Canon 5D Mk II

[Darren Addy]

I like the following quote:

The camera makers have gotten us on the more-megapixels-is-better merry-go-round, much like the auto makers did with horsepower years ago. Do you really need 450 horsepower to drive 55mph on your local freeways? (You Germans driving on the remaining unregulated portions of the Autobahn might have a different attitude here ;~) To some degree it's the same issue with megapixels. If you're doing the kind of printing most people are, you don't need a gazillion megapixels. The 10 and 12mp cameras are more than enough for those working up through the sizes the desktop inkjets can produce, and even the 6mp cameras, used well, can produce very nice images at those sizes.

At the risk of sounding self-serving, what I find is that most people get much more benefit from solid one-on-one instruction (e.g. workshops) than they do from upgrading their camera to the next number of megapixels. That's because they're not optimizing their picture taking actions, and thus suffer from that downstream. Getting more megapixels actually sometimes works against you, as it pulls out even more shot discipline problems and other issues you haven't mastered but now must deal with in the pixels you captured and wish to reproduce. My advice: if you haven't optimized your shooting with your current camera you can't make the assumption that more megapixels is going to help you get the results you seek.

Sure, you want the best gear and are willing to grow into it, so you buy the latest and greatest and retire your old camera. But make sure that you actually take the time to get the most out of that upgrade! Upgrading just to keep up with the number game doesn't net you better photos. Plenty of photo instruction opportunities exist (see ShawGuides, for example), so take advantage of them and optimize your use of your current gear before lusting after the latest and greatest.

- source

 

[Thomas Dolmer]

Sounds very interesting. I could be a worthy replacement for my old trusty Rebel.

The new high ISO settings could be very useful in low-light situations.
But it is yet to be seen in practice.

I would love to get one of those, though...

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Canon 5D MkII Dilemma?!?

I've just sent n email to Canon Inc. concerning the EF - EF-S question.
As soon as they reply to me, I will be posting it on this thread so we can all know why Canon printed it that way.
Actually, I just want to know myself - because I am seriously considering selling my pristine XTi for this.



Well, that was fast. Canon got back to me, and here's the note:

Dear Mr. Wadsworth:

Thank you for contacting Canon product support. We value you as a Canon
customer and appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

Unfortunately, there is incorrect information on our website. The 5D
Mark II cannot use EF-S lenses. Also, the camera does not have a built
in flash. Hopefully this information will be corrected tomorrow. I
apologize for the mistakes.

You may want to take a look at the 50D (link below). The 50D isn't in
the same class as the 5D Mark II, but it is a very nice camera and can
use EF-S lenses.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=17499

We hope this information is helpful to you. Please let us know if we
can be of any further assistance.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Erik
Technical Support Representative

 

[Andrew Ryan]

This camera looks like it has nice features, such as the high fps, but beware of the gimmicky features. The video mode is not good with motion, which is kinda of the point of video. So, if that's the reason that you are looking to upgrade to this camera, keep that in mind. Also, you can only record up to 5 minutes of video per clip.

BTW, Nikon came out with a similar camera, the D90. I'm surprised that nobody has been talking about it. It had the video mode on it before canon did.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

BTW, Nikon came out with a similar camera, the D90. I'm surprised that nobody has been talking about it. It had the video mode on it before canon did.

http://stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=17832

 

[Martin Kucera]

I am sure the market will be somewhere else in six months and both Canon and Nikon can come out with affordable full frame cameras just in time for the next season.

 

[Chris White]

My long term roadmap was always a full frame Canon digital with an eye for the 5D for several years (in terms of lens purchases). Their was a pretty big debate about when the next full frame would be and what but, I am pretty sure I am going to pull the trigger on this puppy once it hit's the market reviews. I would be perfectly happy owning this for 5 years. Unless a bunch of used 5D MK-1's suddenly show up on e-bay @ firesale prices.

 

[Matt Robinson]

As an owner of a 1Ds Mark III for 5 months (and the original 5D, which I just sold yesterday), I was a little betrayed that Canon put the same 21.1 megapixel sensor in the 5D Mark II at $2700. This price seems like a bargain. When I bought my first 5D back in October of 2005 it was $3300, and I don't have to tell you the cost of the 1Ds Mark III (which just came out in 2007). I have decided to replace my original 5D with the Mark II as the back up now.

As for the 5D II taking EF-S lenses, there would not be too much of a point. The only way to effectively use an EF-S lens on a full frame camera would be to scale down the outer portion of the sensor to mimic a 1.6x crop and therefore reduce the resolution of the final image (ie the Nikon full frame). If it were to use the entire sensor, the EF-S lens would produce unusable vignetting, similar to looking through a telescope.

 

[Chris White]

As an owner of a 1Ds Mark III for 5 months (and the original 5D, which I just sold yesterday), I was a little betrayed that Canon put the same 21.1 megapixel sensor in the 5D Mark II at $2700.

No kidding, I can kind of imagine the pain (not quite) but, I was waiting for quite a while for the next 5D wondering when/what, it was overdue. The 1D M3 is pro, they can charge anything and people will buy one once they have $20k in lenses invested.

As for the 5D II taking EF-S lenses, there would not be too much of a point. The only way to effectively use an EF-S lens on a full frame camera would be to scale down the outer portion of the sensor to mimic a 1.6x crop and therefore reduce the resolution of the final image (ie the Nikon full frame). If it were to use the entire sensor, the EF-S lens would produce unusable vignetting, similar to looking through a telescope.

Been sticking to the EF L's, I had always wanted the full frame 5D but, couldn't quite pull the trigger due to age and the uncertainty of when/what the next model would be but, it just never came. I broke my roadmap with the purchase of the 40D while it was in rebate knowing they would release the 50 like clockwork but, I still need the 1.6 crop for tele stuff. I was about to then change the 'roadmap' and pull the trigger on a matching the Canon 10-22 but, with the introduction of the MKII I am back on track, no more shortcuts. (although, I am going to wait for the reviews and feedback, I don't see myself getting one until at least March/April).

 

[Bryan Howell]

I'm right there with you on the roadmap, Chris. Chris and I were chatting on another forum about future camera purchases and a new camera was towards the bottom of my list. Well, funny how life is. I was shooting a wedding last weekend and one of the guests spilled a bottle of wine on my XTi. It's more than likely a brick now, the guest that did it is paying for any repairs or a new camera, which will most likely be the case. I really like the specs of the 5D Mk II, but the price is a bit out of my price range. Not to mention that in addition to the camera, my primary lens is an EF-S 17-85 IS USM, which is not compatable with the 5D, so I would need a new camera and a new lens. Bottom line is I'll probably end up with a 40D, but when I hit the powerball, the 5D Mk II might find its way into my camera bag.

One of the reviews I saw stated that the 'jelliness' of motion within the videos was not near as bad on the equivalent Nikon model. Also, someone mentioned a limit of 5 minutes on the video clips. I believe its a 5GB cap, so depending on settings, I imagine that it can be +/-5 minutes.

 

[Melanie Kern-Favilla]

Has anyone signed up for this camera as of yet? I see that B&H is no longer taking pre-orders. Abes of Maine is taking pre-orders, but they start charging your CC before the camera even hits the street, and that aggravates me. According to Canon, this camera is looking at a late Nov release date. Does anyone have more details? I'm salivating...

Melanie

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

This is one of those cameras I'd get if I had the money -- and if Canon made better Ultrawides. The current Canon FF ultrawide lens lineup doesn't thrill me -- and it's expensive as heck, to boot. As it is, the 10-22 on a crop camera produces such excellent results, I'm in no rush to run away from it. Yeah, it's a bit slow compared to the 2.8's, but not by far, especially since I usually shoot it as wide as possible. The high megapixel count looks nice, but to be honest I've yet to have a client say that a file was too small for their needs, and I'm still shooting with a 20D for goodness sake -- that's only 8MP.

Only downside is that the 50D, Canon's latest crop camera, is trying to cram too many pixels into too little space, and thus ending up with noise issues -- the 40D is actually the better buy. The XSi is a better buy than the 50D by far, and yet for me, I wouldn't go down that road, since the XSi doesn't have as strong a focusing performance nor as fast a buffer refresh.

I think I'll probably get a 40D before next season; then I'll finally have a main and backup body. The prices on the 40D are plummeting now that the 50D is out.

 

[Terrence Cook]

After much research and debate I finally bought a Canon 40D with a 17-85mm IS and have been very pleased with the results. I will buy a 10-22mm and be a very happy camper. The warranty I have was only $170 for 3 years and it covers dropping it!

I inherited some awesome lens's last year with a Canon EOS 1n Film SLR, so i already have a 70-200mm IS that's pretty sweet!

-TCook

 

[Gene Moore]

I'll be getting the 5D Mark II, but I may let a few come off the production line before jumping. In the mean time I'll be changing lenses with the new Canon instant rebate program that runs until January 17, 09.

I anticipate putting up my EF 10-22 wide angle for sale here on Stormtrack in the coming month or two. It's likely I'll be getting the EF 17-40 as my new wide angle. I've been looking at the EF 16-35mm 2.8L, but $100 off is not enough to make me jump.

I'm really disappointed in the review of the 50D from Canon. I was planning to use one as a backup camera and for astrophotography since the 1.6 X factor gives me more telephoto. For image quality Dpreview was quite damming and the Imaging resource is backing it it up. It appears the 50D will lose one stop from noise compared to the 40D, a bad move by Canon. Since the problems start at 800 ISO it won't be a good camera for astrophotography. The worst news was the softness in the images shown in one review. Over on POTN, 50D owners are stating they get better/ bigger enlargements than before, so it may be overblown. Regardless, this is one more piece of evidence to drive me to the 5D Mark II, the upgrade I've been waiting for.

What's in the future for Canon's small sensor cameras, is this the end or will they try to salvage the line? Certainly Nikon has jumped them with their low noise sensors. Meanwhile the 5D Mark II is getting bashed for not upgrading their autofocus system from the original 5D, or it will at least use the 40D system. Of course we won't know for sure until production models are tested. Since I don't shoot fast action sports I'm not likely to be affected. For good news, I've heard first hand the Canon microfocus adjustment works quite well and it will be standard on the 5D Mark II.

 

[Dan Robinson]

My brother picked up a 5D MKII last month. We did a few HD video test shots over the weekend with the FX1 as a comparison:

http://stormhighway.com/blog/dec3008a.shtml

The flash tests show what rolling shutter will do if any lightning flashes happen in a scene. Low light capability is not up to the hype for down-and-dirty, non-production type scenarios. Hopefully we'll have a chance to shoot some storm video with these two cameras side-by-side this spring.