Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR
I have a theory: All digital SLRs are created by internet gossip reaching critical mass and *boom* suddenly a new camera materialises in a marketing department. Crazy theories aside, it’s more likely that Canon have been covertly labouring over the new EOS 5D Mark II for a while… lets have a look.
The headline improvement is a whopping jump in resolution from 12.8 to 21.1 megapixels. Although this upgrade will undoubtedly satisfy detail junkies, it’s also going to make some people shudder at the thought of having to upgrade their computer again, just to process the huge RAW files at a faster rate than 1 per week.
Canon has provided two sample images from the 5D Mark II at ISO 100. The images look clean whilst capturing a great tonal range:
EF 50mm f1.2L@ f2, 1/100s (3.9mb)
EF 24-105mm f4@ f7.1, 1/800s (12.4mb)
The resolution of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II certainly doesn’t resign it exclusively to the studio – 3.9 frames per second, resistance to 10mm of rain for 3 minutes, and ISO expansion up to 25,600 are ideal for action and tough environments.
Just in case the Canon 5D Mark II doesn’t stack up as a talented camera in your books, then consider 1080p HD movie recording! The 5D Mark II allows you to record 12 minutes of high definition video at 30 frames per second (a staggering scary 38.6 Mbits/second). Yes, you will need a collection of very large UDMA compact flash cards.
If you happen to be perched on top of a mountain, miles away from home, you can review what’s passed your viewfinder with a large 3.0” LCD screen. The real gem is the resolution: 920,000 pixels. This high resolution screen debuted with the Canon EOS 50D and represents a significant step up from earlier LCD screens at 230k, found on models all the way up to the flagship EOS 1Ds Mark III.
Nestled within the magnesium alloy body is the technology that often remains un-noticed, working flawlessly so you can get on with the photography. The sensor is kept clean by a vibrating low-pass filter which shakes dust off. Milliseconds after you release the shutter the DiG!C IV chip processes the image according to all the selected parameters & picture styles. Should the desire for action strike then the large image buffer and fast writing speeds allow the Canon 5D Mark II to capture 13 successive RAW images or 78 JPEG images (300+ JPEGs using a UDMA card!).
Canon have billed the EOS 5D Mark II as ‘destined evolution’. Do you think this camera deserves such a bold statement?
(119 votes, average: 4.84 out of 5)
Loading ...
For the techno-junkies and ‘must have the latest gadget’ freaks who don’t mind spending £2300 on a new camera another £500 for add-ons and possibly a £1000 computer upgrade, this is a great buy.
Seriously though, it is almost certainly going to be a market winner and I imagine the Nikon marketing department headed straight for the nearest pharmacy to stock up on anti depressants.
The 5D MKII comes from a thoroughbred pedigree. The original 5D is still a superb camera and I have loved using it from the day I took it out of the box. Its replacement promises to be every bit as good. It will mean that Canon will almost certainly have to think seriously about upgrading the 1Ds MKIII soon as this camera is somewhat more afordable. My bet would be a 1Ds MKiv sometime in the new year with a 39 megapixel sensor.
Julian WellsHi Julian – Good point re: the 1Ds MKIII. In terms of IQ the 5D Mark II could provide users with better images, which begs the question “is the 1Ds MKIII worth the money extra money (2x) for build quality, better AF etc?” I wonder if 39 megapixels would be a struggle for a 35mm sensor – perhaps Canon will dabble with medium format digital (like Leica with the S2)?
Oliver (author)“I have a theory: All digital SLRs are created by internet gossip reaching critical mass and *boom* suddenly a new camera materialises in a marketing department.”, not to sure where you get this theory from.
No one asked for a 21 MP body, what most wanted was a camera that was more of an all rounder like the D700, and Canon have not delivered, in my view all Canon have done is irritate its mid to top end Customer base even more after the 1D MK3 focus debacle.
I have been waiting for this 5D replacement for over 6 months, (want to add a FF body) it should have been upgraded 18 months ago, like the LCD upgrade, from 230k to 920k,, Why was the 1D range not upped last round???
All Canon have done is given us 21 MP, an LCD upgrade (cos Nikon has 920K) and Video, the rest is pretty well the same, am somewhat disappointed to say the least.,,,, the 2 mid range bodies pretty well dwarf the Pro end, bar weather sealing, and a few other minor things, in my view it is a joke
Brett butlerLike Brett Butler, I have been “waiting” for the 5D replacement for nearly a year – I also wanted FF, ; for my beloved wide angles, and teeny bit more than 14MP. A “full frame” EOS50D would have been perfect for me. But I am waiting for the FF 5DMk2 . . to be greeted with – a HD video camera ???
And what – more important than a video camera ! – have Canon done to improve the autofocus ??; I am bitterly disappointed with the AF on the EOS40D. I have “baby seals on Cornish beach pictures, and only the foreground sand is in focus !”
I read a constant stream of Nikon reviews about the latest “follow a racing dog around the screen” Nikon autofocus . . . after I have had to resort my EOS40D, like pretty much every 30/40/5D Canon DSLR owner comments on the websites “switch the autofocus to centre spot for safety”. Even “Which” magazine noticed this EOS40D shortfall, and they are not normally my first port of call for camera reviews !!
The Canon autofocus demands a lot more money as priority over an HD movie camera. Canon must save their R&D money for getting the basics right, rather than the toys. A more conservative upgrade to 15MP FF sensor, and spent the real money on sorting all those AF zones out.
I have waited nearly a year for an EOS5D upgrade. But I am going to wait a bit longer to read the “Which magazine” reviews of the EOS5D AF system before I buy one. By then Nikon may have a 15-18MP FF offering. I am not forking out over 2grand, to then read the 5D Mk2 advice on the websites; “the Nikon can follow a bouncing football, but switch the Canon AF to centre spot for safety”.
Yours – waiting
Steven WalkerSteven
Hi everyone. Canon have posted a sample video (requires Quicktime) from the Canon 5D Mark II.
Oliver (author)I’m sitting on an ageing Nikon D70, itching to upgrade and I too have been waiting to see Canon’s offering before I plump for either the D700 or the EOS5D MkII. Nearly all my glass is DX anyway, so it will all have to go! But the points on this forum are well made, I’ll lay money that Canons pixel count chasing strategy will cost them dearly when the High ISO results are in, unless the reviews are stupendously good or I suddenly get excited about video, I’ll stay with Nikon.
James YoungSorry Mr Butler but how can you claim the 5DMkII is just more pixels, a better LCD and video?
For those who keep chanting the worn out mantra ‘We don’t want video in a stills camera’ you might want to check out the vogue in such areas as wedding photography whereby a significant premium can be charged for supplying a quality slide show interspersed with short video clips. I currently do exactly that but have to drag my Canon XM2 video camera along with me as well as my stills bodies and have two tripods set up and jump between the two to grab a few video shorts that I can then supply between slideshows of quality wedding photos. This is extremly popular and customers are paying good money for it.
The chance to do that using just one camera, especially given the 5DMkII can actually shoot both at the same time, is something that WILL prove very valuable to some people. The fact that the video is 1080 HD is a huge plus also.
For the camera itself it does have another major difference: the new DiGIC IV processor. This has the ability to process a greater dynamic range than ever before on the Canon’s and the initial previews have not suggested any problems with the focusing.
Having said that, I have a 40D that shoots fast and sharp so not sure where you are getting these AF problems from. Could it possibly be that the camera is not the one at fault?
The improved screen is a hugely welcome improvement. Yes we wanted it before but so what? I don’t live in the past! 920,000 pixels is 4 times the resolution of the previous incumbent and will allow for razor sharp focusing using live view and 10x magnification when shooting macros and others.
Professionals are being asked to produce ever bigger file sizes these days and pictures that can be printed at A2 and even A1 are very valuable. 21MP is a huge leap forward compared to the previous 5D and when you consider how much cropping we often need to do, the ability to aste a few million pixels whilst still giving pin sharp quality at A3 is very welcome again.
So may i suggest one little thing: stop whinging about this camera when you haven’t even seen it (and yes, I HAVE seen it, held it and shot with it!) and stop predicting problems before it is even available. This is a stunningly good camera and the low-light capability is hugely welcome. ISO25,600 with low noise is something I didn’t expect to see on a two grand camera for a very long time yet. I welcome it with open arms.
As soon as this camera hits the shops, I have got mine on pre-order and will be enjoying it. There is a LOT to be enjoyed from all I have seen so far.
Rob Barron