Canon EOS 5D Mark II (Body Only)
Manufacturer: Canon Part number: 2764B003
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- A great follow-up to the 5D and top-flight full-frame camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II delivers the fluid shooting experience and fine photos you expect from a professional model.
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CNET editors' review
Canon EOS 5D Mark II (Body Only) price range: $1,819.00 - $3,099.00
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 01/27/2009
- Released on: 11/25/2008
The good: Excellent performance and photo quality; good video capture capabilities and quality.
The bad: No built-in wireless controller; large spot meter; no built-in flash; more direct controls would be nice; AF system could use an update.
The bottom line: A great follow-up to the 5D and top-flight full-frame camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II delivers the fluid shooting experience and fine photos you expect from a professional model.
Three years is a long time for any product to hang around, especially when the technology changes as rapidly as it does for digital cameras. Though it's always had a big fan base, Canon EOS 5D users have nonetheless been itching for more. The successor Canon delivers: the EOS 5D Mark II is in many ways a must-have upgrade, especially for the wedding photography crowd for whom the 5D is a workhorse. And with many of the imaging components of the 1Ds Mark III (including a later version of the image-processing engine, Digic 4) for a price tag $5,000 lower, it's certainly an attractive alternative. It's also priced fairly aggressively compared with the competition despite its new 21-megapixel CMOS sensor and groundbreaking movie capture capability.
The camera comes in two official configurations: the body-only or a kit version with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. Usually I'm not a fan of the lenses that ship as part of kits like this, but I ended up liking the 24-105mm a lot more than I expected and think it's a good match for anyone looking for a first lens to pair with the camera. As with all of the high-resolution models, however, it really makes a difference to go for the sharpest lenses in the arsenal.
Slightly heavier than its predecessor, the Mark II weighs just over 2 pounds. Canon says it beefed up the dust and weather sealing a bit around the card cover and buttons and improved rated shutter durability for up to 150,000 cycles. The body itself is a steel chassis covered with magnesium alloy. But while it's clearly solidly made, it nevertheless doesn't feel quite as tanklike as the D700. Like all of Canon's pro dSLRs, it's very comfortable to grip and shoot. The downside of the updated design is that it takes new accessories, including a new battery and new vertical grip.
Canon reorganized the controls a bit from the rest of its models. On the top sits the main dial plus four dual-purpose buttons that access adjustments for the metering (huge 3.5 percent spot, 8 percent partial, center-weighted, and evaluative) and white balance; AF (single, AI Servo and AI Focus) and drive modes; and ISO sensitivity and flash compensation. Unlike the Sony Alpha DLSR-A900, the top status LCD displays complete information; you can pull the current settings up on the rear LCD as well, but can't navigate them the way you can on that camera. I miss that, as well as the direct-control metering switch on the A900 and Nikon D700. The mode dial on the top left offers just the basics--as it should: Bulb, PASM, Auto, three custom settings slots, and the Creative Auto mode that debuted in the EOS 50D
The top rear right has buttons for initiating AF, exposure lock, and focus-point selection; down the left rear are the Live View/PictBridge, Menu, Picture Styles, Info, Playback, and delete buttons. Unfortunately, most of the buttons on the body feel identical to their neighbors. The 5D Mark II uses the same joystick multicontroller and Quick Control dial with Set button as its other recent models. I still like them. (Click through the slide show for more on the camera's design and features.)
The viewfinder is slightly larger and a bit brighter than the 5D's. While it offers broader coverage than the D700's--98 percent versus 95 percent--it falls short of the 100 percent provided by the A900 and by midrange models like the Olympus E-3. C'mon Canon, eke out that last 2 percent, please.
The most notable feature advantage the 5D Mark II has over its competitors is the movie-capture capability. Canon supports 1,920x1,080 at 30fps, true 1080p HD, with a mono mic built in and stereo mic input, with clips of up to 12 minutes (on a 4GB card). All things considered, it's a pretty nice implementation. Though you can't autofocus, you can adjust exposure while shooting; the optical stabilization works; and you can apply Picture Styles.
Many of the new capabilities definitely target pros: a pair of low-resolution raw formats (10 and 5.2 megapixels), more interchangeable focusing-screen options, in-camera peripheral-illumination correction to compensate for brightness nonuniformity across the image, and a silent Live View mode. There's also Face Detection AF, but it only works in Live View mode. If you do HDR work, you'll probably find the 5D Mark II's bracketing implementation a mixed bag. It's incredibly flexible compared with most--in some respects. For instance, you can bracket in any increments of 1/3, 2/3, 1, 1 1/3, 1 2/3, or 2 full stops, centered around any EV up to +/- 4 stops. Unfortunately, it limits you to three exposures where other cameras let you do five or seven. Argh.
The Mark II uses a new battery pack, the LP-E6, which seems to last a reasonably long time: it's CIPA rated at between 750 and 850 shots, depending upon temperature. It also supports some fairly advanced reporting features. For instance, you can register the packs and then the camera will track the date last used, number of shots you've taken on it since last recharge, and its ability to hold a charge, in addition to the remaining capacity on a charge status.
However, the camera's still missing some features offered by the competition. Though one doesn't use the on-camera flash as a rule in this class, it really is nice to have in an emergency. Canon also continues its tradition of not including an in-camera wireless flash controller; some traditions deserve to die. And if you want on-board image stabilization, the A900's your only option.
The 5D always felt a bit sluggish to me, despite actual performance numbers to the contrary. This camera delivers the same measured performance, but feels much zippier. And overall, it fares quite well compared to the D700. It wakes up and shoots in 0.3 second and takes between 0.3 and 0.6 second to shoot, depending upon lighting conditions. It typically runs about 0.4 second from shot to shot.
For burst shooting, however, it's the slowest of all the new models, partly because of Nikon's significantly lower resolution and Sony's doubling up on the processors to maintain burst rates. Neither its 3.8fps burst-shooting speed (unlimited JPEG/14 Raw) nor its center-intensive 9-point AF system really lends itself to seriously fast, continuous shooting of moving subjects. And if your shooting style requires lots of AF points beyond the middle quarter of the frame, this probably isn't the camera for you. But for center focusers like me, it works quite well.
I'm extremely pleased with the quality of the photos the 5D Mark II delivers. As you'd expect from a model in its price class, it renders accurate and consistent exposures and colors. Given its resolution, its noise profile is surprisingly good: no noise or noise suppression artifacts until about ISO 1600, at which point all you see is a slight bit of softening. Depending upon subject matter, photos can remain usable as high as ISO 12,800. My only quibble is with the overly warm tungsten white balance. Even the video looks and sounds good, though the mic could use a wind filter. (Click through the slide show for image samples and more discussion of photo quality.)
When I first blogged about the camera in September 2008, I commented that it "doesn't provoke the knee-jerk WANT response I expected." After shooting with it for about a month, I have to admit, I'm sold. I want this camera. I love the Nikon D700 as well, but the 5D Mark II's higher resolution and surprisingly good video capture put it over the top for me.
(Smaller bars indicate better performance)
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Time to first shot | |
Raw shot-to-shot time | |
Shutter lag (dim light) | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
User reviews
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Simply... Superb!
by ppolgar on January 6, 2009
Pros: Image Quality!
Cons: For the price... none!
Summary: I recently purchased the Canon 5D Mark 2 kit, which includes the 24-105 L f/4 lens. In terms of build quality, the new 5D is a definite improvement over ...
Summary: I recently purchased the Canon 5D Mark 2 kit, which includes the 24-105 L f/4 lens. In terms of build quality, the new 5D is a definite improvement over the previous model. The finish is less prone to minor scuffs and nicks. The level of detail and overall image quality from this 21 mega-pixel camera system at base ISO settings is quite simply? superb. The best that I have personally seen thus far when pixel peeping. Considering the pixel density, the low noise factor is also amazing producing usable prints even up to 6400. Canon managed to pull off a piece of engineering marvel with this newly developed sensor and the Digic 4 processor. The ?black pixel? issue has never reared it ugly head and I even tried on numerous occasions to create this phenomena. But as usual, based on several blogs and websites, there are many who are already jumping all over this camera system because of the so-called ?black pixel?. If it even does occur, you would have to print billboard size images to even notice this problem. I have been shooting professionally now for over 25 years. I happen to shoot both Canon and Nikon. Like all systems, both have their strengths and weaknesses. However, in recent years, I have read an incredible amount of camera bashing that is beyond ridiculous. I?m convinced that many of these self proclaimed experts are not even photographers and if they are, I suspect that they are simply point and shooters who have too much time on their hands. Camera equipment for the most part, is simply a tool. For you self-proclaimed experts, check out the dpchallenge website. Some of the finest and award winning photos were done with either a Nikon D70 or a Canon Rebel. It still comes down to the skilled individual in the art of both photography and post processing capabilities. However, the new 5D will expand one?s creativeness and will produce beautiful color rich, highly detailed prints even beyond 30 inches. Personally, I highly recommend the Canon 5D Mark 2. It represents a tremendous value considering the 5D Mark 2?s attributes. Happy shooting!
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Huge upgrade, worth every $
by TonyCPhoto on December 31, 2008
Pros: Full Frame, Very easy to shoot Video, Big Screen, wide Viewfinder, Comfortable in my hands
Cons: some what expensive, missing some key video features,
Summary: I've had my camera since Christmas Eve and I absolutely love it. I've only shot Christmas pictures and a few portraits but it's everything in a camera ...
Summary: I've had my camera since Christmas Eve and I absolutely love it. I've only shot Christmas pictures and a few portraits but it's everything in a camera I've been hoping for. I previously had a 30D and sold it in October to be ready financially when this came out. I was hoping it was closer to November but hey I have it now.
Most people interested in the camera has no doubt seen Vincent Laforet's Reverie, and since I've had the camera I'm been doing primarily shooting Video. It's as easy as turn on the camera, hit the Live view button, compose the shot and hit Set to start recording. I've taken the videos and made small products already in just a few hours of editing, No problems importing the video, everything looks amazing. I've been shooting with the 16 - 35 f/2.8 70-200 f/2.8 are usm and the 50mm f/1.8 and they all look sharp and great.
The missing parts with video is full control, you can't set Shutter speed, aperture, or Is independent of each other, It's on full auto mode you can use the back wheel for exposure compensation but that's only to +/-2 however the exposure lock on the top left of the camera works to lock the exposure even in video.
It's an easy firmware update that Canon is sure to do eventually.
The photo's in low light are crisp with annoying noise not appearing till at least 3200 ISO. The Full Frame is probably my favorite thing having a 16mm lens look like 16mm not 25.6mm (1.6 crop factor). Looking at the other two FF's, Nikon d700 and Sony's this is the best bang for the buck, Nikon's is only 12.8 MP but that's more than enough for 90% of prints. It's cheaper but no Video. Sony has around 24 but more expensive and not as wide of a selection of lenses and again no video.
Any Canon fan should look to upgrade if they are making photography/videography more than just a hobby,2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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In comparison to competition I have had highest success
by pgu123 on January 5, 2009
Pros: Improved weather sealing, full frame high performance sensor, very true color reproduction, lcd is just mint, menu improved by a mile, very practical and useful features.
Have used HD video recording with amazing results with all types of L glass.Cons: Live view focusing could be quicker and some other minor quirks which I am sure will be update via software versions soon.
Summary: Resolution, spot on focus, adjustment for front or back focus on lenses, very useful highlight priority, good light correction compensation, automatic lens aberration correction, many useful features and bottom line ...
Summary: Resolution, spot on focus, adjustment for front or back focus on lenses, very useful highlight priority, good light correction compensation, automatic lens aberration correction, many useful features and bottom line quality performance on par with 1ds II o better in some situations and sorry Nikon is great too but a little behind in final output comparison.
This time easier to say this bad boy is closer to pro and not as much pro-sumer as the old 5d.
Highly recommend will out do your expectations especially for the photography end result or final image quality.
Even auto mode exposure are hard to mess up.
Other cameras being used currently 1ds mark II, Nikon D3.
Obviously there are situations where we use the other cameras with outstanding results as well but simply if it was not an assignment requirement where it calls for let's say more durability shooting in the cold or rain, the 5d mark II end result being image quality in our eyes does outperform the other two.
In consideration for the final result it takes into account correct exposure, focus, true to life color rendition all prior to even thinking of software manipulation of any kind.
It really is an incredible camera and we just barely started using the HD video feature so will not comment too much other than it is ground breaking so far for even the simple reason of how much work can be done in almost pure darkness and grain is just incredible.
Thanks for reading my post.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best camera I've ever owned.
by johnnyg77 on January 28, 2011
Pros: I rarely get a bad picture and the full frame Raw files are very easy to crop with plenty of resolution left afterward. I love this camera!
Cons: I can't think of any.
Summary: I replaced my Canon 40D with the 5D MkII when it first came out over a year ago. I use it with a 24-105 lens which is extremely sharp and ...
Summary: I replaced my Canon 40D with the 5D MkII when it first came out over a year ago. I use it with a 24-105 lens which is extremely sharp and very colorful. I really can't think of anything I don't like about the camera.
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I am soo impressed. Ron Rivchin
by Ron_Rivchin on March 12, 2010
Pros: I think this camera is wonderful. I feel scammed by some of the negative reviews. Obviously, those reviews have never shot a photo or a headshot from such a great camera
Cons: for the price I don't see cons.
Summary: Great camera for photos of all sorts. Don't be scammed by negative reviews of this wonderful peice of work.
Summary: Great camera for photos of all sorts. Don't be scammed by negative reviews of this wonderful peice of work.
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The best for this price range for landscape photography
by kleinzeira on March 3, 2010
Pros: Tthis camera is a must have upgrade, but definitely not for the wedding photographers. This camera, as its predecessor the 5D was designed with the landscape photographer in mind: full sensor (no magnification factor), LiveView (hyperfocal distance).
Cons: In spite of easier availability of mirror lock in the menu (compared with the 5D) I would still like a button for direct control of this feature.
Summary: Canon has done it again. The best camera in its category.
Summary: Canon has done it again. The best camera in its category.
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Tough, incredible images, lots of features
by dochendo on December 23, 2009
Pros: Great flexibility, built like a tank, images are as sharp as the lens can make them.
Cons: Price, weight, autofocus not brilliant
Summary: This camera is approaching nirvana. Full-frame takes advantage of good lenses. Be warned that you will need them to live up to the potential of the camera. Low-light sensitivity very ...
Summary: This camera is approaching nirvana. Full-frame takes advantage of good lenses. Be warned that you will need them to live up to the potential of the camera. Low-light sensitivity very nice for existing-light shots. Many more features and flexibility than you'll take advantage before holographic imagery takes over in 10 years. As above, built like a tank, and weight and size could be considered a disadvantage. However, durability was prime, and this camera is built to be used and abused.
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21mp full frame DSLR w/ 30fps 1080p video!
by kevitivity on August 22, 2009
Pros: At the time of writing, this is probably the best DSLR in term of image quality. The pro-qulaity video is only icing on the cake.
Cons: This camera is not a good choice for those who are *hard-core*sports / bird photographers because of it's limited AF. Super high quality, FF, 21mp sensor requires extremely expensive "L" class lenses.
Summary: A superb full frame digital camera for advanced users. I've owned many SLR camera over the years, film and digital, and this is easily the best camera I have ...
Summary: A superb full frame digital camera for advanced users. I've owned many SLR camera over the years, film and digital, and this is easily the best camera I have ever purchased. Perfect for pastorate, landscape, architecture, and wedding use. Video will push you wedding photo business over the top!
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Very impressive SLR camera
by JTDragonOrigin on May 13, 2009
Pros: 21 MP with really sharp images...
Cons: $2,800........
Summary: WoW! that's what I have to say!
Summary: WoW! that's what I have to say!
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Incredible
by Detoledo on January 28, 2009
Pros: Very robust comparing to my old 30D, fast, tremendous performance at ISO6400...
Cons: Still miss a built in flash for sunlight support...
Summary: Image quality is fantastic, but really recommend to use L series lens otherwise will lose the sharpness....
Summary: Image quality is fantastic, but really recommend to use L series lens otherwise will lose the sharpness....
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon
- Part number: 2764B003
- Description: Canon's update to the wildly popular full frame EOS 5D is here, and it's better than ever. The EOS 5D Mark II has a stunning 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4 image processor, a vast ISO range of 100-6400, plus EOS technologies like auto lighting optimizer and peripheral illumination correction. It supports Live View shooting, Live View HD videos, and more. It can shoot up to 3.9 fps, has 9 AF points plus 6 AF assist points, a 98% coverage viewfinder, a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD and a rugged build.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - SLR with Live View mode,
with Movie recording - Resolution 21.1 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type CMOS
- Total Pixels 22,000,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 21,100,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 24 x 36mm
- Field of View Crop Factor 1.0
- Sensor Dust Reduction Yes
- Sensor Features EOS Integrated Cleaning System
- Image Processor DIGIC 4
- Auto Focus TTL phase detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 15
- Digital Video Format H.264
- Image Recording Format JPEG,
RAW,
RAW + JPEG - AV Interfaces HDMI,
Composite video/audio Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO 100-6400,
ISO auto (100-3200),
ISO 50,
ISO 12800,
ISO 25600 - Exposure Metering Partial (8%),
Spot AF area,
Evaluative,
Spot (3.5%),
Center-weighted - Exposure Metering Zones 35
- Exposure Modes E-TTL II program flash,
Program,
Bulb,
Automatic,
Shutter-priority,
Manual,
Aperture-priority - Shooting Programs Portrait mode,
Landscape - Special Effects Portrait,
Landscape,
Faithful,
Neutral,
Monochrome - White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Daylight,
Tungsten light,
Shade,
Fluorescent,
Cloudy,
Flash - Max Shutter Speed 1/8000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 30 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±3 EV range, in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
- White Balance Bracketing Yes
- X-sync Speed 1/200 sec
- Exposure Range EV 1-20 ( ISO 100 )
Lens System
- Lens System Mounting Canon EF
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash None
Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 3.9 frames per second
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec,
10 sec - Flash Terminal PC terminal,
Hot shoe - Status LCD Display Illumination Yes
- Additional Features Digital image rotation,
Display brightness control,
Audio recording,
Depth-of-field preview button,
Exif Print support,
AF lock,
Wi-Fi ready,
DPOF support,
RGB primary color filter,
FE lock,
AE lock,
Auto power save,
Digital noise reduction,
Histogram display,
Highlight point display,
Camera orientation detection,
LCD live view mode,
PictBridge support,
Takes photos while movie recording,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Direct print,
Peripheral illumination correction Display
- Type 3 in LCD display
- Display Features Built-in
Microphone
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB,
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x HDMI output,
1 x Remote control,
1 x Microphone - Memory Card Slot CompactFlash Card
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Optical - Fixed eye-level pentaprism
- Field Coverage 98%
- Magnification 0.71x
- Dioptric Correction Range -3 to +1
- Viewfinder Frames Autofocus frame
- LCD Display Information Memory card status,
ISO sensitivity,
Exposure compensation,
Shutter speed,
Aperture,
Flash charge completion,
FE lock,
AE lock,
AF-in-focus,
White balance,
Metering system,
Flash compensation on/off,
High-speed sync indicator,
Battery status System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows XP,
Apple Mac OS X 10.3 - 10.5,
MS Windows Vista,
MS Windows 2000 SP4 or later - Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
Eyepiece cover,
USB cable,
Eyecup,
Body cap,
Neck strap,
Audio / video cable - Body Material Magnesium alloy
- Protection Dust resistant,
Waterproof Software
- Software Canon ZoomBrowser EX,
Canon PhotoStitch,
Canon Digital Photo Professional,
Drivers & Utilities,
Canon ImageBrowser,
Canon Remote Capture,
Canon wireless Remote Capture Battery
- Supported Battery Canon LP-E6
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Memory / Storage
- Supported Memory Cards CompactFlash,
Microdrive - Internal Storage None
- Image Storage Fine JPEG 5616 x 3744 - 6.1 MB,
Normal JPEG 5616 x 3744 - 3 MB,
Fine JPEG 4080 x 2720 - 3.6 MB,
Normal JPEG 4080 x 2720 - 1.9 MB,
Fine JPEG 2784 x 1856 - 2.1 MB,
Normal JPEG 2784 x 1856 - 1 MB,
RAW 5616 x 3744 - 25.8 MB - Video Capture H.264 - 1920 x 1080,
H.264 - 640 x 480 Dimensions & Weight
- Width 6 in
- Depth 3 in
- Height 4.5 in
- Weight 1.8 lbs
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Product series
-
Canon EOS 5D Mark II (with 24-105mm lens)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: SLR,
21.1 megapixels,
4.3 x x Zoom lens - 24 mm - 105 mm - F/4.0 L IS USM Canon EF,
24 x 36mm,
CMOS,
Optical -
Canon EOS 5D Mark II (Body Only)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: SLR,
21.1 megapixels,
24 x 36mm,
CMOS
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Canon
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com
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