Early impressions of the Canon 1DX Mark II (beta version)

[@jimkeener3773]

You helped convince me to buy the camera. I am eager to see new content from you. I almost always learn something useable. Your calm, easy delivery style brings a sparse, yet complete narrative to complex information. Thank you for your help.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for that, whilst I have been shooting a lot with the 1DX bodies, all my new content has been to do with the 5D Mark 4, and 80D :-).

[@unitheorist]

Grant, Thanks a lot for your helpful reply to my question. Best wishes, Mike Stratil

[@Zam919]

Grant, I have to thank you for your research and your passion for photography and how meticulously well organized you are with communicating all of the information you share, both in your audio visual presentations as well as your written work on your blog. Your analysis of the original 1DX and particularly how to use the Tracking sensitivity literally got me past a frustrating problem I was having when shooting college and NFL football. I upgraded to a new Canon 400mm 2.8 lens and I was losing some photos due to the focus jumping off of the runner very often. Initially, I was thinking that there was some issue with my autofocus or lens calibration or even my actual lens. I changed the tracking sensitivity settings on to -1 in the tracking sensitivity and it solved my issue. I wanted to know if you felt like lowering it to -2 (locked on) would be a good idea for football?

[@grantatkinson8108]

Hi Zamani Feelings, glad the content is useful. I do sometimes set my Tracking Sensitivity to -2, but for me that usually becomes helpful when I am out at 700mm or 800mm of true focal length. It also gets a lot harder for me to keep the focus point on the subject at those long focal lengths. Maybe if you get a chance to try out some shooting at -2 on your 400f2.8 on a game that is not so important (if you have such a thing) then give it a try. Usually with 400mm focal length though I mostly stick to Minus 1 or 0, depending on my subject speed and/or background..

[@Zam919]

Thank you. I will try again. I had been using the early version of the Canon 400mm lens which was the 2.8 NON IS V2 USM and I was using the normal 0 sensitivity tracking with that lens. When I got the 1st IS version of the 400mm recently it seemed like it was harder for my lens to maintain the focus on the runner. Could this be due to the better overall autofocus on the lens itself?. Either way as I slowed the tracking sensitivity down to -1 it seemed to hold better.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Hi Zamani Feelings, it could well be that the older lens, was more stable and slower to respond to input than the second version. I have actually had that perception once myself when switching between a 500f4 L IS and the 500L f4 IS ii, at the same sighting. It can be difficult though with subjects in action though, where we have little control over the speed or predictability of their motion, to pinpoint exact cause and effect in understanding AF :-). So long as the change helped....go with it.

[@unitheorist]

Hi Grant, Great set of reviews of the 1DX2. I own a 5D3, and have never used a 1DX. Would you be kind enough to comment on the AF advantages of the 1DX2 compared to the 5D3 for wildlife photography.

[@grantatkinson8108]

+Michael Stratil main advantages of the 1DX2 AF over the 5Dmk3, would be slightly greater frame coverage, and the DX 2 can focus in even lower light than the 5Dmk3. I have not had enough action opportunities with the 1DX Mark 2 in the field to evaluate it well enough for a comparison in AF accuracy. Like the 1DX, the 1DX Mark 2 drives focus quite a bit faster on long lenses than the 5Dmk3 (due mainly to higher voltage of its battery system). The difference is greater with the bigger and longer lenses, and becomes even more pronounced if you are using extenders. It is most noticeable when making a big focus change using AF. However, aside from the speed difference, the 5DMk3 has seriously good autofocus for wildife use itself. The fast frame rate of the 1DX and 1DX Mark 2 can be an advantage when trying to capture really fast subject matter but again, I have had good success with the 5Dmk3 with the realization that I have fewer frames to choose from and run a higher risk of missing a vital pose or frame..

[@deonzar]

Wow....that 93images...wow...very impressive!

[@grantatkinson8108]

+Deon Kotze it is impressive. i never hit the buffer in the wild with the 1DX, and this is almost double the capacity, on the slower of the two card drives..:-)

[@goneballistic]

geez I want one of these.. great review!!

[@ILLAILLS]

I need this in my life

[@nickyclassen2827]

Thank-you:)

[@DalsPhotography-Daniela]

Lovely images!!! You know? I don't have a fframe yet, cause I am always hesitating around the issue that the subjects are always, (yes unfortunately, always) far way from me. In fact , I was thinking of a bigger lens for the mark ii (Sigma perhaps) . I have been also looking at the new Pentax K1, ff, cheaper indeed, but as wildlife photographer, usually what I do need is being able to cut images, if not , a bird in the woods might just look as a full frame of branches with a small thing there LOL... I would like your gently input on this issue that we, as wildlife photographers do encounter daily, and why it would be better to get a Full frame, and which lens would your recomend. On the other hand I am small (petite) and a woman, weight is Always an issue for me! :( Thanks a lot Grant, I will follow you closely ! and also link your courses to my facebook! you deserve a huge audience!

[@grantatkinson8108]

+Daniela Argandona, that is a complex question, and the right answer will depend on how much low-light shooting you do, for a large part. Full frames biggest advantage might be in low light and at high iso settings for nature photographers. Basically, if you are shooting most of the time at your lens maximum focal length, and perhaps still having to crop some of those images, then you will do better to stay with the crop-sensor camera (7D Mark 2). You also benefit from light weight, because if you make your equipment too heavy, then you take away the fun and easy nature of shooting ,which is a negative. Cheers Grant

[@DalsPhotography-Daniela]

As you said, and due to our different kind of sun position, our birding photography, unless we are on the shores of the beaches, is between hilled landscape, therefore, the sun around 7.30 pm during summer really don't shines enough to get a good clear photo.( In winter, now, it's dark at 6.00pm) Yet, as you know that hour as well as the very early morning hours, are the best for capturing birds and even some small mammals that inhabit around our environment. With this in mind, I was thinking that the best solution is to get a good 2.8 lens, lol, though the one that canon has, is so expensive to our exchanging rates that we have to look it as the apple on Adan's tree (I hope u get my idea) Tempting but forbidden! On the contrary, it seems that as long as the Ca-nikon duet still dances and get new products on the race, the cameras will get down here, (usually around 1 year later) with not such a high increase in the prices... This always leaves an odd equation to make... Should I save more and hope one day to get to the Apple of the tree ? Should I take advantage of the new cameras getting down here (expensive but obtainable) ... LOL; yeah, southamerica is not the best place to buy photoequipment, and less of all Uruguay!!!!! Oh well, it seems we are just blabling!! But thank you for your ideas, very useful indeed! Cheers back to u ...and have a great day!