[shuttertalk]

If you haven't spotted the new EOS-1D X flagship from Canon yet, there's a super-detailed article on the Canon Professional Network, going into all the major features.

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/educ...plained.do

Here is a summary of the features:

18.1 Megapixel, Full-frame CMOS sensor
61-point AF with up to 41 cross-type AF points
Zone, Spot and AF Expansion Focusing modes
DUAL “DIGIC 5+” processors
12fps shooting with 14fps super High Speed continuous
ISO 100 to 51,200 as standard, ISO 50 to 204,800 with expansion
100,000-pixel RGB AE sensor
DIGIC 4 processor dedicated to AE functions
+/- 5 Stop Exposure Compensation
Full HD Movie shooting with ALL-I or IPB compression
29mins 59sec clip length in Full HD Movie
55ms shutter lag, 36ms via ‘Shortened Release Lag' Custom Function
Timecode setting for HD Movie shooting
Transparent LCD viewfinder with new focusing screen
8.11cm (3.2”), 1.04 million pixel Clear View II LCD Screen
Improved EOS Integrated Cleaning System (EICS)
Dual CF Card slots
Silent control touch-pad area

[NT73]

Transparent LCD viewfinder with new focusing screen

Be a bit of a beggar trying to focus through a non transparent one.

Improved EOS Integrated Cleaning System (EICS)

Electronic wipers like on my car.

A lot of specs for a lot (no doubt) of money. Are they really worth it? Small steps at a time, but not really a gigantic leap for man. :|

[Zig]

Course it's worth it if you're going to use it; at first glance it looks like an extremely well thought out professional's tool and I reckon it's Canon doing what they do best. I'll get one in 5 years' time after/if my Mk2 packs up, when they've gone through the snag-list. I'll go through the specs with a fine comb in the meanwhile.

[Toad]

Its funny how the pro level cameras from both Nikon and Canon still use CF - almost all other cameras seem to have gone to SD format, which can provides SDIO capabilities as well as storage in a much smaller size.

[NT73]

Its funny how the pro level cameras from both Nikon and Canon still use CF - almost all other cameras seem to have gone to SD format, which can provides SDIO capabilities as well as storage in a much smaller size.

I feel the CF cards are much sturdier than an SD or mini SD. Harder to lose.

[matthew]

There's also a big speed difference; a slow CF card is still faster than a high-end SD card. With the 1DX putting out 50mb/s video and filling a 16GB card in six minutes, this camera is a monster.

This sounds like an exceptional camera, and it's a bargain compared to the Sigma SD1. In six months we'll see if Canon has made theirs as good as their Foveon competition.

[Zig]

I'm extremely warmed by the volte face in terms of megapixellage: eminently sensible in having better-class of pixel rather than numerical increase. The price seems realistic, sailing the usual "digital FF flagship" 5 thousand whatever-currency-you-like waters.
Of course, this translates as the usual pisstake for the UK market: rather than convert the US dollar price at the exchange rate, we like to merely take the sanguine approach of substituting the GBP sign for the dollar one. Thus, prices I've seen for UK pre-order are at present around £5,290...around about what the IDs series have been at point of entry.
Nope, I won't be getting one yet but surely will in about 5 years.
I'd expect the usual Canon behaviour to follow: Mark 3 versions of lenses that are perfectly usable already, as folks start to whine about corner and edge fall-off as the improved sensors reveal that in fact your previously-serviceable Canon lens in fact is made out the pavement-end of a milk-bottle, etc;
Jolly glad I hung onto the 1Ds2 instead of "crossgrading" to the 5D2, personally.