Sharpness

As with tone Canon have implemented sharpness in the parameter menu. This allows you to create up to three sets of parameters with differing sharpness settings. The EOS-1Ds breaks sharpening up into two factors; Sharpness level (0 is default) and Pattern sharpness (Standard is default).

• Sharpness level: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Pattern sharpness: Fine, Medium-Fine,
  Standard, Medium-Rough, Rough

Although it's not documented as such I suspect that the EOS-1Ds sharpening is very similar to an 'Unsharp mask' which is also always made up of two such parameters (I'd guess sharpness level = intensity, pattern sharpness = radius). The examples below represent just nine of the thirty possible sharpness combinations.

Settings: ISO 400 / Color matrix: 1 (sRGB) / Large, Fine (Q 6)

Pattern sharpness: Standard

Sharpness level: 0, Pattern sharpness: Standard

Sharpness level: 2, Pattern sharpness:Standard

Sharpness level: 4, Pattern sharpness: Standard

Pattern sharpness: Fine

Sharpness level: 0, Pattern sharpness: Fine

Sharpness level: 2, Pattern sharpness: Fine

Sharpness level: 4, Pattern sharpness: Fine

Pattern sharpness: Rough

Sharpness level: 0, Pattern sharpness: Rough

Sharpness level: 2, Pattern sharpness: Rough

Sharpness level: 4, Pattern sharpness: Rough

As you can see from these examples the default 0/Standard setting is fairly soft. This achieves two things, firstly it provides an image with low visible noise (and no sharpening artifacts), secondly it gives you more options for post-processing (and many EOS-1Ds shots will be post-processed). That said Canon has provided a very wide range of different sharpness options and it shouldn't take long for you to find a setting which you prefer. Personally I liked level 1 or 2 and Standard pattern, it sharpens the default image just enough to pull out the detail without enhancing higher ISO noise too much.

Color Matrix

The EOS-1D's interesting 'Color Matrix' option allows you to not only select between sRGB and Adobe RGB colour spaces but also provides four colour balance choices in the sRGB colour space. These five colour matrix settings equate to:

Below you'll find five versions of a Kodak Q-60R1 (IT8.7/2-1993, 1997:01) colour target, shot in one of each of the five color matrix settings. White balance was manual preset from a grey card.

Settings: ISO 400 / Parameters: Standard / Small, Fine

Color matrix 1 (sRGB)	Color matrix 2 (sRGB portrait)
Color matrix 3 (sRGB high chroma)	Color matrix 4 (Adobe RGB) *
Color matrix 5 (sRGB wide gamut)

Color matrix 1	Color matrix 2	Color matrix 3	Color matrix 4 *	Color matrix 5

* To view the color of this image accurately you must load the image into a color space aware application such as Adobe Photoshop and assign the color profile 'Adobe RGB'.