Canon 5D Mark II Review
I have been in the market for a new camera for a while. I need something that can go where I go, the ski slopes, Red Rocks, bike trails, X Games, the mean streets of the city, fashion shows and the photo studio. I have been looking to upgrade to a body the shoots stills as well as High Definition Video. The Canon 5D and the Canon 7D, are both great cameras that I found able to fill the needs I was looking for. I currently have three camera bodies that are broken and I am not sure if the cost to fix them is worth the investment. I am hard on my equipment and needed to find something that would last in the field.
First Impression:
I was hired to photograph U2 at Invesco Field that same weekend, I was also hired to shoot a hotel and needed a camera with a full frame sensor. I rented a 5D from one of the local professional camera shops in Denver at a reasonable price. The 5D Mark II covers the bases and is great in low light when shooting concerts. Having the full frame sensor is a real treat after shooting with camera bodies that do not have a full frame sensor. It is like shooting film again and really allows the photographer to get the most out of their wide-angle lenses. The camera is decently fast when shooting in JPEG mode with a burst rate of 3.9 frames per second, but can be a bit slow when shooting in RAW. The broad range of adjustment for the ISO settings is stellar and you can get quality images in the lowest of lighting situations. This is great for photojournalists and concert photographers.
Photo Quality:
The Photo Quality is first rate with a 21.1 Megapixel Full-Frame Sensor this camera will deliver crisp large format prints, and professional quality images that can be blown up to any size. Great for the studio or the battlefield, this is the go to camera of most photojournalists these days. This camera body is perfect for studio and nature photography due to the size of the sensor and the quality of the files it produces. The images are crisp with very little noise when shot at high ISO settings.
Video Quality:
I did not get enough time to play with the video functions as I would have liked, but it does shoot in 1080p Movie Mode. Movies and Commercials are being shot with this camera so it gets the job done. I hope to play with the video feature in the near future.
Features:
Some of the key features include a self cleaning Full-Frame Sensor, a 3 inch High Resolution LCD Display screen, Live View Mode, 1080p Video, 21.1 Megapixel Images, Broad Range ISO from 50-25600 this is one of the best advances that has come along in a long time.
Recommended Use:
This camera is great for anyone that makes a living with photography, even as a secondary job. This is also a great camera for artists looking to document their painting, sculptures and what not. Also a great video camera for those trying to get their feet wet or looking to shoot some video as well as stills.
Overall Impression:
I was very impressed with the camera and I think Canon should send the Mountain Weekly camera bodies for further testing and sponsorship!!! I liked the broad ISO range and the ease between shooting stills to video. The Focus speed was good but not great. The Full-Frame sensor is awesome and it would be great to have one body with a full frame sensor and one without. This would cover all the bases when shooting events, sports and news.
Retail Price:
$ 2499.00 USD
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