Preview based on a full production EOS-1D, Firmware Version 1.0.1
Canon's EOS-1D is the first professional digital SLR from Canon since the EOS-D2000 (introduced in March 1998 which was a collaborative effort with Kodak, also known as the Kodak DCS 520). Indeed, the EOS-1D is the first all Canon professional digital SLR. Canon themselves admit that after the EOS-D2000 they were caught dragging their heels somewhat when Nikon released the D1 but believe that they are coming back strong with the 4 megapixel 8 fps EOS-1D.
The EOS-1D is based on the excellent (and highly praised) EOS-1V professional film SLR. The 1D's body is almost identical to an EOS-1V with the additional powerdrive booster attached. The primary differences are the EOS-1D's battery and vertical grip have now become a moulded part of the camera body, and of course that the back of the camera hosts an LCD monitor with variety of 'digital' controls and buttons.
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Here you can see how closely related the EOS-1D is to the the EOS-1V with the powerdrive booster. The entire 'photographic' side of the camera is identical to the 1V, all the controls for exposure mode, AF, ISO, drive, bracketing, metering, exposure compensation, FEL, AF points, AE lock etc. are in the same places. The 1D is slightly thicker and the vertical hand grip now fits flush to the back of the camera (as it is now an integral part of the body). The viewfinder eyecup protrudes further than the 1V and this helps to keep your face away from the LCD screen (avoid 'nose smear'). The final difference is that the 1D is very slightly shorter (vertically).
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As you can see the EOS-1D has much smoother, 'professional' lines than the EOS-D30. With the optional battery pack on the D30 the 1D is very slightly taller and wider. Thanks to its solid metal case the 1D is approximately 300 g (11 oz) heavier.
The EOS-1D features a 4.58 megapixel CCD (not made by Canon), this may well be a departure from the CMOS type sensor used in the EOS-D30 but Canon explained that this was simply to do with the CCD sensor's ability to output its image data at high speed and thus keep up with the eight frames per second specified shooting rate. The other detail about the sensor is its size, it's larger (relatively speaking) than the CMOS sensor used in the EOS-D30 and reduces the focal length multiplier (cropping factor) to 1.3x. This means that Canon's new 16 - 35 mm L lens offers a wide 21 - 46 mm equiv. focal length range.
| Camera | Type | Effective
pixels (millions) |
Effective *1 resolution | Output *2 resolution | Focal length mult. | Effective imager size (mm) | Pixel
size (�m) |
| Nikon D1 | CCD | 2.66 | 2012 x 1324 | 2000 x 1312 | 1.5x | 23.7 x 15.6 | 11.8 x 11.8 |
| Canon EOS-D30 | CMOS | 3.25 | 2226 x 1460 | 2160 x 1440 | 1.6x | 22.0 x 14.9 | 9.9 x 9.9 |
| Canon EOS-1D | CCD | 4.15 | 2496 x 1662 | 2464 x 1648 | 1.3x | 27.0 x 17.8 | 10.8 x 10.8 |
| Nikon D1x | CCD | 5.33 | 4028 x 1324 | 3008 x 1960 | 1.5x | 23.7 x 15.6 | 5.9 x 11.7 |
| APS-C negative | Film | n/a | n/a | n/a | 23.4 x 16.7 | n/a | |
| 35mm negative | Film | n/a | n/a | n/a | 35.0 x 23.3 | n/a |
| *1 | Effective meaning active pixels used to capture image |
| *2 | Output resolution being the resolution of the final image |
As you can see the EOS-1D's sensor is larger than an APS-C size negative and that despite the additional resolution the pixel size is approximately the same as the Nikon D1.
Custom / Personal functions - throughout this review you will see small items written in this blue text, these relate to the interaction of one or more of the EOS-1D's custom or personal functions on that particular camera feature.
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If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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This article is Copyright 2001 Phil Askey and the review in part or in whole may NOT be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author. For information on reproducing any part of this review (or any images) please contact: Phil Askey.
Canon EOS-1D 4.15MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | $374.99 |
Canon EOS-1D Mark II 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | $530.00 |
Canon EOS-1D X 18.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera | $6,799.00 |
Canon EOS 1D Mark III 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | $5,990.00 |
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon EOS 1D, 1DS, 1DX, 5D Mark II/III, 6D, 7D, 40D, 60D, EOS Rebel SL1, T1i, T2i, T3, T3i, T4i, T5i, XS, XSi, XT, & XTi Digital SLR Cameras + 6pc Bundle Accessory Kit | $429.95 |
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 16.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 1080p HD Video (Body Only) | $3,275.00 |
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II 16.7MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | $955.00 |
Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm IS II Lens and EOS HD Movie Mode (Black) | Too low to display |
Canon EOS-1D 4.15MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | $374.99 |
Canon EOS 1D Mark II N 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | $680.00 |
Canon EOS 6D 20.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) | Too low to display |
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