Canon: why the 1DX Mark III is a DSLR rather than a mirrorless camera

Canon: why the 1DX Mark III is a DSLR rather than a mirrorless camera
Arguably the biggest CES 1 camera story, the Canon 2020DX Mark III is a bit of an enigma. It is an advanced professional sports camera, perhaps the most advanced ever made. And yet it also has a DSLR design that looks and feels pretty dated at the time without a mirror. So why has Canon embraced DSLR tradition for a camera that in every other way seems like a glimpse of the future? There are several reasons, some of which were revealed to us by Canon during the short demo of the 1DX Mark III in Marbella, Spain. Canon has been in the classic historical position of having to balance the needs of existing photographers, while attracting new ones with brilliant innovation. And you're certainly not aware of the stubborn benefits the Sony Alpha A9 II (below) has to offer.

Sony Alpha A9II

(Image credit: Sony) As Mike Burnhill, Professional Imaging Specialist for Canon Europe, told us: "Someday technology will evolve and yes, mirrorless will be available to everyone. But there are pros and cons. We understand you can see what you're going to take (with mirrorless EVF). You can apply your color profile, see black and white, check the exposure, etc. It's great for some photography," he said. But the main reason Canon stuck with DSLR technology, at least for the 39DX Mark III, is the viewfinder shifting issue. "With sports, it's speed, right now. And electronic viewfinders have an offset. In SLR, you see everything at the speed of light. So what you see through the viewfinder happens instantly. Even with the best camera no mirror," he said. "Light is stored in photons, it goes into processor circuitry, into another processor, into a screen, and then into your eye. So there has to be a delay. You can never be as fast as an SLR," he added.

Canon 1DX Mark III

(Image credit: Canon)

Shooting with both eyes

Of course, for many of us, this lag has been reduced to a more than acceptable level in the latest mirrorless cameras. And some professional sports photographers have moved on to the likes of the Sony A9, citing the lack of viewfinder blackout in the EVFs as an acceptable compromise. But for fans of the Canon EOS-1D series, who still dominate the sidelines at sporting events, the optical viewfinder has other advantages that ensure the DSLR still prevails. As Mike Burnhill explained, "Many athletes will, in fact, shoot with two eyes. They'll shoot while looking through the scope, and use their other eye as a wide-field camera, so they can anticipate what's going to come into the frame." ", said. "If you've ever tried wearing sunglasses or contact lenses, you know it's not good for a long period of time. With an EVF you'll get different brightness, shift, different refresh rate, and with two eyes doing two different things , you won't feel comfortable. That's why a lot of these athletes weren't left without a mirror. It doesn't work for their way of working," he added.

Canon 1DX Mark III

(Image credit: Canon)

The rise of the mirrorless hybrid DSLR

All this is very understandable for professional sports photographers. But doesn't that mean DSLRs are already reduced to serving an extremely narrow niche? Perhaps in the case of the 1DX Mark III, but new DSLRs like this one and the Nikon D780 show that in the near future, mirrorless DSLR hybrids could thrive, at least for those who still like optical viewfinders. These cameras still offer traditional DSLR benefits like comfortable handling, fast autofocus for telephoto lenses, and long battery life. The latter is particularly impressive on the 1DX Mark III: use the optical viewfinder and you'll get an incredible 2.850 photos per charge, according to its industry-standard CIPA rating. Mike Burnhill said this improvement over the 1DX Mark II, which uses the same battery as its successor, comes down to a few factors: "These are things like the new processor, the new chip, the new circuit board, the new firmware that controls when things turn on and off," he said. "It's about 2.3 times more (than the 1DX Mark II) by the CIPA standard, but in the real world, much more than that," he added. But Canon has also built state-of-the-art mirrorless technology on top of the 1DX Mark III's DSLR foundation, including the ability to shoot raw or 4K/60p video using the full width of its full-frame sensor. If you don't mind, large camera housings are a compelling formula that models like the Nikon D780 can filter down to more affordable ones.

Canon 1DX Mark III

(Image credit: future)

The glass ceiling

However, there is a potential handbrake for the rise of new mirrorless DSLR hybrids: glasses. The problem is both a lack of new glass and restrictions on things like slower autofocus motors on older lenses. Speaking of the 1DX Mark III, Mike Burnhill admitted: "One of the problems that Canon can be with our legacy lenses: this is our strength, but there is also a weakness. With this body, you can put a 1987 lens on it. And it works perfectly." But the focus motor won't be as good," he said. Newer lenses will naturally perform better, he added: "Anything around 2012, this technology can go on. Before, motors aren't as efficient." Then there's the problem that Canon is now focusing on developing its mirrorless RF lenses, rather than the old EF ones compatible with the 1DX Mark III. As Richard Shepherd, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Canon Europe, said: "Of course, if the market demands it, we are ready to create new EF lenses. But for now, we are focusing on RF." So it seems that DSLR mirrorless hybrids like the Canon 1DX Mark III, while alluring options today for those who built their photographic lives around optical viewfinders and DSLR lenses, certainly have a limited lifespan. Cameras like the Canon 1DX Mark III and Nikon D6 will no doubt be behind most of the shots we see at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - that they're still there for Paris 2024 is another matter.

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