A Test Run With the 1D Mark IV

I took the Canon 1D Mark IV out for a very brief spin this evening and while the initial result was not a super crisp image of a fast moving object, I was clearly impressed and can’t wait to take it out later this week.  Based on the few minutes I tested it, I quickly realized the awesome potential of this camera.

The image below is of a martial arts instructor running full speed in his studio doing a 360 degree back flip.  The studio is probably one of the most difficult lighting scenes I have seen in a while.  It is full of fluorescent lights, a low white ceiling and a bright blue floor reflecting a hue all across the ceiling and perimeter walls. You might be asking yourself why I am writing this article and showing you a less than spectacular image.

Even though this was an ad-hoc opportunity that fell in my lap at the last moment and I wasn’t operating in a professional capacity, meaning I did not have any of my usual tools or gear (e.g., light meter, reflectors, tripods, gray card for custom white balancing, etc) I think this is real life and some things can be learned from this experience.

First, I had the wrong lens with me and that can also happen in real life too.  We need to be able to compensate and overcome the obstacle if possible.  I actually could have made this shot be tac sharp, but I made a critical error and thinking that I would be able to get the shot at 1/400th.  Nathan was much faster than I anticipated and in order to make this work I think 1/500th would have been the right call.  I only had a split second to make the adjustment and I ultimately paid the price that resulted in a shot that could have been much better.  On a positive note I was able to quickly change over to servo mode and 10 fps high shutter speed to “almost” nail the shot.  It felt simply awesome hearing that beautiful piece of equipment riffle off 10 frames in a second.

If you look at the top of the image you can see the blue hue across the ceiling that is reflecting up from the floor.  The only adjustment I made to this photograph was a very basic white balance correction based on the white t-shirt in the back of the room.  Also, if you look at his feet they are not sharp like they could be.

I plan on taking my son back to practice later this week and hopefully Nathan will be kind enough to jump up and kick the ceiling and pull off some more of those stunts like we have seen in the movies.  I will keep you posted on the progress with the 1D Mark IV and I have a feeling the results are going to be fantastic.

As always, if you have any comments or questions please send me an email or give me a call.

Tim Layton

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