A handy feature lets you display images on the monitor at a magnification of 4X, making it easy to verify such things as focus and facial expressions. Like the EOS-1d, the new camera offers a choice of four monitor display modes: single-image, four-image, nine-image, and image with shooting info—the latter 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 LCD monitor's histogram directly as you can in Photoshop, you can reshoot the image then and there giving more or less exposure if the histogram shows a lack of bright or dark tones.) Besides the color monitor, the EOS-1Ds has two external LCD panels (plus the full-information SLR viewfinder). so you always know what's what with the camera. The LCD panel atop the body is used for photo functions (shooting mode, shutter speed, aperture, AF mode, metering mode, etc.), as with EOS film cameras. The panel on the camera back just below the LCD monitor is used for setting digital functions (image quality, white balance, file number, etc.). Provided software includes an improved Windows- and Mac-compatible File Viewer Utility, which is used to process RAW images into 16- or 8-bit TIFF files or JPEGs, to adjust RAW files and to apply up to 26 Personal Functions (these are in addition to the 21 Custom Functions built into the camera). RemoteCapture software lets you operate the camera from your computer, and save images directly to the computer, even without a CompactFlash card in the camera. A new version of ZoomBrowser EX lets you download, upload, view, print, e-mail and archive JPEG and RAW images. There's also a new optional Data Verification Kit DVK-E1 card/card-reader/software (Windows only) accessory that attaches a code to the image when you shoot it. The software can determine the correct code for the image and compare it to the attached code—if the photo has been altered in any way, the codes will not match. This allows you to prove that your images are unaltered original files—useful for law-enforcement and scientific photography. More Features The EOS-1Ds employs the same rugged shutter as the EOS-1v, with electronically controlled speeds that range from 30 seconds to 1/8000 (the lower-resolution EOS-1d goes to 1/16,000). To make longer exposures, just switch to bulb mode, and the shutter will remain open as long as you keep the shutter button depressed (you can use the optional Remote Switch RS-80N3 or Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3 to do this for you). However, exposure times of one second or longer may result in grainy-looking images due to picture noise. You can reduce the noise via the camera's noise-reduction feature, but noise reduction is done after exposure, and requires an equal amount of time, during which you can't shoot more pictures. In continuous advance mode, you can shoot up to 10 shots at approximately 3 fps even at the highest RAW image-quality setting. This is slower than the EOS-1d's maximum of 8 fps, but that camera produces 4.48-megapixel images, not the EOS-1Ds' 11-megapixel images! Of course, there's a full range of pro features, including a depth-of-field preview button, a mirror pre-lock, a full-information glass pentaprism SLR viewfinder with 100% coverage, built-in eyepiece dioptric correction (-3.0 to +1 diopters) and eyepiece shutter; intervalometer capability (via the Remote Capture feature); and compatibility with the full line of Canon EOS lenses, which currently number more than 50, ranging from a 14mm f/2.8 superwide-angle (which really provides a 14mm-lens angle of view on the EOS-1Ds!) to a 1200mm f/5.6 supertelephoto, including a 15mm full-frame fisheye, a 100-400mm image-stabilizing tele zoom, true 1:1 macro lenses and three tilt/shift lenses. Like the EOS-1d, the EOS-1Ds comes in a package that includes the camera body, the rechargeable Ni-MH Pack NP-E3 (good for up to 600 shots per charge) and charger (the battery is not the same as the one for the EOS-1v, but the charger is), the DC Coupler Kit DCK-E1, a FireWire/IEEE 1394 camera-to-computer cable, a handstrap, a neckstrap, a CR2025 lithium battery for the date and time, the Canon software and Adobe Photoshop LE. Optional accessories include EOS-1v body attachments (angle finder, focusing screens, remote controls, lenses and flash units). Bottom Line You can think of the new EOS-1Ds as an EOS-1v that produces terrific 11-megapixel digital images instead of 35mm slides and negatives. Performance is excellent, all the pro features are there, the lens selection is the most extensive in any AF SLR line (and Canon's L-series pro EF lenses are superb), and the camera is built to withstand rugged pro use. All things considered, this is the best digital SLR we have ever tested. Camera: Canon EOS-1Ds Category: Pro AF digital SLR AF Performance ***** Metering Performance ***** Feature Set ***** Ease of Use ***** Ergonomics ***** Value ****