Canon did not announce any major new products at CES, but it was finally showing the production version of its newest DSLR camera, the Canon EOS-1D C. Sharing the same basic chassis and form factor as its flagship still camera, the 1D X, the 1D C features several significant changes to both its hardware and software that are designed to optimize the camera for motion imaging. Perhaps most significantly, the 1D C was one of the only cameras to be found at CES capable of recording full 4K resolution footage to onboard storage media.

Since the introduction of the Canon 5D Mark II back in 2008, the Canon line of HDSLRs have become immensely popular with both amateur and professional cinematographers, and have been used in everything from student films to major studio blockbusters. The 1D C is in many ways the culmination of Canon’s development of the DSLR as a tool for cinema production, and includes many advances that seem to answer complaints voiced by many users of earlier models.

At its core, the Canon 1D C remains a still camera, with the basic single lens reflex design found across all SLRs. Canon says that it will function beautifully as a still camera, and it shares the same 18.1-megapixel full frame CMOS sensor found on the 1D X, powered by dual Digic 5+ image processors. Like the 1D X, the camera can shoot full resolution still images at the staggering rate of 14 frames per second, and at ISOs up to 51,200.

Yet the 1D C’s real strength is motion imaging. It is capable of shooting full 4K up to 30 fps, and can shoot full 1080p up to 60 fps. It is has been modified with a much larger heat sink, which Canon claims will prevent it from overheating while shooting high-resolution footage in warm environments. Footage is recorded to dual onboard CF cards, and the camera can record at full resolution for up to thirty minutes, though at 4K you are piling up data at the rate of almost 4GB per minute, so your cards will be full before that.

On the outside, the camera features several modifications targeted at the professional cinematographer as well. It features an external audio port that allows the user to connect a professional grade audio system for sync sound, and it features a headphone jack for monitoring and a user-adjustable audio level control (a feature sorely lacking in earlier Canon DSLRs, and now available across their entire DSLR line). It also has a hardened HDMI port that allows you to securely attach an external monitor. The button and menu setup is almost identical to that of the 1D X and should be familiar to anyone acquainted with the interface on other Canon models. Like all of Canon’s DSLRs, it comes with the Canon EF mount, which makes it compatible with the entire Canon family of lenses, including their new professional-grade Cinema EOS line.

The camera’s Achilles Heel is certainly its price, coming in just under $12,000 at retail. That’s nearly double to cost of the 1D X, and more than four times the cost of the Canon 5D Mark III. Yet with its 4K resolution, the 1D C isn’t really designed to compete with those cameras, being more comparable to the RED Scarlet, with which it is fairly competitive on price. For the cinematographer who wants to shoot in 4K; likes the rugged, compact form factor of the DSLR; relishes the idea of being able to use everything from a 17mm tilt-shift to a 800mm super telephoto; and has a five-figure budget; the Canon 1D C is an excellent choice.

Hands-On: The New Canon 1-D C from Entertainment Technology Center on Vimeo.