Canon SLR Reviews

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Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21 1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera Body Only

Compact, lightweight with environmental protection, EOS 5D successor boasts a newly-designed Canon CMOS sensor, with ISO sensitivity up to 25,600 for shooting in near dark conditions. The new DIGIC 4 processor combines with the improved CMOS sensor to deliver medium format territory image quality at 3.9 frames per second, for up to 310 frames. Triggered from Live View Mode, HD video capture allows users to shoot uninterrupted at full 1080 resolution at 30fps — for amazing quality footage with outstanding levels of detail and realism. The integration of HD movie capability into a high-end 21.1-megapixel camera opens a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists and news photographers. With its full frame CMOS sensor and outstanding ISO performance, the EOS 5D Mark II will appeal to any photographer in search of the finest camera equipment available — from studio and wedding to nature and travel photographers.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars This is a B – Camera
I am happy with the 5D mark 11. But I have on going issues. The screen decides to shut off by it’s self when reviewing photos. It has frozen and then shuts off.This is when I am using the camera. I hate the idea of a video in the camera. Canon should have focused on the camera and not at all on video. I have all Canon due to investing in lens. Unsure if Nikon is better. My partner uses Nikon D3. He loves it. And craps on mine all the time. But over all Canon should have did more testing and spent more time and money on this Camera. And forget a video. Over all I would say it’s a B- camera. I hate to say I like and trust my 50D more. I took the 50D to Argentina. It had no issues at over 10,000 shots and nearly a month from cold to jungles. But of course the 50D has major disadvantages over the 5D. Maybe step up to 1D……………..that’s a big jump.

5 Stars best high ISO camera EVER!
i am constantly amazed by the pictures i get from this camera. i love the extra width i get from full frame as well as the extra shallow depth of field. i’m a wedding/portrait photographer and this camera is beyond amazing for what i do.

if you shoot high ISO, you can’t beat this camera at the moment. i shoot ISO 6400 like it’s ISO 1600, it is that clean. and ISO 3200 is the new ISO 800 for me, i don’t even hesitate. i will not go above ISO 6400 though as you’ll start to see banding.

the lcd has me spoiled, so much so that i’m selling my 40d so that i can either get a 50d or the new 7d. on the 40d all of the pictures just look blah…and blurry. they still turn out good on the computer, but it can be very frustrating at the time. on the 5d II, you can tell right away if you’ve misfocused or if your exposure is off.

video quality is amazing though i don’t really use it for that.

autofocus is better than people like to give it credit for. i shoot mainly dimly lit receptions and it locks perfect whenever i need it to. i’m talking ISO 6400 f/1.6 1/30s dim. also i have no problem using outer focus points as they work great as well.

manual focus is a cinch with the 5d II. if you put the camera in live view, move the small box over what you want to focus on, then push the zoom button twice to see that box at pixel level. focus the lens and shoot away.

lenses used are 35mm f/1.4L, 85mm f/1.8, 16-35mm f/2.8L I, and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS.

if you need high ISO and want full frame, this is the camera for you. if you don’t need either, save some money and get the 50d or 7d…or even a used 40d.

2 Stars Sub-par body & features
Great sensor & image quality. However, the camera lacks many features one would expect from a $2700 camera:

* Auto-focus points are poorly placed (focus and recompose doesn’t work well due to shallow depth of field).

* The CF card door creaks & is flimsy—this affects the grip; I can’t attach a heavy lens (24-70L) and hold the camera comfortably. This problem is very common and well documented (do a web search).

* Outer auto-focus points hunt quite a bit. The camera feels non-responsive when using outer AF points (I’m coming from 40D).

* The camera is quite heavy; I don’t see why it should be given the poor construction. Weight becomes a problem especially with heavier lenses (24-70L and 85 f/1.2L), where you get blurry shots more frequently (again, compared to 40D).

* Lack of pop-up flash is bothering (although I have an external unit); If Nikon can do it, why can’t Canon?

* Lack of auto-focus during video recording. Expect to get a lot of out of focus videos if you shoot family & kids. No 720p option. The video files are huge (~1 gig for 3-4 mins of video).

5 Stars Love it!
Bought the 5d Mark II earlier this year. I’m a non-professional and first time full frame user. I’ve used a variety of cameras but not Nikon or Canon. I’ve EF lenses and have been using the camera for portraiture and scenic, in city, country, during winter and summer and am thrilled with the results (the enlargements are great). The movie function wasn’t an issue for me as, although I’ve tried it with good results, I could’ve done without it. It’s a little on the heavy side with the distance lenses which took a bit of getting accustomed to. No comment on price as, in my opinion, you often get what you pay for and I’m totally pleased. I work a lot in manual but I’ve not had any problem with the autofocus either. However, I did find it a little complicated at first – my problem not the mark II’s.

4 Stars Good Image, Poor Construction
I have been using this camera for 5 months with about 10000 shots. To canon’s credit, the images quality are excellent, so is the video. However, the huge pet peeve is the cheap memory card door. In order to hold this heavy camera, your palm will press firmly agaist the back of the handgrip, where the memory card door is located. This flimsy plastic door generates non-stop noise because of the pressure. This is particularly harmful when shooting video of concerts etc, as the noise gets amplified in the sound track. Extremely annoying in video play back. Can’t Canon make a better card door for this $2700 camera?

The other problem is several hot pixels when shooting video. Before I sent back the camera for service, I searched the internet and found a solution (now I forgot how, but it’s searchable with keywords). It works fine now. I didn’t bother to send it back.

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4 Stars

This was my first full frame camera. Prior to it I had owned and operated a 40D, 30D and Rebel XTi. I am a wedding and sports photographer primarily, so I have been able to test the 5D Mark II out under both of these conditions.
For basketball I used it with AI Servo, Center Point focus, but went into custom settings and enabled the AF assist dots. It worked like a dream, focusing faster and more accurately than my 40D ever had. While no, the FPS isn’t ideal for sports, if you can lock on focus like this from the start, you can still achieve amazing sports photographs. Plus the fact that I was able to shoot at ISO 4,000 and not have noticeable noise was just incredible. The shots auto-white balanced correctly too which normally in the arena I shoot at is not what happens on my 40D.
My first wedding all I could say all day was wow. I was getting available light photographs I never would have dreamed of before. The new screen also made it incredibly easy to determine if something was in focus or not. When I would switch between my 40D and 5D2 I found out just how spoiled that screen had made me, since the 40D screen looked terrible to me now when previously I thought that had a great screen. I sure was wrong! 920,000 pixels is definitely the way to go on this LCD. I primarily shot with center point (one shot) for my focus and it nailed focus every time. I did a mix up of manual, aperture priority and some program (Program mostly for the formals)
What else do I love about it? The 98% view finder is awesome. I like being able to use UDMA cards in it…
Video! Although I’m not a video / motion person by nature, I prefer stills, I’ve been testing out the video quite a bit. At Christmas I took a few short clips of my nephew and was really happy with how they look. It’s very neat to be able to take high definition video of a little kid and have that awesome affect of a wide aperture blurring out the background. The only downside is that the files are huge. My 1 minute clip was over 300MB, but that’s what I get for shooting in 1080!
The batteries this camera use really do hold a charge for a while. I used mine with the battery grip at the wedding, and the two batteries after going for over 500 shots (maybe close to 600 shots that day?) still had about 72% charge each left on them. I could easily have shot 3 times that much and still have had left over charge on the batteries. Also the new battery info screen is really nifty since you can see what serial number battery has what charge, making it a lot easier to keep track of.
So far I’ve used a 35 1.4/L, 135 2/L, 70-200 f2.8/L, 50 1.4, and 100 2.8 Macro on this camera body and all have performed wonderfully. I don’t miss the pop up flash that my 40D has since I never used it anyway, I always throw my 580 EX II on top when I need flash.
This camera really is a gem and I highly recommend it if it fits in your budget!

Sigma 18 200mm f 3 5 6 3 DC AF OS Optical Stabilizer Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

The Sigma 18-200mm high-zoom-ratio lens is designed exclusively for Canon digital SLR cameras and is capable of covering a wide range of focal lengths, from wide-angle to telephoto. Two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements and two hybrid aspherical lenses correct for all types of aberrations, letting Sigma house the extended-range super-zoom lens in a compact and lightweight body that measures 70mm in diameter and 78.1mm long and weighs a mere 14.3 ounces. The new lens coating, meanwhile, reduces flare and ghost–a common problem shared by many digital cameras–while also creating an optimum color balance. Other details include a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7) at all focal lengths, a high zoom ratio of 11:1, and a maximum magnification of 1:4.4.

The lens design incorporates an inner focusing system that prevents the front of the lens from rotating, making it particularly suitable for using circular polarizing filters and petal-shaped lens hoods. In addition, the overall length of the lens never changes during focusing, making the lens convenient to handle and easy to use. Finally, the lens’s zoom lock switch eliminates “zoom creep” during transport–a convenient addition when traveling. The lens, which includes a metal mount, is backed by a one-year warranty.

The Sigma 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Lens incorporates an Optical Stabilizer function and is exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras. It is perfectly suitable for low light conditions whether indoors, at dusk, or in telephoto range. This system uses two sensors inside the lens to detect vertical and horizontal movement of the camera by moving an optical image stabilizing lens group, to effectively compensate for camera shake. It also automatically detects panning movement of the camera and compensates for camera shake when shooting moving subjects such as motor sports. SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass and aspherical glass provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7″) throughout the entire zoom range and has a maximum magnification of 1:3.9. Since the inner focusing system means the front of the lens does not rotate, optional circular polarizing filters and the supplied petal-type hood can easily be used. A magnification scale is displayed on the lens barrel, ensuring ease of use. A zoom-lock switch mechanism is provided to prevent the lens from creeping due to its own weight. 69.3 – 7.1 degrees (Sigma SD format) angle of view 7 Diaphragm Blades F22 Minimum Aperture 45cm / 17.7 Minimum Focusing Distance 1 – 3.9 Maximum Magnification Petal Lens Hood Dimensions – Diameter 79mm x Length 100mm Weight – 21.5 ounces (610 grams)

If you want to see more reviews about digital cameras, you can go to this blog Digital Cameras Reviews

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Great lens for the money
I bought this lens for my son’s wrestling tournaments and was not disappointed. Even indoors without a flash it was fast enough for great shots when they weren’t moving too fast. Reviews said the Canon and Tamron superzooms have better IQ, but they cost $200 more, and I wasn’t ready to spend that.

I’m keeping the lens on the camera more and more, only changing for my 50mm 1.4 for portraits or when I need the best IQ.

For a single walkaround lens, for the money, I don’t think it can be beat.

Perry

3 Stars Good price and quality. Soft focus.
This is an universal lens. When you put in your camera you don’t feel to change it.

Pros:

1. Tele zoom. You can catch people without being noticed.

2. Wide angle. You can take photo of your large family and firends.

3. Decent quality.

Cons:

1. Soft focus. When you take photo at full zoom the soft focus is mostly unavoidable.

2. There is defocus to the corner of the lens.

3. Heavy.

4 Stars Pretty good lens for the $.
This lens works pretty good with my Nikon D40 and I have made great shots using it.

After about a year of use I got no complaints and would buy it again in a heart beat.

Note: there is some lens creep but not terrible, the the OS makes an audible chirp sound and the auto-focus motor makes a very high pitched sound that’s a audible too (not as much as the OS tho), but it’s not that bad and I can easily live with this.

4 Stars wonderful lens
I received the len which was packed carfully. The len itself is very beautiful and the picture is beautiful too.

2 Stars Great lens… for the short time it lasted
Loved this lens when it worked… however now, only one year later, this lens doesn’t work! Short circuits new Nikon D90 camera and won’t AF on D50. I can’t afford to be buying a new $500 lens on a yearly basis – I’m extremely disappointed in Sigma’s longevity.

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