October 7, 2008 9:22 AM PDT

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark IV: the rumors begin

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Mark III ready for replacement?

After just about a year on the market, the rumors have started about a replacement for Canon's flagship EOS-1Ds dSLR. The blog trail, which seems to have started in a forum at photofans.cn but which I read on Photography Bay, speculates that the specifications will include the current sensor, but two Digic 4 processors which will enable a bump to ISO 12,800 and a burst rate of 6.8fps, HD video capture, and a jump to a 69-point AF system.

Though Canon Rumors gives this scuttlebutt its second-lowest credibility rating--"From a 4-legged animal"--as a possible feature set it makes some sense. Here's how the current model stacks up against its newest sibling, the 5D Mark II:

	Canon EOS 5D Mark II	Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
Price (body)	$2,699	$7,999
Sensor	21.1 megapixel CMOS	21.1 megapixel CMOS
A/D conversion	14 bit	14 bit
ISO sensitivity (expanded)	ISO 25,600	ISO 3200
AF system	15-pt AF 6 center AF assist points; 3 center f2.8 and wider	45-point AF 19 cross-type points; 26 Assist AF points
Continuous shooting frames best quality JPEG/full-size raw	3.9fps unlimited/14 (with UDMA card)	5fps 56/12
Viewfinder	98% coverage magnification n/a interchangeable focusing screen	100% coverage 0.76x magnification interchangeable focusing screen
Shutter durability	150,000 cycles	300,000 cycles

Clearly, the newer 5D Mark II outspecs its older, much more expensive brother in a way that makes the Mark IV inevitable sooner than the typical 18-month product cycle might support. And though the specs may be someone's wish list rather than the reality, it's a pretty sensible wish list. (I'd throw in a built-in wireless flash controller, though.)

But whether it's truth, lies or wishful thinking, you can bet we'll be hearing about it ad nauseam for the next 3 to 6 months.

Senior Editor Lori Grunin has been covering digital imaging for two decades, but her memory's kind of sketchy on the details. You can hear about it every week on Indecent Exposure, the podcast she co-hosts with Matt Fitzgerald.