The Canon 1D X is here, what’s the difference to 5D mk3?

by Sebastian WöberMarch 15^th, 2012

It’s been a while since the 1D mark iv successor, the Canon EOS 1DX was announced, 5 months to be exact.

Now that the 5D mark III is out does an HDSLR filmmaker still need to spare a second thought on the 1DX?
Probably not, these two cameras are extremely similar in terms of HDSLR.

Here’s a list of features they share:
– 30 minute maximum clip length
– manual audio control during recording
– captive touch wheel for silent audio control
– 1080p24/25/30 and 720p50/60, non drop: 23.976,…
– enhanced all i-Frames codec with embedded timecode (recrun, freerun)
– DIGIC 5+ chip to eradicate the presence of moiré, false colour and other artefacts
– full frame sized (36 x 24 mm) sensor

And here’s what makes the 1D X different from the 5D mk3:
– 1D X has a higher lens port
– 1D X’s lowlight capability seems to be a bit better than the already great mark III’s. Vincent Laforet said: 5D mark III “comes second only to the Canon EOS 1Dx camera in low light performance”
– 1D X has 2x CF card slots, 5D mark III has 1x CF and 1x SD
– 1D X is twice the price
– 1D X is missing a headphone port (thanks FRP)

Is the image quality or sharpness any better on the Canon 1D X? There are no real life comparisons yet, I doubt it, but you’re welcome to disagree in the comments.

The 1D X has become available for pre-order here:

B&H – $6799

Adorama – $6799