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| Category: Davids Blog | 31 January 2012 |
With the Olympics on the horizon the lines for the latest battle in the Holy War between Nikon and Canon have been drawn. Last October Canon announced the 1Dx and last month Nikon followed suit with the D4. Both are flagship digital single lens reflex cameras designed primarily with the needs of the action photographer in mind. The Olympics always marks an escalation in the arms race between these two and I suspect I’ll not be the only sad geek judging the ratio of black to white lenses in the photographer’s pit in London this summer.
Both cameras on the face of it have a similar specification; full frame sensors, 16-18MP, high ISO capabilities and improved AF systems. Chuck in the usual HD video that is de rigueur now and we have two cameras that seem evolutionary rather than revolutionary. I had a demo on the 1Dx at the Pro Solutions Show last October and it seems impressive, but the proof will be in the pudding. For sports, wildlife, news and reportage photographers these cameras will probably be the bee’s knees. For the rest of us who don’t need sky high ISOs to shoot badgers bonking by moonlight the appeal will be less.
What’s interesting is how this will impact on subsequent DSLR releases. Nikon users will be hoping for a high resolution D4X. Canon types will expect a similarly hi res 1Ds mkIV. Right now the marketing blurb heralds both these cameras as the perfect solution for all situations, but it always does. Canon’s talk of fusing the 1D and 1Ds series with the 1Dx confuses me though. You would think that the release of the mkIII in the hugely popular 5D series is a no brainer. I don’t expect any new pro DSLRs to come along now until after the Olympics; Nikon & Canon’s marketing departments will want to make the most of these heavyweights whilst the world’s attention is on the Olympics.
All this is of course complete speculation. Does it matter? I’m not losing sleep over it, I’ve plenty more important stuff to keep me tossing and turning at 3am. For now I’m quite happy using my existing system. OK, I’ll admit I am considering acquiring a 1Dx for my travel reportage and portraiture. The spreading out of AF points towards the intersection of thirds in the frame is a useful development, and I do have a project in mind that would only be possible with a super sensitive sensor; watch this space.
