Thinking about the Canon 1D Mark IV

Slik Images photographers use Canon 1D Mark III camera bodies. Unlike a number of people, we've not really seen the autofocus problems reported widely. There's no doubt that you do get the odd misfocused image especially when shooting action sports, but most frequently I've been able to put it down to user error. It is a spectacularly good camera, producing lovely colourful crisp pictures with unerring regularity.What does annoy me though is the high ISO capability of the Nikon D3. This is especially significant when shooting sport under floodlights, where you need to be at ISO 2500+ to get a decent shutter speed to freeze the action even when at f/2.8. Having had more than one surruptitious glance over the shoulder of a D3 user during post-match image processing, their image quality for the same scene under the same lighting is simply better at high ISO settings than the 1DIII. Of course, the vertical grip shutter release on the 1D III isn't triggered accidentally by your palm every 5 minutes like it is on the D3.Granted, Lightroom or other processing packages can clean up the noise very effectively, but it is always at the expense of image sharpness.And so the battleground has moved from pixel count to high ISO performance. As usual in the world of technology, the marketing department yearn for a number of some sort which they can claim to be higher than the opposition. It was megapixels. Now it's maximum ISO. The new 1D Mark IV promises much better high ISO performance than the 1D III which will be a boon for sport shooters like us who cannot afford to switch all our bodies and lenses over to the Nikon system. It also has a higher pixel count which, though not as important for me as the ISO performance, will allow me to crop in closer and avoid spending £6,500 on a 400 2.8.We, along with many others, are awaiting the arrival of the 1D Mark IV very keenly. Release date is apparently slated for 18th Dec 2009. One thing is for sure - Canon had better have got it absolutely perfect as I dont think they'll recover if they have the same problems people reported with the 1D III's.