For
anyone seeking something new when they pick up the 1Ds,
don't be fooled by the looks alone. You could quickly be
deceived into thinking that nothing has changed from the
Canon EOS 1D to EOS 1Ds. The outer body (except for the
logo) is virtually the same. It also seems to have the same
weight and exterior design. You've got to hold the viewfinder
up to your eyes to realize that the world comes in a full
frame size and now Canon has finally delivered the tool
you need to capture it.
I
have to say that when the camera arrived I was excited.
My anticipation was high and I had great expectations.
The main thing I wanted to see was how well this camera
would perform in the field. Canon claims that this camera
is the answer to what "Professionals have been asking
for." It boasts the 11.1 million pixels, and the
full-frame CMOS sensor. But, what does that really boil
down to, and is it worth the $8000.00 price tag?
I
decided the only way to find out was to take this baby
out for a spin. I trudged over to Death Valley to put
the 1Ds to the ultimate test. Could it capture the vast
landscapes and almost limitless skyline? Could it survive
hiking up and down the sand dunes? Could I carry it around
my neck for hours as I climbed through the badlands and
artists canyon? Most importantly, would the results I
see in the field, mirror what showed up on my monitor
and ultimately onto my large size prints.
I've
been a Canon digital shooter for quite some time and have
extensively used the Canon D30, D60, and 1D. Although
I also own a 1V film camera, and have played around with
medium format, my experience with film is somewhat limited.
Therefore, for the purpose of this review, I decided not
to directly compare the new 1Ds digital body to MF (medium
format) or 35mm film. Instead, I will give you my impressions
as a professional digital photographer that revels in
shooting landscape images, write about my field experience
and then compare the 1Ds to the 1D.
I think it's best to leave most of the technical aspects
to Canon to describe. I figured since they are the designers
and experts they'll probably do a better job at breaking
down the specifications in detail. In the meantime, there
are just a few main differences between the 1D and 1Ds
that I would like to point out.
There
are three main features that are virtually
identical between the two bodies when comparing
the 1D and 1Ds side-by-side: Exposure and color, Flash
Control, and Camera body.
-
Exposure
and color:
Including exposure metering (21-zone Evaluative), Auto-bracketing
options, Set white balance in K and color space (sRGB
and AdobeRGB)
- Flash
control:
Including Compatibility TTL flashes, Wireless TTL possible,
PC socket, and Manual flash metering
- Camera
body:
Including viewfinder (100 percent accurate), Focus screens (Interchangeable),
Custom functions, AF system, Body material (Magnesium alloy),
weather resistance (extensive gasketing), dimensions (6.1 x
6.2 x 3.1 in), and weight (44.1 oz)
Below
is a breakdown of some of the main differences:
 |
|
|
|
Features |
Canon
1Ds
|
Canon
1D
|
Comments
|
Effective
pixels
|
11.1
million |
4.15
million |
3x
the number of pixels |
RAW
approx. file size
|
11.4
MB |
4
MB |
3x
the file size
|
Shutter
Speeds
|
30-1/8000
sec (+bulb) |
30-1/16,000
sec. (+bulb) |
Performance
advantage for 1D interline CCD sensor |
Max
Flash Syncronization speed
|
1/250th |
1/500th |
Performance
advantage for 1D interline CCD sensor
|
Focal
length multiplier
|
Same
as 35mm film |
approx.
1.3x |
Full-size
sensor means lenses equal marked focal
lengths
|
Sensor
size
|
35.8
x 23.8 mm
|
28.7
x 19.1 mm |
Full-size
sensor means lenses equal marked focal
lengths
|
Sensor
type
|
Canon
CMOS
|
Interline
Transfer CCD |
CMOS
= same benefits as D30/D60
|
Pixel
size
|
8.8
x 8.8 µm (micron square)
|
11.5
x 11.5 µm (micron square) |
|
ISO
sensitivities
|
ISO
100, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800,
1250
ISO expand: L = ISO 50
|
ISO
200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000,
1250, 1600
ISO expand: L
= ISO 100, H = ISO 3200
|
1Ds
= advantage for low ISO settings
1D
= advantage for high ISO settings
|
Firewire
speed
|
50MB/s
|
32MB/s |
1Ds
= faster firewire file transfer
|
Reduced
resolutions
|
2032x1352
(3.0 million pixels) |
1232x824
(1.0 million pixels) |
|
Maximum
fps rate
|
3fps |
8
fps |
1D
is world's highest performance digital
SLR |
Magnified
LCD playback
|
Yes
(100% magnification)
via P.Fn 30 |
No
available |
100%
magnification is not enough in most cases |
Street
price
|
$8000 |
$4300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |

Page
2 - Full frame with
digital: The pros and cons
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