Canon "EOS 5D Mark II"
The Canon EOS 5D has been around for three years and shutterbugs have been eagerly anticipating its successor. The EOS 5D mark II was unveiled at Photokina in Germany to mixed reactions. While some photographers hailed the innovative full-HD (1,920 x 1080-pixel) video-recording function as the benchmark for other similar dSLRs to follow, critics had been skeptical of the minor upgrades such as the mildly improved burst mode.
However, we are sure this Canon will prove to be tough competition to the Nikon D90 which is capable of capturing only 720p-quality (1,280 x 720-pixel) clips. So how does the new EOS 5D stack up against its old man and the other kids on the block? Here are our thoughts.
Upside
Currently, the EOS 5D Mark II could possibly be the most innovative dSLR on the market. Following the trend of HD video capture in some point-and-shoots, Canon improved on that and the dSLR can record full HD-quality clips. Is this a big deal? Well, the industry certainly thinks so, with a US company already manufacturing mounts and rigs to set the Canon up for film-making.
To fully show off the video mode, the Japanese firm collaborated with a photographer to shoot a short film with the EOS 5D Mark II and the clip can be viewed here.
Compared with the Nikon D90 which was announced in late August, the Canon's specifications have definitely overshadowed its rival. While the former is capable of capturing only 720p clips for a maximum of 5 minutes, the EOS can produce 1080p videos up to 12 minutes. Audio recording-wise, the Nikon has a mono-aural microphone. The Canon has that also, but a 3.5mm stereo mini jack for external sonic capture has been thrown in for good measure.
The 35mm full-frame sensor's resolution had been bumped up from 12 megapixels to 21 megapixels. While casual shutterbugs probably won't need so many pixels, the EOS 5D Mark II's target audience are serious photographers who need to print large pictures or high-res images to deliver to clients. To handle the bigger files generated, Canon replaced the DIGIC III image processor with its latest DIGIC 4 engine.
Live View shooting is enabled in the new shooter, and the rear estate houses a 3-inch, 920k-dots LCD which is a far cry from the 2.5-inch 230k-resolution screen used in its predecessor.
Downside
We expected the new camera to boast faster shooting speeds, but the upgrade is so minor that it probably won't make much of a difference when snapping pictures. Some photographers have lamented that the 3 frames-per-second (fps) burst mode on the EOS 5D left much to be desired, and hoped the new shooter would deliver at least 5fps. Well, Canon has disappointed in this department as the EOS 5D Mark II can manage only 3.9fps.
Our brief hands-on showed that focusing was, indeed, speedier, but we wished the company had added more focusing points instead of retaining the nine AF points with six assist zone system found on the older dSLR. This would mean more flexibility while shooting, while chances of missing the focus would be reduced.
Outlook
We anticipate the EOS 5D Mark II to take the digital imaging market by storm when it goes on sale, but will it inflict substantial damage on Nikon? Well, we've heard from people who bought the D90 as they feel that they don't require 21 megapixels or don't have the hardware to efficiently process the full-HD video clips.
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