# Any oil spatter on the 1DX mkll?



## SteveM (Nov 1, 2016)

How is it looking on the 1DX mkll? Does it have the oil spatter issue that seemingly plagued the 1DX?
I am considering buying one of these but will not invest that kind of money in a camera that has a flaw such as this. I am too heavily invested in Canon to consider switching systems should the oil issue continue, but am intrigued by the fact that I can find no trace of oil issues with Nikon's D5 when googling around, yes I am aware of the serious issues Nikon have had in what is possibly the past.....ie, they appear to have solved it.
Thanks in advance for your comments.


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## H. Jones (Nov 1, 2016)

I've had my 1DX Mark II for about two months now with around 38,000 frames shot and I haven't noticed it at all yet. That said, most of my work is shot wide open or at f/8, but I do often shoot landscapes at f/14 or f/22 and haven't seen any abnormal amount of dust/oil spots on the sensor.


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## H. Jones (Nov 1, 2016)

For the sake of science, I just took a test shot of my sensor after two months of hard use. (Click for full-res) 

Going to note again in this double-post, this is after shooting 38,000 frames in two months across all kinds of conditions. I've seen test shots from 1DX sensors with the oil problem that look way, way worse than this after a single day of shooting.

I'm honestly surprised it doesn't look worse than this considering how much I've put it through and how often I change lenses. That said, I'm definitely going to give it a good clean later!


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## SteveM (Nov 1, 2016)

I've read as much as there is about the 1DX oil spatter, and reading between the lines it seemed worse (for whatever reason) when using it at very high frame rates. Not wishing to add to any potential problems, but has anyone used the mark ll at 12 fps? Did you notice any oil?


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## H. Jones (Nov 1, 2016)

SteveM said:


> I've read as much as there is about the 1DX oil spatter, and reading between the lines it seemed worse (for whatever reason) when using it at very high frame rates. Not wishing to add to any potential problems, but has anyone used the mark ll at 12 fps? Did you notice any oil?



A lot of the 38,000 frames I've shot come from both the 14 FPS and 16 FPS modes on the camera. I've spent long days out in the hot sun(a situation that many thought worsened the original 1DX oil problem) shooting over 5000 frames in a single day during football and soccer season. I rarely ever shoot my camera on lower burst rates.


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## Eldar (Nov 1, 2016)

No issues with oil on my copy. I did not have any issues with my 1DX either.


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## Click (Nov 1, 2016)

Eldar said:


> No issues with oil on my copy. I did not have any issues with my 1DX either.



Same here.


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## East Wind Photography (Nov 1, 2016)

I had two spots on mine, not sure they were there new or not. I had to send it in for hot pixel reduction and they cleaned it. So far no more spots after 5000 shots. I never even noticed them until i did a dust analysis.


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## JMZawodny (Nov 2, 2016)

I've swabbed my sensor once, but that was for a large grain of "stuff" that the self-clean would not eject. No sign of anything oily. Looks to me as though they did not want to repeat the issues of the previous model and have taken measures to prevent that from happening again. Get the 1Dx2 - you'll love it.


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## Sashi (Nov 2, 2016)

None yet, had one since launch


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## Jack Douglas (Nov 2, 2016)

Since I like to be paranoid and fret , what is a good yet simple procedure to follow in evaluating this? Is shooting a clear sky and then scanning the enlarged photo good enough?

Jack


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## privatebydesign (Nov 2, 2016)

Jack Douglas said:


> Since I like to be paranoid and fret , what is a good yet simple procedure to follow in evaluating this? Is shooting a clear sky and then scanning the enlarged photo good enough?
> 
> Jack



Plain bright subject, like a white wall or sky without clouds. Stop the lens down to at least f16 and over expose by a couple of stops. Don't use a tripod, this means anything sharp is on the sensor, I normally deliberately move the camera to exaggerate this. Then just look at the exposure at 100%.

Now for the important bit, do not obsess over this it doesn't matter even a single tiny bit. The oil doesn't harm the sensor and is inconsiquential to images.


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## Jack Douglas (Nov 2, 2016)

privatebydesign said:


> Jack Douglas said:
> 
> 
> > Since I like to be paranoid and fret , what is a good yet simple procedure to follow in evaluating this? Is shooting a clear sky and then scanning the enlarged photo good enough?
> ...



Thanks Scott.

Wondering why the oil doesn't matter. Is it because it is very transmissive and doesn't block the pixels enough to dim the light?

Jack


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## SteveM (Nov 2, 2016)

Interesting point above, you would think that light passing through any substance would degrade the image slightly in that area.....does it? Any comments here?
That aside, any oil would surely make dust stick like it had been glued on and more difficult to remove. 
For this money, I'm looking at keeping this long term and can do without the 'Exxon Valdez' on my hands - but the comments above are promising.
I am also trying to keep in mind that only 'problems' get commented on and there could be an awful lot of good copies with no comments.


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## privatebydesign (Nov 2, 2016)

Jack Douglas said:


> privatebydesign said:
> 
> 
> > Jack Douglas said:
> ...



To my mind people just make too much of it.

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=30346.msg619264#msg619264


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## unfocused (Nov 2, 2016)

I doubt if the lubricant is really "oil" in the sense that most of us think of it, it is probably more of a silicone that is less likely to adhere to surfaces and less likely to do permanent damage.


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## East Wind Photography (Nov 2, 2016)

It's really just a couple of pixels which in most cases won't show up. It's more important when it comes time for.cleaning or severe cases may indicate over lubrication or a mechanical issue.


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## arthurbikemad (Nov 2, 2016)

privatebydesign said:


> Jack Douglas said:
> 
> 
> > privatebydesign said:
> ...



I think your right Private, I asked the question knowing Id get flamed but hay, I wanted to clean my sensor but Canon/cps wanted it back, so that's what they got and I got a new body, no big deal. 

I did post here a while back but then thought, oh god, here we go again do I want to post about my issue/experience, so minuets later I removed it :-X


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## canon1dxman (Nov 2, 2016)

Click said:


> Eldar said:
> 
> 
> > No issues with oil on my copy. I did not have any issues with my 1DX either.
> ...



+1


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## Deleted member 91053 (Nov 2, 2016)

SteveM said:


> How is it looking on the 1DX mkll? Does it have the oil spatter issue that seemingly plagued the 1DX?



This is news to me. I did hear that a few very early ones had a slight potential issue but this was corrected very quickly. There are only a few 1DX users that I know (5) but none of us have cleaned with anything but a Rocket Blower and only one of us has used a blower - me!

If the 1DX2 sensor stays half as clean as the original then you will have no problems.


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## R1-7D (Nov 2, 2016)

I had a ton of oil on my sensor. Canon had to initially replace my sensor for a defect, so it's possible that they re lubricated at the same time. Anyways, mine was a mess.


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## DaveGershon (Dec 19, 2016)

I have not seen any my 1Dxmk2. I have been shooting Basketball and Soccer with it. Lots of 14fps bursts and no oil.
Dave


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## LordofTackle (Dec 19, 2016)

R1-7D said:


> I had a ton of oil on my sensor. Canon had to initially replace my sensor for a defect, so it's possible that they re lubricated at the same time. Anyways, mine was a mess.



On your mark II??

I have mine since june, so far no oil spots.

-Sebastian


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## East Wind Photography (Dec 29, 2016)

R1-7D said:


> I had a ton of oil on my sensor. Canon had to initially replace my sensor for a defect, so it's possible that they re lubricated at the same time. Anyways, mine was a mess.



So yes i would think that some mechanical issues could spray lubricant so that was a good call. In most cases, lubricant spots wont affect an image that much and can be reduced by using the built in dust reduction. The real problem comes during a sensor clean. If not done correctly the lubricant can smear and leave streaks after cleaning. Generally it might take two or three cleanings to completely remove the contaminents. If the techs are not careful enough they can miss it. Ive had great experiences with canon cleanings (free for cps members) and ive had cleanings done at shows by midwest. One sensor on my old 5d3 they had to clean several times and used a microscope to analyze the surface. They did it right and i was happy with their effort.


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## scottkinfw (Dec 29, 2016)

After many thousands of actuations, no oil on my sensor. Love this camera.


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## R1-7D (Dec 13, 2017)

Old topic, but still relevant for those considering purchasing a 1DX Mark II.

These are all from different 1DX Mark II cameras. I've collected 34 different 1DX Mark II cameras' files and they all exhibit the same oil splatter in the upper left corner of the frame. 

I've sent my findings to both Canon Canada and CanonUSA. I've also been in contact with Arthur Morris, one of the original Canon Explorers of Light, who has been doing battle with CanonUSA over the same issue. They've just agreed to replace his whole camera with a brand new unit. Several other professionals over in the UK, Netherlands, and Germany have also been in discussions with Canon over the same thing too, and have either already gone through several camera replacements, or have had botched cleanings.

Some people will say this is normal for 1D cameras, or that people should learn to clean their own sensors. These people are full of BS. This is not something that should be considered normal, and cleaning your own 1DX Mark II sensor comes with a massive risk and a huge repair bill if anything goes wrong. Also, these damn cameras need cleaning 10x as often as any other Canon camera too, thus increasing risk. It only takes a few hundred shots on burst to get the sensors back to this condition.

If you are one of those individuals who think this is the norm, then whatever; glad you're enjoying your camera.

For everyone else, I'll just leave these here for any prospective purchasers, or any current owners out there displeased with the amount of crud on their sensors. 

https://m.facebook.com/david.pattyn.50/posts/1963109727262418?pnref=story
http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2017/03/07/canon-eos-1d-x-mark-ii-oil-spatter-on-the-sensor-problems/


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## arthurbikemad (Dec 13, 2017)

I call mine "old oily" but she is a beast, a frame eating beast, I just love this camera. I love my 5D4 but the 1DX2 this week for me has been a beast, with focus priority, BBF, Servo focus this thing just rips, it gets shots I never thought existed, oil issues aside I am proud to own such a camera, but, I get you 100% and my issues were posted on here the day the 1DX2 came out.


I don't go out to look for sensor issues on my 1DX2 or any other body tbh, if I see issues on my shots I will address them, but my (number three) 1DX2 has been problem free, I did have a couple of pre order bodies that had dust on the sensor, only seen at f22 but Canon replaced them from new (well Wex UK did after talking to CPS) my problem is I just can't part with the camera, I did early on say sod it, got my money back and moved on, but then a month without it I gave in and got another, eat some humble pie and went out shooting. Shame you've had such ongoing issues, I'd fear checking mine stopped down!

edit: I just remembered I did change the focus screen on mine as it had specs of dust on, they would not shift with a blower so rather the hassle I just changed it for a new one, dust gone from the viewfinder and life is good again. I hate dust, even one bit haha


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## privatebydesign (Dec 13, 2017)

R1-7D said:


> Some people will say this is normal for 1D cameras, or that people should learn to clean their own sensors. These people are full of BS. This is not something that should be considered normal, and cleaning your own 1DX Mark II sensor comes with a massive risk and a huge repair bill if anything goes wrong. Also, these damn cameras need cleaning 10x as often as any other Canon camera too, thus increasing risk. It only takes a few hundred shots on burst to get the sensors back to this condition.



As usual you are misinterpreting my opinion. My point is I agree it shouldn't happen, but in my experience dust makes more of an impact on my images and collects far faster so I have to clean the sensor myself anyway to get rid of that, in doing so I mitigate any 'issues' splatter might have.

I have run 1 series cameras for many years, some have had recalls over splatter, I have never sent them in because my regular cleaning cycle to take care of dust makes splatter a complete non issue.

I see my cameras as tools not faultless objets d'art. I don't care too much when they get scratched or dirty because of the way I perceive their function. I can understand people who see their camera differently but have little sympathy for people who treat industrial tools with any reverence.


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## Jack Douglas (Dec 13, 2017)

Scott, on the 1D4 I had there was oil and I bought the Visible Dust cleaning kit for oil to clean it. I'd previously cleaned dust using their regular product on my 6D with decent results so I tackled the 1D4. I went through so many swabbings I couldn't believe it and ended up with mediocre results. Should I have been streak free or was I too fussy? That experience makes me shy away from the 1DX2.

Jack


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## arthurbikemad (Dec 13, 2017)

Don't look, i.e don't shoot f22 ;D I'm not poking fun at anyone's issues but I find ignorance is bliss :-X


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## privatebydesign (Dec 13, 2017)

arthurbikemad said:


> Don't look, i.e don't shoot f22 ;D I'm not poking fun at anyone's issues but I find ignorance is bliss :-X



How many 1 series cameras are regularly used at f22? Not using that as an excuse for something that shouldn't happen, just interested in who is taking those kinds of image compromises where nothing is as sharp as it could be. I'd rather focus stack than shoot diffraction impacted images.

I shoot studio portraits at f5.6 or 8 for ultimate sharpness.


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## Larsskv (Dec 13, 2017)

I have had some issues with what I believe is oil splatter on my 1DXII. It is my only complaint about it. It isn’t too bad. I have been able to clean it with a sensor stick, but it takes quite an effort. Luckily it seems that the oil splatter doesn’t come back as quickly anymore. I haven’t noticed any new splatter since this summer. My copy is 12,5 months old, with 18000 shutter actuations. I really hope it is a problem that goes away with time and use.


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## peters (Dec 25, 2017)

Sorry for my bad english, itsn ot


I have mine for half a year now - no kind of spots on the sensor.

But there is just SO much wrong with the camera, I realy cant recommend it. The ONLY reason you may have could be: you NEED 14fps (which is REALY a lot and in realitily barely ever necessary). Or you NEED the 4k60fps with only 1,3 crop. 

In EVERYTHING else the 5d IV is the better camera in my opinion. Realy, everything. 
I used both on a wedding and on video - the 5d is just better in everything (but not in 4k, there it is useless). 

IQ: higher resolution on the 5d, same(!) Noise and DR, even with the MUCH higher resolution. Its just better, no way to state it differently. 

AF: Its the same system, the 1d is a little bit better in realy low light, but thats not a game changer.

Useability: 
Its just so much better on the 5d. The Touch is implemented great. Its limited on the 1d for no apparent reason 
(I get it that pros think they are only pros without these "consumer"tools. But there is NO reason to not have at the least the option of the touch input in the menu or to move the picture if you zoom into it in review-mode.)
-The Wheel on the top is MUCH faster to change the mode than the "button-press-cycle system" on the 1d. It takes so much time and you have to take a close look at the display. On the 5d you have a haptic feedback and can change the mode without even looking.
-The bottom Display is a complete waste of space (it shows ALLWAYS your filetype and folder - an info I NEVER need since I dont use folders. It could have been used for exposure or maybe even audio levels... but no, its just a complete waste)
- the display light button is impossible to reach and the light only works for 5 seconds (making the bottom display even more useless)


NO WLAN on the 1d (WTF???) you need a big device for 500$ for that. 

NO INTERVALLOMETER on the 1d (WTF WTF WTF ????) 

NO WORKING HDMI OUT!!!!!!! (Thats the worst for me - Canon CPR can NOT fix it! If you use it, the camera crahsed randomly, this is a known issue on the web!) And off course no 4k hdmi out. 

The AC Adapter for studio-work costs 500$! Is this a joke Canon? A sony A7 offers simply a USB-C powered mode. And you expect me to pay 500 bugs for a CABLE?

NO significant battery advantage - I used them both in pretty parallel usage on a 12h day - the 5d was in fact even better in terms of battery (maybe I used the display a bit less - but its still a 20$ third party battery versus a GIANT 150$ canon battery - and the canon battery did NOT give any impressive perfomance!)

And of course the 1D is MUCH bigger and weighs a ton - its also MUCH louder which can be a problem on weddings. The Viewfinder is not that much better compared to the 5d. The 5d is also just build like a tank, I dont think it would make a big difference in sturdiness (my 1d even hat a broken mini-joystick when I got it, something that never happened to my 5ds...)



All in all there is just ONE reason I keep it: the crop of the 5d IV in 4k is nealry 1,8. This makes it completely useless for video work in my field, since I cant get any wide angled shots in 4k. Its a disgrace for canon to cripple the once best video-dslr-camera (5d II was a gamechanger) to a useless brick with a useless crop. 

I REALY hope canon makes a 5dC - a camera that brings back the glory of the 5d II. Otherwise I am realy tempted to switch to sony... the video department is realy so far behind on canon. The image of the 1d is great in 4k - but there are SO many shortcomings that make the work difficult....


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## Jack Douglas (Dec 25, 2017)

peters, you make a lot of valid points. I also think Canon should be embarrassed relative to the "what it could have been". For me the 14 fps was a big draw for action wildlife but the AF can't track that action if you're not panning. Doing it over I'd likely go 5D4 but would still miss some of the features (especially the lighted AF points) and I really want to use the 4k 60 video in the future so that swayed me after holding off until the 5D4 was announced.

Jack


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## canon1dxman (Dec 25, 2017)

Blimey! So much anti love for my camera. I now feel embarrassed to own such a flop.


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## unfocused (Dec 25, 2017)

It's not a flop, but Peters' criticisms are valid. I own both the 1DxII and the 5DIV and everything he says is correct. 

There just isn't that much that differentiates the top models these days. I shoot a lot of sports and need the high frame rate of the 1DxII. But, if I didn't need that high frame rate, the 5DIV would provide everything I need.

Canon really should fix the crippled touch screen on the 1DxII (and while I dislike the use of the term, in this case it is accurate). Since the 1DxII already has touch screen capability for live view autofocus, the hardware is already in place and there is no reason why a firmware fix couldn't add full touch screen capability.


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## YuengLinger (Dec 25, 2017)

I wonder if "peters" has used any other names...Remarkably articulate first post rant. Triggered by a discussion of oil spatter? Right...


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## privatebydesign (Dec 25, 2017)

I've got a few comments, first, Canon have never used the 1 series as a test bed, historically that has always been the 'lower' order cameras just look at the 1V vs EOS 3 with the eye focus as the perfect example.

Second, anybody that bitches about a cameras specs when they are a known entity when you buy it is kinda stupid. If the specs are not what you want don't buy it, if they are available but come with a Sony or Nikon badge above the lens mount so what? If it's what you personally need get it.

Third, the 1 DX MkII is not meant to be the best at everything or offer every feature available on every camera in the Canon range, it is meant to be the very best for some people, predominantly professionals, that use their cameras heavily and value reliability and durability above many other 'features', for those users the limited HDMI out/4K external recording is not important enough to be a concern, neither is control layout that they have been used to since the T90 from 1986 and solidified in 1989 on the EOS 1.

For the vast majority of users the 5D MkIV *is* the 'better' camera and Canon know and market it like that purposefully. The 1 series is supposed to be a finely honed niche camera that places intangible features far higher than spec sheet pissing contests.

As a long term 1 series user I bought two and couldn't be happier, if the specs had not been what I was looking for, as they weren't in the 1D MkIV or 1DX, I wouldn't have bought them. 

if I want WLAN I use my CamRanger, if I want LAN I use the LAN port.
If I want an intervalometer I use the CamRanger or the RS-80-N3 that has worked on every 1 series I have owned since my 1VHS's (or I could buy a $5 copy).
HDMI out, if I wanted a video centric camera I'd buy one.
AC adapter? I use the one that came with one of my 1DS MkIII's, you can buy them new for under $100 (eBay for even less), close to the cost of a decent USB-C cable.


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## arthurbikemad (Dec 25, 2017)

privatebydesign said:


> arthurbikemad said:
> 
> 
> > Don't look, i.e don't shoot f22 ;D I'm not poking fun at anyone's issues but I find ignorance is bliss :-X
> ...



No one shoots f22, it was a tongue in cheek comment. 

I have no issue with my 1DX2, its awesome!


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## canon1dxman (Dec 25, 2017)

unfocused said:


> It's not a flop, but Peters' criticisms are valid. I own both the 1DxII and the 5DIV and everything he says is correct.
> 
> There just isn't that much that differentiates the top models these days. I shoot a lot of sports and need the high frame rate of the 1DxII. But, if I didn't need that high frame rate, the 5DIV would provide everything I need.
> 
> Canon really should fix the crippled touch screen on the 1DxII (and while I dislike the use of the term, in this case it is accurate). Since the 1DxII already has touch screen capability for live view autofocus, the hardware is already in place and there is no reason why a firmware fix couldn't add full touch screen capability.


Agree 100% Never owned any 5 series but I borrowed one for a day at a CPS event and loved it. Long term 1 series user but if 5 series was the only option, i would have no complaints. Apart from the frame rate.....


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## Jack Douglas (Dec 26, 2017)

Previous posts have expressed valid points well. As a hobbiest who probably wouldn't ever have bought the camera without significant nudging from my wife (I tackled a huge job and she felt I should be rewarded with the "best" - I explained to her the falacy of "best" but it never really registered). Having waited for the 5D4's availability I then fussed and fumed for weeks until finally committing.

I have no complaints other than what I knew would be complaints right from the start - it's heavy etc., and I love it. When I find myself cropping wildlife shots excessively then I have this little regret session wishing I had 30 MPs. I sold my 6D fully expecting to replace it with a 6D2 but now I feel no compulsion, at least at this moment, to replace it and will consider other Canon options in the not too distant future, like maybe a 5D4 but that seems a little redundant and not as friendly as a candidate for my wife's use - a 6D2 would be more appropriate.

Oh well, as always, it's all about compromises and why should I fuss when I have one super nice and capable camera but am no where near as capable as the camera!  

Jack


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## canon1dxman (Dec 26, 2017)

This discussion has certainly got my interest. 2 x 1DX before and DX2 now. Never seen a single splatter issue but will be looking for it in the future. I always attributed those to the other persuasion, D600 etc

If only the 5DIV had 10 fps I would be down that route in a flash.


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