Canon EOS 1D Mark IV

Released in 2009, the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV is a DSLR whose fast burst rate and high shutter speed favour moving subjects.

This is a big camera. At 156 x 157 x 80 mm and 1230 g, it needs a proper bag and a comfortable strap, and the weather sealing suits outdoor work when conditions turn poor.

Inside is an APS-H sensor behind the Canon EF mount, and composition happens through an optical pentaprism viewfinder for those who prefer that direct view.

The sensor is a 16.1 megapixel APS-H CMOS working alongside the Digic 4 image processor, with lenses attaching via the Canon EF mount. Because APS-H is smaller than full frame, telephoto framing gains extra reach.

The specification leans towards speed: up to 10 frames per second, 45 autofocus points to aim with and a 1/8000 s top shutter speed for freezing fast motion, a combination suited to fast-moving subjects such as sport and wildlife.

Sensitivity spans ISO 100 to 12800, a wide range that covers bright daylight and dim indoor venues alike. There is no in-body stabilisation, so camera shake at slower shutter speeds is left to technique, a stabilised lens or a support.

Our Optics score of 54 is modest, and the camera sits around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

Video tops out at Full HD resolution, with frame rates reaching 30 fps, and clips record as MOV files. That suits interviews, documentary footage and web delivery, though the frame rate ceiling rules out slow-motion capture.

Framing during recording relies on the fixed rear screen in live view. Without a tilting display, low and high camera angles take more effort, so a tripod or other support pays off for anything deliberate.

There is no built-in intervalometer, so timelapse sequences cannot be programmed in-camera and instead need either external equipment or manual frame-by-frame shooting. Our Video score of 43 is modest, with resolution, frame rate and the missing timelapse function all counting against it.

The body carries weather sealing for tough outdoor assignments, and it counts as protection from the elements rather than waterproofing.

There is no built-in flash, but the camera takes external flashguns, so lighting comes from an off-body unit rather than a small on-body source.

The 3 inch LCD offers 920k dots, enough for checking focus and detail. It is fixed and non-touch, so overhead and ground-level framing mean bending or guessing, though live view helps when the eye-level finder is out of reach.

Wireless features are absent: no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth and no GPS, so moving images off the camera means a physical connection or the memory card, and geotagging, if wanted, happens outside the camera. Our Features score of 54 is modest, with the non-touch screen and absent Bluetooth among the drags.

Storage runs on SD or SDHC cards alongside CompactFlash Type I or II media, with UDMA support for the CF options.

There is one card slot, so there is no in-camera overflow or backup. On a working shoot that means changing cards more often and carrying spares, with no safety copy until files reach a computer.

The LP-E4 battery carries a 1500-shot rating, though actual endurance always depends on how the camera is used. Charging is not possible over USB.

Our Storage & Battery score of 48 is modest, with the single card slot and absent USB charging the main drags; both simply ask for a little more planning before a shoot.