Canon EOS 5D Mark II
The basics
The EOS 5D from Canon comes with an intriguing set of features, essential for both studio and all-terrain photographers. The EOS 5D's body is sturdy and resistant to water and dust, and hides a 24x36mm CMOS sensor with 21.1 megapixels, producing images with resolutions of 3744x5616 pixels.
The good
The 5D’s new 21million pixel chip reveals more unnecessary detail than the National Enquirer, and will probably be just as popular with paparazzi. A handy thumb wheel lets you browse through the 5D’s bewilderingly complex list of options on the camera’s luscious three-inch screen. But there are plenty of helpful features too, like a Lighting Optimiser that turns underexposed snaps into bright images, and a face detection system to rescue backlit portraits. And if that price tag looks high, remember that the ultra-tough 5D is a 1080p Full HD camcorder, too.
The bad
Huge image sizes mean huge memory cards – and sluggish burst shooting: the 5D rattles along at a modest 3.9 frames per second. And while the movie mode delivers stunning images, the 5D’s video autofocusing isn’t as rock-solid reliable as a purpose-built camcorder.
The bottom line
When are you ever going to need more than 21MP of resolution or better than a 1080p camcorder? The 5D promises to be not just the last camera you ever need to buy, but the last camcorder, too.
User comments (5)
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joshua635027 September 2009
Another great product from Canon, this would be the perfect upgrade from my Canon EOS 350D
Report as inappropriateAndy05 November 2009
You might find the reason behind the high price and bewildering complexity is that this is a camera designed primarily for professional photographers - not your average consumer - you can hardly mark a £2k camera down for having high res images and catering to what a pro needs!
Report as inappropriatePhotogeek19 November 2009
Not as good in low light as the Nikon D3 which is far more verstile and robust. 9 fps( 11 IN DX mode) Unbelieveably clean images up to 6400 iso. I dont understand why you need this amount of resolution. 12.1 megapixels is more than enough. IMHO.
Report as inappropriateMunro29 November 2009
Very nice camera the Nikon D3, but not necessarily a fair comparison when the D3 is over 1K more that the 5D mkii see http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/. The comparitor is the Nikon D700 which, like the Canon, is not as stated a pro level camera, but the entry level for both Nikon and Canon in the full frame market, but also similarly priced and both well under 2K now. Unless you are going to compare price as well as spec we may as well compare Nikon and Canon against Hasselblad & Leica....
Report as inappropriateSteve17 February 2010
I've just bought a 5D MkII (with 24-70mm f2.8 lens) as an upgrade for my Sony A700 (with Carl Zeiss Lens) and Sony A300. The quality is apparent as soon as you start using it, but one thing that often gets missed is the 14bit colour sensor (most cameras are 12bit) which enables a much higher dynamic range to be collected than the likes of most DSLR's. So your average landscape where the sky would normally be too bright for the scene and come out fairly dull, now you get amazing results straight out the camera! The noise reduction at any ISO is also just incredible! Camera is excellent (10/10) Price is not! WELL RECOMMENDED!!!
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