With Nikon recently announcing the D3S, it was only ever a question of time before Canon countered. And today they did so with the EOS-1D Mark IV, the long-awaited successor to the EOS-1D Mark III.

The Mark IV ups the megapixel count with its 16.1 megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor (six more than its predecessor), while also sporting a brand new 45-point Auto Focus (AF) system with 39 sensitive cross-type points. This should allow a wide selection of accurate focus areas across the frame.

We’ve seen the massive ISO rating on the Nikon D3S, and Canon is doing the same on the Mark IV with an extended ISO of 102,400, the highest we’ve seen from Canon yet. Thanks to the dual DIGIC 4 processors the Canon can manage a supurb 10 frames per second continuous shooting at full resolution.

As with current trends the EOS-1D Mark IV includes HD video with the ability to capture 1080p High Definition (HD) video at 30, 25 and 24 fps and 720p footage at 60 and 50 fps.

“The EOS-1D Mark IV has been developed with the specific needs of photographers in mind.  We’ve taken the feedback of photographers to heart and as a result produced a Digital SLR tailored to their exact requirements. The EOS-1D Mark IV is packed with advanced features that enable photographers to take high-quality images quickly and accurately,” said Roger Machin, photo/video product manager at Canon Consumer Imaging SA.