EOS 1D X announced!

[Daniel Browning]

Does anyone know if Live View one point Contrast detection would work with the 1DX at f/8 or smaller?

Yes. CDAF (contrast detect autofococus) works at any f-number. There are some limitations to the amount of light available, but it's way beyond what the normal (phase-detect autofocus) does. (which could be improved by allowing slower shutters, but Canon hasn't got around to that yet)

I was thinking it may work on a tripod for small stationary birds but I'm not sure.

If by stationary you mean made of stone, then yes. It's so slow (in my 5D2 at least) that you can finish a chapter of your book by the time it locks on focus.

[HDNitehawk]

Rick, the reason your turkey shot autofocused was not the body, it was the 3rd party TC. Many of them don't report aperture properly or at all (and many work with any lens, not the limited set compatible with the Canon TCs.

John...I know that now, at the time I had just gotten the 100-400mm and the teleconverter and was probably clueless.


I was just throwing that out as there are always work around. I found this one by accident. I have heard of people taping the sensors and using the canon teleconverters, but I wouldn't do it on a set up that costs $16,000.


I think your post to Bob earlier is probably the way Canon is going. In the past Canon's strategy seemed to be top of the line had top of the line sensor and IQ. Second place camera was the 1D I, II and III and they gave you speed. Maybe the strategy is now to give you a 1D X with speed and a wider sensor, and the second place camera will be the 5D III (or some camera that we do not know about yet) that gives you high IQ and it is a striped down model. ...Maybe a 3D??...they do have three slots there they can fill.

[HDNitehawk]

Does anyone know if Live View one point Contrast detection would work with the 1DX at f/8 or smaller? I was thinking it may work on a tripod for small stationary birds but I'm not sure.

Rich


Do you do this with your 1D IV?

[neuroanatomist]

One possibility, building on the video success of the 5DII, would be to reuse the 1D X sensor in a video-aimed 5DIII, with the video improvements of the 1D X plus 1080p 60fps, but slow still fps and weak AF, at a bit over the 5DII price. That would possibly drive even more people to the 1D X. Then, they follow with a new number line, 5D-type build, still slow fps and slightly better but still weak AF, and very high MP, and price that in the high $3K

[Richard Lane]

Thanks DB! I didn't think Live View had a limit, but I didn't realize that it was that slow either.


@Rick, No, I don't shot like that with the MKIV and I wasn't anticipating a problem with f/8 and the 1DX either. My longest lens currently is the 300mm f/2.8L IS and when I add the Canon 2X it's 600mm f/5.6 so I never had the need.


You guys probably remember my thread regarding the 400mm II, 500mm II, and the 600mm II.


Now, the 400mm II has probably become more attractive, since it can become a 560mm f/4 with the 1.4X, and an 800mm f/5.6 with the 2X and still AF on the new 1DX.


However, if I ever upgraded to FF, I would lose the 1.3 crop sensor of the MK IV, so logic would dictate that the 500mm f/4II would be the answer but then I would lose the f-stop that I gained by switching to FF, and the longest focal length I would be able to get would be 700mm f/5.6 while still retaining AF, since it won't AF with the 2X @1000mm f/8. I'm not even sure if I would ever have a need for 1000mm, but it would certainly be a nice option to have, especially at these prices.


The 600mm f/4 will be able to shoot at 600mm f/4 and 840 f/5.6 with the 1.4X. I probably don't have a need to shoot at 1200mm f/8 either.


While were at, the 800mm f/5.6 wont be able to use either converter and still AF, which definitely limits its flexibility.


Rich

[HDNitehawk]

@ Rich, I was just wondering if I was missing out on something. I have never tried to shoot birds in live view with AF, but I am up for anything once if someone says it works.


I was thinking that 500mm was just the right size for the 1D IV, if the 1.3 sensor is going away I may change my mind and lean more toward the 600mm II. The thing is though the 1D X will go the way of the dinosaur by the time the new 600mm II will be replaced, so the right lens choice is a more important decision than the body.


@ John Canon may very well go the video direction. It seems to have been a heavy focus of theirs for the last few years. How about a 3D with < 4 fps, 32mp, the picture stacking option for say $3,995.00. It can have the old 5D II's AF for all I care, I just want it to take good stationary pictures.

[Richard Lane]

Does anyone think that Canon could come out with a 1.7X extender (like Nikon) that would allow the 500mm f/4 to become an 840mm @ f/7.1 that would be able to AF, or is it too late for that?

[Richard Lane]

I was thinking that 500mm was just the right size for the 1D IV, if the 1.3 sensor is going away I may change my mind and lean more toward the 600mm II. The thing is though the 1D X will go the way of the dinosaur by the time the new 600mm II will be replaced, so the right lens choice is a more important decision than the body.

I would definitely agree with that!

[neuroanatomist]

@ John Canon may very well go the video direction. It seems to have been a heavy focus of theirs for the last few years. How about a 3D with < 4 fps, 32mp, the picture stacking option for say $3,995.00. It can have the old 5D II's AF for all I care, I just want it to take good stationary pictures.

Seems quite plausible to me (except perhaps for the 3D moniker, which could happen, but I worry about confusion with 3-dimensional). Wouldn't do it for me, personally - I really want improved AF. But it makes sense. In fact, it might come out before the 5DIII - if that is aimed at video shooters, that may be a better group to push to the 1D X with a delayed release of the 5DIII, and if there's a 36 MP D800 on the horizon, Canon may want to answer sooner rather than later.

[HDNitehawk]

I like Bryan