Canon has finally satiated the appetites of the multitude of photographers who have been eagerly awaiting evidence of the image quality produced by the forthcoming EOS-1D X, or if not satiated, our pangs have at least been staved off with a few delectable appetizers. On their global website, Canon has posted six full-resolution JPG images shot with the 1DX, with ISO settings ranging from 400 to 1600. Each image is roughly 5-6 megabytes, and the meta-data indicate that the images were shot in JPG format rather than converted from RAW, but they are understandably incomplete, so we can only speculate as to whether the images are truly straight from the camera.
The most interesting shot, of course, is the one shot at ISO 1600 with a 135mm f/2L lens, and it is worth a closer look. Magnified to 100%, the image reveals only the first hints of digital noise… a truly impressive feat; I frequently see as much digital noise in images shot with APS-C models at ISO200. Part of this is undoubtedly due to in-camera noise reduction (if not post-processing), but the resulting (slight) softness would be negligible in print. The 18 megapixel APS-C Canon models have a tendency to produce pronounced grain in the shadows, so I’ve reproduced a 100% crop of a portion of the image with shadows that should be smooth.
If you’re viewing this article on a high quality monitor, you should have no trouble making out the soft features in the background, and you’ll also notice the almost complete lack of grain. There is some very minor luminance noise, but certainly nothing to suggest that this is a high ISO photograph, and there is no obvious chroma noise.
Also interesting were a few action shots demonstrating the auto-focus ability of the body when coupled with expensive glass. The following (reduced in size) image was shot at ISO800 with a 400mm f/2.8L II.
Of course, a full analysis of the sensor’s capabilities will have to wait for the availability of RAW images (and completed firmware!), but if this performance is extended upward in the ISO range, we should expect to be able to shoot very useable images at ISO6400 and higher.
To see all six examples (and a low resolution video), visit Canon’s website.
