Canon EOS 5D Mark II Review BY: Theano Nikitas, DigitalCameraReview.com Contributor PUBLISHED: 5/26/2009

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Review BY: Theano Nikitas, DigitalCameraReview.com Contributor PUBLISHED: 5/26/2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

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This second iteration brings the EOS line up to date using the 5D as its base, adding new and enhanced features, a little trickle down from the 1Ds Mark III and a couple of additions borrowed from the 50D. A great mixture of features, technology and performance, the 5D Mark II has already made its mark on the photo community.

FEATURES OVERVIEW
In addition to a new 21 megapixel CMOS sensor (similar to the one used in the 1Ds Mark III), the 5D Mark II is equipped with a high resolution 3-inch LCD, a new viewfinder, a DIGIC IV processor, increased ISO to 25,600, and HD video capabilities for recording up to 12 minutes of HD at a clip.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

The camera is equipped with an updated version Canon's integrated cleaning system, featuring a Fluorine coating on the low pass filter to help repel dust. The cleaning system can also be activated manually via the camera's menu.

Other notable features include Peripheral Illumination correction, which helps correct vignetting (the camera can store the data of up to 40 Canon lenses), Highlight Tone Priority and interchangeable focusing screens.

The list of additions and improvements is long and impressive but to get a better feel for what the camera does and how it performs, read on.

BUILD AND DESIGN
Physically, the 5D Mark II is pretty much a clone of its predecessor in terms of design, weight and size. Control layout is almost exactly the same, both weigh about 1.8 pounds (body only without battery) and the 5D Mark II measures only a fraction of an inch larger. The biggest external difference is the larger, higher resolution LCD-a 3.0 inch monitor (vs. the 5D's 2.75 inch LCD) with about four times the resolution of its predecessor and a wider viewing angle. A new viewfinder, which offers 98% coverage, is also a welcome addition.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Other changes include two more Custom settings options on the mode dial, bringing the total to three custom modes, and the addition of a Creative Auto mode-a feature borrowed from the 50D. The CA mode is, essentially, designed for novice DSLR users or, according to Canon, experienced photographers who want a quick and easy method of adjusting certain settings. Mostly, though, it's for people who don't fully understand manual exposure or the relationship between aperture and depth-of-field. One of the CA options, for example, moving a slider bar to "blur the background" (i.e. limit depth-of-field). It's one of those take it or leave it features that most experienced photographers will probably ignore.

Upon close inspection you'll also notice the addition of an IrPort remote sensor so you can use one of Canon's optional remotes. And, of course, since the 5D Mark II is capable of recording HD video, there are connections for an external microphone and for HDMI output.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

While the 5D Mark II doesn't have a built-in flash, one of Canon's Speedlites will fit neatly into the camera's hotshoe. And if you're a macro fanatic, be sure to check out Canon's Macro Ring Lite or Macro Twin Lite flashes. Of course, the full complement of Canon's EF Lenses is available for the camera as well.

You'll need a high speed, high capacity CompactFlash card to make the most of this camera and since the 5D Mark II supports UDMA CF cards for higher capacity burst capture (as well as standard CF type 1 and II cards), I tested the camera with a 16GB Lexar UDMA card and a SanDisk 16GB Extreme IV card. Both cards performed well and having the higher capacity was extremely useful since the 5D Mark II's files are about twice as large as the 5D's. For video, keep in mind that about 12 minutes of HD video requires about 4GB of space.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

A new battery pack provides between 750-850 shots per charge but that's not the only benefit of the new battery. You can also track several of the battery's data points including the remaining number of shots. A new battery grip is also available and the camera is compatible with Canon's WFT-E4A Wireless File Transmitter so you can transfer images in a number of different ways including wirelessly and directly to USB drives.

Build quality is excellent and, best of all, the 5D Mark II-like the 5D-opens up the world of full-frame DSLRs to those of with smaller hands, less than Hulk Hogan upper body strength and modest bank accounts, and offers the opportunity to shoot comfortably with a full-frame camera. Of course, you can always outsize your strength by coupling the 5D Mark II with a huge telephoto lens but that's where a sturdy tripod comes into play. Bottom line: the 5D Mark II is solidly built, has enough heft to counterbalance long lenses and is equipped with a well-designed grip for stable handholds.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Ergonomics and Controls
Since the 5D Mark II's controls are almost a carbon copy of the 5D, 5D users won't miss a beat when upgrading, although there is a slight learning curve for using Live View and shooting video on the new model. Other Canon DSLR users will also have an easy time transitioning to the 5D Mark II since controls are very similar.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of the 5D Mark II's modest physical design is that it's easy for those of us with smaller hands to use. There is one exception, however. Because the power on/off switch is at the bottom right on the rear panel of the camera, it's sometimes a little awkward to turn the camera on and off without shifting the right hand off the grip. It's not a big deal; it's just something one has to navigate a little differently than other cameras with more easily accessible power on/off switches.

Menus and Modes
Canon has kept the 5D Mark II's menu system fairly uncluttered, with the full complement of options under each tab visible on a single screen. Granted, there are more tabs to cycle through but at least you don't have to scroll through more than one virtual "page" of a menu to get to the setting you want.

There are nine tabs but even those unfamiliar with Canon's menu system can quickly figure out what each tab icon means. The first two-a camera icon on a red background-are capture settings; the two blue icons with white arrows are for playback settings, etc.

Shooting information is available everywhere including the viewfinder, top panel LCD and rear panel monitor. With the rear LCD's info panel, you can easily change all of the most important options ranging from f/stop (which is also adjustable with the main control dial), ISO, file size/resolution and more.

The exposure mode dial, located on the left top surface of the camera offers a number of different options:

Custom settings: C1, C2, C3 allows users to register three different custom modes with most often used or special settings
B(ulb): holds the shutter open for as long as the shutter button is depressed in the 5D Mark II
Manual: you set both the shutter-speed and aperture
AV: you select the aperture and the camera selects the shutter-speed
TV: you select the shutter-speed and the camera selects the aperture
Program: the camera sets the shutter-speed and aperture but some manual settings are available
Creative Auto: provides a simple graphic interface to adjust aperture and exposure compensation
Auto: the camera selects all but a few settings

Although it's unlikely the 5D Mark II will attract photographers who will make use of the Auto and Creative Auto modes, Canon didn't penalize exposure options by including them. Rather, an extra two Custom modes, bringing the total to three, is a welcome change and will be well-utilized by many photographers.

Display/Viewfinder
The new, larger and higher resolution LCD is a very welcome addition to the 5D Mark II. Even though the 3.0 inch LCD is larger than the 5D's 2.75 inch monitor, there's only a barely-noticeable shift of control positions and fractions of an inch increase in body size.

At 920,000 dots, the screen offers great resolution and can now be viewed at a wide 170 degrees. The 5D Mark II offers 7 levels of brightness adjustment, as well as auto, and while using the LCD is a pleasure under all lighting conditions, it's easy to be fooled into thinking that your exposure is right on if the LCD brightness isn't at the right level so be sure to use the histogram and highlight alert features.

The manual LCD brightness option came in handy when shooting in Live View, though. While the LCD delivered fluid movement in Live View, the image on the screen was a little dark but was easily brightened by a quick trip to the internal menu system.

While the optical viewfinder offers about 98% coverage-up from the 5D's 96%--I'd still like to see 100% coverage. After shooting with the Sony A-900, it's hard to go back to any other optical viewfinder. Still, the 5D Mark II's optical viewfinder is quite good. Optional focusing screens are also available.

PERFORMANCE
Thanks to the implementation of Canon's new DIGIC IV processor, the 5D Mark II has made some gains over the 5D. Burst mode is now at about 3.8 frames per second, versus the 5D's 3fps, and won't win the 5D Mark II any awards but given that the new model is pushing almost twice as many pixels, it's a pretty good improvement. (Sony's A900 is even more impressive but uses dual processors to push the pixels from its 24 megapixel sensor.).

A larger buffer allows the camera to shoot up to about 13 consecutive RAW files (you can add a few more when using a UDMA card). Use sRAW1 or 2, which are smaller-sized RAW files (10 megapixels and 5.2 megapixels, respectively), new for the 5D Mark II, to pick up some speed and extra shots.

Shutter lag and autofocus times are good, although I found that the 5D Mark II occasionally had to hunt for focus in very low light. I have used the 5D Mark II to shoot fashion shows but probably wouldn't take it to an air show, sporting event or car race since the autofocus and burst rate may not be up to the challenge. But wedding photographers and photojournalists will be more than happy with its performance.

Shutter Lag (press-to-capture, pre-focused)

Camera	Time (seconds)
Olympus E-30	0.02
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	0.02
Nikon D90	0.03
Pentax K20D	0.04
Sony Alpha DSLR-A350	0.08

AF Acquisition (press-to-capture, no pre-focus)

Camera	Time (seconds)
Olympus E-30	0.14
Nikon D90	0.17
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	0.18
Sony Alpha DSLR-A350	0.21
Pentax K20D	0.28

Continuous Shooting

Camera	Frames	Framerate
Olympus E-30	9	5.0 fps
Nikon D90	∞	4.0 fps
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	∞	3.8 fps
Pentax K20D	38	3.0 fps
Sony Alpha DSLR-A350	∞	2.1 fps

Note: Continuous shooting framerates are based on the camera's fastest full-resolution JPEG continuous shooting mode, using the fastest media type available (300x CF, SDHC, etc.), as tested in our studio. "Frames" notes the number of captures recorded per burst before the camera stops/slows to clear the buffer.

Unlike most DSLRs equipped with Live View, Canon has equipped the 5D Mark II's Live View with three autofocus modes: Quick, Live and Face Detection Live. In the Quick mode, the mirror drops down so that phase detection autofocus can be used. Live and Face Detection Live use contrast detection autofocus because the mirror is kept up and out of the way. Contrast detection is a slower mode of autofocus than phase detection but is certainly usable. Be sure to test the Live AF mode in video before shooting footage; depending on the subject matter and the lens used, you may want to manually focus instead since it's more accurate (and quieter).

IMAGE QUALITY
As expected, the 5D Mark II produces great images-even on its default settings. If you don't like the image, simple adjustments to one or more of the camera's many options will do the trick.

It was no surprise that auto white balance produced a very warm image under incandescent lighting. Expect this from all Canon cameras and don't depend on auto white balance indoors (AWB does work well outdoors in sunlight, however).

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Nikon D60 (with 18mm-55mm lens)

There was a time when the idea of an entry-level dSLR was a bit of an oxymoron. Even the least expensive SLR was a large step up from the digital compacts at the time, but these days entry-level SLRs are being made to be entry level, and their prices line up closely with the most expensive compact cameras. Nikon's D60 is a good example of the current breed of these dSLRs. It checks in with a healthy 10.2-megapixel CCD sensor, a slightly small-by-comparison 2.5-inch LCD, and an upgraded, optically stabilized kit lens. While those features are nice, the D60 falls behind the competition in several areas in terms of its specifications. For instance, Sony's DSLR-A200 also sports 10.2-megapixels, but has a slightly larger 2.7-inch screen, body-based image stabilization, similar in-camera editing and dynamic-range optimization features, and costs less than this Nikon. Its performance numbers were slightly worse than the D60, but not by very much. Meanwhile Canon's Rebel XSi, which we haven't reviewed as of this writing, offers 12.2-megapixels, a 3-inch LCD, 14-bit digital-to-analog conversion, and also comes with an optically stabilized lens, though its list price is higher than the D60. The main issue with this Nikon is that it doesn't feel like a major upgrade over the D40x, while Sony's and Canon's upgrades over their predecessors are easy for consumers to understand, such as the Rebel's shift from 10.1MP to 12.2MP.

The fact that the D60 looks almost exactly like the D40x probably doesn't help Nikon's public perception on this model. In our first briefing on this camera, Nikon even said that it has the exact same form factor as the D40x. Of course, that's not a bad thing, since the design is good. At 19.4 ounces with a battery and an SD card, and without a lens, it's lightweight enough to shoot comfortably for a day, and the kit lens is one of the lightest Nikon lenses I've worked with, so it doesn't add much weight. The body is also quite small and will fit well into smaller camera bags, though the grip will leave your pinky finger dangling off the bottom of the body--something that tends to bother me, but doesn't bother most people. As has become the trend, many of the camera's controls are accessed through a virtual control system on the LCD instead of physical buttons on the camera body.

When Nikon first switched to this system, I was a bit hesitant, but I am now pretty quick with it. I can see why users that are used to a compact camera might find this system more familiar than trying to learn the layout of a hard-button-based system. Nikon also includes a nice visual representation of aperture and shutter speed to underscore the fact that the aperture blades make a smaller opening for light in the lens as you make the f/stop a higher number, while showing bars that wrap around those virtual aperture blades as you make the shutter speed faster. They still make you press the "i" button to get into the control system, which wasn't intuitive to me the first time I encountered it, though there's so little space on the camera back, and the button doubles as a zoom control in playback mode. That double functionality was my biggest gripe about this system though, since I ended up zooming in during the automatic image review quite a bit and had to first press the shutter button halfway to exit that before getting into the control system. I could have turned the automatic image review off in the custom function menu, but I don't think that is an adequate solution to this issue. One thing Nikon could do is relocate the playback button above where it is now, to the left shoulder of the camera, behind the lug for the strap. Then they could shift the other three buttons up one and give the control system its own button.

Given that Nikon prices the D60 higher than some competitors, notably Olympus's Evolt E-510, Pentax's K200D, and the aforementioned Sony A200, you'd think that they would include more than this camera's three autofocus points. Even more so since the Pentax and Sony offer 11- and 9-AF points respectively and, along with the Olympus, offer sensor-shift image stabilization systems that work with all lenses for their respective mounts. Of course, the big benefit of optical image stabilization is that you'll see the stabilizing effect while you frame your shot, which becomes more useful when your lens' focal length becomes longer. However, this shouldn't be a major issue until you reach focal lengths in the range of 300mm and higher, so if you don't plan to get a very long lens, the edge provided by lens-based stabilization may be moot compared with the sensor-shift alternatives.

Nikon's menu system in the D60 hasn't changed much from the D40x, but it now includes a retouch menu, so you can tweak your images in the camera after you shoot them. In addition to the tweaks included in the D40x, such as D-Lighting (to fix minor exposure issues and bring detail out of shadow areas all in one-step), red-eye reduction, and cropping, Nikon has added a couple of new filter effects with the D60. Red, green, and blue Intensifiers let you add some saturation to those colors, while the Cross Screen filter mimics a traditional Cross Star lens filter, adding a twinkle to small light sources and highlights in an image. The Cross Screen can look cool, and Nikon includes controls for the angle, length, and number (4, 6, or 8) of points, as well as the intensity of the effect. Be careful to use this filter in moderation though--it can have a digitally enhanced look to it if taken too far.

Nikon has also built an NEF (Nikon's RAW image file type) to JPEG converter. While this makes up a little bit for the fact that you're limited to shooting basic (highly compressed) JPEGs when shooting RAW+JPEG with the D60, I'd rather Nikon include this and let me shoot fine (lowest compression) JPEGs in RAW+JPEG mode. Still, it's nice to be able to do a basic conversion on the fly if needed.

More fun than the RAW conversion is the D60's Stop Motion Movie mode, which lets you convert a series of JPEG files into an AVI movie up to 640x480 pixels at a frame rate of up to 15 frames per second. The process is really easy, and you can even change the start and end points, remove specific frames from the middle, and change the frame rate before finalizing. A preview option lets you confirm you've got it right before committing. I made a short clip of a couple of subway trains moving through Penn Station, but I got conversion errors whenever I tried to upload it to YouTube.

Another nifty new feature is the Rangefinder function. The feature converts the exposure/exposure compensation scale to a distance-based focus assist when you're in manual focus mode and not shooting in full manual exposure mode. Since the D60, like the D40 and D40x before it, can only autofocus with Nikon's AF-S and AF-I lenses, the Rangefinder feature offers a nice bit of help when focusing with a non-AF-S or AF-I lens, such as Nikon's relatively inexpensive AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D prime lens. That 50mm Nikkor uses a coupling pin to rely on the AF motor built into Nikon's more expensive SLR bodies. Be warned though, in low light, the Rangefinder function may get a bit confused, just as the camera's AF system tends to.

I'm not entirely certain why, but while the D40 had a flash sync speed of 1/500 second, the D40x and now the D60 have a sync speed of 1/200 second, as does the Canon Rebel XSi. Both the Pentax K200D and the Olympus E-510 sync at 1/180 second, while the Sony A200 and Panasonic Lumix L10 have sync speeds of 1/160 second. If you don't know what a sync speed is, it's the fastest shutter speed you can use with the camera's built-in flash. Since there are times when you need a fast shutter speed to stop the motion of a subject, but still might need to use the flash as fill flash (perhaps for a backlit subject in motion, such as a soccer player running toward you down the field), the general rule is that a faster sync speed is better. As such, the Nikons' and Canon's sync of 1/200 second is the best of the budget bunch, but it would've been even nicer if Nikon would've kept the 1/500 second speed of the D40.

The D60 performed well in our lab tests, showing a slight improvement over the D40x in its low-light shutter lag and RAW shot-to-shot times, but was a tad slower on start up, though it's still plenty fast. The camera took 0.4 second to start up and capture its first JPEG and took 0.5 second between subsequent JPEGs with the flash turned off. With the flash turned on, that stretched to 0.8 second, while the camera took 0.5 second between shots when shooting RAW. Shutter lag measured an impressive 0.4 second in our high contrast test and 0.7 second in our low contrast test, which respectively mimic bright and dim shooting conditions. However, in my field tests, the camera did get confused on several occasions when shooting in dim light. Sometimes, it would fail to achieve focus in situations where a lot of cameras were able to achieve focus. When it was able to focus in dim situations, it locks rather quickly, but it just isn't quite as reliable as some more expensive Nikons, or as reliable as I remember the D40x to be. In our continuous-shooting test, the D60 was able to capture an average of 2.8 frames per second (fps), putting it extremely close to Nikon's claim of 3 fps.

Image quality from the Nikon D60 is very nice, though our numerically based color accuracy test, and close side-by-side scrutiny with images from other very accurate (and more expensive) models, showed that its images aren't quite as color accurate as competitive cameras we have tested so far. However, most people won't be able to tell a major difference in this area. Unless you're completely fanatical about colors being represented absolutely exactly as they exist (something most consumer-oriented film rarely did back in the day), then it shouldn't be a major issue for you. This is especially true since the D60 turned in pleasing, if slightly oversaturated, colors and in other ways its image quality is nice for a camera of its class.

The D60 includes Nikon's 3D Matrix Metering II to determine exposure when not using center-weighted, or spot metering. Nikon's Matrix mode does a very good job of determining the best exposure for a given scene. Generally, it seems to make the most logical compromise between preserving highlight or shadow detail. For example, if faced with a high contrast scene and the area of highlight detail is significantly smaller than the main area of shadow detail, the camera will likely sacrifice the highlights to hold onto the shadows. However, since the system also compares the given scene with a database of images, the camera should notice if you're shooting a portrait, or other scene, in which a simple compromise wouldn't be best. I have to say that I am impressed with the camera's metering.

As has been the case with other Nikon SLRs recently, the D60 does a very good job of keeping noise in check. At ISO 100 and ISO 200, noise is virtually nonexistent and only starts to creep in at ISO 400, though it doesn't take away any significant amount of sharpness or shadow detail. By ISO 800 a minor amount of grain is present, a very minor amount of sharpness becomes softened, and an equally small amount of shadow detail falls away. Even at ISO 1,600 there is a decent amount of shadow detail and a ton of sharpness given such a high sensitivity in an entry-level SLR. At ISO 3,200, which Nikon calls Hi1, noise is quite heavy, a large amount of shadow detail is lost, and while noise obscures a lot of sharpness, there's still quite a bit. Still, I suggest sticking with ISO 1,600 and below whenever possible.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009