowing you have the best- well, that won't last, as I'm sure you know.

(I enjoyed the peace of mind of which you speak with my 1DIIN for about 2 months before the 1DIII was announced. It was pretty nice, IIRC. The 1DIIN is no less of a camera now than then. I wonder why I never use it [:)])

Benjamin

05-25-2009, 03:25 PM

Colin,

I think lenses are something that I will not refuse to upgrade continuously as I'm always asking more from my lenses than my bodies. They will last much longer too once I got them. As I'll stop right at 1D IV, I'm looking forward to my 24-70/2.8L II, 50/1.4 USM II, 35/1.4L II... [:)]

JR,

If you want to trade your 1D IIN with a half year old 50D with 2000 clicks on it, mine is here for you, [:)]

pierlux

05-25-2009, 03:28 PM

My only hope is that it will still have the APS-H CMOS...

Pier

Benjamin

05-25-2009, 03:31 PM

I think they should support a 1.3x crop mood just like the ones on Nikon D3 and D700. At the same time Canon should pump up the FPS even more on cropped moods. If a 16MP sensor is what they're going to implement, shooting at 10MP after crop seems reasonable - which is identical to the APS-H format with identical or even faster speed.

The 1D IV has to be a better camera than the 1D III!

Colin

05-25-2009, 03:40 PM

What's the advantage of a 1.3 crop over a full frame? Is it a cost of manufacturing thing? Is it a matter of reach, in the sense that most sports photographers, if using a full frame body with the telephotos they could weild, would be cropping down smaller anyway, so that the extra pixels would have taxed the processing too much, and be wasted anyway?

I would think, IF you satisfy the qualifications of equal pixel density and don't have the limitations of more pixels limiting the frame rate due to processing requirements, if I were a professional photographer, I'd rather have the full frame and do cropping after the fact, selectively. Though, I suppose, if you're just loading the JPEG files right out of the camera for immediate publication anyway...

Just wondering.

Jon Ruyle

05-25-2009, 03:54 PM

I think you put your finger on it, Colin. Until now, it seems that the 1D cameras have been limited by data rate. You can only get so many megapixles off the chip each second. If you're limited to 10mp, many sports photographers will want those 10mp concentrated. (Though, why not 1.6fovcf?)

I would think, IF you satisfy the qualifications of equal pixel density and don't have the limitations of more pixels limiting the frame rate due to processing requirements, if I were a professional photographer, I'd rather have the full frame and do cropping after the fact

I think there are very few people would disagree with that. Until now, though, it has not been possible to meet that requirement with a high frame rate.

On the 1.3 fovcf, some people say "it's the best size. Bigger than 1.6 but not so big you get tons of vingetting problems" Some people say "it's the worst size. Not ff, yet you can't use ef-s lenses"

Personally, I think it is the middle size. [:)]

Dallasphotog

05-25-2009, 04:43 PM

I'll just add that the Canon Rumors page is especially good at rumors. I think they had the 5DMKII as imminent for 2 years. Note, that they even make note of the quality of the sources with CR1, CR2, CR3 ratings.

I had a really long discussion with Canon Professional Services three weeks ago andIwastold that the MKIVdoes not have an imminent launch date.

Jon Ruyle

05-26-2009, 11:54 AM

If you want to trade your 1D IIN with a half year old 50D with 2000 clicks on it, mine is here for you, /emoticons/emotion-1.gif

I still use the 1DIIN as a backup body, but isn't your 50D worth more? I would think you could easily sell it and get a 1DIIN.

peety3

05-26-2009, 12:53 PM

What's the advantage of a 1.3 crop over a full frame? Is it a cost of manufacturing thing? Is it a matter of reach, in the sense that most sports photographers, if using a full frame body with the telephotos they could weild, would be cropping down smaller anyway, so that the extra pixels would have taxed the processing too much, and be wasted anyway?

Classically, manufacturing limitations have been the factor. In the early days, it took several "passes" to make a full-frame sensor. More recently, they've gotten good enough to make a full-frame sensor in a single pass, but I've heard a lot fail in QC. APS-H and APS-C are easier to manufacture thanks to fewer QC failures.

I suspect the current rumors (1D4 will be FF, "low" MP, high frame rate; 1Ds4 will be FF, "high" MP, low frame rate) reflect manufacturing realities, and makes sense since there won't be a need for two different bodies.

I have a 1D Mark III. I've shot with a 5D, 40D, 50D, and 400D. Nothing compares to the 1-series body, and I've had plans for a second 1D3 developing recently. I suspect I'll grab a 1D4 if they come out by September, otherwise I'll pick up another 1D3 somewhere.

Benjamin

05-26-2009, 03:13 PM

By the way, I think I need to add this to the 1D IV:

No Bug/recalls/free-service-due-to-defect after introduction

By now Canon should understand that quality is also important. IMO I think the birth of 5D II is not a mature one, since it has so many problems right out of the factory and need firmware updates one after another... The same thing with the original 5D's mirror and 1D/1Ds III's focusing system/mirror. Do it right this time, Canon.