5D MK2

[Deadtrees]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
With more people chiming in about real world usage, I've read several accounts about the 5D2's sub-par AF. What it boils down to:

1) The center AF point is the only one worth using on a regular basis.

2) AI Servo performance is poor.

3) Poor performance in low-light, with wide-open apertures, with lightly-textured subjects.

Of course the AF situation is only made worse by the fact that Canon refuses to add the extra $2 worth of parts necessary for a built-in AF assist light, or trickle-down their pro-level AF like Nikon does.

Though not as accurate as the center one, all the AF points are 'regular basis' usable. I found all the AF points to be okay as long as I use slow (f/2.8 or slower) lenses. This is not to say they're all good; what I mean is that they you're at least 'regular basis' usable.
One thing I noticed is that the center AF is a lot better than 5D and I think it's up to the level of 1d/1ds series.

AI performance is nowhere near the 1d, 1ds line ups, but I found it to be quite okay. Keep it mind that I'm not a action photographer.

Low light performance does work better than 5D. I forgot what Canon calls it but unlike 5D, 5D mk2 has abilty to detect(?) light sources allowing AF to compensates with it. Based on my experiences, it does work nicely.

Having said all that, keep it mind that I was a 5D user and my being used to poor mechnical quality of 5D makes 5D mk2 such a better camera in that regard. Had I been a 1D/1DS series or Nikon D700/D3/D300 user, what I've said might have been different.

Originally posted by: Loreena
How is the video from this cam though? I know you cannot take long videos like a full blown camcorder but for those 30 second wildlife shots and the fact you can use any L glass makes it sound attractive for doing high end video and not spending tons more on a professional camcorder.

The video is fucking great. Please not that it's not just great but fucking great and this is coming from a person who's seen the video connected to a 24" monitor. I can't imagine what it would look like 40~60" TV.

 

[ElFenix]

Though not as accurate as the center one, all the AF points are 'regular basis' usable. I found all the AF points to be okay as long as I use slow (f/2.8 or slower) lenses. This is not to say they're all good; what I mean is that they you're at least 'regular basis' usable.
One thing I noticed is that the center AF is a lot better than 5D and I think it's up to the level of 1d/1ds series.

with focal lengths under ~100 mm focusing anything faster than ~f/2 on an SLR is pure dumb luck. the base range of the focusing system is just too small for the narrow dof involved.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
looks like the black dots are gone.

Well technically, the problem has been "improved and mitigated".

Which is a fancy way of saying they've masked the problem well enough to satisfy most of their customers. It's still a hardware defect that I'm surprised slipped through their QA testing, since the camera was designed to be a high-ISO low-light monster, and that's when the phenomenon chiefly shows up.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: ElFenix
looks like the black dots are gone.

Well technically, the problem has been "improved and mitigated".

Which is a fancy way of saying they've masked the problem well enough to satisfy most of their customers. It's still a hardware defect that I'm surprised slipped through their QA testing, since the camera was designed to be a high-ISO low-light monster, and that's when the phenomenon chiefly shows up.

has anyone found black dots using the new firmware? why are you so certain it was a hardware problem and not a processing problem?

 

[Deadtrees]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: ElFenix
looks like the black dots are gone.

Well technically, the problem has been "improved and mitigated".

Which is a fancy way of saying they've masked the problem well enough to satisfy most of their customers. It's still a hardware defect that I'm surprised slipped through their QA testing, since the camera was designed to be a high-ISO low-light monster, and that's when the phenomenon chiefly shows up.

has anyone found black dots using the new firmware? why are you so certain it was a hardware problem and not a processing problem?

Though I've taken quite a few Christmas tree shots, I didn't see any black dot problems and that's before the fix. I don't know why I'm doing wrong but even when I tried hard to produce the problem, it just didn't happen. I found this to be strange because, as you guys probably know, I'm the type of person who is very picky about IQ problems. Anyway, I'm glad that Canon quickly came with a 'fix' just like I was glad when Sony reponded to users' requests. I hope Nikon would do the same for the gray cast/WB problems but I know they probably won't.

 

[jamesbond007]

I had the chance to use a friend's new 5DM2 earlier this week. Although I didn't have a lot of time, I took a bunch of frames and helped him setup the Live View and video recording abilities. From what I've seen (only shot up to ISO1600 at the time) the camera looks pretty nice and the focus (center point) is deadly accurate, although not the fastest.

I don't find the 'pretty' menus (transitions) very amusing...it's sad to see P&S menus, gaudy displays, and live view or the capability to use SLRs in a P&S fashion trickle down into SLR bodies. I'd much rather have manufacturers perfect their focusing systems or spend R&D costs on more advanced AF capabilities and better noise handling.

That said, the 5DM2 is definitely not a 1-series body, but it does bring full-frame and a large CMOS sensor to Canon's lower-priced lineup. As others have said, the video is quite nice and those who will use it will surely like it a lot.

For those wondering, the file sizes (RAW) of ISO100-1600 files on the 5DM2 range from ~21MB-27MB. I'm sure the ISO3200+ would easily be 30-35MB in size. If I remember correctly, 1 minute of video is around 150MB.

 

[ivan2]

Originally posted by: Deadtrees
...

Having said all that, keep it mind that I was a 5D user and my being used to poor mechnical quality of 5D makes 5D mk2 such a better camera in that regard. Had I been a 1D/1DS series or Nikon D700/D3/D300 user, what I've said might have been different.

...

Deadtrees, can you elaborate what poor mechanical quality the 5D has in comparing to the 1D? Is it less rugged build quality, shorter shutter live, button breakage, etc? In your experience what was broken first? Looking to buy a used 5D and I am curious.

 

[Deadtrees]

Originally posted by: ivan2

Originally posted by: Deadtrees
...

Having said all that, keep it mind that I was a 5D user and my being used to poor mechnical quality of 5D makes 5D mk2 such a better camera in that regard. Had I been a 1D/1DS series or Nikon D700/D3/D300 user, what I've said might have been different.

...

Deadtrees, can you elaborate what poor mechanical quality the 5D has in comparing to the 1D? Is it less rugged build quality, shorter shutter live, button breakage, etc? In your experience what was broken first? Looking to buy a used 5D and I am curious.

By saying 'mechanical quality,' I was referring to AF, AI-servo, mirror black out time, and impact. It's not much improved compared to 5D (Same mirror box and AF module with minor improvement) but that little bit of difference was something I could notice. It's like the difference between 3 fps to 3.9 fps. Though it may be a 0.9 fps difference which sounds like nothing, it's actually quite a bit of difference when you actually use it; however, those who are used to 7~11 fps wouldn't think so. Same goes for all other aspects of improvements.

Anyway, 5D is still an amazing buy. Even if it lacks in mechnical/build quality, IQ is just damn good and it's far less dependent on quality of lenses: unlike 5d mk2, even if you put on poor quality lenses, that excellent 12 mp sensor will compensate it. If what you care the most is IQ, and don't see the need for higher MP, 5D is the clear winner.