Luminous working review of 5D Mk II

Valentia

See it here. Very interesting. We need new lenses it seems.

mikeanywhere

Valentia wrote: »

We need new lenses it seems.

Bugger, more expense!!

TelePaul

Some nice shots in that article!

AnimalRights

I know we can do politician cherry picking on the good and bad points on this review but I did like this line..
"While I never felt the 5D was a really serious pro camera, the 5DII unquestionably is. "


/edit
This line is good too
"Switching between Canon, Sony and Nikon’s top-end offerings will improve nothing but your relationship with your camera dealer."

democrates

Interesting read.
In a few years we may say goodbye to glass in favour of transparent polymers, ceramics, or nanotech, there's a new world opening up in optics promising an end to ca and other distortions.
Beyond that we may even see lens and sensor integrated, like an insects eye but far higher resolution.

workaccount

I don't understand why he would use AI focus in this circumstance when you can use one shot AI?? Any ideas?


"One difficulty I encountered was using the “AI Focus” mode in my typical focus-and-recompose work-style. After a day of critically unsharp images, I realized that the camera was often refocusing ever so slightly when I had recomposed and positioned the central sensor over a different area of the frame, which fooled the camera into thinking the subject had gone into motion. I converted to using one-shot AF with the center points for virtually everything, and had no more problems."

sineadw

Maybe he forgot to change it back

Very interesting read altogether! Maybe the MP race will switch to lenses now. Bugger.

Fenster

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cnocbui

I never opted into the DSLR arms race because I figured that Moor's law was bad enough with computers, without having to deal with it's ramifications for photographic equipment

leinsterman

Jaysus Valentia ... don't be giving me excuses to spend more money ...

To be honest I have noticed far better results from primes these days ... not only due to their inherently better resolution and sharpness but also my own tendency to simply shoot better when not distracted by a zoom function ...

As a result I now travel with 5 lenses (well acually 4 plus a teleconvertor) ... only one of which is a zoom (my trusty all purpose 24-105 F4L) ... since buying a 200mm F2.8L at the start of this year I have never looked back ... it is the perfect companion for the 5d mkII ... and like my 24mm F3.5L T-S it takes a teleconvertor ... and both lenses produce shots with superb detail and clarity. The 50mm F1.4 is the other lens I am using ... but like the article mentions, thanks to better ISO performance of the mkII I don't need to reach for this kind of speed quite as much as before ... so if I am using it, it is invariably more for just the focal length than anythign else.

I'd consider adding my 100mm F2.8 macro to this travel line up if weight is not as big an issue ... but what I'd really like to see is an L class little brother to the big and bulky 85mm F1.2L ... for me this is too big and slow to justify its presence in my bag, despite its amazing quality.

I suppose the 16-35 F2.8L MkII needs a run out too ... but like I said - zooms are not my thing at the moment!

Overall I am happy with the 5D mkii ... but like the author of the article ... I'm not over the moon ... it does what it says on the the tin without blowing you away ... and I'll be keeping the 1dMkIII that's for sure ... it still has a few roles to play in my life.

Borderfox

Its funny I have read this so many times about the 85L being slow, I use it in Servo all day in very bad light conditions and my keeper rate is above 90% for it.

I would agree with you Simon on the primes vs zooms, my bag consists of
50mm f1.4
85mm f1.2
100mm f2.8
135mm f2
and then a zoom or two

With the original 5d they always said it needed good glass to get the best out of it and this goes 2x for the new one, they also back up the af problems of hunting in low light even when using the centre point.

ttcomet

It is one of the best reviews I have seen of it as he lays out a lot of the pros and cons of it and does not go on about it being the best thing since slice bread and you must sell your first born to buy it. I think the 5D2 is a victim of its own pre launch hype, everyone was expecting the second coming and all they got was a very good camera.

From my personnel point of view I am currently stuck trying to choose between a 5D2 and a 1Dmk3, including the price of the grip there is very little in the difference price wise.

Well as long as I don't buy it in Limerick, I went into the camera shop here and they wanted over 5,000 for the 1Dmk3 when it is only about 2,600 in Calumet, and he wanted 3,200 for the 5D2 versus about 2,200 from Calumet again. I was going to ask him was he taking the piss but I just smiled and said I would think about it.