Canon has a very good reason to perform such a feat as this new EOS is the highly anticipated flagship model: the Canon EOS-1D X.
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| The new Big Shot: Canon EOS-1D X |
With an expected launch
date around March 2011 and an estimated price tag of US$6,800 (according to
various tech-news sites), local camera enthusiasts can only wait with bated
breath at what the price tag may be when the 1D X shows up on Malaysian shores.
According to Simon Wong,
Director of Imaging Communication Products Division of Canon Marketing
Malaysia, the local Canon office will be setting up a special ordering system
for the 1D X when it is closer to the launch date. Wong mentioned that this
direct-to-customer platform will be one of the primary methods for customers to
purchase the new flagship model.
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Wong (left) sharing on the sales strategy as Melvyn Ho, CEO & President of Canon Marketing Malaysia, looks on.
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Why X and not the usual
naming convention that Canon is famous for?
X means many things for
Canon but in association with the new camera, the X refers to the 1D X being
the 10th generation in EOS-1D series. It also means extreme photography that
provides exceptional picture capturing capabilities.
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| Why X?! |
As part of the overhaul
for the EOS 1D series, the new model replaces both the studio-focused 1Ds series
and sports-oriented 1D range, combining the best of both classes into a single
platform.
Touted as the most advance
and fastest DSLR the world has ever seen, the 1D X is Canon's big shot in the
EOS range. The hardware within and the features it offers have become the
highest possible benchmark in professional photography.
Having three processors
on-board - a dual DIGIC 5+ for the main image processing and a dedicated DIGIC
4 for control metering and autofocus functions - is quite a startling idea that
has been unthinkable until recently. When used together with the 1D X’s
improved 18-megapixel CMOS image sensor and its innovative gapless microlenses
design, the high-powered performance of the 1D X becomes very apparent.
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| DIGIC 5+ Image Processors |
Native ISO can go up to
51,200, which can be pushed further through two additional steps, making the
top-end of the ISO range a staggering 204,800. Such incredible ISO values open
up many new possibilities that were originally unavailable, such as taking
pictures in extreme low-light conditions, due to hardware limitations.
Even if the new sensor on the 1D X is a step back from
its predecessor, since it uses pixels that are larger than those found on the
1D Mark IV and 1Ds Mark III, it allowed Canon to bring the photo-taking
capabilities of the 1D X to the next level.
In essence, the 1D X represents the re-invention of the
EOS-1Ds and EOS-1D series, combining new proprietary Canon technologies with
the culmination of customer feedback and requests from the field.
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| 61-point autofocus system with different cross-point modes |
New innovations include 61-point autofocus system, a new
100,000-pixel RGB autoexposure sensor, multiple exposure modes, increased
shooting speeds of up to 14fps at 18-megapixels (JPEG mode only) and 12fps for
RAW, an enhanced EOS HD video system that offer longer recording modes with new
compression formats, dual CF card slots, a gigabit ethernet port, lightweight
carbon fibre shutter blades that offer a lifespan of 400,000 cycles, and
improved ergonomics that offer seamless navigation and use of functions and
features.
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| New addition: Gigabit Ethernet Port |
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| Dual CF card slots |
All of these features and so much more are packed into a
robust magnesium alloy body that is designed to be both dust- and drip-proof,
making the 1D X highly resistant to most gruelling shooting conditions.
Canon has a lot running for the 1D X and can be
rightfully called the benchmark for professional full-frame DSLRs. As with all
new camera tech, these innovations will eventually appear on the consumer SLR range. One can only wonder what the competition
has planned in response to this massive salvo Canon has fired their way. The
ball is in their court now.
