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Canon 1D C Comparison Review

The Canon EOS-1D C is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was officially introduced in April 2012 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 17.9 megapixel.

camera

Is the Canon 1D C a good camera? The 1DC has a Camera Elo of 1986. This rating puts the 1DC among the top 40 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the 1DC ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Canon 1D C
Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses
17.9 MP, Full Frame Sensor
4K/24p Video
ISO 100 - 51 200 (50 - 204 800)
Optical viewfinder
3.2 LCD, 1040k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
14 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body
1120 shots per battery charge
158 x 164 x 83 mm, 1 545 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Canon 1D C vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Canon 1D C vs credit card front
1DC versus credit card top view
1DC and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon 1D C alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 1D C 158 mm 164 mm 83 mm 1545 g 1120 Y Apr 2012 14,999ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 1D X Mark III 158 mm 168 mm 83 mm 1440 g 2850 Y Jan 2020 6,499 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon 1D X Mark II 158 mm 168 mm 83 mm 1530 g 1210 Y Feb 2016 5,999ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark III 152 mm 116 mm 76 mm 950 g 950 Y Mar 2012 3,499ebay.com
5.
 
Canon 6D 145 mm 111 mm 71 mm 770 g 1090 Y Sep 2012 2,099ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 1D X 158 mm 168 mm 83 mm 1551 g 1120 Y Oct 2011 6,799ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 5D Mark II 152 mm 114 mm 75 mm 850 g 850 Y Sep 2008 3,499ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark III 150 mm 160 mm 80 mm 1385 g 1800 Y Aug 2007 7,999ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark II 156 mm 158 mm 80 mm 1215 g 1200 Y Sep 2004 7,999ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 1Ds 156 mm 158 mm 80 mm 1265 g 600 Y Sep 2002 8,999ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D4 160 mm 157 mm 91 mm 1340 g 2600 Y Jan 2012 5,999ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon 1D C was launched in the US market at a price of $14,999. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Canon 1D C features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon 1D C among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Canon 1D C sensor measures

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Canon 1D C Full Frame 17.9 5184 34564K/24p24.313.0215585
2.
 
Canon 1D X Mark III Full Frame 20.0 5472 36484K/60p24.214.5324891
3.
 
Canon 1D X Mark II Full Frame 20.0 5472 36484K/60p24.113.5320788
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark III Full Frame 22.1 5760 38401080/30p24.011.7229381
5.
 
Canon 6D Full Frame 20.0 5472 36481080/30p23.812.1234082
6.
 
Canon 1D X Full Frame 17.9 5184 34561080/30p23.811.8278682
7.
 
Canon 5D Mark II Full Frame 21.0 5616 37441080/30p23.711.9181579
8.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark III Full Frame 21.0 5616 3744none24.012.0166380
9.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark II Full Frame 16.6 4992 3328none23.311.3148074
10.
 
Canon 1Ds Full Frame 11.0 4064 2704none21.811.095463
11.
 
Nikon D4 Full Frame 16.2 4928 32801080/30p24.713.1296589
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The 1DC indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the 1DC can use is 4K/24p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the 1DC has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.76x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Canon 1D C in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Canon 1D Coptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 14.0/s n n
2.
 
Canon 1D X Mark IIIoptical Y3.2 / 2100 fixed Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n n
3.
 
Canon 1D X Mark IIoptical Y3.2 / 1620 fixed Y 1/8000s 16.0/s n n
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIIoptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 6.0/s n n
5.
 
Canon 6Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 fixed n 1/4000s 4.5/s n n
6.
 
Canon 1D Xoptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 14.0/s n n
7.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIoptical Y3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/8000s 3.9/s n n
8.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark IIIoptical Y3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
9.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark IIoptical Y2.0 / 230 fixed n 1/8000s 4.0/s n n
10.
 
Canon 1Dsoptical Y2.0 / 120 fixed n 1/8000s 3.0/s n n
11.
 
Nikon D4optical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 11.0/s n n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One useful feature of the 1DC is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS-1D C and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Canon 1D CYmono / monoYYmini2.0---
2.
 
Canon 1D X Mark IIIYmono / monoYYmini3.1Y-Y
3.
 
Canon 1D X Mark IIYmono / monoYYmini3.0---
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIIYmono / monoYYmini2.0---
5.
 
Canon 6DYmono / monoY-mini2.0Y--
6.
 
Canon 1D XYmono / -Y-mini2.0---
7.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIYmono / monoY-mini2.0---
8.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark IIIYmono / ----2.0---
9.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark IIY- / ----2.0---
10.
 
Canon 1DsY- / ----FW---
11.
 
Nikon D4Ymono / monoYYmicro2.0---
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It is notable that the 1DC has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the 1DC can be found in the free online Canon 1D C Manual or on the Canon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 1DC handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 1D C............ Apr 2012 14,999ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 1D X Mark III..+ +5/5..4.5/54/5 Jan 2020 6,499 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon 1D X Mark II....4.5/589/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2016 5,999ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark III..+ +..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2012 3,499ebay.com
5.
 
Canon 6D5/5+ +..83/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 2,099ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 1D X5/5......4.5/54.5/5 Oct 2011 6,799ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 5D Mark II4/591/100..79/1004/5.. Sep 2008 3,499ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark III......+ +4.5/5.. Aug 2007 7,999ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 1Ds Mark II......+ +.... Sep 2004 7,999ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 1Ds......+ +.... Sep 2002 8,999ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D4........4.5/54.5/5 Jan 2012 5,999ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Canon 1D C FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the 1DC.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Canon 1D C?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Canon 1D C to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Canon equipped the 1DC with the DIGIC 5+ (Dual) image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Canon 1D C?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 50-204800.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Canon EOS-1D C?

Canon does not publish a shutter rating for the 1DC. Yet, shutters in comparable cameras from other manufacturers are said to be good for at least 300 000 actuations. It should be noted, though, that this number represents a Mean Time before Failure. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust an expected shutter life of 300 000 shots over, say, three years, one would have to take about 300 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Canon 1D C?

Canon embeds the number of shutter actuations in the camera firmware. You can check the number of shots that your 1DC has taken up to now by using a third-party app, as described on the Canon 1D C shutter count page.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Canon 1D C for flash photography?

The 1DC's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Which battery does the Canon 1D C use?

The camera gets its power from the LP-E4N (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Canon 1D C
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Canon EF mount lenses
    Launch Date April 2012
    Launch Price USD 14 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 36.0 x 24.0 mm
    Sensor Area 864 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.3 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 17.9 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 5 184 x 3 456 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 6.95 μm
    Pixel Density 2.07 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 4K/24p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 51 200 ISO
    ISO Boost 50 - 204 800 ISO
    Image Processor DIGIC 5+ (Dual)
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.76x
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.2 inch
    LCD Resolution 1040k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 14 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy300 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium CF cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type LP-E4N power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)1120 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 158 x 164 x 83 mm
    (6.2 x 6.5 x 3.3 in)
    Camera Weight 1 545 g (54.5 oz)

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