Is Canon EOS-1D C that different from its X bearing sibling?

Every professional photographer out there is wondering about the same thing: what’s the REAL difference between Canon’s EOS-1D C and EOS-1D X?!

Canon announced the EOS 1D X flagship DSLR during fall 2011. The camera was released during spring 2012 and it was followed by the introduction of its video-centric sibling, called EOS 1D C.

The videography version might have been announced in April 2012, but it has been scheduled to become available in March 2013. Until then, photographers have been asking questions about the differences between the two DSLRs, as there is a big discrepancy between their prices.

According to canonrumors.com, Canon EOS-1D C is somewhat different from the EOS-1D X. The biggest dissimilarity is that the sensor has a heat-sink attached to it in order to keep it cool during 4K video recording.

This is a good design choice, as sensors tend to get extremely hot during video recording, especially when the resolution is set at 4K. As everyone knows, the performance decreases when the image sensor gets too hot, so this eventually reduces image quality.

It looks like hardware-wise, the EOS-1D C is not that different from EOS-1D X. This leaves us with one more mystery: is the firmware of the two siblings the same? There are no further details on this matter, but Canon’s reaction of “bring the might of its legal team” to anyone who tweaks EOS-1’s firmware is quite intriguing.

Canon EOS-1D C is available for sale at B&H Photo for $11,999. The pretty steep price tag is also owed to its (supposedly) very limited production. If EOS-1D X is a rarity, the EOS-1D C is going to be produced in even fewer numbers.

Both the EOS 1D X and EOS 1D C feature an 18.1-megapixel full-frame sensor with a 61-point autofocus system. They are also providing a shutter speed range between 30 seconds and 1/8000th of a second.

Whereas the 1D C shoots 4K videos, the photo version can record movies only up to full HD resolution. The duo employs a 3.2-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1.04-million dots on the back and a maximum ISO sensitibty of 204800.

Both devices are capable of capturing up to 14 JPEG frames in continuous shooting mode with the mirror locked up. When shooting RAW, the speed decreases to 12fps. Battery life is quite similar, as the 1D X and 1D C are powered by the same LP-E4N battery.

The video version is coming out soon, which means that we will know the exact dissimilarities between the two in the near future.