Canon 5d MK2 first impressions

[Dwarak]

. maybe a future 5D3 will do both jobs... can't decide...[/QUOTE]

That is exactly what I was hoping for but seeing the recient canon cameras coming out which were lighter and smaller and comprimising on features is not a good sign maybe they were just meant for entry level SLR's and not for the higher end

[vk2gwk]

I have looked very closely at the 7D since it came out and am tempted. Maybe sell my 50D body and get a 7D for that. But I'll never do away with my 5D MkII.... The only minus of that camera is the auto-focus system. It's not bad but not as good as the 7D. The low noise performance is a lot better than most other cameras in the Canon line and the FF - 21 Mpx gives you great cropping possibilities. Because of the 21 Mpx sensor it is a bit slower than most crop sensor camera in continuous shooting (3.9 frames per sec. compared to the 6.3 f/sec of the 50D and 8 f/sec of the 7D) but I never considered that a handicap. I do a fair bit of surfer shooting on the beach and get the shots I want most of the time.

I also looked at the 1 series but I don't like the size of them..... I have a grip for my 5D MKII which I put on when I need it but it is off the camera most of the time as it makes it a lot bulkier and the 1 series is IMHO not a camera you "walk around" with while on holidays.
So all in all: I love my 5D2 but am aware of its limitations.

[NGP]

I got my first full frame camera i also have a 7d as well. I am both happy and disappointed with it. The first thing is noticed is that I missed the 7d 19 point auto focus system like the 1d mark 3 has and the different screens like single point AF etc. This is a big drawback for me. I find it useful for macro work esp. the zone AF in Al SERVO mode is great gor moving objects. I have decided to use the 7d for macro work so there is less to crop.

Another point is the external flash can only be used on board without a trigger cannot use it like the 7d but I do not see that as a major drawback for me as I do not do a lot of portrait or studio work.

why not just manual focus with live-view? you can zoom in 10x and then much more accurate focus by hand.. auto-focus for macro isn't the best idea especially when shooting shallow DOF.. the cam has a harder time locking focus on small areas under such conditions anyway..

and the flash issue is easily cured by using an ST-E2 or other wireless triggers..

[Dwarak]

why not just manual focus with live-view? you can zoom in 10x and then much more accurate focus by hand.. auto-focus for macro isn't the best idea especially when shooting shallow DOF.. the cam has a harder time locking focus on small areas under such conditions anyway..

and the flash issue is easily cured by using an ST-E2 or other wireless triggers..

Well it depends on the subject size I agree with very small subjects and if taking shots of more than 1:1 then manual focus is best but for things like butterfly which are much larger moving the focus points is much easier in the 7d this can be done when focusing itself rather than having to go to the menu to change the focus point. I use the single point AF which is great for macro work. The other thing is that macro with a 7d due to the cropped sensor you do not have the crop too much of the shot.

[Nige]

I have a 5D MK II and a 40D. While both cameras are different, I still reach every time for the 5D MK II. It might also have something in the way that I use the cameras. 90% of the time I only use center focus points, so having X number of auto focus points does very little to me. The 40D is faster ( 6.5 fps) compared to the slow 5D (3.5 fps), however if you are shooting landscapes it makes very little difference as they dont tend move that quickly. If you are an action photographer you may find the fps limiting.

I agree with other sentiments that lenses change on a different body. That is very true, I find the 70-200mm is a lot more usable on the 5D. While I have the 16 - 35 mm, I still tend to use the 24-105 mm or the 100mm f 2.8 L macro. The macro on the 40D is stellar, the macros on the 5D is amazing.

Do you really need full frame? Do really want to upgrade your lenses to make sure they work with the 5D? I had the feeling I would go full frame and pretty much all the lenses I own are compatible, I did purposely buy this way so I only had to buy once. The 16 - 35 mm is great but so is the 10-22 mm. If you don't need full frame why go to the 5D ?

Cheers
-Nigel