Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Camera Test

Imaging: 21.1MP effective, full-frame CMOS sensor captures images at 5616x3744 pixels with 14 bits/color in RAW mode.

Storage: Single CompactFlash Type I/II including UDMA; microdrives. Stores JPEG, RAW, RAW + JPEG, sRAW 1 (3861x2574 pixels), and sRAW 2 (2784x1856 pixels).

Burst rate: Full-sized JPEGs (Fine mode): Up to 78 shots at 3.9 fps. RAW: Up to 13 shots at 3.9 fps.

AF system: TTL phase detection with 9 illuminated focus points (1 center cross-type), plus 6 assist points. Single-shot and continuous AF with Predictive AI Servo focus tracking. Tested sensitivity down to EV -2 (at ISO 100, f/1.4).

Live view: TTL Phase detection and Contrast Detection modes.

Shutter speeds: 1/8000 to 30 sec plus B (1/3-, or 1/2-EV increments). 150,000-cycle rating.

Metering: 35-zone TTL metering, evaluative, centerweighted, partial (approx. 8% of viewfinder), and spot (approx. 3.5% of viewfinder). EV 1-20 (at ISO 100).

ISO range: Normal, ISO 100-6400 (in 1/3- or 1-EV increments); expanded ISO 50, 12,800, 25,600 (in 1-EV increments).

Flash: X sync at 1/250 sec.

Viewfinder: Fixed eye-level pentaprism.

LCD: 3-in. TFT with 920,000-dot resolution, 170-degree viewing angle.

Output: Hi-Speed USB 2.0, HDMI (mini-type) video, composite video, mini-jack mic input, accessory terminal.

Battery: Rechargeable LP-E6 Li-ion, CIPA rating, 850 shots.

Size/weight: 6x4.5x3 in., 1.79 lb with card and battery.

Street price: $2,700, street, body only; $3,500 with EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM lens.

For info: www.canoneos.com.

VIEWFINDER TEST

Accuracy: 98% (Excellent)

Magnification: 0.71X (Good)

COMPETITIVE SET

• Nikon D700 ($3,000, street, body only)
Though noise results for Nikon's D700 almost match what we saw in the 5D Mark II, the Nikon checks in with nearly half as many pixels as the 5D Mark II. That's a big difference and might be enough to push pros toward the Canon. However, those same pros are likely to be the ones most annoyed by the 5D Mark II's disappointing AF performance and the slight edge the Nikon's 5-fps burst gives it compared to this Canon's 3.9-fps rate.

• Sony Alpha 900 ($3,000, street, body only)
Sony edges Canon out in terms of pixels, burst rate (5 fps), and effective resolution. The A900 also focuses faster than the 5D Mark II and has built-in sensor-shift image stabilization which provides 2-2.5 stops of shooting advantage. However, the A900 can't match the 5D Mark II's outstanding noise performance. This could sway a lot of photographers' minds when comparing the two cameras. The Sony also yields colors that are less accurate, scoring 9.0 in our color accuracy test, compared to the Canon's more accurate (lower numbers are better for this test) 6.3.

• Print
• Stumble It