Canon's 4K EOS 1D C should be on sale now

Canon EOS 1D C

Ever since the new EOS-1D C was announced way back in April 2012, enthusiasts were abuzz over Canon’s first attempt to cross the 4K threshold in a DSLR form factor

News of the high sticker price ($11,999) tempered excitement for the hybrid camera, but that didn’t stop advance vids, camera tests and the like, to once again revive interest.

Flash forward 8 months and the camera is finally here! Well, not here, precisely, but available for sale in Japan, so ‘here’ in a more global sense. Consumers in the US won’t have to wait long to pick up the DSLR that records 4K onto Compact Flash. According to the popular online retailer, B&H Photo), the EOS-1D C should have arrived on Jan 2nd, 2013.

Hard pressed to find a more capable camera

Although the price of the EOS-1D C falls out of the budget of many looking to step up from the 5D Mark III (or II for that matter), and there may be better options for your 4K rental dollar, those high-end professional DSLR users, who value having top notch video ability in photog-friendly package, would be hard pressed to find a more capable camera, especially if they already own expensive Canon glass.

Here’s an ISO test of the Canon EOS-1D C:

And here are our thoughts on viewing camera tests online.