Canon 1DX Mark II Review: The biggest, burliest and best Canon DSLR for sports, action and wildlife
posted Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 12:34 PM EDT
This is top of the line, folks. The best of the best. The Canon 1DX Mark II is Canon's premier sports, action, wildlife and photojournalism camera. While it won't win awards for sheer resolving power -- turn to the 5DS/R or even 5D Mark IV if you need more megapixels -- the 1DX II sports a new 20MP sensor that puts it right up against the Nikon D5, its primary rival. It also features some impressive performance specs that should keep you from missing the shot at the critical moment in the game or out in the field.
We've just wrapped up our full review of this new flagship EOS camera, and despite a very brief list of relatively minor 'negatives,' this camera is a solid winner. Sure, it's big and bulky with its characteristic gripped body, and it's also very expensive. But this is a professional camera, one which pros rely on day after day, so the added heft from the durable build quality is rather welcomed. The body design, on the whole, isn't wildly different from the 1DX before it, so photographers should feel right at home when they pick up the Mark II. They can grab the camera and get to work right away.
Image quality is fantastic, especially if you shoot RAW. The 20MP sensor offers plenty of fine detail, excellent dynamic range (particularly at low to moderate ISOs), and the high ISO performance is top-notch. If you're a videographer, too, the addition of Cinema 4K at up to 60fps is a long-awaited feature for a non-Cinema-specific Canon DSLR.
As expected from a $6,500 camera, continuous burst performance and autofocus are fantastic. The camera is nimble and responsive, the AF is versatile and maintains focus extremely well, and dual processors keeps the camera shooting frame after frame after frame.
If you're a professional photographer or a deep-pocketed advanced enthusiast in need of the best high-speed, high-performance Canon DSLR for your next gig, expedition, pro sporting event, or anything else you want to throw at it, the Canon 1DX Mark II can probably handle it. Read about the details, performance testing, sample images, Field Tests, and more in our Canon 1DX Mark II Review.
