Canon SLR Digital Cameras : Canon Launches EOS 5D Mark II - Digital SLR Camera Review

Executive Summary about : Canon SLR Digital Cameras By Jay Werfalli

After three years since the launch of the full-frame EOS 5D, Canon has finally set free its replacement, the EOS 5D Mark II. That brings the 5D Mark II inline with the current EOS 1Ds Mark III professional DSLR in terms of resolution, and sees it take quite a jump from the 12.8-megapixel full-frame sensor found in the original 5D and the 12.1-megapixel full-frame sensor found in Nikon’s D700 and D3 cameras.

canon slr digital cameras

The 5D Mark II also includes Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System with a new “non-stick” flourine coating on the outermost low-pass filter to help remove/reduce the potential build-up of dust particles on the sensor. In the hand, the 5D Mark II feels solid and well balanced. It’s a massive improvement over the 5D’s 2.5in, 230k pixel LCD.

The 5D Mark II’s other key feature is Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) video recording at 30fps, which should no doubt really appeal to those that see the convergence between camcorder and camera as a good thing.

The most tempting aspect of the 5D Mark II’s video recording potential is to marry interchangeable high-quality optics with a large low-noise sensor and the possibility to shoot video using extremely shallow depths of field, plus it offers contrast-based AF, too, while recording. Audio is captured in PCM format from either the mono mic built into the 5D Mark II or from an external mic plugged into the camera’s 3.5mm jack on the side.

Other features include Canon’s new 14-bit DiG!C 4 processor over the 5D’s Digic II, along with an increased continuous burst rate of 3.9fps (buffered to 310 jpeg/fine frames with a UDMA card, 78 frames with a typical CF card) compared with its predecessor’s 3fps. It has to be said that many of us were expecting a higher rate like Nikon’s D700 5fps (8fps with battery grip), or even the 5fps of the EOS 1Ds Mark III.

In comparison, the Nikon D700 and older D300 both feature 51 AF points. The EOS 5D Mark II (body only) is available from end of November 2008

New 24 mm Lens

Canon also timed the 5D Mark II’s launch with a new lens announcement: the EF 24mm f1.4L II USM - a fast L-series lens featuring aspherical and UD lens elements, and Canon’s weather and dust sealing.

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Canon SLR Digital Cameras : Canon EOS 50D SLR Digital Cameras Review

Executive Summary about : Canon SLR Digital Cameras By Alexandra Savvides

Canon Slr Digital Cameras

The jump from the Canon 20D to 30D was similar to this transition from 40D to 50D, with most of the changes made internally. This time, though, those internal changes are more significant, helping the Canon 50D better compete against the current crop of 12 to 14-megapixel digital SLRs, including Canon’s own consumer model, the 12.1-megapixel Rebel XSi (450D).

Canon EOS 50D Basic Features

• 15.1-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS sensor with gapless microlenses
• 6.3 frames per second
• 3.0-inch LCD with 920,000 pixels
• Top Status LCD
• ISO range from 100 to 12,800
• Shutter speeds 30 seconds to 1/8,000
• Compact Flash Type I and II UDMA slots
• Lithium-ion battery
• 5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 inches (146 x 108 x 74mm)
• 1.81 pounds (822g) with battery and card, but no lens

Design

If you’re familiar with the layout and design of the 40D, as well as the rest of Canon’s EOS family, the 50D will come as no surprise. It’s also marginally lighter. Like an annoying younger sibling that insists on mimicking everything that its older brother does, it’s still a hefty unit, weighing in at 730 grams without lens or battery. The camera fits comfortably in your hand thanks to the streamlined grip on the right-hand side, and all buttons and switches are within easy reach. There’s now also a mini-HDMI output on the right side of the camera, as well as the standard USB connectors, covered with two tough plastic flaps.

Features

One of the most significant changes you’ll notice from the 40D, at least on first inspection, is the LCD screen. It’s a vast improvement on its predecessor, upped from 230,000 to 920,000 pixels. Creative Auto mode is a new addition to the 50D, and essentially acts as a slightly more advanced automatic mode. Automatic focusing is now much easier to use, and face detection is another notable inclusion, working effectively even in low light conditions.

Curiously, Live View is now only available in manual exposure modes, not in automatic or any of the preset function modes (portrait, macro etc) - something which seems odd given that it’s a feature that will appeal to those upgrading from a point and shoot, expecting a similar configuration in automatic modes on a new DSLR.

There’s now the added option to capture RAW images at lower resolutions, in sRAW1 and sRAW2 mode. We can see advantages and disadvantages on both sides here - it’s nice to have the option of shooting at a lower resolution for RAW, but unless you have limited space on your memory card and need to shoot smaller images, it’s just as easy to reduce the resolution in post-processing.

If you are expecting the latest and greatest in DSLR features on the 50D, there’s one whiz-bang option that is notably absent - video recording. The next camera in Canon’s line-up that will feature high-definition video recording is the 5D Mark II, a professional model with a price tag to match.

Performance and Image Quality

The Digic 4 processor definitely produces cleaner images than the Digic 3, and the 15.1-megapixel sensor is a considerable boost in resolution from the 40D’s 10.1 version.

Writing to standard, rather than faster-rated Compact Flash cards, is also quick enough for standard users. However, wildlife and sports photographers should consider investing in a faster card for maximum performance.

As usual with Canon, and just as in the 40D, colours are rendered beautifully - if a little oversaturated at times.

Conclusion

Though the 50D isn’t the successor to the 40D, it offers numerous improvements that may be worth the upgrade - or the outright new purchase - depending on your priorities. After having experienced the quality and depth of colour in the new LCD screen it will be very difficult to go back to the 40D and to other comparable models in its class. If you do a lot of on-camera reviewing and value an improved screen, consider the 50D.

• Good: Excellent picture quality | 15.1 megapixels | Gorgeous new LCD screen | HDMI output
• Bad: No Live View in Automatic modes | Creative Auto mode seems out of place

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Cameras SLR : Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III - Digital SLR Cameras

Executive Summary about : Cameras SLR  By Philip Ryan

The 1Ds Mark III marks another high-end success for Canon, though you’ll need a lot of spare cash if you want to own this ground-breaking camera.

cameras slr

Canon’s 1Ds series of cameras exists in a class of its own. With pixel counts well above anything else offered in a 35mm-format digital SLR, an attention to detail that addresses the needs of high-end professionals, and a price tag that’s thousands of dollars more than the nearest competition, it continues to push the limits of digital photography. The 1Ds Mark III, the latest in the series, brings the megapixel count to a whopping 21.1 and is every bit a precision instrument.

This camera is a dream machine for the serious/professional photographer.

• 21MP full-frame CMOS
• 14bit Colour (16,000+ tones vs 4096 with most cameras)
• Dual DiGiC III
• Large 100% coverage viewfinder
• Exceptionally low noise, even at high ISO
• Highly Responsive
• Ergonomic
• Supports CF and SD
• Great build quality
• Water and Dust resistant
• AF Micro adjustment, customises AF to up to 20 lenses
• Vertical grip
• Intuitive button layout and menu designs

Design

Canon’s 1Ds series body design, with its long, relatively straight grip, seems somewhat blocky compared with the sculpted designs that Nikon and some other manufacturers use. Both cameras have longer vertical grips. Speaking of which, as in previous models,

Canon duplicates the buttons and dials around the shutter button on the vertical grip, though they omit the exposure compensation and ISO buttons. To Canon’s credit, in my field tests I found that the vertical grip’s shutter on the 1Ds Mark III was less prone to accidental pressing than the one on the Nikon D3.

Menu and Info buttons move above the screen, while the playback button drops to below it. The Select button from the Mark II N is now obsolete, thanks to the Mark III’s Set button, which is mounted in the middle of the large scroll wheel, much like the scroll wheels found on the EOS 40D and 5D. While the Mark II had three two-button combinations of the buttons to the left of the pentaprism, Canon eliminated two of those combos by including the aforementioned dedicated ISO button and putting both AF and Drive under the same button.

The small scroll wheel near the shutter controls one while the large back scroll wheel adjusts the other. You might also notice that there’s no clearly marked white balance button. The FUNC button handles that, but it would’ve been nice for Canon to mark it. They also moved the white balance shift to the menu only, so the Mark II’s WB +/- button is replaced by the AF-On button, which triggers the autofocus and can come in handy if you don’t like the standard half-press of the shutter button to activate focus. If you don’t enjoy the screen that comes with the camera, Canon also offers a choice of 15 optional focusing screens to which you can switch.

Features

The feature everyone will mention first about the 1Ds Mark III is its 21.1-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor. I wouldn’t be surprised if that is followed by a small discussion of the camera’s 14-bit per channel analog to digital conversion, which theoretically allows for 16,384 levels of brightness compared to 4,096 levels with the 12-bit Mark II when shooting RAW.

You can’t dial down to 12 bit on the Canon, so if you shoot RAW, expect files in excess of 30MB each. Outdoor photographers will appreciate the 1Ds Mark III’s dust reduction system. It shakes the sensor whenever you turn the camera on or off to shake dust from the IR-cut filter in front of the sensor. If you end up with any persistent marks on the sensor you can have the camera map the sensor and plot their locations, so you can remove them automatically with the included Digital Photo Professional software.

Following the current trend, the 1Ds Mark III includes a Live View shooting mode, which lets you frame images with the big 3-inch LCD on the back of the camera instead of the optical viewfinder, should you choose to do so. Canon also warns that increased temperatures can lead to increased image noise.

Canon has increased the number of cross-type autofocus points from 7 in the Mark II to 19 in the Mark III. Cross-type AF points typically provide a higher level of sensitivity compared to standard horizontal-only points. Those 19 cross sensors are joined by 26 “assist points” for a total of 45 AF points. Careful scrutiny of Canon’s manual shows that the number of active cross-type points decreases drastically if you use a lens with a maximum aperture slower than f/2.8.

When you step down to a lens with a maximum aperture of f/4, only the centre point functions as a cross-type; the rest function as horizontal only. To determine a proper exposure, the camera uses a 63-zone TTL (through the lens) metering system. The system offers full-frame evaluative metering, centre-weighted average, and partial and spot metering. Canon calls this last option “multispot metering.”

All you have to do is press the FEL button to add another spot reading while you’re in spot AF mode to begin with. In our field tests, the 1Ds Mark III yielded remarkably accurate exposures and was rarely fooled by tricky scenes, but the 3D colour Matrix Metering found in Nikon’s D3 — with its 1,005-pixel sensor and onboard database of comparison image data — barely edges out the 1Ds Mark III’s evaluative mode when it comes to very tricky situations. If you’re really worried about highlights, though, you can activate the Mark III’s Highlight Tone Priority custom function, which makes use of the camera’s 14-bit digital conversion to extend the upper portion of the dynamic range to help preserve highlight detail. Some of the buttons, such as the aforementioned AF-On button, can be changed to perform slightly- or very-different functions.

As usual, the 1Ds Mark III is made to work with a very wide variety of Canon’s optional accessories.

Image quality

The 1Ds Mark III can capture beautiful, amazingly detailed images. One of the nicest things about the 1Ds Mark III is its low noise. Even then, the 1Ds Mark III maintains very vibrant colours, ample shadow detail, and plenty of fine detail. If you want extremely clean images you should probably stick to ISO 400 and below, but I was happy to shoot with not-very-reckless abandon even with the sensitivity range widened.

The Canon 1Ds Mark III isn’t for everyone. The bigger question is whether current 1Ds Mark II owners should step up. Ultimately, you have to ask if you’ve been disappointed in, or felt limited by, the 1Ds Mark II’s performance and image quality.

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