Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens (OLD MODEL)

I am an enthusiast photographer. I understand the relationship between aperture, shutter and ISO; I understand the basics of composition, rules of thirds and all that; watches youtube constantly and try to learn more; and I process my RAW in Lightroom because I am not a professional and just a bit lazy to learn layers and Photoshop. I am budget conscious, not rich or anything. Therefore it is a bit hard for me to justify buying over 3000 dollars of equipment for mainly weekend and vacation shooting. I've used it for almost 2 weeks and I would say overall I don't regret buying it. I will list some pros and cons from my perspective. Pros: A lot of detail is available from the RAW files. A bit of brushing and those blown out while sky comes back to life easily. Just tweaking with LR, I can get those HDR looking photos where everywhere is exposed without doing bracketing. Its not perfect HDR of course, but pretty good and amazing in my opinion. And of course, the details in the images are very crisp, a big upgrade from my old camera. The rate of 3.9 is pretty good in my opinion. I use a 600x card and shoot RAW only; the camera shows 13 shots continuously at that rate before clogging, which is pretty good. The weight of the camera makes shooting at slower shutter speed easier. When I was hand holding my old camera(I rather not say model), I usually have bluish image at 1/15, but this one seems to do it pretty well. Some people probably can hand hold 1/15 easily with any camera, but this is just something I noticed. I think the extra weight gave me this extra stability or maybe there is something going on inside. Knowing that this is a Full Frame camera with the ability to capture pretty much the best quality images is satisfying. I travel whenever my finance allow, and some of the destinations I probably will never go again or just simply change from time to time. Therefore the biggest justification for myself buying this camera is to be able to capture images without later regrets. Before, I had images with the sky fully blown out or the face of my subject poorly lit and by recovering from LR, I just loose a lot of detail and make everything look unpleasant. Professionals probably can shoot better I know, but I am not pro and the comfort of not paying so much for my mistakes and no regrets is the main reason I am happy with my decision. now onto the Cons: Like everyone said, the focus is the downside of 5DII. Maybe I am overshadowed by all the other reviews; but from what I feel, I just think its a bit slow, more noticeable during darker situations. I have not used a lot of cameras so maybe I am just nit-picking. When I mount the 50mm 1.4 on the 5DII, the focus is a bit slow, and also the minimal focus distance for the 50mm 1.4 is quiet long at 0.45m. I was inside a museum, and sometimes I'm just too close to the subject, or sometimes its just too dark, so the focusing seems to be confused once in awhile. I don't have anything technical to back this up, just my feeling. The lack of focus point don't bother me at all since I only use the central one and rarely shoot birds or sports. Its not a problem when I'm outside, I hardly notice it, but when I do, it bothers me. The weight adds stability while shooting, but is definitely not good for walking. Having this magnesium alloy brick hanging on my neck without support is not pleasant. Shutter is a bit loud and lower pitch. I think each and everyone have a different preference for shutter sound. I actually like the sound of short higher pitch, for example the Rebels. Vignette and Light fall off. Coming from a cropped, the vignetting and light falls off at the corners is much more noticeable. I know different lens behaves differently, but this is definitely more noticeable. Build-in Mic is nearly useless during recording. It is very noisy. Even if you want to record something simple, the quality of sound coming out of the mic makes me mute it all together. The large megapixel makes my Lightroom 4.1 a lot slower. I have an Acer Laptop, i5-2410, 8GB Ram, Nvidia Geforce GT540M laptop. No SSD, just regular 640GB, 5400RPM Hard drive. The laptop is not something blazing fast, but I had no problem with 10 Megapixel RAW files. Now the full 21 Megapixel RAW files from 5DII are making my LR a lot slower. I already rooted my comp to clean out the bloatwares and tried to render 1:1 when importing and all the other tweaks I can find on the internet but it is still quiet slow. It is noticeably slow while editing (applying different presets and brushing) and slow when exporting. Its not anything bad for the camera, but something every buyer should consider, as I am now planning to dropping more money to buy a better desktop. Recommendations: I think for those non-professionals, this is probably the best pick for the money. The new 5DIII is obviously better, but the price is a big factor for me. For people who have the money, buy it; but I don't, so I rather save that extra dollars and spend it on a vacation. The focus is good enough in my opinion, probably because I don't shoot sports or things that are moving like crazy. All the other nitpicks such as power switch position, dop preview position, slow rate are completely irrelevant in my opinion. 5DII is a solid camera, and I think its best buy for the money since the ability to produce good image is the most important factor. For those who wants to buy a full frame, I would say make sure you know why you want to buy it. The desire of getting better gear is always with us, and I recommend for anyone buying anything really, make sure you justify your purchase. Please don't buy a good camera like this and simply put it away in your closet after the first few month. It pains budget conscious people like me who have invested so much time to find the best pick. If you have the extra cash, knows that photography requires lots of hard work, and want to advance in photography, I would say its worth it.

Having made the transition from medium format professional film cameras to cropped sensor digital (i.e. the T2i), I was looking forward to upgrading to professional digital equipment. Canon's 5D Mark II has dampened my enthusiasm for going into the full frame world. Fully understanding that the Mark II has a less densely packed sensor than do cropped frame sensors, it is natural to anticipate that the Mark II images will be a little less sharp. Of course, the trade off was supposed to be that the larger Mark II sensor would allow for greater enlargement without pixilation or noise while delivering a flattering portrait image. That was the theory. It must be assumed that my copy was defective and therefore not typical of Mark II quality overall, nonetheless the fuzziness of so many of the images was grossly disappointing. Originally guessing that maybe the 24-105 f4 L was the culprit I purchased additional lenses (e.g. 50mm f1.8, 70-300, 28-70). Some improved the sharpness situation (which did not speak well for the f4 L), and some did not. Even making the AF micro-adjustments did not help. Ultimately, I concluded that the AF was performing erratically. That problem coupled with an apparently very soft copy of the f4 L and the less-dense full frame sensor, the net outcome was a great number of unusable out-of-focus images. This was particularly acute on shots beyond 15 feet. What are my five Mark II disappointments? Defective AF, overly soft copy of the 24-105 f4 L, heavy weight of the Mark II, no real gain over the T2i in image quality when enlarging images, and the loss of my esteem for the quality control efforts of Canon on their professional line. However, Canon should get credit, in the form of 2 stars, for making a less expensive full frame DSLR. They also get some credit for the bright viewfinder on the Mark II and its large LCD. I have returned the Mark II and its companion f4 L lens (my appreciation to Amazon for their integrity and standing behind their sales). Instead of upgrading to the full frame line I am just going to buy another T2i (through Amazon) and hope that it will also be as tack-sharp as the one I already own. Of course the good part of this experience is that the EF lenses I bought for the Mark II are still useful on the T2i because of Canon`s foresight in making the EOS mounts substantially interchangeable.

I will only write a short review about this camera because others have already written very extensive reviews about it. For an even more comprehensive one, I would refer you to the website DPReview. After thinking about this camera for 6 months, I finally convinced myself to buy it. I am not regretting the decision at all. This is an excellent camera for my needs and the picture quality and resolution from its 21 megapixel sensor is simply mind boggling. In my mind, the main advantage of all those megapixels is the ability to do an extensive crop without sacrificing the image quality. I owned a 30D and if I crop files from it just a little bit, the sharpness suffers. Let me now talk about the high ISO performance of the 5D Mark II. It is definitely amazing. Different people have different tolerances as far as image noise but for me it is excellent up to ISO 1600. I went to an indoor place with Christmas lights display and shot ISO 3200 and I was still happy with the results. I did have to clean up half of the files with the Noise Ninja software. But guess what, the files clean up very easily with the noise reduction software. Images from my 30D did not clean up as easily. The only reason why I did not give this camera 5 stars is because of its autofocus (AF) system. Now, I mainly shoot portraits and nature. I don't do much sports. And for subjects that are father away, I mainly use the center AF which is extremely adequate. However, when I shoot portraits at closer distances and shallow apertures, I like using specific AF points (to avoid blur). In these instances, I can't help but feel that there should be more focus points. How about using the camera for moving subjects? I don't think it was designed to be a sports camera. It can take 4 frames per second which I don't think is very adequate. Although I've seen pictures from very talented photographers from DPReview take amazing pictures of birds in flight with this camera so it can be done. (Google "liquidstone pbase" and you will be amazed.) While I love this camera and will use it for many years, I advice you to also read about the alternatives. I will list them below. If you are a Canon user and have Canon lenses, another alternative is the 7D. The 7D is not a full frame camera but an APS-C (cropped sensor) camera. The 7D is superior to the 5D in terms of its autofocus system (faster frame rate, more sensitive AF points, and more AF points) and features (better LCD, bigger viewfinder, electronic grid, customizable buttons) but inferior to the 5D in terms of image quality and ISO performance. If you are starting from scratch or if you are willing to switch, you also should consider the Nikon D700. As far as image quality and high ISO performance, I think both cameras are at par. Canon is superior in terms of having a higher resolution (21 vs 12 megapixels) and 1080p video. But Nikon is superior in terms of build quality, weather sealing, and autofocus system. The D700's autofocus system is really more advanced than the 5D2's. It has 51 AF points (15 of which are the more sensitive cross-type kind) and a frame rate of 5 FPS without the battery grip and 8 FPS with the grip. So which should you buy, the D700 or the 5D Mark II? If you will use the camera mainly for sports, then you should definitely go for the D700. Otherwise, it's a matter of preference. If you prefer a higher resolution camera with 1080p video, go for the 5D Mark II. If you prefer a more robust camera with excellent weather sealing and a pro-autofocus, then go for the D700.

I was coming from a T1i, which I purchased back in 2009 and sold it to buy a T3i. Nonetheless, I longed for the 5D Mark II forever and finally convinced my wife to justify the purchase. (I told her it helps me take better pictures, but who doesn't?) My wife reluctantly agreed and we took a deep plunge to purchase this with the 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens kit. Shipping from Amazon was fast as usual and upon opening the box, I felt the golden glow around the new device. Immediately I attached the lens and took a few test shots. Upon looking through the viewfinder, I noticed a very big difference. The viewfinder was large and bright as the viewfinder from the T1i or the T3i even didn't come close. Shutter noise sounds much subdued (and better) when compared to the T1i and T3i. I will not go in to technical details as the other reviewers have done that. The construction is solid and I felt right at home with the controls. Although I am used to the directional buttons on the right side of the LCD display on the Rebel series, I felt right at home with the Quick Dial and joystick. The ON/OFF/L switch takes some getting used to as the Rebel series has the on-off lever right next to the Main Settings Dial. The screen is the same as the Rebel T1i as so it seems. The metal construction blows the Rebels out of the water. Lack of a pop up flash is a con, but I really didn't use the pop up flash on the Rebels anyway so it really doesn't bother me. The main things I love about this camera is the amazing build quality, full frame, large and bright viewfinder and the pictures the L lens takes. The camera is nice and large and is perfect for my big hands. The most amazing feature is the amazing image quality. The image quality has blown me away and this camera can do amazing things like shoot in low light, produce amazing bokeh even with the f/4 and the IS helps to reduce camera shake. The top LCD is SO convenient as I have been using Rebels without it. However, the most satisfying aspect of owning this camera is that people around you notice it and ask you about it. Either way, you purchased this camera to take great pictures and be envied! Believe me, I probably read all the reviews before I pulled the trigger and debated for months before finally deciding to take the plunge. I was torn between the 7D and the 5D Mark II for a very long time and I decided to go with the 5D Mark II because of the Full Frame although the 7D was MUCH newer and contained newer technology. For the type of photography I do, the 5D was perfect for me as I didn't have a need for a 19point AF system or a need for a blazing continuous speed shooting. What decidedly got me to get the 5D Mark II was Kai W's review on Digital Rev TV and boy am I glad I did. PROS: +Amazing build quality/construction +Image quality +High ISO capability +Full Frame +Comes with L lens! +It's a 5D Mark II! What's there not to like? CONS: -Price (but all the features make this camera a worthwhile purchase) I have bought the BG-E6 Battery Grip, Extra LP-E6 Battery Pack, B+W Haze MC Filter 77mm and a EF 70-200mm IS f/2.8 II L (will have a review for that soon) to compliment the Mark II. I haven't regretted purchasing the 5D Mark II for a bit. Now if the 5D Mark III comes out, then it is a different story.

As a rule I work with a Canon 1D and 1Ds. I've long had my eye on the 5D, though have purchased the Rebel XTi and XSi as in the field back-up cameras and for assistants to use. I remember the same rush with price gouging by Amazon and other distributers when the XTi and XSi first became available; much less noticeable because they are lower priced cameras. It is obvious to me, at least, that the presence of price gouging taking place now over the Canon 5D is in part due to the manufacturers marketing stratagem. Such stratagem, however, may under the present economic conditions seriously back-fire. I was considering purchasing a 5D Mark II to add to my arsenal of equipment, but what about the "black spot issue", surfacing reports by new owners that the 5D Mark II picture quality is not equal to that of the original 5D even with the greater megapixel count, and adding a marginally usable video capability to what purpose? I've growing doubts about the 5D Mark II besides a profound dislike for such marketing stratagems that creates superficial demand etc. and it appears others share the same concerns. The 5D is a major product line for Canon and I'd hate to see it fail but I and others no doubt, are beginning to think Nikon! ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Addendum (2/2/09): Several months have passed and the initial storm over the new 5D mark II has passed... And the retail price of the camera has settled at around $2,7000. (body only), about $250 more then the initial retail price announced before the release of the camera. And, so you see, the price gouging continues though it's comparatively modest in the case of most reputable retailers. I doubt that the price of the camera will drop to it's original retail price until demand completely falls off and a total end of back orders comes about which may take more then a year. Note: (body only) Amazon price is 2,699 with super saver shipping and after tax (NY) totals $2,914.92...``````````I must admit to have placed an ordered for a 5D Mark II recently, myself. For the following reasons;``````````1) The "black dot" phenomenon appears to have been resolved during manufacturing before shipping. ``````````2) While some owners of the original 5D feel the Mark II's image isn't as fine as the originals', tests by periodicals are reporting that image quality is even better then that of the 1Ds Mark III, (of course there remain many reasons why the 1Ds is a superior camera, for me, most of all the advanced AF and metering system). ``````````3) With all the Canon equipment I have besides camera bodies it's impractical to switch over to Nikon besides Zeiss prime lenses for example are beginning to become available for Canon EOS cameras with EF bayonet mounts. ``````````4) A use for a 21.1 megapixal camera. (note: Eight megapixal is more then fine for most photo work. But for oversize prints and a lot of playing with RAW images a larger megapixal camera is desirable. And, for commercial reproduction, four color offset litho printing for example, at least a 12 megapixal image is required, with a need for even greater megapixil images for high quality and large to huge reproductions). ``````````5) My use for a 21.1 camera dose note require AF and in camera metering, I've other cameras for such work (I'm sure the 5D Mark II's AF and meter are probably just fine, but I've become accustomed to working with a 1D and 1Ds and the AF and metering systems of the lesser Cannon camera models, to me seem totally inadequate now). 6) Price; to be honest I can't afford the 1Ds Mark III at present but I can afford the 5D Mark II, now...! (I have a feeling that a 1Ds Mark IV is on the horizon with it's image quality tweaked at least to equal the 5D Mark II's or more likely surpass it. I think I may wait for it before purchasing another 1Ds). ~~~~~~ For the uses I have in mind the only real draw-back for me is that the 5D Mark II must be run on batteries, a Canon BG-EG Battery Grip is going to be a must have with extra sets batteries at the ready.``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````addendum 4/6/09: I learned of the Canon ACK-E6AC Adapter Kit for the 5D Mark II, from members of Canon Forums and have ordered this AC adapter. This adapter removes the last vestiges of reservation I had, had when I first considered purchasing a 5D Mark II. Like with 1D and 1Ds cameras, this adapter allows the 5D Mark II to be powered by AC power, which saves costly batteries during long hours of in studio work while using a tripod and also during the long hours when the camera is connected to a computer for downloads, etc.~~~~~ By the way, the superior picture quality as reported by periodical reviews is true, at least my own use of the camera would in my opinion suggest it to be so. ~~~~~ At this point if it were possible I'd change my star rating of the camera to a four and a half or maybe even a five. Best Wish's....

I took a break from system-cameras for a few years. My arsenal of lenses became temporary museum pieces while I wandered around with a point-and-shoot digital. While it gave great images, one thing it lacked was the flexibility of interchangeable lenses. I got an urge to start using my lenses again so "went back to film" so I could use them on my film cameras. And that's when I remembered why I went to digital in the first place. The long story short is that film takes lots of time, costs lots of money, and these days, is not well supported if you want high-end processing, printing, etc. So there I sat, staring at over 20 name-brand, high end lenses and no camera to use them on. In todays dollars that's a significant investment. Enter the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. There are a number of good mount-adapters that enable the use of vintage and not-so-vintage lenses on the camera. After a little research I was convinced it would work for me. So I ordered the camera (with kit lens), battery grip, extra battery, memory cards and the lens mount adapter. All the packages arrived on the same day. It was like the best birthday I ever had. Within minutes I was shooting images with the kit lens (24~105), and testing the camera with every last one of my vintage lenses and the lens mount adapter. A couple wide-angle lenses with deep rear elements would not work, but a long list of lenses worked perfectly and very easily. With the lens mount adapter I purchased, I even get focus-assist! I love the battery grip - it holds two batteries AND comes with a clip so you can use AA batteries in a pinch. The kit lens is wonderful. It gives a great range of focal lengths - from a super-wide 24mm to a very useful short telephoto 105mm, with a continuous run in between. The autofocus is almost silent - so much so that a Nikon user I handed it to said "the auto focus isn't working". Yes, it was... Gadgets are great and photographers love to talk about them. But it's the pictures that really matter, right? And that's where this camera rules. I have put this camera to every test I can come up with - slow shutter speeds hand-held (image stabilization really helps); low light (the ISO range is so wide I can almost say that light isn't an issue anymore); colors (so natural and clean that the images will stun anyone who sees them); and for me, the ability to attach vintage lenses and get auto exposure and assisted focus - a huge money saver for people with high-end vintage lenses. The full-frame image sensor means that all those 35mm lenses you have will still behave the way they did on your 35mm SLR. Check the customer images for a couple examples of what can be done... 8/31/2010 - Since purchasing this camera and kit lens almost a year ago, I have added several lenses to the "kit". Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II Ultra Wide Tilt-Shift Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras I still like my vintage "manual" lenses but the real beauty of this camera comes out when paired with lenses like these!

My D5 Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM had a focusing problem in Auto and manual modes I thought maybe I was missing a setting or something, but after many dozens of test pics and several readings of the manual I can promise you that: indoors or out, zoomed in or out, high F or low, AF or Manual, this camera couldn't take a clear picture. Every image is slightly out of focus. Canon support offered to repair it but can't exchange for new. Pavillion is giving me an exchange. There are too many good reviews to say it's the design. Must be quality control. I'll let you know how it goes.

Did not come with instructions Words on camera were Japanese No cables or software disk

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