Canon EOS-1D Mark II

With the level of quality and features of prosumer cameras these days, it takes a lot for a professional-level SLR model to stand out from the crowd. The mere presence of 8.2 megapixels isn't enough: that's par for the course with the newest non-SLR models from the likes of Sony with its F-828. But Canon's replacement for the original EOS-1D - launched a few years back with a 4-megapixel sensor - is leagues ahead of those.

Canon has committed to using CMOS sensors as opposed to CCDs for its digital SLRs, and this continues with the move to CMOS in the new EOS-1D. It's not a full-frame 35mm, but it's not far off at 28.7 x 19.1mm; this gives a lens multiplication factor of 1.3x. The lens mount accepts standard Canon EF-series lenses, but it won't take the EF-S lens that was specially created for the 300D. Canon supplied us with a basic 28-90mm EF lens for testing, but the EOS-1D is supplied body-only.

The EOS-1D isn't a discreet device. Including battery, the body weighs almost 1.6kg. Add a moderately long lens and it becomes noticeably difficult to hold steady. Most cameras will let you get away with 1/60 second exposures before you have to resort to a tripod, but camera shake could still creep in at this speed with a freely held EOS-1D. The benefit is the incredible solidity of the body; it will certainly take some knocks. A related point that several people in our labs commented on is the shutter noise. Canon appears to have sacrificed quietness for longevity, with a very healthy but very audible clunk.

The most visceral demonstration of this camera's ability comes when you drop it into fast burst mode and press the shutter. Keep it pressed for one second: while others are still focusing, the EOS-1D has pulled off eight shots in a flurry of activity that sounds something like a Gatling gun, and its internal buffer will let you keep your finger down for around four-and-a-half seconds before it has to stop and write to the memory card. It's actually too fast for most situations, so there's a slow burst mode too, giving three shots per second. Memory itself can be in the form of a Type I or II CompactFlash card, or an SD card. It records in FAT32 format, opening the way for cards of greater than 4GB. We found full-resolution JPEGs averaged around 4MB per frame; RAW images came out around 8MB. With both a CompactFlash and SD card installed you can set the system to record RAW files to one card and JPEG files at any of several resolutions to the other. This is a handy solution to the problem of trying to preview a set of shots without having to spend 30 seconds converting RAW files to see each one.

The EOS-1D is all about speed and total availability: it's designed and set up so that you'll never miss a shot if at all possible. The viewfinder display has no less than 45 auto focus points, which light up either individually or in clusters to indicate the focus area. Focus lock is so fast you barely notice it. The spotlight on availability extends to battery life too: a significant proportion of the body weight comes from a huge battery pack that takes up the whole width of what, in a traditional SLR, would have been the motor drive at the bottom of the body. It's a shame the battery pack is NiMH (nickel metal hydride) rather than lithium ion though; the latter would be lighter and need less maintenance. That said, current delivery is higher with NiMH, which may be the reason behind Canon's choice; that burst mode certainly needs some juice.