Canon 5D MkII DSLR

What could be better than a semi-pro DSLR with over 21 megapixels? How about adding true HD - 1080p at 30 frames per second!

Not to go overboard on the video capabilities of the camera I should make a point to tell you about its terrific still image quality. Take the best from Canon's other successful cameras like the original 5D, the 50D and EOS-1 Ds MkIII, roll them into one and you get the 5D MkII as the offspring.

Twenty-one megapixels is the high mark for me when it comes to image size on traditional 35mm size DSLR cameras. With that many megapixels to work with there are very few limitations of what size print you can make with the new 5D MkII. Even your more standard size prints will show more detail and more importantly, textures to objects like cloth. (you fashion photographers remember this) Noise on the 5D MkII is nonexistent at lower ISO's and doesn't bother me even at ISO 3200.

The 5D MkII I tested came with Canon's versatile EF 24-105 f4.0 L IS USM lens. The two are available together in a kit for about $3,500. For most of you this lens will fill a lot of your shooting needs. However, as good as this lens is for most photography, those looking to get the most of the 5D Mk II capabilities I think should look to Canon's top tier of lenses - the f2.8 zooms or fast fixed lenses. You especially want to lean more toward the latter if you're going to be shooting a lot of video with the 5D MkII since a fixed lens' wide aperture lets you isolate your subject better with their ability for shallow focus.

 

Hand held, straight out of camera from RAW file, default settings. With 21.1 megapixels you can see the texture of the rope and cloth. If I'd used a tripod/cable release and one of Canon's top tier lenses the results would have been even better. Click for full view.

Another reason to shoot with zooms and fixed lenses with f2.8 or wider apertures is that auto focus is faster and more accurate because you can now use the camera's better cross type AF sensors. The 5D MkII has nine selectable of AF sensors, plus an additional six vertical and horizontal AF assist points. One of those is the better cross type AF point in the center of the finder. This is for use with lenses of f2.8 or faster aperture. There are two more horizontal AF points; one above and one below the center which can also be used with f2.8 lenses or faster. That's all nice but my favorite thing about working with fast lenses is how much brighter the viewfinder is and how the clarity helps me when shooting. I seem to be able to hit the peak of action more often, even compose better, because I can see the details of the image better.

The images I had coming out of the 5d Mk II were exceptional. It was like shooting with my all-time favorite camera, the Canon EOS-1 Ds MkIII. Used with a top quality lens and good shooting practices, both these cameras output images that will take your breath away. Because of the higher pixel count and good pixel density numbers of this camera you'll find you'll be able to see details you didn't see before in your shots. For me that alone would be enough to switch. Add the video capabilities and you have a no-brainer reason to upgrade to the 5D MkII.

If you are a wedding photographer the 5D MkII is a must have camera. Imagine easily switching back and forth between shooting stills and video of the wedding. I stress that 'easily' part in particular. The added impact of offering the highest quality photos, and video, will push your sales higher than ever.

For you RAW shooters you'll love to know that with the Canon's 14-bit workflow you can print using all the data with certain printers like Canon's 9000 MkII and 9500 MkII (both with rebates until Sept 30, 2009). With this you'll get a wider range of colors as well as less chance of banding area with smooth gradients like the sky. Actually, both printers can handle up to 16-bit data for future cameras.

When shooting with a digital camera with a full frame sensor you're more likely to experience problems with vignetting. The Canon 5D MkII features Lens Peripheral Correction, meaning it corrects for vignetting. You can do this automatically in camera, or manually in their Digital Photo Professional software.

Live View features :
5X or 10X zoom - critical for checking if you have proper focus
Grid Overlay to help align vertical and horizontal subjects in the viewfinder
New Face Detection AF mode which locks focus on your subject's face. If more than one person in the viewfinder you can manually pick which face to focus on.

What else do you need for shooting video?
If you plan on shooting video then also budget for needed accessories

• Always buy at least one spare battery when you purchase a camera, especially if you plan to either shoot video or use the Live View function a lot. Both will eat through your battery faster than regular shooting will.
• A fluid head for your tripod or a new video tripod with a fluid head. Standard still camera heads won't let you shoot smooth pans like a fluid head will. Be aware there are heads that are 'fluid-like' that are ok but I'd recommend a real fluid head with tension adjustments. Bogen/Manfrotto has some good ones.
• There's also a new-to-me company, Zacuto, that makes some beautiful dedicated pieces to help make shooting video with the Canon 5D MkII easier. Check out their appropriately named 'Gorilla Kits' for the Canon. http://www.zacuto.com/dslr-gorilla-kits
• Pick up a number of 8GB or higher capacity Compact Flash cards that feature UDMA write speeds. You'll want the higher capacity cards to handle the larger file sizes that a 21.1 megapixel image produces, plus the UDMA write speed improvements help keep up with the camera's image buffer, emptying it faster so you can keep on shooting longer bursts of images. UDMA also can help when shooting video to keep the video stream transferring smoothly. (For video you want a card that has a read/write speed of at least 8MB a second.)
• Also very important when shooting video is sound. The 5D MkII has both an internal microphone and a socket for an external mic. If you're at all serious about using the Canon for video then you should pick up a good quality microphone, maybe some wireless lapel mics as well. The latter is especially good when shooting with children running around or the bride and groom dancing and talking with each other.
• Whether shooting still or video you'll want to pick up a Circular Polarizer filter. For video on the 5d Mk II I would strongly recommend you pick up some ND filters too because of some of the limitations of shutter speeds selection you're faced with when shooting video. A .3 and .6 ND will do nicely for most shooting situations. You might consider a neutral grad filter also to darken the sky or foreground in videos. Nice touches can be added using star or soft focus filters.
• You'll also need to think about lighting. I'm a fan of Lowel lights. http://www.lowel.com/ I've used their Tota and Omni lights quite a few times. Both are small, easy to use and versatile.
• When shooting shots where you need to move the camera around the scene you should consider something like a SteadyCam. If you're on a budget you can find plans online to build something similar on your own.

Final Thoughts
I wish I had the space to really go into detail on all the bits I like about the 5D MkII but I hope I've caught your curiosity enough to get you out of your chair and over to the neighborhood camera shop to check out the 5D MkII. Nothing beats the help a knowledgeable sales person can give you in making a wise purchase or answering your questions so be sure to support them in return.

There are other little touches Canon gear has that makes life easier on the photographer. For example their battery charger is compact and no cord needed since it has foldout prongs for the AC socket. There's also an easy to read charge level indicator light. If you travel the charger work with both 50/60 Hz and 100 V AC to 240 V AC for use in other countries. Just buy the appropriate plug adapter and you're good to go. There's also a six level battery discharge indicator on the camera's LCD display to tell you in detail exactly how much power is left in your battery. There's also a built -in diopter for eye-glass wearers.

Again I have to say I like the design of the control and menu interfaces better on the Canon than with other cameras, like my Nikon D300 (which isn't bad but I like the Canon better). I just seem to be able to change things faster using Canon's layout.

Buying a camera with such a wide range of image controls can take time to master. It s a good thing that Canon makes it easy to get good results using default settings, leaving the photographer to learn the intricacies at their own pace.

The 5D MkII is the second finest camera I've ever shot with. First Place goes to the EOS-1 Ds MkIII that I tested more than a year ago. The main differences between the two is the 1Ds MkIII will take a load of abuse. No matter where you go, or what the conditions, from Antarctica ice fields to the Sahara Desert the 1Ds MkIII will handle them. While the 5D MkII is a well made camera its not as much of an in-the-mud slugger that the 1Ds MkIII is. However, with the 5D MkII you gain that ability to shoot beautiful quality 1080p/30 fps video. So if you're like me and your idea of grand adventuring is going up to Mammoth and Mono Lake to shoot the Fall scenery then the 5D MkII won't disappoint. In fact I will predict that you'll come back with the best shots of your life.

Click for full view.