Full Frame sensor for wide angle photography 12.8MP=73Mb Tiff File 2.5" lcd display and a large viewfinder Image quality (sharpness,dynamic range and noise performance) Speed and improved useability, for example push AF point select and 1 push on joystick gives you centre point push again and all points are selected, Brilliant AF performance A Custom mode where you can set mirror up ,self timer etc and save it A very useable buffer size It does not go KACHUNK and looks discreet until you stick an L lens on it

Full frame sensor needs longer and much more expensive glass for telephoto work(this you know) 73MB files to move around,it makes my PC squirm (with a gig of Ram!) No LCD protection, if a £2 watch can have a bit of clear plastic to protect the screen cant a £2k camera? Still no eye controlled focus (well it works for me) Default picture modes too sharp(but they can be reset) Software much improved but it wont get used by me, I much prefer rawshooter Only 3 FPS If you have a 10d or 20d and average glass and want to upgrade to a 5d, your glass will not give you a value for money upgrade. More money for a remote (if a £100 camcorder Blah Blah) No Iso in viewfinder No pop up flash ( if a £5 disposable Blah Blah) Nasty rubber viewfinder coverfloating on the strap

Ive purchased this camera to replace my eos 10d, eos 3 and hopefully Mamiya 645.Out of the box its not much different to a 10d and you wonder if its worth all the extra outlay then you turn it on, its much faster and better sorted. The image quality is outstanding yes the noise and sharpness are good but for me its the dynamic range that makes this camera,shooting into the light (ok its December) a shot which would give me burned out highlights and no shadow detail in the trees with Velvia or the 10d shows how good the 5D is, its all there.A shot into the full moon with the reflection in the water before the sun came up 30 secs @iso 400 at f5.6, again its all there only the centre of the moon has burnt out and no halo. I havent tripped this camera up yet for image quality. Useability The LCD is large but really needs more pixels to do it justice and the image is very small when the histogram is on also if the camera is on a tripod and you shoot in portrait the initial review is full size but when you press review its the wrong way up and cropped to fit as the camera has a sensor for orientation this could to be sorted.The viewfinder is large and clear (like my EOS 3) but you have to look around it rather than just at it or you will miss things creeping in.The picture modes can be reset to how you like them but why spend the money for a camera of this quality to process images in camera. The best argument for them is for direct printing but for me they are of no use.The AF is very good and i like the way the joystick shortcuts centrepoint or all points lit.There are no subject related basic settings but the full auto seems quite smart as it shifts the iso as well so ok for a grap shot. The custom mode is a very usefull way of setting the camera up for landscape with your favorite settings ie mirror up, F16,self timer, -2/3rd compensation all these can be saved and accessed quickly. well done Canon.

Customer Service

not used but Canon uk website is slow to use

Similar Products Used:

eos 10d, eos 5,3,300&1000

Full Frame Sensor, Control Layout, Spot Meter, Build Quality....pretty much everything!

A little expensive, but you get what you pay for.

I'm new to high-end photography, but I figured I'd jump in with both feet! So far I've had my 5D for a couple months (since it was released) and I completely love it. The controls are all very easy to understand and use. The built in Spot Meter is great to have. The layout of the controls is very good. The full frame senser can't be beat. So far the image quality is excellent. At this time I'm using a 28-135 IS Canon lens, but plan on purchasing an "L" lens soon. I figure once I get that lens I will see an increase in the already awesome image quality.

Similar Products Used:

Old Canon Elan

low noise full frame sensor excellent image quality great viewfinder and LCD appears reasonably robust

why is g**'s name don't they display the d**n ISO in the viewfinder? I just don't get it. Less of an issue with the 5D but I took a gold shot on my old 10D and had the ISO cranked up and it spoiled the shot - I wouldn't have done so if I'd been able to see the ISO.

I am going to write this for people considering trading up from a 20D, as imagine there are a few of you. I was one. Quite simply, if you can afford it, do it. I am very, very pleased with the camera. The first thing you notice is the big LCD and excellent viewfinder. There is something really nice about looking through a bright viewfinder that covers almost all of the scene. Actually, the very first thing you notice is the fast start up time, but the 20D has this too. Second, is the excellent auto-focus. It is noticeably better than the 20D I think. IThe extra 'hidden' points might help. either way it works well in various lighting situations. One of the most exciting aspects of this camera is the low noise. It's really noticeable after the 20D. The full frame sensor and bigger pixels are apparently the reason. I just know it is awesome. In fact, the 'noise' actually looks a bit like film grain rather than the old red and green pixels. I'd say that this is the biggest advantage of the 5D over the 20D. You can also step the ISO up in small increments which is cool, and expand the range - down to 50 and up to 3200. One of the 'disadvantages' is the lower frame rate. This is only a disadvantage if you need 5+fps which I certainly don't. The huge buffer and write times kind of compensate for this anyway. The full frame aspect is, to me, a huge winner as well. Lenses work as they were supposed to. I found very little edge or corner softness when using my 17-40L. As for the alleged 'sweet spot' of lenses that the 1.6x crop gives you (i.e. the outer edges of the lens are cut out by the smaller sensor), well because you have more pixels to work with, you can always crop your image in photoshop later and still have the same file size I guess! Image quality in general is great. Colour rendaition, dynamic range and low noise all combine to make great pictures. In fact, I'm going to put my old fella on the line here and say that this is the first affordable DSLR that gets close to the quality of film. Even the 20D didn't stack up, but with the 5D, we're getting there. If in doubt, get one. It's Christmas - treat yourself.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

10D 20D EOS 5 (film body)

I am going to use this space to explain the deal behind full frame sensors. The reason why a full frame sensor has so many benefits is because of the pixel size. The bigger the pixel, the better it will capture color and light. It will also cut down significantly on digital noise. This is why an 8 mp point and shoot will produce less pleasing images than a 20D or even a D60 and even a D30. The sensors are bigger and will produce better looking images... if you think you can argue this, then you have never shot will a full frame chip. I have a 1D MK II which is a pro camera. In the daylight, both the MK II and the 5D produce just as good looking images. It is almost impossible to tell the difference. The moment I start bumping up my ISO's to 400 and 800 and even 1600, the MK II's image quality falls well below the 5D, which is a "pro-sumer" camera. Why??? because of the chip size; not because of the megapixel count. Many people say that the larger chip shows the blurry edges around lenses. Two things contradict this... Though, this may be true in some regards, you would have the same exact problem as you would have with film bodies. Yet, I dont hear anyone complaining about lens falloff in film cameras... unless its a cheap lens-- which brings me to my next point. If you are going to spend the 3500 to 8000 dollars on a full framed digital camera, then you probably have the money to invest in just as expensive lenses. Other wise, you are shooting with a very expensive camera which is not worth a crap. A camera is only as good as its lenses, and this holds true for film and digital. And if this was the case, then why are camera manufacturers making lenses that only fill an APS sized sensor? Cause that means that cameras that take those special lenses like the 20D and D70s are technically full-framed to those lenses and thus, the photographer will experience the same lens falloff because those lenses only show APS. Full frames are still expensive because they are hard to manufacture. If I remember correctly, only 1 out of every 5 chips made actually make it into cameras because of the amount of defects that can happen during processing. A chip that large requires many many things to happen, and that means that many many things can go wrong, thus camera manufactures must charge for that. But the full frame makes all the differnce in the world, and like I said, is worth every penny.

No weather sealing... though not a huge problem unless you constantly shoot in th rain. No complaints thus far!

Canon has done a wonderful, wonderful job on this camera. They have finally made full-framed digital photography "affordable." Yes, it is still kind of expensive, but on a relative scale, it is a steal. I have had the chance to compare the 1DS MK II with this camera, and there is very little difference in image quality... definately not $4000 worth of image quality difference. The camera is surprisingly fast. I have had no problems with the focusing "searching," or anything. And the new focusing system in this camera works very well in the dark... again, not much difference between this and either of the MK II's. Yes, it is bigger than the 20D, but it's size does give the user a sense of weight and stability in the camera. It's very comfortable and the battery back makes a good amount of difference. It makes the camera look bigger (all photographers know that the bigger the camera, the better it must be...) and it gives the user extra stability because of the weight. The new screen makes all the difference in the world!!! It is everything Canon says, and more. It is bright, colorful, and yes... it does allow 170 degrees of viewing pleasure. Those 2.5 inches are like an oasis on the back of a camera. The ISO quality is amazing. It outperforms my 1D MK II at ISO's above 400, inside. In the daylight, I see no real difference in image quality between the 8mp MK II and the 13 mp 5D. But, once you move inside and shoot at those higher ISO's, then the benefits to full-framed sensors comes out and you realize why you just spent 3.5 grand on a camera. The full frame makes all the differene in the world for image quality, digital noise and view finder brightness. As for the "pciture style" function, I am not to sure if that makes a huge differece. I am not complaining about it, but I dont really use it. It gives me a lot more options, which is nice, but its just another menu to mess with. That stuff should all be taken care of in post production... Canon has hit the mark. It is worth every penny and I suggest that everyone should go out and get one.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

1DS MK II, 1D MKII, 1DS, 1D, 20D, 10D, D60, D30, D2X, D2Hs, D70s, D100

Lightweight, affordable, solid, and FULL FRAME

None

Small, light, strong design, full frame sensor, my lenses are back to how they should be without the 20d crop. Shutter is quiet, better than the thundering sound of the 20D. Same control layout as the 20D. The viewfinder is a dream, just as if someone has turned the lights on

Similar Products Used:

Canon 20D