August 28, 2012
Sharp-Tailed Grouse in Custer State Park, South Dakota, And More About The Canon EOS 1D X

Canon EOS 1D X Velvia Effect

I've looked at the "Velvia effect" associated with RAW images from the Canon EOS 1D X (see the blog entry for August 26, 2012) and have determined that it's due to Capture One. I processed the same four images from the previous blog entry through Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), and the images from the 1D X look practically the same as the respective images from the 1D Mk IV and 1Ds Mk III, and they're all different from what Capture One produced. Not only that, but the images straight out of ACR (v7.1.0.354) look better than the ones from Capture One (v6.4.3). I'm shocked and disappointed that my standard RAW converter has problems processing the RAW files from my current Canon bodies.

Canon EOS 1D X In The Field

After determining that the images from the 1D X could be processed correctly, I took it out into the field yesterday in Custer State Park, South Dakota. All of the wildlife that I wanted to photograph was really close to the road, so not having the 1.3x magnification factor wasn't an issue. The autofocus seems to work great. It locks onto the subject quickly and then tracks it very well — at least for an easy target, one without much brush that could interfere. I haven't tried focussing on any really challenging subjects yet. I worked with a group of five or six Sharp-Tailed Grouse right at last light, and it was great to be able to use ISO 800 and know I would be getting an image with very little noise. I processed this image through ACR because I'm wary of Capture One.