dSLR Dad

Now in 1080p High Definition

It has been quite an interesting three years since Canon first released the original EOS 5D. At the time, it was the first full-frame, compact digital SLR that sold at a somewhat affordable price of $3,299 at launch.  It proved popular with dSLR Dads who required really big pixels for their landscape and portrait work.  Remarkably enough, it is only recently that Canon has faced competition in the space it created with the introduction of Nikon’s D700 and Sony’s Alpha A900.  And while those are some mighty fine cameras, Canon has once again decided to set itself apart from the crowd.  With the introduction of the 21.1 Megapixel full-frame EOS 5D Mark II, Canon is also the first to introduce 1080p high-definition video recording in a digital SLR Camera.

Utilizing a full-frame 21.1-Megapixel (24 x 36mm) CMOS Sensor, the EOS 5D Mark II now offers the same resolution as the $8,000 EOS 1Ds Mark III in a much more affordable and compact body.  The use of Canon’s gapless micro-lens technology supposedly allows for an increase of sensor resolution and a reduction of noise.  However, as a dSLR dad, I would rather keep the resolution lower and have even more light sensitivity.

By using a more transmissible color filter in front of the sensor, light sensitivity was increased.  The 5D Mark II also incorporates Canon’s Integrated Cleaning System, which now adds a new anti-stick fluorine coating to the forward low-pass filter (ala 50D).  On the back end, Canon contends that they also improved the sensor’s signal output by adding individual amplifiers at each pixel site.  This technology should reduce both noise generation and power consumption.

If it seems that Canon is focused on reducing the noise level of the EOS 5D Mark II, it is.  Canon is claiming that the CMOS sensor’s sensitivity to light has been increased three full stops from the prior model.  The ’standard’ ISO speed range is now ISO 100 to ISO 6400 in 1/3-stop increments.  There are also two high-speed settings of ISO 12800 and ISO 25600.  Very nice.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II also uses the latest DIGIC 4 processing engine.  While it doesn’t go to eleven, four is one more than three, so it has to be good.  On the more serious side, it offers 14-bit RAW file processing of the 21.1 Megapixel images as well as a continuous shooting burst of 3.9 frames-per-second (14 RAW image memory buffer with a UDMA card).  High speed writing of up to 133 MB/sec to the Compact Flash Card is now possible.

The EOS 5D Mark II Digic4 also offers the latest Canon image processing options like:

• Peripheral Illumination Correction – automatically evens brightness across the image field. Basically, this is a lens vignette control built into the camera when you shoot JPEG.  Canon has profiled 82 of the 125 Canon EF and EF-S lenses to date, but the EOS 5D Mark II will only store 40 profiles in camera. This feature can be managed via Canon’s free (are you listening Nikon) EOS Utility software, in version 2.5.
• Auto Lighting Optimizer – analyzes the brightness of subjects and automatically adjusts dark images so that they appear brighter. Not sure that this is a benefit to a dSLR Dad shooting RAW.  You are shooting RAW, aren’t you!?
• 3 levels of available noise reduction – Standard, Weak, Strong – plus None.
• Two sRAW file size options.  I have never used this option, but when your camera’s resolution comes in at 21.1 megapixels and generates a 25.8 MB file size, it becomes a credible option:
  

  	Resolution (megapixels)	File Size (megabytes)	Largest Possible Print	2 GB CF Card capacity
  RAW	21.0 MP	25.8 MB	30″x40″, or larger	72
  sRAW1	10.0 MP	14.8 MB	13″x19″	120
  sRAW2	5.2 MP	10.8 MB	11″x14″	170

The nine point Autofocus system with six AF assist points is carried over from the EOS 5D.  The three center AF points are sensitive to f/2.8 lenses.  AF Microadjustment is included this time around.  First introduced on the EOS 1D Mark III, it allows for focus calibration between lens and body.  Shutter durability is now up to 150,000 cycles.

Viewing your images has now been improved by the addition of Canon’s 3-inch LCD with a 170-degree viewing angle and 920,000 pixels.  That offers four times the resolution of the EOS 5D and brings Canon equal to Nikon.  A built-in light sensor provides automatic adjustment of 3 brightness levels.  It also incorporates a three layer coating which should help reduce glare, reflections, and the ever present dSLR Dad face smudge.  Canon has also introduced their “Quick Control Screen” interface, which uses the 8-way multi-controller.  Live View is now offered with 3 modes; Quick Mode AF, Live Mode AF, and Face Detection Live Mode AF.  Live View is great, but it’s that other little feature that is the game changer.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is the first digital SLR Camera to offer 16:9 1080p High Definition video capture.  Here are the key points:

• Video can be recorded at two resolutions, 1920 x 1080 pixels (16:9 format) and 640×480 (4:3 format).
• The video codec will be H.264, in a Quicktime *.MOV wrapper.  Audio will be Linear PCM (16 bits/44.1khz).  An MPEG-4 bitrate of  4.8 MB/sec is surprisingly good for a consumer camera.  HD Clip length is limited to a 4GB file size or 12 minutes, whatever comes first.
• White balance is set prior to recording.  If Auto WB is selected, it will adjust to the ambient light color as the camera is recording.
• Autofocus is enabled in the EOS 5D Mark II.  However, it uses the Live Mode AF type which uses  contrast detection.  This means autofocus speeds will not be impressive.  Also, autofocus tracking is not possible, which is a bit of a bummer.
• A still frame can be captured during the movie shooting at whatever the current image settings are.
• The camera includes a built-in mono microphone and speaker.  Stereo recording is possible via a 3.5 mm input jack.
• HDMI output, using a Type C mini connector to hook up to your HDTV, is included.
• Unfortunately, the video framerate is only 30 frames-per-second.  While that may be the NTSC standard, everything else is shot at 24 fps.  This will make your post-process workflow and distribution options difficult.

On paper, the specs look pretty good for a first generation feature.  But, as we have learned recently, getting a still camera CMOS sensor to capture video properly does have it’s technological hurdles.  Let’s hope that the Canon camera engineers have had weekly discussions with the Canon video engineers on how to develop a proper product.  Like everyone, I can’t wait till November to see the final release.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is available in two configurations:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR Camera, Body Only (estimated retail price of $2,699).
• Canon EOS 5D Mark II with the EF 24-105mm f/4 L Image Stabilized (IS) USM Lens (estimated retail price of $3,499).

Resources

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II Product Page (Canon USA)
• EOS 5D Mark II Information from Canon USA’s Digital Learning Center
• Special 5D Site (Canon Japan)
• Sample images (Canon Japan)
• Sample movies (Canon Japan)
• Vincent Laforet has published his video Reverie.  He used a pre-production EOS 5D Mark II on loan from Canon.  A Behind the Scenes video can be found here on SmugMug.

Reviews

Digital Photography Review – Hands-on Preview

Popular Photography Magazine – Review

If you’re moving up from an APS-format DSLR, you will be happy with the 5D Mark II. Make that ecstatic. Life is fuller in the full-frame lane.

And the vast amount of detail that goes along with 21.1MP, as well as the sophisticated image processing served up by its new DIGIC 4 engine, cannot be understated — it’s a wow! The low-light image quality is almost life-changing.

But the 5D Mark II’s old-fashioned AF system can’t keep up with the cutting-edge imaging power. Nor is the 3.9-fps burst rate state-of-the-art. So if you’re a pro, understand these limitations.

Yet if you’re looking to trade in your old 5D for this version, while you gain nothing in AF, you pick up everything from low-light to video capability. And those are very impressive — perhaps irresistible — upgrades.

Camera Labs – Review (Rating on Hold)

Had the EOS 5D Mark II not suffered from the black dot issue, it would have easily earned our highest recommendation. It’s one of Canon’s most powerful DSLRs to date, capable of delivering superb image quality with decent handling and all the latest bells and whistles. The movie mode is also an excellent addition, and while it’s not a practical replacement for a camcorder for most amateurs, the results can be spectacular and independent film makers will love it. Indeed its testament to how good the 5D Mark II is that it can be highly recommended as a still-camera alone, or a movie camera alone.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 at 10:55 PM and is filed under Canon dSLR Cameras, News & Commentary, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.