I first became a Canon user in 1986 when I bought a Canon T90, which was a wonderful camera. I had been sceptical about autofocus cameras but having played around with a friend’s Canon EOS in 1992, I decided to take the plunge and move over to an autofocus SLR. As I liked the T90 so much, I ... Read review
Canon's update to the wildly popular full frame EOS 5D is here, and it's better than ever. ... more
The EOS 5D Mark II has a stunning 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4 image processor, a vast ISO range of 100-6400, plus EOS technologies like
Postage & Packaging:Free Delivery Availability:3-7 days
Canon's update to the wildly popular full frame EOS 5D is here, and it's better than ever. ... more
The EOS 5D Mark II has a stunning 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4 image processor, a vast ISO range of 100-6400, plus EOS technologies like
Postage & Packaging:Free Delivery Availability:3-7 days
Did you know that at Park Cameras we offer a variety of courses on the Canon EOS 5D Mk II? ... more
Priced at only £84.99- you can benefit from a day-long School of Photography course designed to ensure that you are able to get more out of this fabulous product. Please see our dedicated training section for more details. Hands on Review of the Canon EOS 5D Mk II Its been 3 long years since Canon launched the ground breaking EOS 5D- a camera that is still widely used by amateur and professional photographers alike for its Full-frame CMOS sensor and stunning image quality even at high ISO settings. Canon has announced the replacement- the predictably titled EOS 5D mkII. This camera continues in the tradition of offering the highest available image quality from a 35mm based system- in a compact body and at a relatively affordable price. Park Cameras was invited to Canons launch event today at their UK headquarters to try the new camera first hand so we can bring you our initial impressions of the camera. The headline feature will undoubtedly be the the new CMOS sensor. At 21 million pixels this camera offers the same sorts of file sizes you would get from the flagship EOS 1Ds mkIII. In the year since the 1Ds mkIII was released it seems that Canon have been working hard to improve the efficiency of the design of their sensors. Due to a new microlens arrangement over the individual photosites Canon seem to have been able to increase the amount of light that each photosite receives. This may seem like marketing speak from Canons technicians but you only have to look at the expanded range of ISO settings that the camera is capable of shooting at to see the improvements this has made. With the original 5D and the current 1Ds mkIII the standard ISO range was 100-1600 with 3200 available as a boosted setting. On the new 5D mkII the standard range is 100-6400- with both 12-800 and 25-600 available should you need to shoot during a powercut. During our time with the camera we were able to shoot with a range of different lenses- one of which was Canons 70-200mm f/2.8 IS lens. With a model on hand in a bridal dress and veil we were able to see the results with the camera tethered to a plasma TV through the high definition connection. Canon Enables Manual Exposure in Video on the EOS 5D Mark II Allowing EOS 5D Mark II owners to achieve even more stunning video results with the camera- the firmware update will include the following manual controls when shooting video: Full aperture selection ISO speed: Auto- 100 6400 and H1 Shutter speed: 1/30th 1/4000th second Please click here to download the 5D Mark II firmware update.
The much-awaited Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR follows in the footsteps of its ... more
predecessor, the Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR. The new Canon EOS 5D Mk II hits the ground running with a host of fantastic features just dripping with technological advancement and sure to inspire great photography. From the huge number of megapixels to the introduction of Live View, from the advanced DIGIC 4 processor and full HD Movie Mode to improved weather sealing, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is a crowd pleaser that doesn’t have it in its nature to disappoint.
Canon's update to the wildly popular full frame EOS 5D is here, and it's better than ever. ... more
The EOS 5D Mark II has a stunning 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4 image processor, a vast ISO range of 100-6400, plus EOS technologies like
Postage & Packaging:see site for shipping costs Availability:3-7 days
(+) Fold out LCD screen, Image Stabilization, Zuiko lens quality, Picture quality, Flash options (-) Noise in low light, Too many buttons, Badly laid out, Too many gimmicks
Advantages: Accurate eye controlled focusing, Accurate metering and Lots of features Disadvantages: Eye controlled focusing doesn’t work when camera held vertically, Reliant upon 2CR5 batteries
I first became a Canon user in 1986 when I bought a Canon T90, which was a wonderful camera. I had been sceptical about autofocus cameras but having played around with a friend’s Canon EOS in 1992, I decided to take the plunge and move over to an autofocus SLR. As I liked the T90 so much, I decided to stay with Canon. The problem was which model. What I really wanted was an autofocus version of the T90.The EOS10 was not as well equipped as the T90 ... ...Then Canon released the EOS5, this was pretty much what I wanted, and it had the advantage of eye-controlled focus.
I love the eye-controlled focus. You have to calibrate the ECF system to your eye first, but this is easy. There are 5 focusing points on the focusing screen and the camera works out which one you’re looking at and uses that to focus on the subject. The disadvantage is that the ECF only works when the camera is held ... more
I first became a Canon user in 1986 when I bought a Canon T90, which was a wonderful camera. I had been sceptical about autofocus cameras but having played around with a friend’s Canon EOS in 1992, I decided to take the plunge and move over to an autofocus SLR. As I liked the T90 so much, I decided to stay with Canon. The problem was which model. What I really wanted was an autofocus version of the T90.The EOS10 was not as well equipped as the T90 and the EOS1 was too expensive.
Then Canon released the EOS5, this was pretty much what I wanted, and it had the advantage of eye-controlled focus.
I love the eye-controlled focus. You have to calibrate the ECF system to your eye first, but this is easy. There are 5 focusing points on the focusing screen and the camera works out which one you’re looking at and uses that to focus on the subject. The disadvantage is that the ECF only works when the camera is held horizontally. When the camera is held vertically, you must manually choose the focusing point or the camera chooses one itself. The ECF system also operates the depth of preview. You just look at a mark in the top left hand corner of the screen for a second or two and the lens stops down to the taking aperture.
The metering is good. You have three options:
Traditional centre weighed averaging
Evaluative, which takes into account subject size, position and front and back lighting
Spot metering
You have an exposure compensation dial to intentionally under or over expose. For example, I set the exposure compensation to +1.5 stops when shooting in snowy conditions.
In addition to the exposure compensation, there is auto bracketing, where 3 shots are taken in succession; first at original exposure, second under exposed and third over exposed. Auto bracketing can be used in conjunction with exposure compensation. To get the best out of auto bracketing you should set the motor drive to continuous, rather than single frame.
This camera is well specified: in some ways over specified. I had been a serious photographer for about 15 years when I bought this camera and given its price and I thought that I would be a typical EOS5 buyer. I don’t think its aimed at beginners, yet it has what I would call beginners settings, for action or landscape photography. (Canon refer to them as “Image Zone Shooting Modes”) In the 8 years, I’ve owned the camera; I’ve never used them and I suspect other experienced users never use them. Although last year I lent the camera to a friend, who was a complete beginner, with the advise to use these settings only. He was very happy with the results he got.
The camera can be tailored to your needs by the custom functions, e.g. leaving the film leader out when rewinding. There are 16 custom functions in all. One point to note is that if you use the “Image Zone Shooting Modes”, the custom functions do not work.
This was the first SLR I’ve owned that has a built-in flash. At first I was sceptical about it as used as the main light source, i.e. indoors the result are disappointing; the flash is weak and near the lens so it gives harsh lighting and red eye. However, used outdoors as fill in flash, it is very useful.
This camera is dependent on 2CR5 batteries and these are expensive. One of the things I’d really liked about my T90 was that it was powered by AA cells so you could use rechargeables. I’ve never seen a rechargeable 2CR5.
I understand that Canon has now stopped production of this camera, although you might still find a new one on a dealer's shelves. The replacements are the EOS30 and EOS3.
Advantages: Hi speed, flexible lenses, fully manual if you want it, plenty of useful programs if you don't Disadvantages: Sometimes metering is "questionable", battery usage somewhat high
...fell back to the trusty Canon EOS range. I looked them all over and was mulling over buying a 50E when I noticed a few places were selling the 5 at not much more than the 50E.
I read a bit, read some more, and found out all I could about the camera. Then came the actual trial stage. At a local Jessops, I went in with the intention of trying both cameras, but knowing that I couldn't quite afford the EOS-5.
Both myself and my wife are used to 35mm ... ...totally different.
The standard Canon programs for Portrait, Sports, and Landscape are there, plus the usual green square general all round program. But around the other side of the dial are options for turning off all the digital faffing and getting what you really want. Aperture priority, shutter priority, overdriving film, bulb exposures it's all there (or not) as you want it. You also get a very useful selection of options for changing the way ...
danclyon 04.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Canon EOS 5
Advantages: Fantastic secondhand bargain. Fantastic camera. Disadvantages: Fairly heavy. Difficult to find a good one.
OK, so the Canon EOS 5 is an obsolete camera, but…………what a fantastic secondhand bargain. Canon produced the EOS 5 for upwards of 9 years, by which time, although it was still selling well, it was starting to look a little dated.
I've been a keen amateur and semi-pro photographer for around 20 years. Although I've used many cameras over the years, I've always used the Canon EOS range as my main outfit.
In 2001, my trusty, 11 year old EOS 600 started ... ...impulse, I bought a ex-demo Canon EOS 5 rather than a new model. I have to admit to being nervous about buying secondhand, but it seemed such good value I just couldn't resist it.. I paid £245 for the body only from the London Camera Exchange shop in Bath, which, in 2001, was a very good price for an example in mint condition. I have used and abused this camera for 4 years now. It's never missed a beat in any respect. For me, the most important attributes ...
richkw 06.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Canon EOS 5
Advantages: Quiet, fast sport function, beautiful colours Disadvantages: Heavy, eye focus, light needs
...the animals. I bought my Canon EOS 5 secondhand with not a scratch and at a good price. I haven't regretted it since. This camera is so flexible, it has a function for every occasion: portrait, landscape, macro and, my personal favourite: sport, with a shutter speed of an 8,000th of a second! With this versatile camera you can chose all manual or all automatic, chose the shutter speed or the aperture. I've been quite experimental with it at times ... ...system, although exciting at first, doesn't always react as fast as I would like it to and when trecking in the bush, it is a heavy item to carry. I also wouldn't say you can just pick it up and make pictures. Well, you can, and they'll be great, but it would be a bit of a waste with all the great functions. I took some time to get to know all the programmes and, yes, there are a lot of buttons, but it's great fun. I would recommend this camera to ...
kaybe 04.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Canon EOS 5
Advantages: Eye controlled focusing, great handling, superb metering Disadvantages: Eye control focusing only works in horizontal plane, Poor in built flash
...lens (like Sigma EX or Canon 'L' series) to get the best results and you won't be disappointed.
I scan all my films now and the focusing is always spot on. It's just a shame the eye controlled focusing works only on the horizontal plan, but you can get quick at selecting the right focus point due to the well placed controls
Be sure to get the VG10 grip for best handling and get a good hotshoe flash to avoid shadowing on closeup pictures ...
sgarre13 04.12.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Canon EOS 5
Advantages: Solid, reliable, very full specification. Disadvantages: Heavy and bulky compared to some.
...have two of them, though Canon digital SLRs are what I use now. Both my EOS 5 bodies got plenty of use and never once let me down. The Canon lenses that I used on them have now been transferred to my digital bodies as they are still excellent lenses. The eye-controlled focus worked fine, but I gave it up as it only worked in the horizontal position and I tend to shoot a lot of vertical format images. The vertical grip attachment is useful, but adds ...
hootsmon69 23.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Canon EOS 5
Picture Quality
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Advantages: full frame sensor and latest ccd technology creates stunning images Disadvantages: not having an in-built flash
the canoneos5d in short is a superb camera. to get a full frame, 12 megapixel semi-pro DSLR at under £1800 looks amazing on paper and in reviews, thats why i bought one. not only am i a photographer, i work in a camera shop, so i spend my days playing with the lates and greatest technology around, i tested nikond d200's, d2x's, canon 30d's.. all of them failed on a few small things, i then tested the 5d, after two days i was hooked. anyone who has used the CanonEOS system (whether in 35mm or digital) or even on of the powershot range of cameras, will find this camera a dream to use and easy to navigate. anyone who has never used an eos or powershot camera,this is still the camera for you. with easy menu systems and all the main functions at your fingertips you couldnt ask for anything more. whether youre shooting weddings, sports ...
steve1462 02.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Canon EOS 5D
Advantages: High resolution, HD video, Live view, Excellent LCD screen and one of the lightest pro models. Disadvantages: Complex menu takes time to get used to. Softer than first 5D however Unsharp mask workflow can fix
In my opinion this is a first class camera. I use it everyday, professionally.
Stunning image quality. I found this camera to be a worth while upgrade to my first canon5D.
Great quality with a wide range of canon lenses including wide angles.
Light weight with optional battery grip perfect for location and landscape work.
Outstanding battery life easily lasts for a whole days shoot.
Noise levels are very good at low ISO.
Improved prism viewfinder crops less of viewable image.
My only warning is that extra care needs to be taken with this camera as build quality
is not brilliant , although adequate for a camera in this price range.
Finally with all digital cameras outstanding image quality is best achieved shooting
Raw files and therefore a good knowledge of how to process these effectively is recommended. ...
Advantages: Use as a back up even Disadvantages: Just that bit technical
Canon's Master Stroke,
CanonEOS5D Mark II.
Canon never requires to be proved that they show the way and are always miles ahead of their nearest competitors. Flawless HD video performance, add to that DIGIC 4 processor and yes at 21 megapixel.
And the price tag hardly requires to be justified. It’s not only a technological marvel but also a product of ingenious research work. No wonder Amdianne Lima will think herself she deserves better price tag!! Believe me Nikon, Sony, Hasselblad, all have a job at their hand to ward off its impact on the consumer market. Best possible DSLR has arrived, not only the professionals, the amatures will also have their work recognized like never before. Great stuff, it is yah. ...
