As we speculated last week, Canon has made a long-awaited update to the 1D X, its top of the line DSLR. Being pushed very much at the high end of the market, the new model is expected to be priced around US$6000. The figure is slightly lower than expected, as the previous models RRP was US$6800 at launch. It will compete directly with the Nikon D5, which usually retails for $6499.
In terms of specs, the new 1D X includes Dual Pixel CMOS sensors, AF & Movie Servo AF for high speed, high frame rate and continuous autofocus during video shooting, a real advantage for sports photographers. The Mark II can shoot up to 14 fps or 16 fps in Live View Mode, and the ISO range is 100–51200; with expansion to 409600.
4K video is supported up to 60fps (59.94), and is recorded in Motion JPEG, allowing an 8.8-Megapixel in-camera still frame grab, although how clear those images be remains to be seen. Alternatively, users can shoot full 1080p HD up to 120fps for slow motion.
The Mark II also inherits the extremely durable magnesium body from its predecessor which made it popular with wildlife and outdoor photographers. We’re very interested to get our hands on one of these, and we’ll of course have a full hands on review once we do.