Continued from last month, this technical report presents more features (Features 11 to 20) of the EOS-1D, the top-of-the-line digital AF SLR camera for professionals, which will be released in mid-December in Japan. Please refer to the previous issue for Features 1 to 10.
Feature 11: Same shutter release time lag as the EOS-1V
The release time lag* of the EOS-1D is 55 ms, and the viewfinder blackout time is 87 ms. These times are the same as the EOS-1V HS, so the operation will feel quite natural to an EOS-1V HS user. Furthermore, the EOS-1D takes no more than 0.5 second to be ready for shooting after the main switch is turned on, never missing the sudden photo opportunity.
* Release time lag: Starting with the shutter button half pressed (SW1 on), release time lag is measured from the instant the shutter button is fully pressed (SW2 on) until exposure actually starts.
Feature 12: Same high-speed AF shooting function as the EOS-1V
The EOS-1D is equipped with the same high-speed, high-precision 45-point area AF system as the EOS-1V. AF functions, such as AF frame selection method, AI Servo AF* system - the world’s fastest predictive tracking of subject movement, AF precision, are also the same as the EOS-1V.
Since the CCD sensor’s field of view is somewhat smaller than the 35mm film camera, the AF area within the viewfinder is proportionally larger than in the EOS-1V’s viewfinder, resulting in enhanced framing flexibility and improved subject capturing with the area AF. Because the image size of the EOS-1D is slightly smaller than the EOS-1V, even finer AF adjustments are performed.
* The AI Servo AF can track a moving subject which is approaching at a speed of 50km/h, to as close as eight meters with maximum continuous shooting of about 8 fps when used with EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM.).
Feature 13: Ultra-fast electronic shutter with 1/16,000 sec. maximum and X-sync at 1/500 sec.
| The EOS-1D uses the electronic shutter integral to the CCD sensor together with the vertical-travel, focal-plane shutter (see Photo 1) controlled by rotary magnets. All shutter speeds, from 30 sec. to 1/16,000 seconds are controlled by electronic charge accumulation ON/OFF switching of the image sensor (the focal-plane shutter is fully opened immediately before the electric charge accumulation and closed immediately after completion at maximum speed of 1/125 sec.). The focal-plane shutter covers and protects the CCD sensor during standby, and controls the length of bulb exposures. |
|
||
| The X-sync speed of 1/500 sec. is also controlled by the duration of electric charge accumulation of the image sensor after the focal-plane shutter is fully opened. Flash sync uses an electronic X-contact that is more reliable than a mechanical one. The focal-plane shutter, designed around the EOS-3 shutter unit, eliminates the high-speed shutter control elements to slow down the shutter speed to reduce mechanical load, achieving a durability of 150,000 shutter-release cycles. | |||
Feature 14: Performance-oriented, shooting-priority design
The EOS-1D automatically instantly switches into the ready-to-shoot mode when the shutter button or an operation button is pressed while viewing images on the LCD monitor or using on-screen menu. Even while transferring captured image data from the built-in buffer memory to the CF card, the EOS-1D switches to taking pictures right after the shutter button is pressed, and shooting and data transfer to the CF card are processed concurrently. The EOS-1D adopts this "Shooting-Priority Design" to quickly respond to any phototaking opportunity.
Feature 15: Capable of taking 500 shots on one fully charged dedicated Ni-MH battery pack
The EOS-1D uses the dedicated Ni-MH battery pack NP-E3 as its power source, which permits the camera to capture about 500 images when fully charged.
It is rechargeable by the existing Ni-MH battery charger NC-E2, developed for the EOS-1V HS. It takes about 120 minutes to fully recharge a completely discharged Ni-MH battery pack.
Note: The charger can be used for both the battery packs for the EOS-1V and for the EOS-1D, but the battery packs are incompatible with each other.
Feature 16: Tough magnesium alloy body, same water and dust resistance as the EOS-1V, and 150,000 shutter-release cycle durability
The level of water and dust resistance has been vastly improved as with the EOS-1V. The 70 major body seams, switches, rotating parts, opening/closing parts are carefully sealed with silicone rubber, O-rings, silicone rubber boots, packing, waterproof tapes, etc. Moreover, the operation durability is 150,000 shutter cycles, reflecting the camera’s durability as a whole, not just that of the shutter unit.
Feature 17: Professional standard shooting functions and operability as the EOS-1V HS
• Display of the number of remaining shots or the ISO mark and ISO speed (selectable by the Custom Function), maximum burst count during continuous shooting, and JPEG mark on the viewfinder screen (see Fig. 2).
• New ISO speed AEB (Automatic Exposure Bracketing)
• Flash metered manual function*
* Flash metered manual function enables the user to see the flash output level on Flash Exposure Level display located in the right side of the viewfinder.
As shown in Figs. 3 through 5, camera operation is based on the EOS-1V, and the digital system concentrated on the back is based on the EOS D2000, ensuring familiar operation to users of the EOS-1 series.
Fig.2 Viewfinder information
|
Feature 18: 21 Custom Functions and 25 Personal Functions for individually customized digital EOS
In the digital EOS-1D, film transport functions are eliminated, and digital camera functions are added for a total of 21 Custom Functions and 25 Personal Functions. The new Custom Functions and Personal Functions are listed in Table 1, and the others are the same as with the EOS-1V.
The Custom Functions are set directly on the camera using the menu display on the rear LCD monitor. The Personal Functions are set from a computer with the driver software developed with the EOS-1D.
Feature 19: IEEE 1394 high-speed interface
The EOS-1D adopts the IEEE 1394 (S400) interface as its external interface. The IEEE 1394 interface offers high-speed communication, which is about 30 times faster than the USB interface, to achieve high-speed image transmissions from the camera to a computer.
The EOS-1D is compatible only with computers running Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, and Windows 2000. For the Macintosh, the camera is compatible with the machines that supports Apple Computer’s genuine FireWire interface and running Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1.
Feature 20: Simultaneously developed multifunctional software
EOS-1D General information
The EOS-1D general information has been presented in two parts. Finally, the EOS-1D is 156mm wide, 157.6mm tall, and 79.9mm deep. It weighs 1,250g without battery pack or 1,585g with the battery pack.
Fig.3 Nomenclature
 |
 |
 |
Fig.4 Top LCD Panel
 |
Fig.5 Rear LCD Panel
 |
Table 1 EOS-1D’s new customizing functions from the EOS-1V
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||