Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

    77
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    Highlights

    • 20.2 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
    • 100 - 51,200 Native ISO
    • 61 Focus Points
    • 3.2" 1,620k dot Fixed Screen
    • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
    • 16.0 fps Continuous Shooting
    • 4096 x 2160 Video Shooting
    • 30 min Video Recording Limit
    • Built-in GPS
    • Wheather Sealed Body
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II was announced in 2016 and is a Full Frame (36 x 24 mm) DSLR camera with 20.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 100 to 51,200 and expands to 50 - 409,600 in boosted mode. The camera has a Fixed 3.2" screen with 1,620k dot resolution and built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder.

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II can capture video up to 4096 x 2160 resolution.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. Predecessor
    4. Successor
    5. Screen and Viewfinder
    6. Sensor
    7. Photography Features
    8. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
    9. Other Features
    10. Physical Parameters
    11. For Different Types of Photography
    12. Evaluation
    13. Specifications  

    Here is the Canon EOS-1D series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

    Canon EOS-1D series lineup
    Model Date Sensor Native ISO Screen Price
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D X III
    Compare
    		January
    2020    		 20.1 MP
    Full Frame    		 100 - 102,400 Fixed 3.2"
    2,100k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D X II February
    2016    		 20.2 MP
    Full Frame    		 100 - 51,200 Fixed 3.2"
    1,620k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D C
    Compare
    		April
    2012    		 18.1 MP
    Full Frame    		 100 - 51,200 Fixed 3.2"
    1,040k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D X
    Compare
    		October
    2011    		 18.1 MP
    Full Frame    		 100 - 51,200 Fixed 3.2"
    1,040k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D IV
    Compare
    		February
    2010    		 16.1 MP
    APS-H    		 100 - 12,800 Fixed 3.0"
    920k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1Ds III
    Compare
    		August
    2008    		 21.1 MP
    Full Frame    		 50 - 3,200 Fixed 3.0"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D III
    Compare
    		February
    2007    		 10.1 MP
    APS-H    		 100 - 3,200 Fixed 3.0"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1Ds II
    Compare
    		October
    2005    		 17.2 MP
    Full Frame    		 100 - 3,200 Fixed 2.0"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D II N
    Compare
    		August
    2005    		 8.2 MP
    APS-H    		 100 - 3,200 Fixed 2.0"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D II
    Compare
    		June
    2004    		 8.2 MP
    APS-H    		 100 - 3,200 Fixed 2.0"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1Ds
    Compare
    		December
    2002    		 11 MP
    Full Frame    		 100 - 1,250 Fixed 2.0"
    120k dot
    Image cannot be found Canon 1D
    Compare
    		December
    2001    		 4 MP
    APS-H    		 100 - 3,200 Fixed 2.0"
    120k dot

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III vs EOS-1D X Mark II vs EOS-1D C vs EOS-1D X vs EOS-1D Mark IV vs EOS-1Ds Mark III.

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

    PROS

    •   Video Capture
    •   Large Sensor
    •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
    •   61 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Large Screen - 3.2"
    •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
    •   High DxO Overall Score - 88
    •   High Video Resolution - 4096 x 2160
    •   Webcam Functionality
    •   High USB Speed
    •   HDMI Output
    •   Built-in GPS
    •   Environmental Sealing
    •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
    •   2 Storage Slots
    •   Orientation Sensor

    CONS

    •   Expensive
    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth
    •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   Sensor Resolution - 20.2 Megapixel
    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   -3 EV Min AF Detection
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

    Predecessor

    Here we are comparing Canon EOS-1D X Mark II to its predecessor EOS-1D X and displaying the major changes.

    UPGRADES Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs Canon EOS-1D X
    Higher Sensor Resolution 20.2 Megapixel vs 18.1 Megapixel
    Higher Boosted ISO 409,600 vs 204,800
    Max Image Resolution 5472 x 3648 vs 5184 x 3456
    Lower Min AF Detection -3 EV vs -2 EV
    Touch-to-Focus vs
    Touch Screen vs
    Higher Resolution Screen 1,620k dot vs 1,040k dot
    Higher Max Continuous Shooting 16.0 fps vs 14.0 fps
    Partial Metering vs
    Higher DxO Low Light ISO 3207 vs 2786
    Higher DxO Color Depth 24.1 vs 23.8
    Higher DxO Dynamic Range 13.5 vs 11.8
    Higher DxO Overall Score 88 vs 82
    Higher Video Resolution 4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080
    Speaker Mono vs
    Headphone Output vs
    Built-in GPS vs
    Longer Battery Life 1210 shots vs 1120 shots

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs EOS-1D X.

    Successor

    In 2020 Canon EOS-1D X Mark II was replaced by Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and its successor.

    UPGRADES Canon EOS-1D X Mark III vs Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
    Higher Native ISO 102,400 vs 51,200
    Higher Boosted ISO 819,200 vs 409,600
    More Powerful Processor DIGIC X vs Dual DIGIC 6+
    Lower Min AF Detection -4 EV vs -3 EV
    Higher Max AF Detection +21 EV vs +18 EV
    More Focus Points 191 vs 61
    Digital Image Stabilization vs
    Higher Resolution Screen 2,100k dot vs 1,620k dot
    Higher Max Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps vs 16.0 fps
    AF-Area Metering vs
    Higher DxO Low Light ISO 3248 vs 3207
    Higher DxO Color Depth 24.2 vs 24.1
    Higher DxO Dynamic Range 14.5 vs 13.5
    Higher DxO Overall Score 91 vs 88
    Interval Recording vs
    Higher Video Resolution 5472 x 2886 vs 4096 x 2160
    Higher USB Speed USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 (10 GBit/sec) vs USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec)
    Built-In Wi-Fi vs via optional WFT-E8 transmitter
    Lighter 1440 g (3.17 lb / 50.79 oz) vs 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)
    Longer Battery Life 2850 shots vs 1210 shots
    DOWNGRADES Canon EOS-1D X Mark III vs Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
    More Expensive $6499 vs $5999 (body only)
    Lower Sensor Resolution 20.1 Megapixel vs 20.2 Megapixel

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs EOS-1D X Mark III.

    Screen and Viewfinder

    Fixed Touchscreen

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has a 3.2" Fixed touchscreen with 1,620k dot resolution.


    Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder

    Camera has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.76x magnification.

    Sensor

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II features a 20.2 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 864 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 51,200 and expands to 50 - 409,600 in boosted mode.


    Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Canon EOS-1D X Mark II's Full Frame sensor compares with other types of sensors:

    Sensor size chart
    Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
    Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
    Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
    Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
    Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

    Photography Features

    Camera is equipped with Dual DIGIC 6+ processor and can take pictures up to 5472 x 3648 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 4368 x 2912, 3648 x 2432, 2736 x 1824 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


    Lens Mount

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has Canon EF lens mount. Due to Full Frame sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.


    No In-Body Image Stabilization

    The camera does not have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) so it needs lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction.

    Check out the cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

    Canon 1D X III
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    Full Frame

    20.1 MP

    Canon 1D II N
    Image cannot be found

    APS-H

    8.2 MP

    Canon 1D IV
    Image cannot be found

    APS-H

    16.1 MP

    Canon 1Ds
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    11 MP

    Canon 1D X
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    18.1 MP

    Canon 1Ds II
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    17.2 MP

    Canon 1D
    Image cannot be found

    APS-H

    4 MP

    Canon 1D III
    Image cannot be found

    APS-H

    10.1 MP

    Canon 1D C
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    18.1 MP

    Canon 1Ds III
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    21.1 MP

    Canon 1D II
    Image cannot be found

    APS-H

    8.2 MP

    Sony a1
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    50.1 MP

    Connectivity, Battery and Storage

    Built-in GPS

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
      Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.


    USB Input and HDMI Output

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has a USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


    Battery

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II comes with LP-E19 battery pack with battery life of 1210 shots.


    External Storage Slots

    The camera has two card slots - one for CompactFlash (UDMA 7) and one for CFast (CFast 2.0).

    Other Features

    Shutter

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 16.0 fps.


    Focusing

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 61 focusing points and from -3 to +18 EV detection range. Touch-to-Focus allows users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording. There is also face detection feature which automatically finds and focuses on faces.


    Exposure

    Camera's exposure metering ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment.


    Flash

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec. Flash compensation can be set from -3 to +3 EV with 1/3 or 1/2 EV step increments.

    Physical Parameters

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has dimensions of 158 x 168 x 83 mm (6.22 x 6.61 x 3.27"). It weighs 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz), so it is a heavy camera.

    158 mm (6.22")

    168 mm (6.61")

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    168 mm (6.61")

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    83 mm (3.27")

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    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II dimensions

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II for Different Types of Photography

    We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is suitable for six different types of photography.


    Landscape Photography

    EXCELLENT
    92

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II gets a score of 92 and is EXCELLENT choice for Landscape photography.

    •   Large Sensor
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
    •   Built-in GPS
    •   Environmental Sealing

    Sports Photography

    GOOD
    80

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II gets a score of 80 and is GOOD choice for Sports photography.

    •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
    •   61 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
    •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
    •   2 Storage Slots
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Wildlife Photography

    GOOD
    76

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II gets a score of 76 and is GOOD choice for Wildlife photography.

    •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
    •   61 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
    •   Environmental Sealing
    •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
    •   2 Storage Slots
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Portrait Photography

    EXCELLENT
    87

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II gets a score of 87 and is EXCELLENT choice for Portrait photography.

    •   Large Sensor
    •   61 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Large Screen - 3.2"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Street Photography

    GOOD
    77

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II gets a score of 77 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.

    •   Large Sensor
    •   61 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
    •   Built-in GPS
    •   Environmental Sealing
    •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)

    Travel Photography

    AVERAGE
    66

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II gets a score of 66 and is AVERAGE choice for Travel photography.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
    •   High Video Resolution - 4096 x 2160
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   Built-in GPS
    •   Environmental Sealing
    •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)
    •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots

    Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Evaluation

    We evaluate Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and give score of 77 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


    OVERALL
    77

    Sensor

    GOOD
    75

    We give Canon EOS-1D X Mark II a score of 75 for Sensor parameters.

    •   Large Sensor
    •   Sensor Resolution - 20.2 Megapixel
    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
    •   High DxO Overall Score - 88

    Photo

    AVERAGE
    69

    We give Canon EOS-1D X Mark II a score of 69 for Photo parameters.

    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

    Video

    POOR
    49

    We give Canon EOS-1D X Mark II a score of 49 for Video parameters.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   High Video Resolution - 4096 x 2160
    •   Webcam Functionality
    •   Low Video Recording Limit

    Focusing

    EXCELLENT
    90

    We give Canon EOS-1D X Mark II a score of 90 for Focusing parameters.

    •   -3 EV Min AF Detection
    •   61 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus

    Screen and Viewfinder

    EXCELLENT
    86

    We give Canon EOS-1D X Mark II a score of 86 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.

    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Large Screen - 3.2"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot

    Connectivity

    GOOD
    84

    We give Canon EOS-1D X Mark II a score of 84 for Connectivity parameters.

    •   High USB Speed
    •   HDMI Output
    •   Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth

    Battery, Storage and Physical

    GOOD
    72

    We give Canon EOS-1D X Mark II a score of 72 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.

    •   Environmental Sealing
    •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)
    •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
    •   2 Storage Slots


    For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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