Canon Launches New Flagship DSLR: EOS-1D X Mark II

[HD video below] Canon has launched a new flagship DSLR, the EOS-1D X Mark II.

Building on the success of the Canon EOS-1D X professional digital camera, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II can shoot stills at up to 14 frames per second, features a 20.2 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC 6+ Image Processors, a 61-point High-Density Reticular AF II system with all AF points selectable by the user (and up to 41 cross-type points depending on the lens in use) and can even record 4K video up to 60p featuring Canon’s proprietary Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus (AF) technology.

In a glance, the new flagship Canon EOS-1D X Mark II features are:

• Newly developed 20.2 megapixel 35mm full frame Canon CMOS sensor;

• Continuous shooting speeds of up to 14 frames per second (fps) with Auto Exposure (AE) and predictive AF for viewfinder shooting and up to 16 fps in Live View mode;

• Dual DIGIC 6+ Image Processors for extended bursts during continuous shooting – up to 170 consecutive RAW images at 14 fps when writing to a CFast card. When shooting JPEG images you’re only limited by memory card capacity;

• Capable of shooting 4K 60P and Full HD 120P video with Dual Pixel CMOS AF;

• Enhanced wireless functionality (with the optional accessory Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E8) that supports the new high-speed IEEE 802.11ac standard;

• Digital Lens Optimizer to help correct aberrations in-camera (a feature that previously required post-processing on an external computer);

• Improved 61-point viewfinder AF with expanded coverage and all AF-points selectable and supported to a maximum aperture of f/8;

• Improved AI Servo III+ predictive AF algorithm for better accuracy;

• Continuous red illumination of all AF points within the camera’s Intelligent Viewfinder II.

• Compatibility with both CF and CFast memory cards for optimal performance and versatility.

“The innovations within Canon’s new EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR camera clearly set a new standard for professional cameras,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “In developing the EOS-1D X Mark II camera, we looked to incorporate user-requested performance enhancements to bring professional photographers the ultimate EOS camera, a camera that has matured and been developed to meet their evolving needs.”

Canon EOS-1DX Mark II DSLR Camera: The Mark of Legends

For filmmakers and photographers looking to do more than still photography, the EOS-1D X Mark II camera offers high resolution DCI 4K video at frame rates up to 60p which can be recorder to an in-camera CFast 2.0 memory card. An additional card slot supports standard CF memory cards up to UDMA 7. The built-in headphone jack, something missing on the 1DX Mark I, supports real-time audio monitoring.

Two additional EOS ‘firsts’ include 4K Frame Grab and 120p Full HD recording. The camera’s 4K Frame Grab function allows users to isolate a frame from recorded 4K video and create an 8.8 megapixel still JPEG image in-camera. The camera’s ability to record Full HD video at frame rates up to 120p will allow videographers to produce slow motion video.

To make video shooting even more intuitive, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II camera’s touch-screen LCD allows videographers to select the camera’s AF point before and during video recording with Dual Pixel CMOS AF.

The new EOS-1D X Mark II camera also offers a built-in GPS receiver with compass for precise geo-tagged information of latitude, longitude, elevation and direction. This is especially valuable to wildlife photographers and photojournalists who need to track their locations, as well as providing sports photographers the ability to sync a multiple-camera setup with accuracy and precision. It is also possible to use the camera’s built-in GPS to automatically sync the camera’s time to the atomic clock.

Something else most photographers will welcome, is that the AF points in the EOS-1D X Mark II camera’s Intelligent Viewfinder II can be illuminated in red for improved visibility, especially when shooting in dark locations.

AF sensitivity in low light has been doubled from EV -2 to EV -3 at the center AF point when the camera is set to One-Shot AF, enabling the camera to autofocus in extremely dark shooting conditions such as a moonlit nightscape. Viewfinder AF coverage has also been increased for greater compositional flexibility.

As with all EOS-1D series cameras, the EOS-1D X Mark II’s rugged construction and magnesium alloy body is weather resistant.

The estimated retail price for the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is US$5999 (MSRP) for the body and it is expected to hit stores in April 2016.

Note: TravelNewsAsia, including its extensive media services division, shoots nearly all of its videos (including interviews) and pictures with Canon 1DX cameras and Canon L lenses. We will have a review of the 1DX Mark II as soon as we get our hands on one and test it with different lenses such as the 400 f/2.8 IS ii, 70-200 f/2.8 IS ii and a few others.

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