Full DSLR test: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
It’s an Olympic year, which means it’s time for the new Canon pro EOS DSLR. James Artaius tests Canon’s new flagship
It’s a hybrid Dslr/mirrorless flagship camera with impressive specs, how good is it though?
The new Canon EOS-1D X Mark III pro DSLR has a real fight on its hands to defend its throne. The global sports photography field remains dominated by DSLRS, but mirrorless cameras have progressed into superior photo machines compared to the dated fouryear-old EOS-1D X Mark II, giving Canon pros a viable mirrorless option if they’re looking to switch systems.
So Canon had to pull something special out of the bag with its new flagship EOS camera. Thankfully, the EOS-1D Mark III is a hybrid Dslr/mirrorless camera which ushers in a number of industrystandard features and technologies, from a new image format and a new memory standard, to an innovative control input that will almost certainly become the norm for cameras that shoot action.
Key features
While the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is absolutely stacked with the latest bleeding-edge technology, it’s built around one fundamental piece of throwback hardware: an optical viewfinder. Here, it can shoot up to 16 frames per second (using the mechanical shutter) by making use of a dedicated Digic 8 processor for autofocus, with 191 AF points (155 of which are cross-type AF points).
However, when switched to Live View, it can shoot 20 frames per second (mechanical or electronic shutter), using the full 20.1 millionpixel readout of the image sensor, combined with the new Digic X processor and 3869 Dual Pixel CMOS AF points.
Digic X is a whole new family of processors, which will be tailored to each new Canon camera. In the case of the 1D X Mark III, the processor is 380 times faster than the Mark II at computational processing and 3.1 times faster at image processing. This plays a big part in the 1D X Mark III’S most talked-about party trick: Deep Learning AF. Canon fed the algorithm with millions of reference images, enabling it to learn how to
It shoots 20fps with the new Digic X processor, with a huge 3869 Dual Pixel AF points
recognize human figures, and to prioritize the human head, regardless of whether the face is looking the other way, or obscured by goggles or helmets. The result is an AF that knows the head is the primary point of focus.
The 1D X Mark III also adds HEIF support to its Raw and JPEG shooting. The format has been around for a while, but this is the first time it is supported by a traditional camera. The 10-bit HEIFS offer superior fidelity to 8-bit JPEGS, and you can capture images with four times the amount of data in the same file size.
Build & handling
The EOS-1D X Mark III looks virtually identical to the Mark II – and, indeed, to most 1-series cameras ever made. Holding the camera is like hugging an old friend. That said, its new Smart Controller is the future of AF point selection. Traditional joysticks give you tactile and granular control, but they’re clunky if you want to quickly move your AF point across the frame. The Smart Controller, by contrast, is an optical input that moves your AF point as fast as you move your thumb. The fantastic feature will no doubt be adopted by the entire camera industry before long.
Performance
While some might scoff at the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III only having a 20.1Mp sensor, the proof is in the pictures. Canon claims that clever processing, and a new sensor, produces images as sharp as those from a 24Mp sensor. While our lab tests don’t bear that out, the shots are more than sharp enough. The beefy dynamic range and clean ISO results in images with a lot of play in them, too – both in the JPEGS and especially the HEIF files. (For professionals JPEG is far more important than raw, as it is the currency of agency shooting.)
The full-width 4K video is crisp and clean, and we’re so happy that Canon has finally cracked the cropping problem. Obviously the lack of image stabilization is a significant factor when it comes to video, but this is hardly a run-and-gun vlogging camera. Mounted in a tripod, and combined with electronic stabilization (which introduces a crop) if you must, the video is pretty pristine.
Video mode reveals the strength of the new Deep Learning AF, which makes a genuine difference. When filming cars zipping round a track, for example, you can see the speed of focus acquisition – and the camera knew to prioritize the drivers’ helmets rather than the car bodies or team logos, even though no face or eyes were present. Equally impressive, the new Case A (for Auto) AI Servo mode is an all-purpose mode that faithfully adapts to action shooting situations.
The AF is just as adept at tracking human subjects, even in challenging light with erratic and fast-moving subjects. The 1D X Mark III didn’t let us down for a single shot while shooting an indoor basketball game, always prioritizing heads, even when they were turned away, and never once focusing on player names on the backs of jerseys.
While Canon is rolling out IBIS on the Canon EOS R5, the tech will remain the preserve of mirrorless cameras – and the manufacturer claims that lens-based IS is superior. Which may be true, but when you’re using a huge L-series lens that isn’t stabilized, or trying to record video with a giant hunk of telephoto glass, you do miss the advantages that IBIS delivers on other systems.
Speaking of video, the 1D X Mk III retains a fixed-position screen to maintain max strength of the body. While pros whose kit gets bashed about will approve, trying to frame a video using a screen that doesn’t tilt does make you wish for such things – especially as it’s a beast and with its oversampled 5.5K 12-bit
The new Deep Learning AF isn’t just a gimmick, it makes a genuine difference to focusing
(up to 60p, but with AF/AE tracking limited to a max of 30p).
Still, foibles aside, the EOS-1D X Mark III is every bit the professional powerhouse you would expect it to be. Where Canon has previously been cautious about rolling out new tech, here it brings game-changing new features that fundamentally improve your shooting experience, your images and your workflow.
Most obviously, that’s the new Cfexpress format. You can capture bursts of 1000 Raw images and still not fill up the buffer! It’s a revelation whether you’re shooting photos or 4K video footage.