DPReview zur EOS 5D Mark II

Lange hat es auf sich warten lassen, das detaillierte Review zur neuen Canon EOS 5D bei den Kollegen von dpreview. Jetzt ist es da - und wie zu erwarten unglaublich ausführlich.

Das Fazit des 40-seitigen Testberichts liest sich dann so:

How do you follow a classic? That’s the question Canon faced when it got to work producing a successor to the EOS 5D. The original 5D was the first ‘affordable’ and lightweight (in relative terms) full frame camera, and set a standard for low noise at high ISO settings that remains competitive three years later. The EOS 5D attained almost cult status amongst Canon users (selling surprisingly well for a $3000 camera), and paved the way for Nikon (with the D700) and Sony (with the Alpha 900) to launch their own ‘compact’ full frame semi-pro bodies.

This means the 5D Mark II, unlike its predecessor, is entering a marketplace where it has several strong competitors. The D700 set the benchmark for high ISO performance (along with overall shooting performance at this price level), and the A900 set a new benchmark for ultimate resolution. The 5D Mark II offers similar resolution to the Alpha 900, increases the sensitivity range to ISO 25,600, and offers high ISO/noise performance that gets close to the Nikon D700/D3. In short it - almost - offers the best of both worlds without costing the earth.

So while the 5D Mark II would never be mistaken as a camera aimed at sports or action photographers (thanks to its rather pedestrian AF performance and overall shooting performance), it balances resolution and high ISO performance very well. And let’s not forget its party trick of being able to shoot 1080P HD Video

While it may not be the first DSLR on the market to be able to feature HD movie capture (the Nikon D90 grabbed that honor), it is the first full frame camera to do so. This means that all the benefits of its full frame sensor, plus the ability to use the vast range of EF lenses, can be translated directly to movie recording. While it is true that there are severe limitations to the video functionality, for some users this feature alone will put the EOS 5D Mark II ahead of its competitors.

Canon hasn’t just taken the 5D Mark I and put a new sensor in it. There are many little improvements that make this camera more than just an updated EOS 5D. There is the new menu system, the implementation of Live View, the sensor shake anti-dust system, the larger and higher resolution screen, a higher capacity battery, and extra customizability. The little details have been refined; for example the new ports cover is much improved, making the ports easier to use, and it’s now easier to change the ISO with the camera to your eye. All of these things will have an impact in actual use that 5D users will notice and appreciate.

While there are still other cameras in its class with marginally higher resolution, marginally better high ISO performance, more advanced AF, faster performance, better weather sealing and more solid build quality - and the Sony A900’s built-in anti-shake remains unique in the full frame arena - the 5D Mark II is certainly one of the best value for money propositions on the market for image quality - especially in RAW, where you really can see the benefit of all 21 million pixels. Canon has also wisely made only minor tweaks to the external interface, so that 5D users can jump right in and feel at home. Looking at the package as a whole the EOS 5D Mark II seems hard to beat.

We have always placed a heavy emphasis on image quality, and all other things aside this means the 5D Mark II has to receive our highest rating. When you consider the price of the EOS-1Ds Mark III, the 5D Mark II seems like quite a bargain. In our review of the original 5D we said ‘only history will tell if the EOS 5D is the start of a full frame revolution or simply the first of a new niche format’. Now we have to wait to see if the 5D Mark II (and the Nikon D90) are the start of the convergence of high end video and still photography cameras. But even if you never shoot video, and consider Live View to be a pointless novelty, the EOS 5D Mark II has an awful lot to recommend it to the serious photographer.