For Photographers
Review of Canon 5D MKII - First Impressions - 09/12/08
Abstract
Having traded in my 1DS MKII, I have been reasonably anxious about the marketed and reported excellence of the 5D MKII. Typically, I'll use a 1DS MKII for all my portraiture, using a pair of bodies for weddings. Recently I trialled a 1DS MKIII at an event, which performed extremely well and it was a tough decision, and leap of faith, to opt for 5D MKIIs instead of the 1DS MKIIIs. So, with just a handful of frames taken on the new kit and some trials with the video, what are my thoughts as to how it compares?
Firstly, this is not meant to be an in-depth review. There are a growing number of excellent and detailed reviews about the camera operation already out there. What I am hoping to add to the mix is some critique on specific areas that are of utmost importance to me as a wedding and portrait photographer, including some which are on discussion boards which influenced (for and against) my decision to opt for the 5D MKII.
Build Quality
Although I have never found myself in the position of jossling for a shot as a paparazzi, I have become used to the ruggedness of 1-Series bodies. They ooze build quality and failure-safe operation. Saying that, I owned a 1-Series which required a shutter replacement within a couple of thousand actuations, so nothing is sacred I guess. 1-Series are, without doubt, the cameras to go into a war zone with. Tempted as I am to develop new areas in my photography, I'm just not cut out for this. However, up until the 5D MKII, front line or not, I felt the 1-Series still gave me more confidence in failsafe execution than its closest rival, the 5D MKI. If I'd only used 5Ds, I'm sure I would have been more than happy about the results. It's just that the 1-Series had spoiled me.
So what about the 5D MKII? It feels signifcantly more rugged in the hand than its predecessor. Moving directly from the 1DS MKII, the 5D MKII feels like a lighter version, out of the same stable. And it is light. Carrying a pair of 1DS MKIIs around at a wedding, with fast and heavy L lenses, is always great news for my chiropractor. I am not going to fit any vertical grip, but capitalise on the 5D MKII's added nimbleness-through-lightness. It's more discreet and doesn't give me the problem of the shakes, which I also get after lifting similar weights to the 1-Series in the gym.
One of the fears I had moving to the 5D MII were the controls. I had become used to the 1-Series buttons. It has taken me a few hours to familiarise myself with the new layout, but if anything I am faster at changing settings now on the 5D MKII. And as for the screen. Wow! I simply could not go back to a 1DS MKII. Forget about chimping or not chimping. You know when you look at the 5D MKII screen whether you have the shot or not. It's an absolute delight to view the images. Yes, I wish it was articulated, so I could shoot via the screen at low levels, or at least waist hold the camera for wedding shots. And the viewfinder? Equally pleasing to look through. Not 100% coverage, but bright and clear.
So, in conclusion, yes, for me, the 5D MKII appears and feels to be a suitably professional rig for social photography. I feel I have made no compromise moving away from my 1-Series bodies. Quite the reverse, in fact.
Focusing
So much comment about the failure of Canon to adopt a more comprehensive focusing system. This worried me more than any other set of posts. As a direct comparison of the 5D MKII auto-focusing to 1DS MKIIs, I can honestly say that whatever Canon have put in the 5D MKII, it works. It works better than my 1DS MKIIs, in my experience. It works better in these areas:
1. The speed and accuracy with which focussing locks on to the centre point.
2. The speed and accuracy of using any of the other points for focussing. I do this all the time when using, for example, a very shallow depth of field with, say, a 50mm 1.2 lens. These points work as least as well, if not better, than my 1-Series. Don't ask me why.
3. Centre-point servo focussing. I use this at weddings and in photoshoots of, for example, running/playing children. The 5D MKII is spot on. Tested at my son's rugby at the weekend, I see no reason not to use this mode for sports photography.
4. Auto focusing point selection, servo focussing. I've never found a reason to use this, choosing instead to follow the action with the centre point and cropping to taste, if required.
5. Poor light focussing. I was surprised, again, by the speed and accuracy of the 5D MKII, even when not using the central focussing point. It just feels quicker than my 1-Series. I can't explain it.
There are, of course, a myriad of different focussing conditions and none of my findings are tested in lab conditions. However, the point of my review is very much a bottom line analysis of what I feel is really important. So, does the auto-focussing come up to scratch? Without a doubt. I have not had to change my style from using 1-Series and it appears to perform superbly. I have no problem using this is differing social conditions and also for fast moving and sports use. I simply can't imagine what all the fuss was about. I haven't tried any flagship Nikon cameras, and appreciate that they have reportedly developed a superb auto-focusing engine. However, not only am I not disappointed with what's inside the 5D MKII, it feels an improvement to what I'm used to. And that's a signficant thumbs up, as far as I am concerned.
Note: One of my disappoints with my 50mm 1.2L lens was its apparent focussing inaccuracy. I didn't get on any better with the 1DS MKIII. Not only did it generally back-focus, but focussing was inconsistent. Roll in the 5D MKII. What a difference. Not only are wide open shots spot on, they are consistently so. None of this hunting around the focus point that my 1-Series displayed. It just nails it. And yes, I will play with the micro-focus calibration and check all my lenses, but even beyond this, my 50mm 1.2 is very much back in favour with no adjustment.
Picture Quality
There is a lot of material already up on the web. I'll include a few examples below but, to be frank, I am getting the same saturated and creamy shots I got from the 1DS MKIII. Gorgeous, un-clinical, non-digital - I just love it and I haven't even begun exploring RAW or pictures styles beyond standard.
Note 1: Typically, I process all my images from RAW in Aperture. Without the raw converter, I haven't got round to using the Canon software yet.
Note 2: I was disappointed to find a white (rogue) pixel on all my pictures; no doubt, on the videos too. However, setting the camera to manual sensor clean (without actually cleaning the sensor) seems to have cured the problem. I have no idea how, but it works.
Black Dots Problems
There are reports of black dots appearing to the sides of contrasty highlights. I ran off 300 or so frames, using halogen spot lights as my 'problem' sources. These are my findings...
These issues now appear to be fixed in firmware 1.0.7
1. Irrespective of settings for noise reduction, Highlight Tone Priority, Auto Lighting Optimiser, etc, dark spots could be seen to the right hand side of some of the lights. Indeed, these black spots sometimes were represented as a contour around the side of the light and, as such, were not spots but lines.
2. No spots were evident when shot close to the light sources, only when a single light source could fit approximately into the central focusing box (or further back).
3. Reducing the ISO to 100 removed all black spots and/or lines. Increasing the ISO, particularly to 6400 and beyond showed signficant black spots and lines.
4. I made two attempts at recreating Andrew Yipp's excellent appraisal of the problem (http://www.andrewyip.com/blog/2008/12/09/black-dots-in-5d-mark-ii-images), but failed on both. i.e. I couldn't see any black spots.
5. Photographing a candle, a black spot/line was visible on the right edge of the flame. Again, with ISO 100, no black spot/line was visible.
6. Looking back at pictures from my kids' nativity play, highlights produced by tinsel all show black dots which conform to what other people have posted. It's also in the catchlight of my son's eyes.
Conclusion: I wish I had one! I'll speak to my Canon rep. It's difficult to know how signficant this problem is. It is certainly there. Too much pixel-peeping for me. Best left in the hands of an expert!
Video
Well, I'm not a videographer. I've tried to test how I might use such a device as part of, say, a wedding. How realistic this will be, will need a fair amount of trial and error. As a tool to quickly take HD footage, I'm blown away by the quality and ease of use. Yes, you have to pre-focus; yes, you have to find ways (fooling the exposure and using ND filters) to benefit from the wider apertures outside. But, as a reporting tool at least, it's a very interesting addition. Mounted on a tripod, I can certainly see myself using a second body to film parts of the ceremony and weaving that into my wedding videos. There are scores of example 5D MKII videos out there. I'll post mine up in a few days with a link from here. Taking the 5D MKII to my kids' nativity, the ease with which I could take videos and stills has, for me, begun to effectively blend two separate disciplines. There's no going back.
Conclusion
Of course, I've bought my 5D MKII and, short of returning it, I am bound to expound its virtues. Believe me, though, if the 5D MKII had not come up to expectation, I would have gone out and bought a 1DS MKIII. The 5D MKII is, fundamentally, a great camera. The criteria I set for it was that it must not leave me thinking at any point that I was using a non-professional or unreliable piece of kit. It excels. It just feels right. And, much to my relief, it has the sense you are using an extremely functionally well-balanced and accurate instrument.
The famous pianist, Arthur Rubinstein, was asked whilst judging a competition, why he would always give the pianist full marks or no marks. Was there no in between? He remarked, quite candidly, that it was obvious, wasn't it, whether they could play the piano or they couldn't. If I apply a similar critique style to the 5D MKII, my answer is, emphatically, full marks. It is, fundamentally, a winner.
Samples
These were taken to show the difference between ISO settings.
Settings:
High ISO Speed Noise Reduction - Standard
Highlight Tone Priority - Disable
Auto Light Optimizer - Standard
Peripheral Illumination Correction - Enable
sRGB
Picture Style - Standard
EF50mm 1.2 at 1.2 aperture
Taken straight from camera, reduced to 600x400, no additional sharpening.
ISO 400
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12800
ISO 25600
Abstract
Having traded in my 1DS MKII, I have been reasonably anxious about the marketed and reported excellence of the 5D MKII. Typically, I'll use a 1DS MKII for all my portraiture, using a pair of bodies for weddings. Recently I trialled a 1DS MKIII at an event, which performed extremely well and it was a tough decision, and leap of faith, to opt for 5D MKIIs instead of the 1DS MKIIIs. So, with just a handful of frames taken on the new kit and some trials with the video, what are my thoughts as to how it compares?
Firstly, this is not meant to be an in-depth review. There are a growing number of excellent and detailed reviews about the camera operation already out there. What I am hoping to add to the mix is some critique on specific areas that are of utmost importance to me as a wedding and portrait photographer, including some which are on discussion boards which influenced (for and against) my decision to opt for the 5D MKII.
Build Quality
Although I have never found myself in the position of jossling for a shot as a paparazzi, I have become used to the ruggedness of 1-Series bodies. They ooze build quality and failure-safe operation. Saying that, I owned a 1-Series which required a shutter replacement within a couple of thousand actuations, so nothing is sacred I guess. 1-Series are, without doubt, the cameras to go into a war zone with. Tempted as I am to develop new areas in my photography, I'm just not cut out for this. However, up until the 5D MKII, front line or not, I felt the 1-Series still gave me more confidence in failsafe execution than its closest rival, the 5D MKI. If I'd only used 5Ds, I'm sure I would have been more than happy about the results. It's just that the 1-Series had spoiled me.
So what about the 5D MKII? It feels signifcantly more rugged in the hand than its predecessor. Moving directly from the 1DS MKII, the 5D MKII feels like a lighter version, out of the same stable. And it is light. Carrying a pair of 1DS MKIIs around at a wedding, with fast and heavy L lenses, is always great news for my chiropractor. I am not going to fit any vertical grip, but capitalise on the 5D MKII's added nimbleness-through-lightness. It's more discreet and doesn't give me the problem of the shakes, which I also get after lifting similar weights to the 1-Series in the gym.
One of the fears I had moving to the 5D MII were the controls. I had become used to the 1-Series buttons. It has taken me a few hours to familiarise myself with the new layout, but if anything I am faster at changing settings now on the 5D MKII. And as for the screen. Wow! I simply could not go back to a 1DS MKII. Forget about chimping or not chimping. You know when you look at the 5D MKII screen whether you have the shot or not. It's an absolute delight to view the images. Yes, I wish it was articulated, so I could shoot via the screen at low levels, or at least waist hold the camera for wedding shots. And the viewfinder? Equally pleasing to look through. Not 100% coverage, but bright and clear.
So, in conclusion, yes, for me, the 5D MKII appears and feels to be a suitably professional rig for social photography. I feel I have made no compromise moving away from my 1-Series bodies. Quite the reverse, in fact.
Focusing
So much comment about the failure of Canon to adopt a more comprehensive focusing system. This worried me more than any other set of posts. As a direct comparison of the 5D MKII auto-focusing to 1DS MKIIs, I can honestly say that whatever Canon have put in the 5D MKII, it works. It works better than my 1DS MKIIs, in my experience. It works better in these areas:
1. The speed and accuracy with which focussing locks on to the centre point.
2. The speed and accuracy of using any of the other points for focussing. I do this all the time when using, for example, a very shallow depth of field with, say, a 50mm 1.2 lens. These points work as least as well, if not better, than my 1-Series. Don't ask me why.
3. Centre-point servo focussing. I use this at weddings and in photoshoots of, for example, running/playing children. The 5D MKII is spot on. Tested at my son's rugby at the weekend, I see no reason not to use this mode for sports photography.
4. Auto focusing point selection, servo focussing. I've never found a reason to use this, choosing instead to follow the action with the centre point and cropping to taste, if required.
5. Poor light focussing. I was surprised, again, by the speed and accuracy of the 5D MKII, even when not using the central focussing point. It just feels quicker than my 1-Series. I can't explain it.
There are, of course, a myriad of different focussing conditions and none of my findings are tested in lab conditions. However, the point of my review is very much a bottom line analysis of what I feel is really important. So, does the auto-focussing come up to scratch? Without a doubt. I have not had to change my style from using 1-Series and it appears to perform superbly. I have no problem using this is differing social conditions and also for fast moving and sports use. I simply can't imagine what all the fuss was about. I haven't tried any flagship Nikon cameras, and appreciate that they have reportedly developed a superb auto-focusing engine. However, not only am I not disappointed with what's inside the 5D MKII, it feels an improvement to what I'm used to. And that's a signficant thumbs up, as far as I am concerned.
Note: One of my disappoints with my 50mm 1.2L lens was its apparent focussing inaccuracy. I didn't get on any better with the 1DS MKIII. Not only did it generally back-focus, but focussing was inconsistent. Roll in the 5D MKII. What a difference. Not only are wide open shots spot on, they are consistently so. None of this hunting around the focus point that my 1-Series displayed. It just nails it. And yes, I will play with the micro-focus calibration and check all my lenses, but even beyond this, my 50mm 1.2 is very much back in favour with no adjustment.
Picture Quality
There is a lot of material already up on the web. I'll include a few examples below but, to be frank, I am getting the same saturated and creamy shots I got from the 1DS MKIII. Gorgeous, un-clinical, non-digital - I just love it and I haven't even begun exploring RAW or pictures styles beyond standard.
Note 1: Typically, I process all my images from RAW in Aperture. Without the raw converter, I haven't got round to using the Canon software yet.
Note 2: I was disappointed to find a white (rogue) pixel on all my pictures; no doubt, on the videos too. However, setting the camera to manual sensor clean (without actually cleaning the sensor) seems to have cured the problem. I have no idea how, but it works.
Black Dots Problems
There are reports of black dots appearing to the sides of contrasty highlights. I ran off 300 or so frames, using halogen spot lights as my 'problem' sources. These are my findings...
These issues now appear to be fixed in firmware 1.0.7
2. No spots were evident when shot close to the light sources, only when a single light source could fit approximately into the central focusing box (or further back).
3. Reducing the ISO to 100 removed all black spots and/or lines. Increasing the ISO, particularly to 6400 and beyond showed signficant black spots and lines.
4. I made two attempts at recreating Andrew Yipp's excellent appraisal of the problem (http://www.andrewyip.com/blog/2008/12/09/black-dots-in-5d-mark-ii-images), but failed on both. i.e. I couldn't see any black spots.
5. Photographing a candle, a black spot/line was visible on the right edge of the flame. Again, with ISO 100, no black spot/line was visible.
6. Looking back at pictures from my kids' nativity play, highlights produced by tinsel all show black dots which conform to what other people have posted. It's also in the catchlight of my son's eyes.
Conclusion: I wish I had one! I'll speak to my Canon rep. It's difficult to know how signficant this problem is. It is certainly there. Too much pixel-peeping for me. Best left in the hands of an expert!
Video
Well, I'm not a videographer. I've tried to test how I might use such a device as part of, say, a wedding. How realistic this will be, will need a fair amount of trial and error. As a tool to quickly take HD footage, I'm blown away by the quality and ease of use. Yes, you have to pre-focus; yes, you have to find ways (fooling the exposure and using ND filters) to benefit from the wider apertures outside. But, as a reporting tool at least, it's a very interesting addition. Mounted on a tripod, I can certainly see myself using a second body to film parts of the ceremony and weaving that into my wedding videos. There are scores of example 5D MKII videos out there. I'll post mine up in a few days with a link from here. Taking the 5D MKII to my kids' nativity, the ease with which I could take videos and stills has, for me, begun to effectively blend two separate disciplines. There's no going back.
Conclusion
Of course, I've bought my 5D MKII and, short of returning it, I am bound to expound its virtues. Believe me, though, if the 5D MKII had not come up to expectation, I would have gone out and bought a 1DS MKIII. The 5D MKII is, fundamentally, a great camera. The criteria I set for it was that it must not leave me thinking at any point that I was using a non-professional or unreliable piece of kit. It excels. It just feels right. And, much to my relief, it has the sense you are using an extremely functionally well-balanced and accurate instrument.
The famous pianist, Arthur Rubinstein, was asked whilst judging a competition, why he would always give the pianist full marks or no marks. Was there no in between? He remarked, quite candidly, that it was obvious, wasn't it, whether they could play the piano or they couldn't. If I apply a similar critique style to the 5D MKII, my answer is, emphatically, full marks. It is, fundamentally, a winner.
Samples
These were taken to show the difference between ISO settings.
Settings:
High ISO Speed Noise Reduction - Standard
Highlight Tone Priority - Disable
Auto Light Optimizer - Standard
Peripheral Illumination Correction - Enable
sRGB
Picture Style - Standard
EF50mm 1.2 at 1.2 aperture
Taken straight from camera, reduced to 600x400, no additional sharpening.
ISO 400
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12800
ISO 25600