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High-speed 4-megapixel pro digital AF SLR Canon's new EOS-1d operates like a full-featured high-end pro AF 35mm SLR (and why not?—it's based on the company's top-of-the-line pro AF 35mm SLR, the EOS-1v). But it shoots 4-megapixel digital images—up to eight of them per second! Essentially an EOS-1v with a 4.48-megapixel CCD and a CF-card slot instead of a 35mm film chamber, the new camera is a dream machine for the serious photographer who wants to go digital. In fact, this new digital camera outdoes its film counterpart in several areas. For example, the EOS-1d has a top shutter speed of 1/16,000 and a maximum flash-sync speed of 1/500, compared to the EOS-1v's 1/8000 and 1/250. And you can shoot each frame at a different ISO if you wish. And, of course, you can instantly check the picture you just took on the built-in LCD monitor.  Digital Delights
In 12-bit RAW mode, the EOS-1d will produce images with a maximum resolution of 2496x1662 pixels, or 4.15 megapixels. This means the images can be published with film quality at sizes up to 8.3x5.5 inches in high-end publications that use a 300-line screen, or up to 16.6x11.1 inches in newspapers that use a 150-line screen. They'll also yield great inkjet prints up to at least 11x17 inches. Besides the maximum-quality RAW mode, which "losslessly" compresses images to 4.8 MB each (uncompressed 4-megapixel TIFF files would require more than 11 MB each on your storage media), the camera offers two levels of JPEG compression at full (2464x1648-pixel, or 4.06 megapixels) resolution, resulting in file sizes of 2.4 or 1.3 MB, plus a reduced-size (1232x824-pixel, or one-megapixel) JPEG compressed file. You can also elect to record both RAW and JPEG files at the same time (thus giving you an easily transmitted JPEG file plus a high-quality RAW file for archiving). To store images, the EOS-1d accepts Type I and Type II CompactFlash cards, as well as IBM Microdrives. Currently, CF cards are available in capacities up to 640MB, and Microdrives up to 1 GB. This, and the camera's maximum 4.8MB file size, give the working pro plenty of reusable shooting capacity while in the field. And the camera lets you create up to 500 folders per card, each able to hold up to 9999 images—great for keeping images for different assignments organized. You can also add audio notes to any image via the built-in microphone. Because digital cameras' CCD sensors are smaller than a 35mm film frame, they "crop in " on a smaller portion of the image formed by the lens, producing a "telephoto effect": You get the framing of a longer focal length (albeit without increased magnification—the image produced by the lens is the same size whether the lens is on a digital SLR or a 35mm SLR; the smaller digital sensor just records a smaller portion of that image than the larger 35mm film frame does). While this quasi-telephoto effect can be useful when shooting with long lenses, it also means that your wide-angle lenses aren't as wide. Canon used a double-pronged approach to ease this problem. First, the EOS-1d's larger CCD is closer in size to a 35mm film frame than most, so the focal-length conversion factor is just 1.3X instead of the more common 1.5-1.6X. Second, Canon introduced the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM superwide zoom, which provides the field of view of a 20.8mm wide-angle on a 35mm camera when used on the EOS-1d.  The EOS-1d allows you to adjust the ISO speed from 200-1600 for any shot (from 100-3200 via Custom Function 03). As with film, it's best to use the lowest ISO rating that will let you get your shot, because higher ISOs result in lower image quality (and larger image files that take up more space on your storage media). This feature allows you to make every shot at the most appropriate ISO. You can also choose your "color space"—four variations of standard sRGB, plus the popular Adobe RGB 1998, which provides a wider range of colors. While the LCD monitor doubles as an electronic viewfinder on consumer digital cameras, the EOS-1d's 2.0-inch TFT color LCD monitor doesn't—the SLR viewfinder (which shows 100% of the actual image area) serves that purpose admirably. On the EOS-1d, the LCD monitor is used for setting digital functions (you can set shooting functions without it) and for reviewing images after they've been taken. A nice touch: The LCD monitor is positioned where you won't put noseprints on it, whether you use your right eye or left eye at the viewfinder. The monitor offers a choice of four display modes: single-image, four-image, nine-image, and image with shooting info. The latter is useful when reviewing a just-taken image, as it includes shutter speed, aperture, metering mode, exposure compensation, flash compensation, image-recording quality, ISO speed, white balance setting, date and time, AF point(s) and more, including a histogram that shows you the tonal distribution of the image. While you can't adjust the histogram directly as you can in Photoshop, you can reshoot the image giving more or less exposure if the histogram shows a lack of bright or dark tones. You can also choose among 10 white-balance settings, including one you can customize. However, we got good results—even under fluorescent lighting—using the default Auto setting. There's even white balance auto bracketing, which shoots three consecutive images, each at a different white-balance setting. The camera comes with the EOS Digital Solution Disk, a CD containing software that lets you download images to Macintosh and Windows computers, set up to 24 Personal Functions, and operate the camera remotely from your computer. Our favorites among the Personal Functions are P.Fn-20 (lets you set the number of shots during continuous shooting) and P.Fn-16 (causes the camera to fire when a subject arrives at a manually prefocused distance). While the Personal Functions must be set via your computer, the EOS-1d also features 21 built-in Custom Functions, which can be set without the computer's assistance.
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