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Rob O
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Registered: Aug 31, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Jan 1, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,200.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Full frame, Large viewfinder, Very high detail in your pictures, Easy to use,the included canon raw software works somewhat good and easy to use.
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Cons:
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Double the cost of average cropped DSLR, LCD impossible to view in the outdoors (including overcast days) for best results must use top notch glass,Full frame makes a very thin DOF the photographer must be on his/her toes.
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full frame is like being back to true 35 mm photography
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 Jan 1, 2006
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steveprice
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Registered: Dec 3, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 38
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Review Date: Dec 31, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Big LCD with zoom feature (niiiiiice), feels good, 12.8 megapixels, good at high ISO, easy to understand and navigate buttons and menus, not too heavy (until you add the must-have battery grip)
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Cons:
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Minor niggles are: I found I pressed buttons with my left thumb when holding in portrait orientation; battery only lasted one afternoon (about 100 shots), second battery a must-have, as is probably the extended battery grip, costly batteries and grip, ISO is static i.e. it doesn't change automatically to suit the lighting, exposure compensation involves a switch, a button and a dial, I will never use the direct print function.
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If it wasn't for the battery issue I would have given overall 10.
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Dec 31, 2005
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Kagetsu
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Registered: Mar 16, 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 355
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Review Date: Dec 28, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,330.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Solid construction, Excellent photographic ability, impressive selection of options. Generally, a wonderful addition to the Canon range.
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Cons:
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No weather sealing, no option for alternative battery types, mirror slap a little too much force.
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For me, I paid 333,000Yen, and must say it's the best camera I've ever owned. Prior to the 5D, the only option I had for full frame, was to go with film, or a 1Ds or the equivilent Kodak series... The reality was, that only the 1Ds would offer the use I wanted.
I've only owned the 5D for a short time, however, from what I've seen of it, it's definantly taken on the role as my primary camera. It's the little things that have really made the difference for me, and I hadn't really read or heard anything of them prior to using it.
Firstly, the bokeh of the Full frame. I never thought much of it, I'd always let it go without worrying too much about it on my 20D, which I still use and love. However, to see the difference for me was breath taking. Using f/1.4 was simply amazing, and I'm looking forward to really pushing my lenses as far down as they go. I love the effect, and it's given a whole new dimension to my work, and given me an opportunity to expand.
ISO adjustability is superb in this camera. It can be pushed as low as ISO50 equivalent, and as high as 3200... Everybody is pretty much aware of that, but for me the suprise was the intermediate ranges... 100/125/160/200/250/320/400/500/640/800/1000/1250/1600 makes it much more accessible. More refinable.
It's allowed me to moderate to a slightly lower ISO for night shooting. Not that it's a problem at ISO 800 anyway, but lower ISO is always better I believe.
Being able to see the fStop in the view finder is also a plus.
General usage wise, I have my fitted with the grip, and must say it's a whole new beast to the 20D, it simply feels big. It'd probably be interesting to see it size wise next to a 1Ds/1D Mark II.
I like the photo's it produces, though by default it's a little soft, and a little to saturated in the colour. After adjusting it slightly, the result is nice, and crisp images.
On the negative notes, I would have hoped that with the release of this Canon, a new set of battery type would be released along with it, giving people in colder area's something to work with. Still, we can only hope soon.
Naturally weather sealing is there, but not a major issue. It'd have been nice, but it's nothing I'd hold against this camera. The build quality is very good, and for the most part, it'll deal with some punishment (I believe, as my 20D has, in bush hikes past waterfalls, and crashing waves, and it's still going strong).
The only big thing is mirror slap, which I find to be very much noticeable. It's not major, but you certainly feel it, and if you're not holding it well enough, can result in a slightly (ever so much so) distorted image. It's not bad though.
Over all, I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who's in the market for a new System. Canon really have thought this one through very well. Considering what they've achieved, the cost, and the ability, this camera is incredible.
In comparison to the 20D, it's solid, really solid. It feels a million dollars, and anybody who's played with a 20D, know's it's not half bad itself.
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Dec 28, 2005
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zaton
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Registered: Dec 21, 2005
Location: Poland
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 21, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,800.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build, DOF, Picture Quality, Resolution, 13MP, shutter sound, weight, nice optional grip, balance, custom setting, ISO in viewfinder, Viewfinder brightness, to get the same DoF as in the 1.6 crop cameras you need to stop the lens - what gets you better image quality (lenses tend to create much better pictures when stopped down)
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Cons:
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Actually none - prolly the best everyday digital SLR ever made. At least simple sealing would be nice (but for not heavyduty job - 5d is perfect in all aspects)
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Probably the best digital SLR I have ever used. Great resposiveness, ISO noise 400-1600 much cleaner than filmgrain, finally normal DoF. To get the same DoF of a 1.6 crop camera, you need to stop down the lens which results in superior image quality. Just like in film cameras corners tend to be soft when shooting wide angles, but if you have ever developed such prints, you will be amazed of what 5d can do. Picture quality comparable to mid-format. Way cheaper than 1d series, although lacking env-sealing. I have used my 5d in the rain and sun and snow already, and it really doesnt hurt. The camera performs great. RAW mode delivers excellent results. Well made shots are hard to distinguish from film cameras. Way lighter than 1d serier, easier to carry and use. Durable shutter, solid feel, excellent optional grip. Excellent battery performace for 13MP sensor and considering image size, very fast saveing/reading to CF cards.
Wide angle is wide again. Tele shots have the tele look and feel and bokeh 
I own 1dsMkII and 1v film cameras. Replaced 20d with my 5d, and it is now the camera I use most. It is not worth keeping 20d for 1.6 crop. Canon TC is way lighter, cheaper and takes less room in my bag
Buy it - you will never regret it.
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Dec 21, 2005
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TonyKidd
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Registered: Dec 15, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Dec 16, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,850.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Full Frame sensor for under 3K, much improved AF, AI Servo tracking close to my 1DMKIIn, Spot Metering,
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Cons:
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No Environmental seals for $3,000.00 camera is plain old ridiculous. Needs Canon's best glass PERIOD.!!!
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No more need to carry around a brick on vacation is nice, and did i mention FF. I was not going to buy this camera at first, then my local dealer received his order of 5D's and allowed me to take his demo out for the day for a full trial run. The 3D like images that come out of this camera jump out at you, amazing quality. I hear allot of people complain about only 3FPS, well with an 18 image RAW buffer that is 6 seconds of continuous shooting, also the buffer dumps faster than my MKIIn's or so it seems, using a 4GB Extreme III card. Now i owned a 1DSMKII and sold it to fund the purchase of my Canon lenses, 400MM F2.8 and 180MM L Macro. The images that come out of the 5D are right on par with the 1DSMKII. Now there are a few people who are saying the 1DMKIIn's images are just as good, well they are very good, but they are not as good as the 5D's period, i own them both. Now when Sept 06 arrives i believe that Canon will release my dream camera, a 1x3 crop, 14MP, 10FPS, 22 RAW Buffer, on a 1 series shell, this would be my dream machine.
If you are looking for an extremely nice camera for all around use, yes all around, like i said all though it is 3FPS you get 6 seconds to grab that 1 shot, or if you want to shoot JPEG you can shoot 60 or 20 seconds. Anyway i HIGHLY RECOMEND this camera.
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Dec 16, 2005
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serendipity000
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Registered: Oct 17, 2005
Location: China
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 12, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $2,500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Beautiful Build, familiar interface as 20D, Digital Rebel, Eos 7
Much lighter to lug around than the 1 series
great quality fron high ISO shots
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Cons:
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JPEGS come out soft, not great for events but useable.
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Dec 12, 2005
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smac
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Registered: Sep 28, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 11
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Review Date: Dec 10, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,299.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Full frame, big bright viewfinder, stunning resolution, very low noise, quality build. Feature set. This is a breakthough camera techologically.
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Cons:
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The first day I shot with this camera, I felt that the tool had become invisible and that there was a direct link between the subject and my vision. It's been like that every day since. I've been waiting for this camera since digital began. I love shooting with it! I've had many cameras since getting my 1st Nikon F in 1968: Nikon MF and AF, Canon EOS film and digital, large format, Leicas, medium format and I can say without hesitation that this is the finest camera I've ever owned or used. It took me 3 trys to get there, though. The 1st one had a CF card formatting problem and the 2nd one had a big fat hot pixel. The ergonomics fit me (large hands, glasses) perfectly and I love the sound and feel. Metering is right on. Focus is fast and accurate.
On the next model, I'd like to have eye controlled focus, mirror lockup (rarely used) on the camera body and slightly lighter. I liked the pop up flash on my 20D and A2E, but I'm using the 580EZ to much better effect. But if this were my last DSLR, I'd be happy for the rest of my days.
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Dec 10, 2005
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kendallkoning
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Registered: Nov 26, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 90
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Review Date: Dec 7, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,299.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Full frame, large viewfinder, quieter shutter than 20D, smaller size than 1D(s), large LCD.
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Cons:
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No built-in flash, expensive, would have liked 1-series AF for the price.
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A great upgrade for me from the 20D, though going full frame did require some adjustment to my lens lineup to maintain the same FOV. The advantages of a larger frame size are wonderful for my style of photography. Getting a shallower DOF without superfast longer glass like the 85/1.2 or 135/2.0 is great for portraits, and my existing lenses are sharper on the 5D because fewer lines/mm of MTF at the sensor are required for the same number of lines per frame height. Vignetting in the corners is not that important to me and can easily be fixed in (batch) post-processing.
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Dec 7, 2005
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woodyspedden
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Registered: Nov 24, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 897
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Review Date: Dec 4, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,299.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Great image quality. The beauty of full frame is to maintain the flexibility for the wide angle glass and the 5D does this at very reasonable price. Very intuitive controls although still more complex than Nikon's ergonomics. A two body system comprising the 5D and the 20D gives us the best of all worlds from full wide angle to super telephoto and both are less than the price of the 1DS MKII
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Cons:
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I agree with the poster who noticed that these wide angle characteristics favor the landscape photographer and the wedding photographer all of whom do lots of outside shooting. Where is the weather sealing? Also real world shooters would trade the print button (grrr) for a mirror lock-up button every time. Canon should know by now that the current mirror lock up approach is neanderthal. I bought the 5D so I could use my Zeiss lenses in manual focus mode. Unfortunately the 5D mirror is "extra large" and hangs up on several lenses, sadly. So I ended up with the 1DS MKII which does not exhibit this problem. (Many posts on this subject in the Alternative Cameras and Lenses forum.
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Dec 4, 2005
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pauljm
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Registered: Jan 3, 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Dec 4, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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FF, autofocus speed, high iso performance
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Cons:
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Battery grip costs $500 in Australia. No other issues
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I have just stepped up from the 10D after 2 years of flawless service and 24000 registrations. I was delighted with the 10D, but this camera is in another league. Apart from the battery grip being an absolute rip off, I have very few issues with the 5D. I will highlight the most significant delights
The autofocus is fantastic. I have had an 85 1.8 lens, which represented an 'average' combination with the 10D. It is now clear that with a narrow DOF lens, I missed the focus point far too often with the 10D. The 5 D is spot on, almost every time
The high iso performance just kills the 10D and represents a major step forward
The FF 12.8 mb chip is also fabulous. At last, my lenses function just as they did on a film camera, at the length they were designed for
The viewfinder is bright. The LCD is big, but I feel disappointing. It has nothing like the contrast or brightness of the LCD on my Epson P2000
I considered the 1dIIn, but to be frank I dont need 8 fps, would prefer the FF near 13 mb chip and the smaller camera. I am sure that the autofocus may be quicker on the 1 series, but I am yet to fault the 5D autofocus in nearly 1000 shots.
For the first time since my EOS 630, I have a camera that I know will last me for years
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Dec 4, 2005
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JohnGalla
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Registered: Jan 28, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 57
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Review Date: Nov 30, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Full frame, decent quality feel for price, Ease of use, colour/contrast is very very good.
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Cons:
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No weather seal. Is it reliable !!!!!!!
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As the 20D is less than half the price you do not get twice the quality. The functionality is basically the same as the 20D.
I tested it against my 20D and I am not doing cartwheels from the quality improvements of the 5D. However, welcome back full frame.
The biggest improvement I seen was in the colour/contrast of the images against the 20D.
I plan to get more involved in Wedding photography next year so that is why I splashed the cash. If you are a general hobbyist and not planning to get return on your investment I would stick with the 20D.
I hope this camera is reliable....... unlike my 20D !!!!
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Nov 30, 2005
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bobbytan
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Registered: Feb 2, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6518
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Review Date: Nov 23, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,180.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Full frame, shallower DOF, 12.8 megapixels, 2.5" screen, big/bright viewfinder, size and weight, low high-ISO noise, quiet shutter, spot metering, interchangeable screens, programmable "C" function on dial.
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Cons:
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Price, limited AF points, no built-in flash, frame rate, vignetting and corner softness. Did I say price?
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Most of my photographic experience is with Contax/Zeiss and Velvia film. My first DSLR was the 10D, which I really liked except that it is very slow - compared to the later-generation 20D. I got the 20D when it first came out, and although it’s better than the 10D, I never did like the noisy/clanky shutter, and I had some issues with the AF accuracy. The 5D is a dream-come-true for me ... for my present needs anyway. With my SLR background, I have been spoilt with a big, bright viewfinder and I expect all Canon lenses to perform as they were designed i.e. without any crop factor.
Is the 5D a perfect DSLR? No, far from it. But it has the features that most SLR shooters want – full frame, big/bright viewfinder (although it falls short of SLR standards), spot metering, shallower DOF, interchangeable focusing screens, etc. Image quality is very good – thanks to the FF sensor and 12.8 megapixels. It’s a huge advantage if you need to crop your image and/or make large prints. I LOVE the size/weight and relatively quiet shutter. It is also true that 5D images require less post-processing than 10D/20D images. The lower high-ISO noise is truly amazing and allows you to shoot in very low light without a tripod.
Although it’s inexpensive compared to the 1Ds2 and D2X, it is still a very expensive DSLR. The AF mechanism IMO is decent and acceptable - better than the 20D but not as good as the 1 Series Canons. I can live with the other relatively minor issues (there’s got to be some trade off) like the slower frame rate, no weather sealing, limited AF points, no built-in flash, less-than-ideal viewfinder coverage and magnification, LCD brightness, vignetting and corner softness, etc.
You have to look at our shooting style and preferences, as the 5D is certainly not for everyone. If image quality is very important to you, you have good glass (primes and L lenses), and you are not primarily shooting sports and action photos, the 5D will serve you very well. If speed or a rugged body is more important to you, the 20D or 1D2N may be a better choice for you.
I am already looking forward to the 5D’s replacement ... hopefully it will have most of the features currently missing, more megapixels ... for under $3,000!
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Nov 23, 2005
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Andi Dietrich
Offline
[ X ]
Registered: Nov 12, 2005
Location: Bahamas
Posts: 3801
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Review Date: Nov 23, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Full frame, 12 mp quality, low noise,not to heavy, B/W, C-mode
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Cons:
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CF door, LCD visibility outdoors, "mirror lock up where are you?"
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I love this camera. of course there are always a few points to improve.
-i.e. the CF-door: they forgot probably the fact that's there where the photographer holds the weight of the body, the lens, the flash...
-mirror lock up could be together with the selftimer option
-the worst canon bug is still their wide angel lenses, which can't match their great cameras
compared with analog MF Cameras we are getting very close here. a good lens and tripod might be necessary to compet
but anyway this camera is a big fun
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Nov 23, 2005
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jjarecki
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Registered: Nov 22, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 22, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,299.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Full frame (great for Architecture, landscape), excellent quality, large lcd on back (what a difference!).
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Cons:
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Still a bit pricey, no built in flash (these have saved me a couple of times when my strobe failed), slow 3 fps drive...bear in mind these are small things in my mind, and for my needs.
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I have used the 5D on 3 assignments and one personal project so far, and have really liked it. I have gotten much good info from this site and felt I should contribute also. The only thing in my book that makes this camera unattractive is that it is still pretty expensive. The quality of the images and ease of use are really great. I highly recommend the camera.
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Nov 22, 2005
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Tom_W
Offline
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Registered: Jan 20, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5239
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Review Date: Nov 20, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,200.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Full frame, high megapixel count, low noise and wide dynamic range. Excellent out-of-the-box images. Big viewfinder. Nice LCD display size and resolution. Good ergonomics.
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Cons:
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Not as stoutly built as the 1-series, no AF with f/8 lenses. LCD, while nice, is hard to view in sunlight. Frame rate is a little slow at 3 fps.
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I'm one of the few that switched from the 1D Mk II to the 5D. Let me say straight up that both are excellent cameras.
While that switch might seem odd to some, it made the most sense to me for my purposes. I was willing to trade the stout, almost bulletproof construction of the 1-series for the light weight and full-frame sensor of the 5D.
What I like about the 5D is the ability to take images straight from the camera and apply minimal processing to get the prints I want. Perhaps this is due to the variety of picture styles, but the results are to my liking. I like the size and weight of the 5D. Previously, I carried a 350D/XT when I wanted to travel light, but that camera, as nice as it is, doesn't match the dynamic range or noise characteristics of the 5D.
As for noise, while the 5D seems to be using a sensor design similar to that of the 1D Mk II, it does present better noise characteristics at ISO 1600 & particularly at 3200. On a flat dark surface, the difference isn't so noticeable in testing, but on more detailed surfaces, dark or light, the 5D seems to retain detail better, and keeps colors more accurate. Plus, since it is a 12.8 megapixel camera as compared to an 8.2 mpx camera, the noise has a finer grain than when the image is framed equally and sized equally as one would do if printing equivalent output.
The AF on the 5D is very good. I've compared low-light focusing of the 5D vs. the 1D II and found little difference (in the type of shooting that I do), with perhaps a slight edge in low-light capability in favor of the 5D (the specs bear this out). As for tracking, I found no difference, though I must confess that I did not get to track extremely fast moving objects where the 1D II might have the advantage. The 5D performs well in tracking with the subject in the spot-metering circle. Outside of that, I would expect the advantage to go to the 1-series. The 1-series allows excellent tracking outside of the spot-metering circle, since it saturates a larger area with AF sensors, and has a dedicated processor to deal with all the data. Overall, unless you're shooting a great deal of fast-moving subjects, the 5D is very comparable to the 1-series in my observation.
In build, the 5D is closer to the 10D/20D type of camera than the 1-series. It is not as robust as the 1D II, but it is still fairly robust. The 1-series cameras are tanks. The 5D is more like a lightly-armored Humvee - durable, but it won't take the shelling that the 1-series can handle. I won't hesitate to take the 5D into the wild, or into a dirty factory, but if I were spending every Sunday along the sideliines of an NFL game, I'd probably opt for the 1D II.
I don't think I need to continue here, as this review is getting a bit long-winded. For those considering the 5D, I hope this helps you in your decision. Look at what and how you shoot and then decide if this is the right camera for your needs and wants. It's very good at what it does - all you have to do is decide if what it does matches what you want.
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Nov 20, 2005
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jan zlin
Offline
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Registered: Oct 23, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Nov 17, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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This camera from my perspective as Pro-Photographer, is very positive new comer... First of all this one after Canon Flag-ship Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II is second to non as far as quality of images is regarding to..... and I think, that, that is what a lot of pro's is concern about! Second reading what others have to say it look's like that they do not own one yet or where unable to explore all this camera may offer...... I think for price and image quality this one was a main reason why I switched from NIKON to Canon system, and I never look back over my shoulder even being lighter today for 30 000.00 bucks .....
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Cons:
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Weather seal.
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Nov 17, 2005
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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220
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270439
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Apr 29, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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93% of reviewers
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$2,697.07
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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8.91
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8.59
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9.4
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