Canon shooters will soon be able to get their hands on a new flagship camera and today we know a lot more about what the 1DX MkIII will offer as Canon has taken the rare step of not only confirming the forthcoming arrival but also releasing a huge amount of specification information too.
So what do we know exactly about the replacement for the popular 1DX MkII? Well, for starters, the appearance of the DSLR won’t change drastically. Official press images show the MKIII retains the square format with the battery grip for vertical shooting. However, it’s clear from information given that the MkIII will be a true hybrid camera for stills and video.
Starting with autofocus, it’s clear Canon have brought a major upgrade as they explain that the MkIII includes; ‘a new autofocus algorithm will improve stability and tracking when using both the Optical Viewfinder and in Live View shooting mode, using Deep Learning Technology and adapting to help facilitate accurate focus tracking for every shot.’
What’s more, the optical viewfinder the camera will use a new autofocus sensor, with approximately 28 times the resolution in the centre of the EOS-1D X Mark II. When photographers switch to Live View mode, they can make use of 525 AF areas using the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system will cover approximately 90×100 percent of the image sensor.
As you’d expect from a camera targeting professional sports and wildlife shooters, the MKIII will be fast, offering 16 frames per second with the mechanical shutter or 20 FPS in Live View mode. Because the MkIII will use dual CFexpress card slots, photographers will be able to capture more than five times the RAW burst depth of the 1DX MkII. This will be interesting to see in the field when compared to Sony’s a9ii mirrorless action camera.
No information has been released on the resolution of the full-frame sensor, but Canon has told us more about the 1DX MkIII’s video credentials and it’s good news. The MkIII will capture 4K videos including 4K60p with 10-bit 4:2:2 Canon Log internal recording and will be able to shoot RAW video, too. There’s also an emphasis on connectivity and the 1DX MkIII will include Wi-Fi, low energy Bluetooth and the ability to transfer data at more than twice the speed of the MkII predecessor.
Pitchside photographers will also be able to use the MkIII with Canon’s WFT-E9 optional wireless file transmitter. Canon has also said the LP-E19 battery will perform more efficiently with the MkIII, dramatically extending battery life.