The Highlight Tone Priority function improves the highlight detail. The dynamic range is extended making the grey to highlights smoother, but restricts you to ISO 200 to 6400. This is great for skies and white buildings, and is getting close to having a latitude like film.
Utilising interchangeable lenses offers the best return on this camera's capabilities
The autofocus can be left in full auto or the user can utilise nine selectable AF points. Focusing f2.8 and faster lenses calls for critical precision, which the centre AF point is capable of as it simultaneously uses both horizontal and vertical lines of contrast in the scene to maximise accuracy. There are a further six assist AF points which are used when in the AF Servo mode for moving subjects. These points reside in the spot metering circle and do not appear like the normal AF points, but are sensitive like the centre point to vertical lines.
The metering is excellent, even when shooting with shadowy subjects. Yet it still does tend to want to fill the blacks in, ever so slightly, on full auto. Modern metering can be a tad biased to 'best possible shot' and you will quickly learn to bracket with aperture using the wheel on back or with the shutter from the scroll wheel by the shutter button. As with every photo session, it is subjective just how washed-out your highlights are and how deep the shadows – but if you are lighting it, you have no excuse.
Verdict
The video capabilities of the Canon EOS 5D MkII make it ideal for news gatherers, indie filmmakers or even the all-consuming Internet. After all, why shouldn't on-line video content be good-looking? As a DSLR, it’s a real upgrade from the old 5D. It’s easier to navigate and produces better images, thanks to a hefty megapixel count. While it appears reassuringly expensive, when you consider what you are getting, it doesn’t really seem that much. After all, the EOS 5D MkII is a great all-rounder. It’s not even Canon’s flagship model, but at the moment, nothing can catch it. ®
James Cumpsty is a professional photographer and videographer working in the music industry.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark II
COMMENTS
Live view & lenses
>>Live View seems to be for camera phone numpties with a little too much cash.
It's difficult to frame a shot when holding the camera at arms length above the head - being able compose the shot using the display is very useful when photographing in a large crowd.
I'd second what several people have pointed out - quality optics (ie an L series lens) are essential to get the most out of a camera like this. Factor in upto £5k for a set of "fast" lenses. My ideal bag would include wide (16-35mm f2.8L), portrait (24-70mm f2.8L or 50mm f1.2L) and telephoto (70-200mm f2.8L IS USM).
Then you will need filters (UV, polarising), lots of memory cards, batteries, a sound tripod, remote shutter switch, flash unit and bag. You will probably also want a spare body too just in case....
Being a photo enthusiast can be very costly!
The pickpocket because carrying a bag containing several thousand pounds worth of kit around makes you a target for those who would part you from it...
I'll get my coat - check my wallet - Bah!
I'm saving up for one of these.
There is a great demo video you can have a look at called "Reverie", which you should be able to find by Googling the words below.
EOS 5D Mark II Video Reverie
Pedants, the lot of you
Yea, it was not the first (and only arguably the best), poor comment from the author either badly researched or a typo, but unlike the view of many posters this is not a history of digital article (which would be interesting, anyone remember Studiokit from the mid 90s? or the leica S series, again larger than full frame in the mid 90s?).
Stu hits the nail on the head when he brings it back to lenses, although it's not quite as simple as saying over 12 needs better lenses;
. Lots of pixels (to give the definition)
. Physically large sensor (to ensure enough photons hit the pixels)
. Big glass (to allow lots of light in)
This is why the 10Mp £49 ASDA compact is a world away from the 10Mp EOS 400D, there's lots of detailed reasons why (bokeh, circles of confusion) but it all comes down to the three factors above, get lots of light and chop it up into small bits (but not too small or reciprocity and wavelength becomes a factor).
I remain unconvinced by the article, there's a lot of space that says loads of things (some of the example images used were useless) but makes no relevant comparisons or real reasons why the 5DMk2 is so good, I have some great pictures that directly compare images on my 400D and 5DMk2 using both the 70-200 F2.8L IS and 400 F2.8L IS (the 100-400 pictured is a good lens but poor compared to these two) - A Mk1/Mk2 comparison woudl have made far more sense.
It has really undersold the 5DMk2
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