Reviews for Canon EOS 5D 12.8 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body Only

best image quality for the money - even at 3 yrs old

Strengths: Excellent image quality, even at high sensitivity (ISO) settings.

Weakness: No built-in flash. Lacking in the latest features like Live view and dust removal. Also a little too big and heavy. Even though Canon lenses are generally the best, they are not good enough.

It beats my 1Dmk2 for ease of getting good image quality. And I just tested it against a Nikon D300, which it also beats. Image quality is so good that it can produce excellent quality full-page magazine ads at ISO 3200 (with appropriate lighting and focus)!

I prefer the 5D in every way, over my 1Ds2, except that the 5D does not have voice memo, which is a MAJOR omission by Canon for a pro who does mainly travel photography.
Also, its speed and buffer are big/fast enough to photograph little kids.

Good camera, and best image quality for the buck. But now it needs to be updated with GPS stamp, live view, voice memo, dust removal, ISO 25000, IR remote w/mirror lockup, dual media slots, built-in flash, etc.

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what a DSLR should be, at least

Strengths: low noise, good overall performance & handling, fast response

Weakness: generates a lot of streak noise in continuous drive at the highest ISOs

...this is, really, kind of "what a DSLR should be" at least, given that most of the lenses that the average shooter would buy need to be shot at F8 or slower to get acceptable lens blur across the frame. The camera is your basic Canon DSLR, really the same as the 30d, with a fullframe 12mP sensor that is extremely clean ISO50-1600 and ISO3200 is very good with decent exposure but needs to be shot in single-shot mode letting the card finish i/o between shots or it will pick up electrical interference from the card and that will show up in the background of the shots. Otherwise fairly competent all around (I would like to see some changes in the features and handling, notably the status LCD light should stay on when I turn it on), but I think the D300 has better color texture especially in the near-black (and certainly no streak-noise at all). Ironically the 5D is best when shot during the day and in twilight and it will give acceptable results when shot at night handheld but one has to keep track of the card i/o.

don't forget the loss of the FOV crop factor with a fullframe. Also the diffraction limit for it is around F13 vs F8 for a 12MP subframe.

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Buy or not?

Strengths: The consumer camera did not get good ISO like Canon 5D yet, you get wide angels, I have 20D, 30D, 5D.

Weakness: Loud shutter sound, not accurate AWB in yellow light, not all the images has good focus In low light (Church), no internal flash, 3fps, vignetting/light falloff/dark corners between F2.8-5.6.

I am happy with it and I recommend it for any photographer, keep in mind that what is important the one behind the camera not the camera, but the camera could make our work better.
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The new camera will have:
Higher ISO with No grain (or noise), ISO 10,000 Olympus FE, ISO 6400 EOS-1D Mark III
Chips with Optical Image stabilization in all direction
Weatherproof function
3.5-inch LCD screen with high resolution
Good AWB auto white balance
Quieter shutter sound (Two modes): electronic (no sound) & mechanical.
Six steps or more for Battery charge level & warning flashing light for the end of the battery.
Fulltime Live View function like (Olympus E-510 SLR).
Bigger Sensor 1000 MP (one day), Kodak 39 megapixels (the KAF-39000)
Image Sensor Dust Protector.
Two memory cards in the camera useful for wedding if one is full you move to the second card (or internal memory stores inside the camera temporally until you have time to change the card).
The Sony F717 has the best AF in low light (use leaser or night shot).
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Now if you need it buy it, but if you are going to get upset when the next model comes with this futures wait
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I am a full time photographer
My specialty sport, wedding and other portraits
I have:
20D, 30D, 5D
24-70 F2.8, 16-35 F2.8, 70-200IS F2.8, II extender, 50 F1.4
Wedding done on 20D & 24-70 (Backup 30D, 16-35 F2.8, 50 F1.4)
Sport done on 20D, 70-200IS F2.8 & II extender (Backup 30D, 24-70 F2.8)
For enlargement with good light (studio or outside) I use 5D with 24-70 F2.8

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Excellent 12 Mega Pixels Workhorse!!!

Strengths: Full Frame Sensor! Not too many DSLR has full frame with this price range!

Weakness: No build in flash for Fill in lighting! Don't forget your external flash!

Excellent 12 Mega Pixels Workhorse! It has a full frame sensor, if you love wide or super wide angle photo taking, you must have this! Not too many DSLR has full frame with this price range. One small drawback: it does not have build in flash, sometimes you just want to have a little fill in flash to create a better lighting! Sorry! It is not an option from this camera. So don't forget to bring your external flashlight! No cheating for this!!!

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Incredible - Put it through its paces

Strengths: It is very fast to work with. I added a SanDisk 4GB Extreme III and there is nothing slowing me down. It is precise and the metering is accurate.

Weakness: Absolutely none - for how I use a camera.

I also acquired the new 17-40mm lens and together, with full-frame format, it gives incredible wide-angle shots. I took it on 3 week vacation to Australia and New Zealand and it performed very well. Love the extended battery life.

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EOS 5d

Strengths: Setting up the camera and personalizing the functions was easy. Having full-frame digital is great, especially if you already have lenses and won't need to fork over more $ for lenses.

Weakness: The price is still pretty high but Canon has cornered the market on full-frame digital cameras. It's steep but you definitely get what you pay for.

This camera was my first experience with a dSLR and I have been very happy. It feels substantial like some of the EOS film cameras but provides the luxury of immediate image results. While it would be nice if the price wasn't so high and the Canon website was better organized, owning this camera and getting familiar with its functions has been very rewarding. It seems very unlikely to be obsolete any time in the near future.

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Nice 35mm equivalent Digital Camera

Strengths: - Nice color, tone, resolution, very low noise, etc

Weakness: - Price, no built in flash & AF assist light

It's a fast, excellent resolution, color and tone balance. Full 35mm sensor size, can use std EF lenses without crop factor. Very low noise at higher ISO setting, large 2.5" LCD. Too bad there is no built in flash, which mean I have to always carry a flash. In other word, not for everyday use :)

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Great Camera!

Strengths: Excellent noise to 400, very good @ 800 and decent @ 1600. Wide angle and full fisheye back. Because of laws of optics, much shallower depth of field and much more film like at f1.4 2.0.

Weakness: Camera shuts down when changing CF cards and sometime when changing lenses.

Camera closest to film. Images very close to Blad; L lens optics are very good, but not Zeiss, but what is?? The very best digital SLR I tried and love the full frame. No conversion makes the math easier, and much better effect with wide angle and fisheye. The best features of a full frame sensor are the 3D images and shallow depth of field which are only attainable with a full frame sensor, because of optics laws. I get the emotion of the portrait event back. With nearly 13 milllion pixels, very close to medium format. Best digital SLR under $7500. Highest praise.

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The Canon 5D - A Wonderful Camera!

Strengths: Low noise, great color, fantastic resolution, very high quality build, 35 mm sensor.

Weakness: None

After about 700 shots, the thrill continues. Almost no degradation up to ISO 800, ISO 1600 very usable. Using the new Canon 24-105 IS lens allows low light shooting without hand shake below 1/3 second. The best photographic tool I've ever used. I've owned the best, starting with the Nikon D1x, and this camera is a fantastic standout. I'm breathless! Congratulations to Canon.

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A full frame amateur/pro Digital EOS!

Strengths: Full frame CCD, very large crisp color LCD display, EOS EF lens compatible, 12 Megapixel

Weakness: No built in flash, not EF-S lens compatible, slightly slower continuous shooting than 20D and more expensive

This camera is beautiful. The body is obviously well put together and has a very solid feel to it. Compared to the 20D, the LCD display is many times better. It is brighter, larger and the viewing angle is superb - almost no degradation.
The larger image sensor provides 12Mb of pixel data and is equivalent to a 35mm film exposure area. Because of that, connected EF lenses do give the correct focal lengths. That is a big advantage.
It's a shame that the EF-S lenses don't work, as the 10-22mm is excellent - but there are plenty of available subsitute EF types available.

In summary, this is an excellent camera, with superb build and picture quality. I highly recommend it.

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Finally!

Strengths: 12MP, full frame, size, Canon, no built-in flash, 2.5" lcd.

Weakness: burst rate

Isn't this what we've been waiting for? A Canon full-frame digital camera for less than $4000 (heck, soon to be less than $3000); with 12 megapixels to boot. The 3 fps burst rate is a little lackluster but they need a reason for people to buy the top dog besides a sealed body.

The 2.5" lcd is beautiful, though I'm still disappointed that they don't include a cover (or at least a thin film protector). I purchased a PDA-style protective sheet and cut it to size to protect the LCD from scratches. Given time, it WILL scratch. The caveat is a graininess when looking at the images through the sheet, but I'll trade that for protection.

Images are as expected, crisp with great color and contrast. I have yet to work with the RAW mode yet but that is another added benefit (though standard on any high end digital camera) and another reason to switch from my film-based SLR.

I put "no built-in flash" as a strength. The standard flash is never really enough and I never realized how important a good flash could be until I used one with this camera. How did I shoot without one before.

And of course, full frame, so no need to worry about S series lenses that WILL be obsolete in a few years. Spend the extra money on one of these and use your old Canon lenses instead.

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Great camera, but no flash

Strengths: 12.8Mpix CCD, really solidly built, full frame CCD sensor

Weakness: No built-in flash

This is the first full-frame dSLR camera that canon released for under $3500 that has a full frame CCD sensor--that means no cropping of your photos and you get a similar experience to using a 35mm SLR camera. It takes amazing photos and the battery life on the camera is also equally amazing.

It's about the same size as the EOS-20d, though the EOS-5d is a bit heavier. the 5D also doesn't take all the same lenses as the EOS-20d (any EF-S lens won't work on the 5d) due to the fact that there is a larger CCD sensor built into the 5D.

Overall, the 5D is a solid camera. It's a bit pricey ($3.5k) so it's targeted towards semi-professionals and serious amateur photographers. Highly recommended.

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Canon 5D - Wow!!! So versatile!

Strengths: Full frame sensor, 12 megapixel, bright viewfinder, large lcd, color reproduction, build

Weakness: 3fps, price, no SD card slot

I own the 20D and the 1D Mark II. I bought the 5D because the scaling factors were not allowing me to get wide enough. The 5D has so far lived up to and exceeded my expectations. I shoot primarily weddings and the 5D is the ideal camera for me. It is very light like the 20D, but it feels more solid- not "plasticy"- and it fits more naturally in your hand. 3fps is not the greatest, but I shoot weddings and rarely need the speed. $3000+ is a lot to spend on a 20D "upgrade", but when you consider the only other full-frame camera availalbe, the 1DS at $7000+, the 5D is a bargain.

The LCD is huge and the resolution is much better than the 20D and 1D MkII. You get a more reliable preview. Be sure to change the color setting to "Faithful" for very accurate results.

My only problem now is which camera to sell- the 20D or 1D MkII. The lens cropping factor helps for longer lenses. the 20D is 1.6x and the 1D MkII is 1.3x. I can scale my 12.8megapixel 5D images to effectively recreate the scaling factors at the expense of resolution:
12.8/1.6= 8 megapixels
12.8/1.3= 9.8 megapixels
As you can see, even cropped the 5D will provide at least the same resolution as the 20D but it will also allow me to get a 17mm focal length from my 17-40mm lens- not the 27mm the 20D scales it to. Resolution-wise, it's much better than the 1D MkII, however the 1D MkII has some advantages: 8fps, weather-resistant body, built-in battery grip, uses both SD and CF cards and it looks and feels more "professional". Although, that is not enough to overcome the versatility of the full-frame sensor of the 5D, so I think I will sell both and get another 5D.

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First

Strengths: full frame, high pixel count

Weakness: still expensive, no weatherproofing

I just got this camera. I've been shooting a Canon film SLR (Elan 7e)for about 3 years now and I figured its time to go all digital since I am sick of scanning film. Since I already have a Canon lens and Canon flash, I figured it would be best to stick with Canon. It so happens that Canon seems to have the best line of digital SLRs right now. Also, this is currently this is the only full frame SLR within the price range of amateurs (barely within range :p). If you want to shoot with wide angle lenses, full frame is a must. So far I'm very impressed with this camera. It makes my Elan 7e seem like a toy. Since I just got it I haven't had time to figure out all of the features. I would say the only drawback to this camera right now is the price.

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EOS 5D

Strengths: Full frame, I get my ultra wide angle lenses back. Great color Very quick auto focus The LCD screen is phenomenal ISO3200 is comparable to somewhere between 800 and 1600 on my 20D

Weakness: Cost No internal flash (not a biggy)

Overall, I am wildly happy the the EOS-5D. The build quality of the camera is phenomenal. I have only had the camera for about 1 week, but I have not found any signicant issues or limitations. In all areas, I have tried it I find it to be a significant upgrade to my 20D. I would highly recommend the camera to anyone who is a serious amature (only reason for specifying serious amatuer is the cost).
Bryan

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Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR Camera

Strengths: 12+ megapixel, full-size image sensor, larger color LCD display

Weakness: Slower continuous multiple picture speed compared to 20D.

1:1 Full frame . Dreamed camera all form D30 to 20D Reasonal price and good magapixel. The matter is how good quality, I think 5D is good comparing 1D series.

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Canon 5D - WOW

Strengths: 12+ megapixel, full-size image sensor, larger color LCD display

Weakness: No built-in flash for quick shots. Slower continuous multiple picture speed compared to 20D. Not compatible with the battery grip from the 20D.

The new Canon 5D will be released in the next few weeks.

I had my hands on one at the Georgia Professional Photographers Asociation convention at Jekyll Island last week. Being an user/owner of the 10D and 20D, I am impressed with the features of the new camera. The 5D will become the entry level professional camera in Canon's lineup (the 10D and 20D are considered "Prosumer" models, bridging the gap between comsumer and professional models).

The full-size 35mm image sensor is probably the biggest advantage of the new model, eliminating the 1.6X lens zoom factor of smaller sensor cameras such as the 10D and 20D.

The color LCD screen on the back of the camera is also larger than previous Canon cameras, a whopping 2.5 inches across. It makes viewing the shot you just took much easier. I hope they incorporate the larger screen in future models of the 1Ds Mark II as well.

In keeping with the professional camera image, Canon has eliminated a built-in flash, so this camera will not be one you grab quickly for a fast flash shot. I will keep my 20D handy for that and also as a back-up.

The shutter in the 5D seems much quieter than the 20D and has a nice, comfortable sound to it. That doesn't mean a lot, but it gives you a warm feeling when you press the shutter release.

The continuous multiple picture speed has slowed a little in the 5D because of the larger sensor and picture size (12 megapixel). However, three frames-per-second is still respectable and you can take up to forty pictures that way.

I wish Canon had made the 5D capable of using the battery grip from the 20D. The two cameras are about the same size and it would be nice not to have to repurchase all the accessories every time I upgrade my camera. If I can use the same flash on multiple cameras, other accessories should be as compatible.

Canon will also be releasing several new lenses about the same time.

I'll wait a little while before purchasing mine to let them work out the bugs (all new items have bugs), but this will be a "must-have" for my work.

Suggested retail price was $3299 but stores are already advertising them for $3199.

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Best Image Digital Camera

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