Canon EOS 1D X – Pro’s View

Speaking to Jeff Davies, Coventry Speedway Photographer and user of a Canon EOS 1D X, he spoke highly of the camera and told What Digital Camera ‘I like to keep up with the latest camera technology and have always had two cameras. I sold my EOS-1D Mk III, which contributed to the cost of the 1DX and retained my Mk IV.

The first noticeable feature of the 1DX is its full frame sensor. Specialising in Speedway photography, I normally use a 300mm f2.8 lens for pictures taken from the outside of the track. My previous 1D’s effectively made that a 390mm lens with the 1.3x magnification, which I found an ideal focal length. In comparison the 1D X is a bit short but manageable and if I require the extra length, it still works well with a 1.4x converter.

I prefer the new style menu and changes to the functionality of the camera, such as using the zoom button and then the top plate scroll dial to assess image sharpness. With regard to the autofocus system, I’m still playing around trying to fine tune the settings but it is pretty impressive.

The thing I’ve been most impressed with however is the low noise. With my EOS 1D Mk IV, I was always reluctant to go beyond ISO 6400 but with the 1DX noise is perfectly acceptable even at ISO25000. It gives me the opportunity to continue shooting bursts at 12 frames per second whereas I would previously have been restricted by having to use flash. Flash – who needs it when you’ve got the EOS 1D X’?

www.jeffdavies.luxipics.com/