Photography Reviews

Digital Photography Equipment Review—The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR Camera, Part 1

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The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR camera and, more importantly, the people behind it, had much more than stiff competition to overcome. Collectively, they had to persuade buyers that the infamous and widely publicized auto-focus problems of the previous Mark III model had been resolved. The task isn’t made easier by the fact the Mark IV’s features and capabilities haven’t changed much from the Mark III. The two cameras look and feel exactly the same, which is a plus, since the Mark III’s ergonomics was one of its stellar characteristics.

Read real customer reviews of the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR here.

Another outstanding component that Canon included in the 1D Mark IV is the 1.3x crop, APS-H sensor size, but the pixel count has increased significantly to 16MP. That would seem to be a meager improvement, considering the 25MP full-frame DSLRs and 14MP compacts in the market, but the Mark IV is also capable of shooting at 10 frames per second. It has more pixels than other 1D camera and 50% more photo sites, which increases resolution by 26%, compared to the previous model. What little trade-off this might suggest will be quickly forgotten once you experience what this camera can do.

Nikon D600 | Nikon D7100 | Nikon D800 | Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EOS-Rebel T4i

Auto-Focus

Canon addressed the Mark III auto-focus problems successfully, and then gave the Mark IV a new AF system, in an effort to convince the marketplace that Canon should retain its AF pre-eminence. With the Mark IV, Canon didn’t change the layout of the 45 AF points that has been a mainstay since the EOS3 in 1998. The Mark IV does have a completely new AF sensor, however, with 39 cross-type points that are responsive in the vertical and horizontal axes.

There are some limitations to the new AF sensor. A lens with a faster maximum aperture than f/2.8 is required for the 39 AF points to act as cross-type. Allow the camera to assign the cross-type points automatically and it will only select 19, which is exactly how the Mark III operates. The only cross-type point, when using an f/4 lens, is the center point. Shoot with an f/5.6 lens or slower and all points are only horizontally sensitive.

A somewhat confusing aspect of the 1D Mark IV’s auto-focus system is that Canon retained much of the complexity of learning and using it, as was the case in the Mark III. No doubt, some of the earlier model’s AF problems are attributable to owners being overwhelmed by how the system worked, and not just engineer/design mistakes. For some photographers, however, the intricacy of the Mark IV’s AF system will be a benefit because it allows them to customize it very specifically to their exact needs. To receive that benefit, however, requires a significant learning curve and some trial and error.

Image Quality

The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR camera is certainly competitive when it comes to image quality, as it can be considered an equal of the Nikon D3. The Mark IV records every image with amazing detail and remarkable color, in RAW or JPEG. It’s greater resolution than the Mark III allows you to crop pictures to their best composition with no loss of sharpness or quality. The Mark IV’s ISO range, again, puts it shoulder to shoulder with the D3, although Nikon’s full-frame D3S is still the camera capable of producing acceptable results in the lowest light. The Mark IV jumps to an ISO of 25,600, which is four times what the Mark III can achieve, at 6,400. The Mark IV also includes a setting for ISO 102,400, which is quite a stretch, since the images created at that extreme are only poor to worthless.

Favorable Features of the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR

  • Very detailed, 16MP images under a wide range of shooting scenarios.
  • 10 frames per second shooting.
  • High-resolution 1.3x crop provides excellent reach and cropping flexibility (but naturally limits wide-angle options).
  • Compatible with a long list of lenses.
  • Outstanding AF performance.
  • Simple AF point selection.
  • Superior ISO performance, even at 25,600.
  • Extremely customizable controls and buttons.
  • Excellent JPEGs.
  • Good, Full-HD video, and many shooting options.
  • First-class build quality, with magnesium alloy body and environmental seals.
  • Very good ergonomics, well shaped and comfortable handgrip.
  • Viewfinder with 100% coverage.
  • Relatively effective sensor cleaning.

Read Part 2 of this PhotographyTalk.com article for more reasons why the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR camera is an outstanding and competitive value.

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