Canon Digital SLR Camera EOS 5D Mark II

In the past I have owned the Canon 20D, and then more recently the 5D.

I've read reviews and craved this camera for a long time, and it is now finally in my grubby hands. Here's what I can say after only using it for a week:

Noticeable changes from the 5D:

- physical changes

1. It feels more sturdy and slightly bigger.
2. The screen is superb, automatically adjusts for ambient light conditions, and very clear. Zooming into photos is a real treat (if you managed to get it pin sharp, like from a tripod, it's especially stunning). I'd read about a new special coating on the screen (the same coating they now put on the front of the first sensor filter) to repel smudges etc, but it doesn't seem to do much. It does have a nice purple-blue sheen, but my nose still makes it messy after a while shooting. Note to self: shower more. Only kidding.
3. The sensor is full frame, 21MP and 14 bits per channel. This allows for smooth tones and lovely switches from light to shadow. Simply light years ahead of the 5D or any other camera (better in some comparisons I've read than even the 1Ds Mk III).
4. They moved the light button to the outside of the top lcd. Minor, but takes a second to remind myself about it.
5. The flash hotshoe is now bare metal instead of black (which ended up half metal anyway - lots of scratches from the 580 being put on and off.
6. The plastic flaps on the side that contain the ports are now way less awkward to use.
7. The main dial now has three custom fucntion sets there, which I have not used yet.
8. It's subtle, but the viewfinder is somehow more crisp - and slightly bigger. Just that bit more comfortable. And the autofocus points are that bit more easy to see without fiddling with the diopter.

- software changes
1. There is a handy feature called "highlight tone priority" in the custom functions that shifts the dynamic range to hold the highlights. It also makes the minimum ISO only 200, but I've tried it and it seems to work very well. Possibly a little more noise in the shadows, but nothing noticeable.
2. Speaking of dynamic range, I do a fair bit of HDR photography and the AEB functions are now nicely linked to the Exposure Compensation function. On one screen you can shift the exposure up or down a stop, as well as expand to bracket three exposures of +/- 2 stops. Lovely addition. As in the 5D you can shoot all three exposures automatically by using the timer.
3. Oh my god I love this feature: lens micro focus adjustment. Previously only available to lucky owners of the 1D series, this allows you to check the autofocus feature of any lens, and adjust the focus if you find it to be slightly soft (e.g. the focus is slightly behind or in front of the target). I spent 3 hours last night in full-on nerd mode, and finally figured out a way to do it simply. Skip the next bit if you're not a total optic nerd. The more in-focus an image is, the larger the file size. By varying the micro-adjustment from -20 to +20 in stages, you can later review the file sizes of the images and the one with the largest file size (if you keep all parameters the same) will be the setting with the most accurate focus. To do this, set up the camera and lens on a tripod and get it exactly perpendicular to a target. The target should fill the frame. I taped an old "start here" poster from a printer to the wall, and used a level to level the tripod. Tether the camera to a laptop and use live view shooting. Defocus the lens manually. Go into the custom functions and select the adjust by lens, and set it to -20. Then click the autofocus on the laptop to focus it. I repeat this focus click 3 times to make sure it is perfect. Then shoot 4 shots (to get an average reading). Move the micro-adjustment to -10 and repeat at intervals of 10 until you reach +20. Make sure to defocus the lens manually each time to make sure you force the autofocus to work through the problem again each time. Lets say +10 gave the largest average file size. Then go back and shoot at +5, +10, and +15. Lets say you decide +10 is still best, then go for +7, +8, +9, +10, +11 until you find the perfect focus. Nerds rejoice!! Actually it's not just nerdyness for the sake of being nerdy - I spent 3 hours on my 85mm f/1.2 last night and it is now WAY better than it was previously. It's razor thin depth of field at f/1.2 is now slightly behind where it was at it'd default (0) setting. So instead of a lovely in-focus image of an eyebrow and the tips of eyelashes, I now get the eyeball itself in clear focus. This is obviously a lens issue, but the fact that I can fix it in-camera without sending my lens off for re-calibration is a joy!!
4. In general the digic 4 system is vastly better than the digic 2 I was used to on the 5D. Menu surfing is fast and intuitive, and in no time I was used to it.
5. The main screen is now used a lot more than I realized - there is a whole lot of information that pops up between shots - and you can now navigate using the small adjustment knob, and change your ISO or metering mode that way (as well as the old way of looking through the viewfinder, or using the top lcd).
6. As much touted, you can now also shoot full HD video. This is a bit fiddly, and it's hard to get used to how to change aperture etc. Also because it's not raw (a format I use all the time) I now also have to learn about the picture style settings. Using zoom or changing focus while shooting is not advisable, because the noise of the lens (even the relatively quiet USM lenses) is simply deafening on playback. A mic can be added, which I think I would do if I got seriously into making movies on the 5D. Movie buffs are drooling over the chance to use wide aperture lenses that don't cost a trillion dollars, but for me the HD function is more of a gimmick for now. Although if I have some time on my hands, maybe I'll get into it some day. You can shoot still frames while recording, and on playback there is just a tiny glitchy moment when the camera returns momentarily to being a still frame device.

Overall this is a superb upgrade to the 5D. Aside from the size and name on the side, it's hardly the same camera at all.

Yes it's expensive, and yes the 7D seems to have similar quality photos in terms of bit depth and image size, but for me full frame functionality of this camera is the main thing. L lenses (especially the wide angle ones) only really make sense on a full frame camera. Although wildlife shooters might argue against me there.

The 5D was an amazing camera and I had years of joy with it. I look forward to years more with this one - and wonder what Canon will have to do in order to convince me to ever upgrade again.

Beg, borrow, steal. Get one!!

I've owned the 5D Mk II for about 6 weeks now but have held off adding a review until I'd had a chance to really use it on a trip and in the studio.

Canon SLRs all have largely similar handling so if you're used to using one, the function of the buttons will be largely familiar though perhaps not located in the same place. While this means you can use it 'out of the box', a thorough review of the 200+ page manual (in a single language) is necessary to get the best out of it. It's a reasonably heavy camera and with an L series lens attached (and you'll need that quality of lens to go with the high-resolution sensor) you'll certainly notice it's been around your neck after a full day of shooting. On that subject the supplied neckstrap does draw attention, having the model number brightly displayed across it - the older ones just stated Canon EOS. On a recent trip to Paris I became uncomfortable at some of the attention it was drawing, eventually tucking it under my shirt collar to avoid being mugged.

First reaction on looking through the viewfinder is the size. This is my first full-frame DLSR and it immediately reminded me of film SLRs. As a spectacle wearer, I find I have to glance around at the corners of the frame since my first few shots surprised me with items around the edges that I'd not noticed at first, accustomed as a I have become to a smaller viewfinder image. It takes only a few minutes to get used to this and it's a reminder that the camera is a professional tool. The first major improvement from other Canon DSLRs is the rear LCD: bright, clear and detailed, it allows me finally to check detailed focus by zooming right in at full resolution. Checking focus is much more assured, leading to less missed shots. It automatically adjusts brightness for the light conditions which is great but I'd recommend using the histogram to check exposure as the auto-brightness can lead you to make assumptions about the brightness of the image itself.

Image resolution is fantastic if you have the highest quality lenses and your exposure is spot-on. The high resolution of the sensor does mean it is slightly unforgiving with regard to exposure and focus errors. In the early days of digital photography the old film experts used to recommend setting exposure compensation to slightly under-expose in order to avoid burning out highlights at all costs, assuming a similar situation to transparencies. In fact, SLIGHT over-exposure is preferable as this can be pulled back in a RAW file without introducing as much noise as brightening an under-exposed image. In my experience so far, in outdoor situations the metering tends to under-expose slightly so I've normally set the compensation to add 1/3 stop of over-exposure, occasionally increasing this to 2/3. In the studio using a flash meter and the camera on manual, exposures are bang-on so it seems to be that the matrix metering is under-exposing.

I mentioned noise in that last paragraph so let's talk about that next as it's bound to be one of the selling points of the camera. I'm afraid I've not used any of the latest Nikons so I can't make a comparison to high-ISO noise performance on a D700, which is the logical equivalent. What I can say is that the noise is significantly lower than any other Canon DLSR I've ever used (I've 3 other bodies). In fact one of the very first pictures I took was of my cat indoors. I was marvelling at the resolution of the image having loaded it into Lightroom but looking at the metadata suddenly realised that the camera default setting is automatic ISO selection and this image had been taken at ISO 3200. And I hadn't noticed because there was no noise!

What I've found since is that noise is only really noticeable between ISO 1600 and 6400 if the image is under-exposed or, if the image has a wide contrast range, in shadows. Setting the in-camera noise reduction to Strong reduces this with no obvious degradation to quality. The type of image I tend to shoot is landscape and portrait so light is generally either plentiful or the camera is on a tripod so low-light photography is not something I do regularly. However this takes me back to the weight with a heavy lens attached: on a number of occasions I've bumped up the ISO to get a faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake. In good lighting this has minimal effect on image quality.

Overall, the image quality is good enough for A3 sized prints without having to add significant sharpening and could probably be a lot larger still. With images taken using studio flash and a tripod, the amount of detail captured in clothing, hair and skin is incredible. Depending on the quality of the skin, this can increase the amount of post-production required!

In order to provide a balanced review, I have to say that anyone who shoots mainly sports or action might be disappointed with the maximum frame rate and the autofocus is not ideal for tracking moving subjects so I'll keep my 40D for those situations. Also the video mode is of no real interest to me (I still haven't tried it); the design of an SLR is not really suited to video and the lack of full autofocus would be an issue for me as I suffer from astigmatism. When focussing manually I tend to hunt backwards and forwards before finding the point of focus - not something you want captured on video! Occasionally I also miss a built-in flash, which is useful for a fill-in for outdoor portraits. Canon have recently announced a new compact flashgun which could be good as the 580EX takes up quite a big space in my bag.

To sum up, this camera provides the image quality of a 1DS Mk III at a lower price and probably better high ISO performance. For landscape and portraiture it's everything I want, but I've a fairly large set of Canon system lenses and accessories so swapping to Nikon is not an option. It's not ideal for everyone but hopefully this review will help you decide whether it suits your needs.

I'll begin by giving you some backround info.

I have been a photographer for about 10 years. During this time I have mainly been shooting with film cameras & happened to use Canon. I began with a second hand Canon EOS 300 film camera & finally progressed to the fantastic Canon EOS 1V pro film camera. I shot mostly using professional colour slide film, the fantastic Fuji Velvia bieng my prefered choice and the usual array of B&W film from Kodak, Fuji & Ilford. I would then scan my work using the excellent Konica Minolta dedicated film scanner, the Scan Elite 5400. All my equipment is fully colour managed. This meant that the files once scanned into my PC looked exactly as they should in terms of colour, contrast etc ... In order to achieve this I had to profile my scanner as well as my PC monitor & finally my printer. And frankly all was well !!! If you have ever had the pleasure of shooting with Fuji Velvia Colour (ISO 50 film) then you will know what I mean when I say that the colours produced are simply breathtaking. And frankly I was spoiled. But there were some issues. Mainly the cost & time taken to use this as my workflow was increasingly becoming too much.

So the time had come for me to reluctantly consider the switch to digital. This is in the spring of 2008. I wanted a fullframe camera as I prefer to use available light in my photography & shoot with fast primes, so needed something that could be used at high ISO's. But I also needed a camera that could track focus as I do a lot of candid & street photography. Now the choices at that time were a little thin on the ground. We had the original Canon 5D (a little long in the tooth by this time), the Canon 1Ds MK3 (far too expensive) & Nikon's new full frame wonder the D3 (not quite as expensive as the Canon EOS 1Ds MK3). At the time I stuck with what I knew and decided to purchase the original Canon EOS 5D. The quality of the files produced from this camera were great. But the camera struggled to track focus at 3 Frames Per Second & this unfortunatley ruled it out for me. So I began to consider the unthinkable & switch to the Nikon D3, which meant changing all my glass as well !!! Well after reading all the reviews I decided to take the plunge & purchased a D3 with a Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR, & the Nikon 50 1.4D as well as a Nikon wide angle zoom. I was just on my way to Asia for 3 weeks & had a couple of days to familiarise myself with this beast of a camera. To cut a long story short the D3 was a very capable camera & had most of what I was looking for in a Digital Camera. But there was just one thing that I could not escape. The colour files were just not quite right & as you know from my film days I have very high expectations when it comes to colour photography. Now the D3 did not misbehave all the time & can produce great colour but it was a little too hit & miss for my liking. I shoot in Raw & use Photoshop CS5 to process files & some of the D3 colour files needed a lot tweaking & frankly I was getting bored. I don't want to spend lots of time in front of the PC & prefer to be out there shooting :) I tried everything but sometimes just could not get the files from this camera to look as I wished. Don't get me wrong in virtually every other way this camera is outstanding. In the end many of my colour files were converted to B&W. Maybe Nikon's colour rendition is not to my liking. But all in all this was too much of a handicap.

So at the end of 2010, I began to look at alternatives again. I decided to stay away from Nikon bodies this time. This bring us to the Canon EOS 5D MK2. Phew !!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember I had briefly owned the original 5D & I do remember the colour files from the original bieng quite good so .....

First impressions of the EOS 5D MK2:

Build quality : ..... Score - 3/5

A little underwhelming (a little better than the original 5D), although it does sport a magnesium alloy body the plastic outer case feels a little cheap, Canon can definately improve on this & take some tips from Nikon in this department (look at the similarly priced Nikon D700). Weather sealing could also be improved. The Compact flash door could be better but is not a huge deal. It is also not the most comfortable camera to hold & I don't even have the biggest hands, my pinky has nowhere to rest :( so room for improvement here.

Menu/Interface: ..... Score - 4/5

Quite good & is easier to navigate than the Nikon D3 System in my opinion, most important controls can be quickly adjusted using the various controls on the camera.

Autofocus System ..... Score - 2.5/5

This has been heavily critisised. Well there is good & bad news here. The Good news is that it is quite a reliable system, which given Canon's recent history with the 1D MK3 & some issues with the new 1D MK4 this is a good thing. It can for example track focus moving subjects really quite well for a 21mp 3.9 FPs camera, an improvement on the original 5D. And in low light the camera is reasonably good at locking focus on low contrast subjects. Now for the bad. You really can only use the center AF point reliably as this is the only one that is a cross type !!!!!!! The outer points are much less reliable. In fact in focus tracking mode only the center focus point can be used along with the six invisible points but be sure to enable the 'AF point expansion' option in the cameras custom function menu !!! In low light the outer points are not very good. This means that you will have to do a lot of focus & recomposing which may mean changing your shooting style. Shame on you Canon for this in my opinion deliberate strategy. The system works but at the expense of flexibilty & requires the user to make a fair no. of compromises in terms of style. Once again Canon must look at what Nikon is achieving with the D700 & it's AF sytem (51 points, 15 cross type !!!!) The bigger question is why Canon barely updated the AF from the original version of the 5D. Well the answer is because the files from this camera are nothing short of outstanding !!!! In fact the files are Canon's best, better even than the top of the range Canon EOS 1Ds MK3 costing 3 times as much !!! And here lies the issue for Canon. Canon marketing realised that if this camera had a more pro spec. AF system that it will seriously eat into the sales of it's flagship 1Ds Mk3 camera. This stategy backfired on Canon with the release of the Nikon Full frame cameras (D3, D3s & more importantly the D700). It became achingly clear that Canon could do better but was holding back to protect sales of it's flagship cameras and has been rightly & widely critised for this. Lets hope that Canon has learned it's lesson when it releases the EOS 5D MK3 !!!!!!!!!!!!

Image quality: ..... Score - 5/5

Well this is what it's all about .... Simply outstanding !!! The best colour I have seen from any digital camera and I am fussy ... In terms of noise it at least equals the Nikon D700 / D3 files up to ISO 3200 (the D700 & D3 files are virtually identical as they have the same sensor & processing engine) ... I have as yet not shot higher than 3200 ISO ... This is no mean feat given that the Nikon cameras max out at 12MP & the Canon shoots 21MP files !!! In fact at lower ISO's the canon is cleaner !!! The metering is also very good straight out of the box using matrix/evaluative metering mode ... The camera tends to underexpose a little which is my personal preference as it hate blown highlights .... At 21MP's this camera has resolution in spades ... do we need 21MP well the jury is out on this one, it's nice to be able to crop large parts of the image & still have 12MP to play with ... but then again if you look at what Nikon Have achieved with the remarkable D3s then you have to wonder ... In the end it's a trade off !!!!

Miscellaneous:

The viewfinder is more than up to the task in this camera & is nice & bright, would prefer 100% coverage instead of 98% but no big deal. Nikon D3 viewfinder is spectacular, super bright & 100% but it is a pro camera.

The great surprise was the Canon 5D MK2's 3" LCD screen. And I'm not refering to it's ability to give the user a more accurate view of in focus shots due to the 3X higher resolution compared to the original Canon 5D. No the greatest thing about this screen is the colour & exposure accuracy !!!!!!!! It is really very good indeed & miles ahead of the Nikon D3 in this regard. When I compare the shots on the EOS 5D Mk2 3" LCD screen to my £800 fully colour calibrated EIZO ColourEdge pro PC monitor the accuracy is remarkable !!!!!!! For me this is a fantastic bonus ....

Battery is ok & gives more detailed info than previous versions ... I get around 600-800 shots per charge which is not bad ..

Hope this review has been helpfull to you & happy shooting :)