Canon has launched the EOS 1D Mark IV which jumps from a 10-megapixel APS-H (near full-frame) sensor to a 16-megapixel, 1.3X crop unit and upgrades to twin DIGIC IV processors. The boost gives it 1080p video at 30 frames per second, or 720p at 60 frames per second, while still shooting full-quality still images at up to 10 frames per second.

An overhauled 45-point autofocusing system is new and, like with the EOS 7D, can automatically group points together to speed up selecting the right area while still allowing the camera to focus on a more exact point. It can also track a subject locked in one point across any of the other points, even if it’s temporarily blocked.

Image quality should be improved with better noise reduction as the image leaves the sensor; 14-bit color conversion now occurs even at the maximum 10FPS photo shooting rate. A coating on the low pass filter should remove more dust from the sensor than in the past, and photographers can now capture smaller S-RAW or M-RAW shots to shoot faster or at reduced file size without losing compression.

The EOS 1D Mark IV arrives in a body-only kit at the very end of the year, in late December, and should cost $5,000. A companion add-on, the WFT-E2 II A, will give the Mark IV 802.11g Wi-Fi and Ethernet support to share photos over local networks and the Internet, including remote shooting with a live preview; Bluetooth is onboard to add geotagging with a wireless GPS receiver.

Via coolgadgetszone