Unveiled: the New, Blazing-Fast, 4K-Capable Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

This year, 2016, is already shaping up to be an incredible year for the photo industry and now, as we just poke our heads into February, Canon is releasing an update to its flagship DSLR in the form of the blazing-fast, 4K-shooting EOS-1D X Mark II. The headline feature is obviously the ability to record DCI 4K video at an impressive 60p, something we have only seen in traditional camcorders and cinema cameras at this point. With video taking a side-by-side seat with stills, this addition will please any photographer looking to add filmmaking to their tool set. Of course, stills have not been forgotten, since this camera brings with it a new 20.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor, as well as dual DIGIC 6+ processors to boost performance in nearly every arena.

Running through the basic upgrades, we see the introduction of the relatively new, but extremely fast, CFast 2.0 card slot. This sits alongside a standard CF card slot, so users will still be able to make full use of their older media cards. Also, the camera’s sensitivity has been improved to a native ISO 51200 with expansion up to ISO 409600, and the 1D X Mark II is now equipped with a 3.2" 1.62m-dot touchscreen LCD for intuitive operation of select functions.

Leading off with the substantial video capabilities, the 1D X Mark II offers some of the best video capabilities possible in a DSLR form factor—namely, DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) recording at up to 60p. The Mark II also adds a true 24.00 fps shooting option in all modes and can shoot in Full HD at up to a speedy 120 fps. 4K recording uses a slight crop of the full-frame sensor to capture video with a perfect 1:1 pixel sampling rate (26.9 x 14.2mm sensor crop), which helps to nearly eliminate moiré and aliasing issues that crop up with some down-sampling processes. Shooters will even be able to grab 8.8MP frames in-camera for quickly creating still images from their video.

To lay out all the facts, this camera has 4:2:2 8-bit recording internally, though not externally, for 4K video and uses an MJPEG compression in an MOV container to create the files. Internally, the 4K video at 60p has an impressive 800 Mbps bit rate, while 24/30p have a 500 Mbps bit rate, ensuring sharp footage with minimal artifacting. Via a Mini HDMI connection, users can output an uncompressed Full HD (1920 x 1080) signal to an external recorder, the benefits of which include recording for longer than the internal restriction of 29 minutes 59 seconds, and capturing the maximum possible image quality.

Users who find themselves abroad and working for varying broadcast requirements will find NTSC/PAL switching in the menus. Autofocus has received a major bump in video with the first implementation of Dual Pixel CMOS AF for a full-frame sensor and Movie Servo AF. This provides exceptional speed and accuracy, which is benefitted majorly by the implementation of a touchscreen LCD, allowing shooters to simply tap to change focus area. Also, it is important to note that 4K shooting will be limited to a sensitivity range up to ISO 12800 while HD is available at up to ISO 25600. Along with all of this, HD recording will use the entire width of the full-frame sensor and advanced audio recording is possible, thanks to the inclusion of 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks.

An impressive list of specs for just video, but now—getting back to the stills portion of this DSLR—we can discuss the upgraded 61-point High Density Reticular AF II system with 41 cross-type points, which manages to expand coverage on the periphery and center areas. This system’s other major bump involves low-light shooting, which includes f/8 support with all 61 points and working at down to -3 EV with the center point. AF points are also now illuminated in red for added visibility in low light and low-contrast conditions. This AF system works in tandem with a 360,000-pixel metering sensor that enables the EOS Intelligent Tracking and Recognition AF system. This setup can then recognize faces and other moving objects with ease in the viewfinder. To ensure the best performance possible, these systems utilize an additional, dedicated DIGIC 6 processor to run operations, leaving the dual DIGIC 6+ processors to handle the rest of the camera’s functions.

Since it is a member of the 1D series, speed is also critical to stills, where full-resolution 20.2MP raw files can be captured with full-time AF and AE metering at a rate of 14 fps. Using capable CFast 2.0 cards, users will be able to capture up to 170 raw frames before filling the buffer in continuous shooting or record an unlimited number of JPEGs. Also, for even more speed, users can reach 16 fps when in live view, though at the expense of AF and AE. The shutter has been redesigned to properly handle this speed and it maintains an impressive 400,000-actuations lifetime. Users will also have access to an electronic first-curtain shutter for limiting shutter shake in certain situations.

Ensuring maximum resolution and detail from the 20.2MP CMOS sensor, Canon has implemented a Digital Lens Optimizer technology that stores lens aberration data in the camera and almost instantly corrects peripheral brightness and chromatic aberration, as well as distortion and diffraction. This is possible thanks to the integration of the dual DIGIC 6+ image processors.

The magnesium-alloy body remains largely unchanged from its predecessor, just with slight tweaks and adjustments to make it more comfortable to work with. It is dust- and water resistant for working in some of the most difficult weather conditions and scenarios. The EOS-1D X Mark II also adds a GPS unit for geo-tag information, as well as time-syncing with Universal Time Code via satellites. Connectivity features include a PC sync port, a microUSB 3.0 transfer port, and an Ethernet port in addition to the Mini HDMI (Type C) and audio connections mentioned earlier. Users can add Wi-Fi connectivity with the use of the WFT-E8A Wireless File Transmitter, which leverages the speed of the 802.11ac standard to achieve transfer rates of up to 433 Mbps.

Original 1D X owners will be pleased to know that their older LP-E4 and LP-E4N batteries are compatible with the Mark II, though the camera will work at slightly reduced continuous shooting rates. The new LP-E19 Battery Pack, on the other hand, offers about 10% greater capacity and guarantees maximum speed, though it is not compatible with the original 1D X. The LC-E19 Battery Charger will work with both batteries. Other accessories being released with the camera include an EC-C6 Focusing Screen and the DR-E19 DC Coupler and AC-E19 AC Adapter, which combine to provide constant AC power. The EOS-1D Mark II will be available as a body only or in a Premium Kit that includes a SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO CFast 2.0 Memory Card and an Extreme PRO CFast 2.0 Card Reader/Writer.