Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera Review
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been announced - a review will be coming. In the mean time, here is some information to get started with.
In a Canon EOS 5D II vs. 1Ds Mark III Comparison
(use the mouseover feature), we see that these two bodies have identical resolution and sharpness.
The 5D II image appears slightly larger, but this is due to the LCD showing 100% coverage compared to the 1Ds III's slightly clipped display.
The 1Ds III has a 16 pixel horizontal resolution advantage, but does not show about 35 edge pixels on the LCD when reviewing the image.
Thus, the 1Ds III image gets framed slightly wider which makes the details in the image slightly smaller.
Following are two extensive 100% crop comparisons between the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and several other Canon EOS camera bodies.
These samples were shot with a studio stand-mounted Canon EF 200mm f/2 L IS USM Lens at a fixed location
(except for 50D samples of course).
An f/7.1 aperture and Live View MF were used.
Lighting is from daylight-balanced tungsten lights (continuous - not strobes).
Manual exposure, auto white balance and the "Standard" Picture Style were used.
Sharpness was set to "1" (very low).
Digital Photo Pro was used to convert the RAW image captures to 16 bit TIFF files.
Photoshop "Save for Web" was used to create these 70% quality JPG crops.
NR (Noise Reduction) samples utilize DPP's (Digital Photo Pro's) noise reduction with settings ranging from 1/1 to 7/13 (Luminance/Chrominance) from ISO 400 to ISO 25600.
DPP was also used to resize the 5D images to the 5D II resolution - and vice versa.
Backgrounds of images not consuming the full image size are from the Canon EOS 5D Mark II at the same ISO setting.
With all of the details out of the way, let's look at the images.
There are 8 MB of files required to be downloaded to make all of the mouseovers function properly - please be patient while they load.
The "Black Dots" issue.
As you mouse-over the ISO labels below, you will see tiny black spots
appear on the right side of the blown highlights (Christmas lights) in this 100% comparison crop as the ISO levels reach 3200.
This set of over-exposed, low light (ISO 100 = 3.2 sec) samples produced the most-harsh (but still tiny) black dots I have seen to date in my testing.
Typically, I don't see much sign of the black dots until ISO 6400 and they become much stronger
at the two emergency-use-only ultra-high ISO settings.
In this example, there are a couple of tiny black dots making their appearance at ISO 200 is this example.
As you can also see, the black dots disappeared in the "25600 w/ NR" sample which has luminance-only noise reduction set to 5.
All shots above ISO 6400 require at least some noise reduction anyway.
While a lot has been made of the issue - and Canon has issued a statement acknowledging the phenomenon - I perceive the dots to be a minor issue.
The super-high image quality delivered by the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is barely touched by the black dots in my opinion.
| Model | FOVCF | Sensor | Pixel Size | Pixels/Megapixels | Viewfinder | DLA | ||
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D | 1.6x | 22.2 x 14.8mm | 5.7µm | 3888 x 2592 | 10.1 | .81x | 95% | f/9.3 |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi / 450D | 1.6x | 22.2 x 14.8mm | 5.2µm | 4272 x 2848 | 12.2 | .87x | 95% | f/8.4 |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D | 1.6x | 22.2 x 14.8mm | 5.7µm | 3888 x 2592 | 10.1 | .80x | 95% | f/9.3 |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D | 1.6x | 22.2 x 14.8mm | 6.4µm | 3456 x 2304 | 8.0 | .80x | 95% | f/10.4 |
| Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel | 1.6x | 22.7 x 15.1mm | 7.4µm | 3088 x 2056 | 6.3 | .80x | 95% | f/11.8 |
| Canon EOS 50D | 1.6x | 22.3 x 14.9mm | 4.7µm | 4752 x 3168 | 15.1 | .95x | 95% | f/7.6 |
| Canon EOS 40D | 1.6x | 22.2 x 14.8mm | 5.7µm | 3888 x 2592 | 10.1 | .95x | 95% | f/9.3 |
| Canon EOS 30D | 1.6x | 22.5 x 15.0mm | 6.4µm | 3504 x 2336 | 8.2 | .90x | 95% | f/10.3 |
| Canon EOS 20D | 1.6x | 22.5 x 15.0mm | 6.4µm | 3504 x 2336 | 8.2 | .90x | 95% | f/10.3 |
| Canon EOS 10D | 1.6x | 22.7 x 15.1mm | 7.4µm | 3088 x 2056 | 6.3 | .88x | 95% | f/11.8 |
| Canon EOS 5D Mark II | 1.0x | 36.0 x 24.0mm | 6.4µm | 5616 x 3744 | 21.1 | .71x | 98% | f/10.3 |
| Canon EOS 5D | 1.0x | 35.8 x 23.9mm | 8.2µm | 4368 x 2912 | 12.8 | .71x | 96% | f/13.2 |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark III | 1.3x | 28.1 x 18.7mm | 7.2µm | 3888 x 2592 | 10.1 | .76x | 100% | f/11.4 |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark II N | 1.3x | 28.7 x 19.1mm | 8.2µm | 3520 x 2336 | 8.2 | .72x | 100% | f/12.7 |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark II | 1.3x | 28.7 x 19.1mm | 8.2µm | 3520 x 2336 | 8.2 | .72x | 100% | f/12.7 |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark III | 1.0x | 36.0 x 24.0mm | 6.4µm | 5632 x 3750 | 21.1 | .76x | 100% | f/10.3 |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark II | 1.0x | 36.0 x 24.0mm | 7.2µm | 4992 x 3328 | 16.6 | .70x | 100% | f/11.6 |
| Model | fps | Max JPG | Max RAW | Startup | Shutter Lag | VF Blackout |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D | 3 / 1.5 | n/a | 5 | .1s | ||
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi / 450D | 3.5 | 53 | 6 | .1s | 90ms | 130ms |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D | 3.0 | 27 | 10 | .2s | 100ms | 170ms |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D | 3.0 | 14 | 4 | .2s | 100ms | 170ms |
| Canon EOS 50D | 6.3 | 90 | 16 | .1s | 59ms | 100ms |
| Canon EOS 40D | 6.5 | 75 | 17 | .15s | 59ms | 100ms |
| Canon EOS 30D | 5.0 | 30 | 11 | .15s | 65ms | 110ms |
| Canon EOS 20D | 5.0 | 23 | 6 | .2s | 65ms | 115ms |
| Canon EOS 5D Mark II | 3.9 | 78/310 | 13/14 | .1s | 73ms | 145ms |
| Canon EOS 5D | 3.0 | 60 | 17 | .2s | 75ms | 145ms |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark III | 10.0 | 110 | 30 | .2s | 40-55ms | 80ms |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark II N | 8.5 | 48 | 22 | .2s | 40-55ms | 87ms |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark III | 5.0 | 56 | 12 | .2s | 40-55ms | 80ms |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark II | 4.0 | 32 | 11 | .3s | 40-55ms | 87ms |
| Model | Body Dimensions | Weight | |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D | 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4" | (126.1 x 97.5 x 61.9mm) | 15.9 oz (450g) |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi / 450D | 5.1 x 3.8 x 2.4" | (128.8 x 97.5 x 61.9mm) | 16.8 oz (475g) |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D | 5.0 x 3.7 x 2.6" | (127 x 94 x 65mm) | 18.0 oz (510g) |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D | 5.0 x 3.7 x 2.6" | (127 x 94 x 64mm) | 17.1 oz (485g) |
| Canon EOS 50D | 5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9" | (145.5 x 107.8 x 73.5mm) | 25.7 oz (730g) |
| Canon EOS 40D | 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.9" | (145.5 x 112 x 73.5mm) | 26.1 oz (740g) |
| Canon EOS 30D | 5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9" | (144 x 105.5 x 73.5mm) | 24.7 oz (700g) |
| Canon EOS 20D | 5.6 x 4.2 x 2.8" | (144 x 106 x 72mm) | 24.2 oz (685g) |
| Canon EOS 5D Mark II | 6.0 x 4.5 x 3.0" | (152 x 113.5 x 75mm) | 28.6 oz (810g) |
| Canon EOS 5D | 6.0 x 4.4 x 3.0" | (152 x 113 x 75mm) | 28.6 oz (810g) |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark III | 6.1 x 6.2 x 3.1" | (156 x 157 x 80mm) | 40.7 oz (1155g) |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark II N | 6.1 x 6.2 x 3.1" | (156 x 158 x 80 mm) | 43.2 oz (1225g) |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark III | 6.1 x 6.3 x 3.1" | (156 x 159.6 x 79.9mm) | 42.5 oz (1205g) |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark II | 6.1 x 6.2 x 3.1" | (156 x 158 x 80 mm) | 42.9 oz (1215g) |
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is shown above with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens mounted.
| Model | Rated Shutter Life |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D | not disclosed |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi / 450D | not disclosed |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D | 50,000 |
| Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D | 50,000 |
| Canon EOS 50D | 100,000 |
| Canon EOS 40D | 100,000 |
| Canon EOS 30D | 100,000 |
| Canon EOS 20D | 50,000 |
| Canon EOS 5D Mark II | 150,000 |
| Canon EOS 5D | 100,000 |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark III | 300,000 |
| Canon EOS 1D Mark II N | 200,000 |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark III | 300,000 |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark II | 200,000 |
Recommended Shopping Resources
(Using these links to make your purchase supports this site)
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at B&H Photo
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at Amazon.com
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at Adorama
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at J&R
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at RitzCamera.com
Find the best price on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Rent the Canon EOS 5D Mark II
(Using these links supports this site)
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at LensRentals.com
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at LensProToGo (Price includes round trip shipping)
* If out of stock, ask the rental company if they can accommodate your need.
More Canon EOS 5D Mark II Reviews & Information
Canon EOS 5D Mark II USA Press Release
Canon EOS 5D Mark II UK Press Release
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Europe Press Release
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Web Site
Canon EOS 5D Mark II White Paper (4.4 MB .PDF)
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at the Canon Digital Learning Center
Canon EOS 5D Mark II at the Canon Camera Museum
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Owner's Manual (6.2 MB .PDF)
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Sample Video by Vincent Laforte
A Three Act Play - A bridal video short by Bruce Dorn
Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Movie Mode basics
Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Battery Management with the New LP-E6 Battery
Preview at RobGalbraith.com
Luminous-Landscape.com Preview
