Comments on: Should you upgrade from a Canon 5D to a 5D Mark II? Part I

By: Should you upgrade from a Canon 5D to a 5D Mark II? Part II : Complete Digital Photography

Wed, 26 May 2010 02:42:48 +0000

[...] for every shot, the ability to print large, and crop tight, can be welcome in many situations. In Part 1, I looked at the interface and physical changes between the 5D and the 5D Mark II. Now it’s [...]

By: Royce - Your Photo Vision

Royce - Your Photo Vision — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:34:12 +0000

I sold my 5D and bought the new Mark II version. I needed the extra 9 MP for copy work of fine art paintings; and I love the full size sensor for my portrait work (shallow depth of field).

By: Ben Long

Ben Long — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:47:49 +0000

Thanks to everyone for all the nice feedback, and for contributing your own obsevations. After using the Mark II for another month, I can definitely say I’m really glad to have it. However, I also have a large-format printer and like to shoot in low light – a lot. So, the extra pixels and improved noise response and focus is definitely a plus for me. If you don’t need these features, then you’ve still got a great camera in your current 5D.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:40:02 +0000

Dear Ben,

Great review!! 2 thumbs up!

I sincerely hope the folks at Canon read this and really ponder the issues you raise here, namely Canon’s short-sighted nature use of it’s software in limiting button function. It’s about time that someone wrote a proper product critique as opposed to merely extolling the virtues of a product based on the newest “fads”.

The 5DMk2 overall seems a disappointment … Penny per pound, the original 5D is a much more advantageous camera than its successor (even with all the new bells and whistles) offering equally good final prints, which, in the final analysis, is what really matters!

By: andrew papkov

andrew papkov — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:11:59 +0000

Dear Ben,
As we are subscribed to Jeff’ Photo Gallery we came across with yours Link.
Yours website is very interesting.
We found an artical in two parts about Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
This year we will move from Nikon to Canon,so I try to read and file as much as I can
about Canon 5DMark II.
We wuold like to download this articles from yours Website but all yours
material is copyright protected,is there some way or link that will allow us
to download (with yours permission) those articles and any other in the near
future.

Thank you very much for your kind help
Andrew and Tania

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

By: Mermedia

Mermedia — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:52:35 +0000

BTW, they supposedly fixed the black dot issue with the latest firmware upgrade 1.0.7

By: Marie

Marie — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:47:09 +0000

Just want to say I am in LOVE with my Canon EOS 5D Mark II. LOVE I say . Just got the 70-200 USM Lens and I use it for my daily weight lifting exercises . I too started with one of the first few Canon EOS digital SLRs in 2000, the D60 and at only 6 mgs it was time for an upgrade. The only thing that is bothersome is that a lot of the accessories don’t work such as the battery, and battery extension etc. But on the side of someone who is not a pro so cannot justify the D1, this is a great camera )

By: Jim Chamberlain

Jim Chamberlain — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:51:18 +0000

Great review! Looking forward to part 2 of your excellent review.
I have loved my 5D for 3 years and am really in love with the MK II Image Quality and ease of use in hostile conditions.
The new battery allowed me to shoot 20 gigs worth of images without a battery change in 9 degree weather. . . and it still had lots of “juice”! The 14 bit sensor gave a dynamic range of blinding snow to tree shadows without loss of detail. With Adobe refining ACR, it doesn’t make sense to shoot anything other than RAW with this camera.
Here are shots from the 9 degree day:
http://wwwphoto.org/2009/0103-BrownMountain/BrownMountainGallery/

Black spots have not been an issue, so is the firmware upgrade worth it?

By: Randy

Randy — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:21:33 +0000

Great review, I would be very interested in part two as well as I am deciding to get this camera.
When will the second part to this review be out?
Thanks

By: Harold

Harold — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:08:17 +0000

Lot, I am staying with Merry Christmas also, and my 5d for now. I hope I am not at the bus station when my ship comes in. Then I will maybe go up to the 5d MK II. Maybe they will get the bugs and black dots out by then. I am interested in part two also because IQ is a prime factor in my camera and lens choices.

By: LDT

LDT — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:11:02 +0000

Many thanks for such a wonderful review, particularly for the part of sharing your personal flavor, such as the bracketing. Although, personally, I would never want to do bracketing beyond 3. Any number beyond that, I would rather left it for Photoshop. I am still shooting in the mood of film-age (although I’ve not buy any film for more about 10 years), still stride to “enjoy myself” that every shot is good. Really looking for your part-II. However, I think you already convince me that upgrading won’t make too much a mistake. Here we go, bye-bye credit card and Merry Christmas to Adorama (like it or not, this customer will never make the switch from Merry Christmas to Happy Holiday.)

By: Mike Fox

Mike Fox — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:20:52 +0000

As others have said, this is the best 5D review I have seen. I have referenced it from my own blog and am looking forward to part II. Great job!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:42:48 +0000

thank you so much for writing a review that is
so unambiguous, I look forward to part-II and hope
Canon will read all this , so they can
one day, bring us the perfect photographer camera..

By: Carl

Carl — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:23:10 +0000

This is the best review of the 5D MK II I have read.
My 5d Mk II has been back ordered for another two weeks.
Demand for this camera is very high.

By: David

David — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:20:54 +0000

As a Pro 5D user for 3 years, yours is the most useful and informative review that I have read. Using the camera most days, for documentary work, shooting 500 – 1000 RAW files, it’s the little things that really niggle and annoy. I have lost count of the number of pictures that I have missed by turning the wrong wheel when pressing the old ISO button, and changing to self timer by mistake… The change of function on that is a godsend.
For occasional action shots any increase in burst speed is welcome, but 5FPS would have been better. The My Menu feature will be a great boon – no more scrolling to find ‘Format’.
I always back button focus, so the AF-ON button is a good addition. Against that, moving the delete button to the old playback position is a real pain, that could cause big problems.
I shoot in manual mode most of the time – the on/off switch has to be turned up to the white line – a serious glitch that I could have done with seeing removed.
My current 5D bodies are getting towards the end of their working life , so an upgrade to a couple of Mk II’s is probable next year – but only because Canon don’t have anything in their range more suitable to my needs. The 1D’s are brilliant but just too heavy and bulky for carrying all day long. It is so frustrating not to see more improvements in the 5D, unfortunately Canon thinks that Pro Photographers all shoot either Sport,News or Weddings, and design accordingly. I happily used EOS 1 film cameras (without the bulky booster) for years, everything digital since, has been retrograde in so many aspects, IMHO.
Again, thanks for sharing your valuable insights, I am looking forward to Part 2 of your review.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:17:33 +0000

Even though I’m not looking to upgrade, I like to know what’s out there, what people think is important, and how people use their cameras. Thanks for all the info. I guess I just can’t not read about a Canon product when presented so well.

In the paragraph about the LCD under Body Changes, I think we’re missing a T: “Assessing sharpness is much easier than on the 5D, and he screen now has an…” It might be a masculine screen, but who’s to know?

Thanks again for all the great information.

Teresa

By: Ben Long

Ben Long — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:40:16 +0000

Whoops, good catch, Sime. Thanks. Should be corrected now. And no, the Mark II is not a substitute for a professional video camera, as impressive as its video features are. Thanks for the feedback.

By: Sime

Sime — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:37:19 +0000

Great “part one” looking forward to part two. Just a note, in the section where you touched on video, did you mean to say “the Mark II‚Äôs video features are substitute for a professional video camera” or NOT a substitute? Not an issue either way, I’m a photographer first I guess… But just wondering.

Thanks for taking the time to write this up.

Sime