Kicking The Tires On A Camera

My friend for decades, New Orleans area Realtor Skip Weber, and I used to spend some time doing what we called kicking the tires. We both like cool cars and sometimes we'd go to look at a cool car for sale somewhere just to sit in it and get close to the lines and hear the engine. That was kicking the tires. I got to do that yesterday with Canon's newest professional grade camera, the EOS 1DX.

It's one of the items on display under the huge Canon banner in the exhibit area of Imaging USA 2012. That meeting and show is in its last day at the Earnest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans as I write this.

I didn't take any shots with the camera. It never left the counter to which it was tethered. I did get to hold it and examine the controls and fire the shutter in the amazing 12 frames per second high speed burst mode. For those who've owned or used a 1D series camera the control setup is familiar. Those who are more accustomed to a consumer style camera will immediately miss the mode dial.

The assumption is that the professional who invests $7,000 (no typo) in this camera will have no use for scene modes and already has a selection of lenses. The priority modes are selected by pushing the mode button on the top-left and turning the control dial.

The camera feels much like my EOS 5D Mk2 with its battery grip in place but not quite as heavy. It's a beautiful piece of equipment and the specs are kind of mind boggling. Notable is the ISO range up to 51,200 and expandable to 204,800!!! You get the feeling you could use it like night vision; shoot in total darkness and then see things in the image you didn't know were there. 12 frames per second is hard to imagine also and it's a little bit of a thrill to squeeze the shutter and hear that rapid firing sound.

The EOS 1DX is due on shelves in March. In case you're wondering (and my wife may be) if I intend to purchase one the answer is no. My 5D and 5D Mk2 both have full frame sensors like the 1DX. While the 1st generation 5D has fewer pixels on the sensor it still gives me beautiful photographs and I already have a good ole' 1D Mk2 to give me 8 frames per second if I need that speed. Many journalistic shooters may jump all over the 1DX but I'm going to be quite happy with the features I have in my existing bodies, at least for now.