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Editor: Ernest Lilley
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Canon's Eleven Megapixel SLR:
The EOS-1Ds Ernest Lilley 0504
We got a chance to play with Canon's $8,000 full size CMOS 11MP Pro digital camera. Were we impressed? Oh, yeah. We're impressed. So was everyone who saw it, but that's no reason to spend the money. Fortunately, the pictures that come out of this beast are an excellent reason.
Model: Canon EOS-1Ds
Product Website /
Spec/PR
/ MSRP: $7,999
Recently, a little bad luck turned into a lot of good luck when I asked Canon when we could get a 10D to review. Soon, they said. Real soon...but in the meantime, would we like to spend a few weeks with a 1Ds? Go ahead, twist my arm. I've got a full review of the camera coming out in September issue of Digital Camera magazine, but here's a short look at what I found out.
 Canon's file viewer utility lets you make adjustments to the camera's raw files and shows you considerable information about the picture, including the focus points used. I found the ability to simultaneously save RAW and JPEG files a great idea. |
The learning curve on this camera isn't bad, but it isn't like falling off a log either. The controls don't work quite the same as on a $399 digital camera, and reading the manual is definitely going to be required. Big deal. You're going to be shooting with this camera for a long, long time, so putting in some time getting to know it is time well spent. I was initially baffled by the combination of control wheel turning and button pressing needed to move between pictures in playback or select ones for deletion, but after reading the manual and using the camera for a few days, going back to a normal digital camera seemed awkward.
Canon calls the weight of this camera 44.6 oz, but we know that's really just under 3 lbs. That doesn't sound so bad now, does it? We'll ask that question again after you've been carrying it around all day. Not that you actually would, considering what this camera (and lens) is worth. Hopefully you'll have eager assistants to do that while you chat up the models and look for the perfect light.
After shooting with the camera for a little over a month, I felt I was starting to get the hang of it, and unquestionably it takes incredible pictures...but if you're a not taking pictures for a living all those extra pixels aren't going to do you any good and the cost both in time and money aren't worth it. If you are a pro, especially with an investment in Canon lenses, dig into your bank account and buy one, you won't regret it.
In fact, if you're a pro shooting with a medium format camera, like a Hasselblad, for instance, this camera could make you turn digital and never look back.
| Specifications | |||||||
| Camera Type | AF/AE SLR | ||||||
| Lens Mount | Canon EF mount | ||||||
| Focal Lengh Multiplier | 1.0x | ||||||
| Imaging Sensor | High sensitivity, high resolution, single plate CMOS sensor, 11.4 megapixels | ||||||
| Optical Resolution | 11.1 Megapixels effective resolution (4064x2704 pixels) | ||||||
| Color Depth | 36 Bit RGB (sRGB and Adobe RGB Color Modes) | ||||||
| Sensitivity | ISO 100-1250 (in 1/3 stop increments),ISO expandable to ISO 50 with C. Fn 3-1 | ||||||
| White Balance |
10 settings (Auto,
daylight, shade, overcast, tungsten light, fluorescent light, flash, custom,
color temperature setting, personal white balance)
|
||||||
| Internal Memory | None | ||||||
| Memory Card | CompactFlash (type I & II) | ||||||
| Image Modes |
|
||||||
| Images with Included Memory |
No Memory Included
|
||||||
| Burst Rate | Approx. 3 fps up to 10 frames | ||||||
| Video Mode | No | ||||||
| Audio Annotation | Yes; WAV, Max. 30 sec. per recording | ||||||
| LCD Display | 2.0" TFT color LCD monitor with Brightness Control (adjustable to five levels) | ||||||
| Interface | IEEE1394 (Firewire) | ||||||
| Video Out | No | ||||||
| Focusing Type |
TTL- AREA-SIR with a CMOS
sensor, 45 AF points (Area AF), AF working range - EV 0-18 at ISO 100)
AF point selection (Automatic selection, manual selection, home position), Selected AF point display superimposed in viewfinder and indicated on top LCD panel, AF-assist beam is emitted by the dedicated Speedlite |
||||||
| Focus Modes | One-Shot AF, AI Servo AF, Manual focus (MF) | ||||||
| Exposure Metering |
TTL full aperture
metering with 21- zone SPC (Evaluative metering linkable to any AF point,
Partial metering of approx. 8.5% of viewfinder at center, Spot metering,
Centerweighted average metering)
Metering range - EV 0-20 (at 20°C with 50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100) |
||||||
| Exposure Modes | Program AE (shiftable), Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority, Depth-of-field AE, E-TTL autoflash, Manual, Flash metered manual, AE lock | ||||||
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 3 stops in 1/3 stop increments (can be combined with AEB) | ||||||
| Auto Bracketing | Auto exposure bracketing (AEB): +/- 3 stops in 1/3 stop increments (Shutter speed, Aperture or ISO speed) | ||||||
| Shutter Type | Electronically-controlled, focal-plane shutter | ||||||
| Shutter Speed | 1/8000 - 30 sec. (1/3 stop increments), Bulb, X-sync at 1/250 sec. | ||||||
| Built-In Flash | No | ||||||
| External Flash Sync | E-TTL autoflash with EX series Speedlite, PC terminal | ||||||
| Viewfinder |
Glass pentaprism with
100% Coverage, 0.7x Magnification (-1 diopter with 50mm lens at infinity),
Built-in Eyepiece shutter
Viewfinder information: AF information (AF points, focus confirmation light), exposure information (shutter speed, aperture, manual exposure, metering range, ISO speed, exposure level, exposure warning), flash information (flash ready, FP flash, FE lock, flash exposure level), JPEG format, number of remaining shots, CF card information |
||||||
| Self Timer | No | ||||||
| Remote Control | Requires remote with N3 type contact | ||||||
| Depth Of Field Preview | Yes | ||||||
| Mirror Lock-up | Yes | ||||||
| Diopter Correction | -3.0 - +1.0 diopter | ||||||
| LCD Panel Info |
Top LCD Panel: Metering
mode, Shooting mode, Aperature, AF mode, AF point, Shutter speed, ISO, Shots
remainig, Drive mode, Battery level, Exposure compensation setting, Flash
compensation setting, AEB, Exposure level scale
Rear LCD Panel: Selection mark, LCD Display format, Memory Card features, White balance info, Image quality setting, File/Folder info |
||||||
| Power Source |
NP-E3 NiMH Rechargeable
Battey (included) CR2025 lithium battery (backup) AC adapter or DC coupler |
||||||
| Dimensions | 6.1" x 6.2" x 3.1" (156 x 157.6 x 79.9mm) | ||||||
| Weight | 44.6 oz. (1265 g) body only | ||||||
| System Requirements |
Windows 98 SE, 2000, XP Mac OS 9.x, OS X (10.1 or later) |
||||||
| Special Features |
Interchangeable
Focusing screen: 9 types available (Standard screen - Ec-CIII) Operating Conditions: |