professional sports / journalistic dSLRs

see also:

• digital SLR cameras
• Canon EOS camera system
• Nikon F dSLR system

• the pro sports camera is a highly competitive race dominated by Canon and Nikon
• the cameras are built-like tanks, weatherproofed and optimised for shooting fast moving subjects at fast burst rates.
• in 2011, HD video has become a much higher priority, along with improved AF which had been problematic and complex to optomise in the previous models. The new models incorporate a vastly increased metering module which is now able to perform face recognition and assist in subject tracking during phase contrast AF.
• interestingly, both Canon and Nikon have kept sensor megapixels counts down to allow improved burst rates and improved high ISO image quality.
• Canon appear to have dropped its 1.3x crop sensors in favor of full frame sensors for its pro sports dSLRs and this will mean the pros will have less telephoto reach than previously, but perhaps the biggest contention with the Canon 1DX is the inability to autofocus with lenses at f/8 (ie. a f/4 lens with 2x teleconverter will no longer AF unlike on previous models).
• Nikon's response to the Canon 1DX is their Nikon D4 which finally brings decent HD video to Nikon dSLRs, and almost matches the 1DX on most of the important features.
• in late 2014, Canon revised their 7D to give much improved sports capabilities - see Canon 7D Mark II dSLR

• they all have the following in common:
  • shutter speed range 30sec - 1/8000th sec plus BULB
  • optical pentaprisms with 100% viewfinder coverage
  • fixed LCD screens of ~3“ size and 920K dots (although 1DX is 1040K dots) but none are touch screens
  • live view mode
  • no built-in flash but hotshoe, remote TTL capability
  • wired remote control but no wireless remote control built-in
  • model-specific battery
  • model-specific WiFi optional module
  • weigh about 1.3kg