Canon EOS-5D Mark II Review

The Canon EOS-5D Mark II is a solid upgrade to its predecessor, and a great choice for Canon users looking to step up to a full-frame body. The Mark II has a whopping 21.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor (which isn't without a few issues), great build quality, full manual controls, HD movie recording, and more accessories than you could possibly afford. There aren't a lot of negatives, but they're all important ones. Images straight out of the camera are quite soft, though your choice of lens has at least some role in that. You'll also find some detail smudging from noise reduction at low ISOs in some photos, proving that compact cameras aren't the only one with this problem. While the Mark II's HD movie mode is very cool, the lack of continuous autofocus makes recording a challenge. Finally, the 5D lags behind its two main competitors -- the Nikon D700 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 -- in terms of battery life and continuous shooting performance. Despite those issues, the 5D Mark II is still a heck of a camera, and one that is easy to recommend.

The EOS-5D Mark II isn't just the original 5D with some new buttons and a larger LCD. Canon also put in a CMOS sensor (with nearly double the resolution), a new image processor, live view support, HD movie recording, HDMI output, dust reduction, and much more. The camera retains the excellent build quality of its predecessor -- the Mark II feels like a $2700 camera should. The camera is easy to hold, with a substantial grip for your right hand. The controls are similar to those on Canon's other midrange D-SLRs, but that doesn't make them any less intimidating to the beginner. The Mark II supports all EF-mount lenses, with no focal length conversion ratio to worry about. In other words, your 50mm lens will actually be 50mm. Those of you upgrading from APS-C Canons should note that your EF-S lenses will not work on the EOS-5D Mark II. As with the original 5D, there's no built-in flash on this camera, so consider an external flash a required purchase.

Jeff Keller

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