theuerkorn's Full Review: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Body Only Digital Camera
There is a time in life for "boys" to become "men" and photographers take the next level via gear. That's certainly oversimplified and a better camera still doesn't necessarily make for a better picture, but better technology enables creativity under difficult conditions once the needed skills are acquired. While somewhat true for any gadget, there is currently no easier product group to identify with technology terms as does digital photography. Users quickly become entrenched in "my camera is better than yours" fights and the numbers game often forgets about the human factor: creativity. Canon basically invented the semi-professional class for digital cameras with the original 5D in 2005. More than 3 years later, the segment faces stiff competition in Nikon's D700 and Sony's Alpha 900 and the remake certainly is out to confirm the position the original 5D gained and maintained for much of the over three years of its market presence.
This review is not intended to be in reference to any camera other than itself and the predecessor. No judgmental reference to Nikon or Sony will be made either. In return I expect readers not to engage in such juvenile comments either. The 5D MkII is a worthy refinement of an already excellent camera. It's not perfect either and as many things in life heavily dependent on your needs rather than wants.
IN A NUTSHELL
Many people are so much focused on the video capabilities of the EOS 5D MkII, that the true application almost becomes a nuisance. Frankly, the video is a very nice touch, but also a bit of a gimmick to set itself apart in a highly competitive market. The photographic improvements are nothing short of amazing though far less spectacular. Nevertheless, the ability to record a quick video clip is great too.
The new 21 MPx sensor is a great achievement as Canon boosted BOTH resolution as well as ISO sensitivity (less noise at comparable ISO). Finally a camera with such a high pixel density that can shoot very usable ISO 3200 pictures! The AF system has been much criticised for being the same as in the previous model. A valid concern but far less limiting than the hoopla suggests.
Even if the 5D MkII now is used virtually every time when I shoot pictures, I kept my 40D for two reasons: (1) shooting speed of 6.5 fps for fast changing situations and (2) additional reach due to magnifying result of APS-C sensor. Nevertheless, when it has to be right, the 5D Mark II is now the only horse in my stable to fit that bill.
PROFESSIONAL?
Well, technically speaking, if you make money with your camera it can be considered to be a professional model as it enables you to perform your job. We can all argue how well that job is done, but the typical wedding photo is printed as 4x6 or 5x7 and that sure doesn't require a lot of resolution, if there wasn't the tricky lighting of generally difficult photo locations like churches.
While even xxD models have found their way into the arsenal of many professional photographers (at minimum for back-up), the 5D series strikes a balance between the xxD (prosumer) and the 1D series (professional). Picture quality is nothing short of professional, though sports photographers may look for a more refined AF system and faster shooting speed. If you're out in bad weather a lot, the seals in the 5D may not always cover your needs (though much better than the xxD series). Studio shooters most likely won't see a difference between the 1Ds MkIII and the 5D MkII, as the lenses have a much greater impact here.
Canon has strategically placed the 5D between the 1D and the xxD series, and one could call it for that reason a semi-professional camera. Limiting AF system and shooting speed certainly is aimed to preserve the position of the pricey 1Ds camera, while the 5D brings 35mm full frame into more agreeable price range than other xD models. I guess you could call it a compromise. (A good compromise for all I care.)
When I added the 5D to my 40D, the first impression was basically a surprise as it became clear how solid the 40D already is. The 5D MkII at first felt very much the same, but without the crisp button click and certainly a lot slower regarding shooting speed. It took about a day to appreciate the differences (except the shooting speed), but the 5D MkII is better mannered (controls, noise, feel, etc.) and picture quality is nothing short of amazing.
Overall, the 21.1 MPx will easily print poster size pictures in excellent quality and it's hard to imagine that professionals might need a lot more than that (Though there are very pricey 50 MPx medium format cameras).
DETAILS
Ergonomics: [*****] If you're familiar with Canon's body design, you already know if you like or "hate" the design as it's very similar to the original 5D or even many of xxD series. It fit's my hand like a glove and the user interface is well designed without an overwhelming number of buttons. Along with the good, Canon also insists on keeping the things around I am not that happy about. The power switch still feels reverse to me (even after years of being a Canon user), and the DOF preview button feels a bit misplaced as well. Both can be managed but are a deviation from the otherwise perfect ergonomics. In fact, the DOF preview button is now easier to find as it sticks out further. Of course the camera has quite some heft (800g for body alone) and the grip is designed for an adult hand. While perfect for my hand, it might be a bit limiting to some users.
Ease of Use: [****-] Generally speaking, the 5D Mark II isn't any more difficult to use than any other Canon dSLR. What eliminates absolute beginners and entry level photographers is the "lack" of some of the automated features that help even the most casual users to take decent photos. The 5D is a dSLR and doesn't offer any of the program modes (i.e. landscape or portrait). Canon doesn't make many concessions to casual users beyond the fully automated mode (green rectangle), and expects at least basic knowledge in camera technology for any more involved usage. Of course you can always trial and error all features ... or try reading material like Tom Ang's "Digital Photography Masterclass" (ISBN 978-0-7566-3672-2).
Battery: [*****] After all of my previous upgrades being able to accept the BP511 battery, I was a bit concerned with the 5D MkII's new battery and the need to purchase a spare ($90). However, it became quickly apparent that batteries typically last only 2 - 3 years anyway and the new LP-E6 battery offers not only more capacity (1800 mAh) but also a MUCH better status information and cold weather performance. The 5D MkII even keeps statistics on each battery (by serial number) and allows a much better judgment on the current charge state and the expected reliability. (Certainly a professional feature where a failing battery can ruin a job.) Under normal use, the battery appears to easily last one 8 GByte cards' worth of pictures (approx. 350 pictures). When keeping the reviewing to a minimum, the battery easily lasts almost twice that long with a non-IS lens (approx. 650 pictures), and somewhere inbetween for normal IS usage.
Viewfinder: [*****] Any dSLR is described by two parameters: visibility and magnification. The 98% visibility is easily misunderstood as it simply says that the taken picture is slightly larger (2%) than what's visible through the viewfinder. That's driven by manufacturing precision but it's also somewhat of an insurance policy to not have a surprising crop difference between what you see and what the camera captures. Some professionals request a full 100% but in my usage this hasn't been a problem. The 0.71x magnification, on the other hand, is relative to the sensor size (35mm) and visibly larger (approx 20%) than the xxD despite the claimed 0.95x in the 50D. The lower magnification (ratio) accounts for a brighter viewfinder relative to the xxD. This is good news for everybody to upgrade as it allows for better manual focus and visibility in low light.
Display: [*****] Nikon started the race with the 920,000 pixel display (VGA, each of the three color components per actual pixel is counted separately). Canon managed to match that resolution while improving color rendition and AR coating to actually have a slightly better display. Honestly, I think it's mostly for eye candy though visibility in bright light sure improved as well (and that's crucial). The high resolution is nice but no match for a detailed evaluation on the computer anyway. The effective anti-reflective / anti-smudge coating and wide viewing angle, on the other hand, are very helpful in daily use.
Sensor: [*****] The technical specs read very similar to the sensor in the professional EOS 1Ds and results are without a doubt very close. Both sport 21.1 MPx in the 35mm format which puts the pixel size (photo cell) at 6.4 um. This is down from the 5D's 8.2 um, but still much bigger than either 40D or 50D let alone the tiny pixels in today's P&S which are often 1/10 of the xxD. In fact, in some way it's even better than the 1Ds as the sensor has been a bit improved and allows better ISO range and therefore low light performance. The manufacturing demands on a full frame sensor (35mm) are significantly higher than the typical APS-C in the popular "prosumer" class (xxD), which accounts for most of the price difference. A major impact of sensor size is visible in the so-called crop factor which isn't present with the 5D and a 50mm once again acts as 50mm (unless you're used to Medium format). That's good and bad as the wide angle opens up and my trusty 24-105mm lens is once again a wide angle, but the 70-300mm lens also lost some of it's reach (which converted nicely into 480mm on the 40D).
Resolution: [*****] Aside from the obvious where larger cells mean more light per pixel and therefore potentially better low light performance, the "pixel" size of the photo cells also directly relates to the lens' resolution. Interestingly enough, the larger cells in the 5D MkII allow for sharper per pixel resolution from the same lens than the more demanding 40D or 50D. The high pixel density in the 50D is much more demanding on the lens than the 5D regarding resolution, and effectively sort of improve lens quality in the 5D unless you have a prime lens that can resolve better than either camera. Of course the larger sensor has its own problems with greater demands on corner sharpness and light fall off.
Flash: [n/a] To be honest, ever since I got my 580EX-II external flash, the built-in device of my 40D has been used only very sporadically. The quality difference is just THAT big! So I have no problem with the 5D not even offering a flash, in favor of a bigger viewfinder. However, there are occasions when traveling "light" is more important and then the lack of an integrated flash can become a problem. This is not my general concern, but certainly an occasional limitation. Then again, for occasions when ultra portability is key, a good P&S (like Canon's PowerShot G10) often fits that job much better anyway.
AF System: [****-] With Nikon pushing their venerable 50some point AF system into lower price points (i.e. D300), most reviewers are getting a bit concerned why Canon stuck with the 9/6 system already known from the original 5D. This means the 5D MkII remains a bit handicapped in special applications like Birds In Flight (BIF), but in general usage has little impact on standard applications like landscape, macro and portrait. Focus speed is excellent, though also dependent on the lens design. Picking any of the 9 points can be easily done via multiselector (joystick) though sometimes it's a bit hit or miss to pick the ones near the intersections of thirds. Using a f2.8 lens or faster allows to activate the precision center focus point which is essential for successful macro photography. The 5D MkII also includes the focus tuning for up to 20 lenses which greatly eliminates the need to have your gear sent in for calibration when the AF system and a specific lens were not in complete sync.
LiveView: [*****] An entry level feature for some, it does indeed provide P&S functionality to the dSLR. Compared to my previous 40D, it now allows to use contrast focus and face recognition and blurs the lines even more. While I prefer the viewfinder, it has proven very useful in situations where it's simply too difficult to see through the viewfinder while taking the shot. It also allows to accurately preview the DOF which the viewfinder typically shows more than in reality (even with DOF preview). Obviously the video function relies completely on the 3" display.
Speed: [***--] So, I have grown accustomed to the 40D's 6.5 FPS shooting speed when trying to capture my daughter's actions and that works very well in any kind of action shots of that little whirlwind. The 5D MkII is slightly faster than the original 5D's 3 fps but still more than 2.5 FPS slower than the 40D. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but some of that surefire comfort is lost in the transition as well. On the other hand, the 5D MkII finally supports UDMA memory cards to get the data securely flowing to the card (ca. 30 MB/s measured). The buffer, however, is large enough to never really make this an issue in actual usage for me. So over 13 RAW pictures can be captured in "rapid" fire before this "bottleneck" would affect camera performance ... in theory since I shoot bursts of 3 - 6 pics quite often but 13 sounds like a lot to me. Other speed aspects are of mostly professional level like startup, picture view and the AF speed.
Video: [****-] There has been a lot of talk around this feature good and bad. Either way, if you need a full video camera with all the features you might look at Canon's own Vexia HF11 which certainly is a lot easier to use and more flexible (aside from being 1/3 of the cost). Nevertheless, the 5D MkII allows for artistic quality a regular video camera can't compete with ... if you're willing and able to operate the 5D. A major convenience for me is that I typically take pictures and switching to the video camera requires some effort and you have to have them both handy. With the 5D Mark II it's now possible to capture those moments reasonably well and leave the bigger tasks to the actual video camera. Each video clip is limited to 12 minutes which is driven by the 4 GByte maximum file size. Unlike most photo situations, the video recording requires fast memory (UDMA).
Value: [****-] Some might look at the price and sit down in awe as $2,699.- (MSRP) is a lot of money and it's not even usable yet since there is no lens included. Even the lowest street price right now (~$2,500.-) isn't exactly pocket change. Nevertheless it buys you professional picture quality in a sturdy package without the heft of a "real" professional camera (i.e. EOS 1Ds). Overall picture quality is well worth the investment, but only if you care that much and you print pictures larger than the typical 5x7 that most P&S cameras are often good enough for. If the price doesn't give it away, this is a camera for enthusiasts and professionals, and if you're not in that category this could easily be a waste of your money ... despite all the greatness.
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