Отзывы о Фотоаппарат Canon EOS 5D Mark II Body

The 5D Mark II quickly became my primary camera over my older 1D Mark II. The sharpness and ISO performance simply were no comparison. The only time I still use my 1D Mark II is for sports or action, when I need fast and accurate autofocus and high frame rates. My primary use is studio portraits and events.Pros: Very very good low light performance. Without a doubt, it is well within the "good enough for pro work" and any improvements in future generations of EOS cameras are only icing on the cake. This also means that f/2.8 and even f/4 is very usable in low light, reducing the need for expensive ultrawide lenses. The full frame sensor is also very nice. 21 MP provides a lovely sharpness to the images. Solid construction. The HD video is a nice plus that I've used a few times, but it isn't a critical feature to me.Cons: Slow frame rate and poor autofocus make this impossible to use in any sort of action shots. The autofocus is my biggest complaint, only 9 AF points and they are all pretty poor. Only the middle one is cross-type, and even it doesn't perform all that well. If I was to upgrade to the Mark III, this would be the single biggest reason as the Mark III has a far superior AF system. I'm knocking off a full star for the autofocus alone. The frame rate is what it is: as advertised. Can't knock a star for that, but it is rather slow. I also don't like the mode selector knob. It's very very easy to bump and switch modes. I've done it a lot. I like the 60D's version which adds a lock button in the center of the knob. I wish they had done that with the 5D Mark II. I hear there's an upgrade, but it should be standard.Full frame and high resolution has a tendency to show every flaw in your lenses. No wiggle room, this camera demands L glass- which is actually a good thing in my opinion. It makes full use of high quality glass.All in all, quite nearly an ideal camera body. Very happy with it. Even though I did knock a star for the autofocus, since price is an issue I still haven't found reason enough to upgrade to the Mark III. That one star isn't worth the price difference to me.

I've been using a 5D Mark II since it's introduction back in late 2008. I preordered one as soon as it was available and have been using it since the beginning for wedding and portraits. I've used this camera along side the original 5D and 1Ds Mark II. I've also loaned a 1Ds Mark III on occasion.After extensive experience with this camera as well as lower end cameras and higher end cameras, my summary of the 5D Mark II is that they almost had a perfect camera. This camera is like the superstar athlete with a bum knee. The bum knee in this case is the focusing system. In order to protect sales of their higher end cameras, Canon intentionally held back the focusing capabilities of this camera relative to its higher end offerings. The focusing system is basically the same 9 point AF system as the original 5D had (which is the same as the 30D AF), only with faster hardware. The digic 4 processor will calculate focus predictions quicker than the previous 5D. The AF hardware is limited though and no more accurate than the 5D that came before it. For a $2500 camera this is very disappointing.The focusing system will give you the most trouble in these situations:- Using fast aperture lenses (F1.4 or so)- Using the outer focusing points- Using AI servo to track subjectsThe focusing system will give you the least trouble in these situations:- Using slower lenses- Using the center focus point- Using one-shot auto focusingSo the wildly varying opinions on this camera's focusing system exist because different users use the camera in different ways. Some users will love the focusing performance while others will loathe it. Odds are, they are both justified opinions.That said, this focusing system is better than any Canon camera costing less. If are you upgrading from any digital rebel or 10 series body (10D, 20D, 40D, etc), you will NOT be disappointed here. If you are using this as a second body to your 1-series camera, the focusing system will be a bit of a letdown. Remember that this camera costs about $2000 less than a current generation 1D camera.Now with that caveat out of the way, there is VERY little to pick at with this camera. Image quality is stunning (on par with the $7000 1Ds Mark III). Noise is low across the board. Even at higher ISOs (3200-6400), it cleans up very well in Adobe Lightroom and is very usable. H1 (12,800) and H2 (25,600) are mainly for "show" and are pretty bad. At lower ISOs, noise is exceptionally low and the images are sharp and clean. Even almost 4 years after its introduction, this camera is still has the best image quality money can buy for $2500 and that is saying a LOT.Functionally the camera is excellent. In-camera processing and image review is VERY quick (high speed CF cards recommended). Menus are accessible and easy to understand. Microadjustment makes ill focusing lenses far less problematic. HD video is beautiful and great for *basic* video needs (advanced videographers might look elsewhere). Build and durability is generally very good, though I wouldn't recommend dropping it. I've dropped mine twice (broke something both times) and had it repaired. Today it runs like a champ though. The automatic sensor cleaning generally works good, though I would recommend picking up a bulb blower for the stubborn particles.As a professional tool, this is an exceptional camera, just be aware of the limitations of the focusing system. Overall though Canon did an awesome job with this camera. Nearly 4 years after it's introduction, it's still the tool of choice for many professionals.

I love the 5D mark ii, its the one camera I use most, it has a full frame sensor for large detailed photos, it shoots full frame 1080p HD video for deocumentry work, my 40D is a little smaller and has built in pop up flash that the 5D doesn't have, yet the 5D is bigger and a bit heavier, But the picture quality of the 5D is tops with its full frame image sensor. I bought this camera several years ago when prices were way higher , now you can get the 5D mark ii at incredibly low prices since the Mark iii is up there now in price. The Mark iii has a couple more pixels and is advanced more for video than for taking still photos, but I just don't justify the higher price difference of the Mark iii for the few advancements that it has.

This is a Mark II !!!! Of course it's awesome! It completely rocks! I have not used the Mark III, but I don't know of anyone complaining about a Mark II, EVER. Many of my colleagues have the same Mark II, and not one of them has ever had a single problem with the Mark II, nor have they upgraded to the Mark III because they felt it was any better.

My first Mark II was flooded when the housing opened under water and was ruined. I dive a lot and take a lot of photos, so I needed a good camera and the Mark II is perfect for me.

I have used the Canon 60D and 5D extensively and this 5D Mk2 is better than both. I have not used a Mk3 so I cannot comment on that but the Mk2 has impressed me so far. It has higher resolution than my 60D, and significantly higher resolution than my 5D. Controls and menus are much improved compared to the 5D, and as easy to use as my 60D. An added bonus is the 5D Mk2 uses the same battery as the 60D so there is no need for me to acquire extra batteries. I am impressed so far.

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.

Time to forget about Nikon as an overly hyped "has been" who have just sat on their laurels too long banking on their reputation as Canon has moved forward. Seems that they were strong competitors and Nikon just stopped "playing" while Canon pushed ahead. Anyway... your loyalty should be to your art and your photos... not some brand name. Right?Look at this... the Ultrasonic Motor (USM) (in Canon lenses)... a theory on paper till Canon took it and implemented it in a practice in their cameras... "dead silent"(Public candid shots -- no one can hear you are focusing on them). This camera even has a silent shutter mode! Just think... no more constitutionally clueless people thinking they have exclusivity to their own image in a public setting trying to infringe on your 1st Amendment asking, "Did you just take my picture?!!" LOLBiomimetics... reverse engineered nature--God's design... Canon does this... the L series II lenses are based on reverse engineered Moth eyes to counter flaring!This camera is a piece of the same... incredible. I got one... have used it for 6 months and I am totally FLOORED. Focus is dead on... features are incredible and I am striving to learn and use every single one! A few I will mention... custom white balance reference (get the Mennen white cap or cheaper model her... as low as $2). Digic 4 processor can do some darkroom work on-the-fly... lightening (burnishing) dark area to bring out details. Lens distortion compensation... the camera knows what Canon lens you have attached and if you are using a wide angle, etc. it can automatically compensate for vignetting (darkening in the corners) and barrel/pincushion distortion! The camera can do various types of "bracketing"... here is something that blows me away: Say you want to take a long depth of field shot and keep the foreground and background all in focus. Say... your kids on the playground with other kids... you want to get all the kids in focus from just a few feet away to infinity. Impossible you say? What you do is set focus bracketing to take a shot every so many meters... I use Hyperfocal Distance calculations to do this based on the 6.4um CMOS CCD pixel size... may take 10 shots or so and "stack" them to get a paradoxical photo where the entire photo is in focus. The impossible can be done with this camera! Great bokeh (soft out of focus backgrounds) when you want them too.I put the 24mm L-series f/1.4 USM II lens on this camera as a "leave on" walkabout lens. It is prime focus... edge to edge sharper than anything I have ever seen. I also put a Hoya DMC 77mm UV filter on that to protect the "eyeball" lens on the front. Comes with a tulip hood and great post production processing software that is amazing in itself.Now... you might read about Auto Focus (AF) problems... naught! (unless you get a bad copy... then send it back). But the AF is dependent on your settings and light conditions, the lens attached, and also the target you are focusing on. High contrast lines that are brightly lit focus faster and how fast depends on the lens you are using. When you get the camera test this to get this question behind you. Put a lousey lens on this camera and you may have slow focus. At f/1.4 the camera will AF on things I can't see with my own eyes (ISO to 6400...and beyond).I think it is always best to buy the body... then the lens that fits your particular need. Full frame... 35mm CMOS format and the camera will do 1080p video too at 30 fps (with fast CF Flash Memory). Incredible... simply incredible. I don't do Nikon anymore... they have a lot of catching up to do... oh yeah... one more thing:Canon has open sourced its scripting language so that there is a Canon Hacker Development Kit (search CHDK on Google). There is talent world wide working on very very cool scripts (custom programs that run inside your camera) to customize your camera to your specific application! One I saw recently was a script that looks for pixel changes and reacts. You can set your camera on a tripod on a flower bud about to open and instead of taking a shot ever hour... take shots only when the camer recongizes pixels changes of X amount. I have goose bumps...

I cannot say enough good things about this camera. As a former photographer getting back into the game, this camera blows me away. This will absolutely be all the camera most people will ever need.I have to qualify that by saying that I am primarily interested in landscape photography. The Mark III will be the better choice for sports, events or wildlife photographers. If you can afford it.There is currently a 1000 to 1500 dollar price difference between the Mark III and Mark II bodies.You really have to consider what you are going to use it for.For me. The Mark II consistently excels.PS: I bought my Mark II with the 24-105 L IS lens last year in August for less than you can currently get it anywhere online. What does that tell you?Yeah. It's becoming more scarce but there is still strong demand because it's a classic.I also have to issue a warning. If you own this, you might also succumb to L lens lust.I have, and it's very expensive, but very gratifying.

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 love the camera it is a big upgrade from the my T3i. The images are great and the video is awesome. I added a battery grip to the camera that works fine.

I was looking for a back-up camera and it was either another 5D Mark II, or 5D Mark III. I went with the Mark II again, and here is why:1. Even though the Mark III has 51 Auto Focus points, vs the 9 points on the Mark II, I use the center focus anyway, so that was not important.2. Mark III has 6 fps, vs 3.9 on the Mark II. This is not important to me either, since I don't shoot sports, or things I need that type of burst rate.3. 1.2 more megapixels per shot. No biggie, since I already shoot at medium size raw files. I'm not sure how many people actually shoot at 21, but I hope they have large externals! lol4. Mark III has better video capabilities. Since I don't use my camera as a camcorder, (and I can't imagine doing it anyway, but I'll probably end up doing so, since that's how it goes when I'm like, "Why would anyone do that...") it nothing to me.5. You can now do HDR with the Mark III. Nothing special to me, since I use NIK HDR anyway, and on top of that, I can handhold the Mark II for the 3 shot exposure and do just fine without alignment problems. I used to be so careful to always use a tripod and move to manual focus after setting focus, but now I see it's a waste of time. Anyway, no need for HDR for me.6. A much higher ISO with the Mark III. But again, I rarely shoot over 800 ISO; and the bad news for the Mark III is that there is no difference in noise from the Mark II to the Mark III at up to 800 ISO.7. You are going to pay $1300 more for the Mark III, and if you are in my shoes, get no better camera. I took that extra $1300 and bought the 135mm 2.0L with a nice B&W 72mm triple coat UV filter, and still had $200 left in my pocket to buy some other equipment!Hope this helps, and please don't take this as a slam on the Mark III. It's just not worth the money to upgrade for me (and if money were no object, I'd have done it. Heck, I'd have gone with the 1D). For some people, it will be worth it.

I'm sure you've read through review after review, so I won't bore anyone with technical specs. I wanted to upgrade to a full frame and couldn't decide which to get. At the time the new 5D Mark III just came out and the 6D was on it's way. Amazon had this for a great price and I couldn't pass it up. Obviously you can't go wrong with this camera and I've been completely happy with it!

I bought this a year or two ago before the 5DmkIII was released and it's the only camera I use out of a small pile of Canon bodies. The only reason I still use a crop sensor camera is for the EF-S 17-55mm and extra distance out of my 400mm.

I assume if your reading this, you're not that knowledgeable about cameras yet, which is fine. The Canon 5DII is a professional camera. Part of why it's expensive is that it's built tough; you know you have something in your hands. It's used in Hollywood to shoot low budget movies (with professional movie lenses). It has more features than most can ever use. Autofocus is instant. With a good lense, it's all you would ever need in a digital camera.

Let me start out by saying I've owned this camera for a year & a half and have shot thousands of images with it. I "upgraded" to this camera from the original 5D & at first was in love, but that quickly faded and over the past year has grown into a frustrating experience.Pros:-Video. The video is STUNNING and one of the only reasons why I'm not selling this immediately. It's gorgeous when coupled with a "L" lens & produces professional videos with the right video equipment.-LCD screen is fabulous & a huge step-up from the 5D.-ISO. High ISO capabilities with little to no noise. A HUGE improvement from the 5D. Reason #2 for me keeping this camera.Con:-Focusing system. Seriously, one of the WORST I've ever seen. Images are constantly out of focus, and even images that are "in" focus are lacking a little bit of "uumph" that I get with my 5D (see below). Nothing is ever tack sharp or creamy. I even sent the camera back to Canon for them to tell me that no, nothing is wrong with the focus system even though I'm constantly getting out of focus images with my L lenses. Yep, even sent the L lenses back to Canon too for them to be check, all with the same prognosis that "no, nothing is wrong with them."-HORRIBLE focusing is really the only con to this camera, but it's a huge con that totally ruins my love and respect for this camera. I'll explain more below.A little story...As I mentioned above, I've been using the MKII for over a year. I've had the focus problems but continued using the camera because I shoot a lot of brides in dark rooms & loved the high ISO capabilities. I had enough images "in-focus" for me to continue using the camera, just thought that maybe the issue was me not getting everything in TACK sharp focus.Fast forward to yesterday, when a friend was shooting a promo video for me & used my MKII for the video. It was a just a "fun" photo shoot, so I used my 5D to take the portraits while my friend shot video on the MKII. I didn't think anything was out of the ordinary with the images until I looked at the images on my computer. Most of the images were TACK sharp. The colors were super bright, super crisp, super creamy and almost edible. The images were a world's difference from the softness of images from my MKII. Now I know it's not a problem with me or my lenses -- the problem is my MKII and it's beyond HORRIBLE auto-focus system. I told a couple friends about this & they also said they recently did a focus test with their 5D vs. 5D MK II and the 5D came out way ahead. I'm now switching my 5D to be my main camera & my 5D MKII as my backup camera & for use in high ISO situations. Such a bummer and letdown on a $2,000+ camera. As soon as the replacement comes out I'll be ditching this.So, the camera gets 3 stars. One for video, one for ISO, and one for better construction & weather sealing. It is useable and has the potential to produce amazing images, but after looking at images from my 5D, it's just not the best out there.Take my advice and PLEASE wait for the replacement version of this camera. The auto-focus is really unacceptable for professionals -- such a shame to waste the video & other amazing features of this camera. Please fix this soon Canon.

So far I have had a great experience with the Mark II. My only complaint would be that the focus for action photography could be better. I know this has been talked about a million times in other reviews so I will leave it alone.

This camera has been on my list a long time. My only regret with this camera is that I didn't make the jump sooner. My previous (now backup) camera is an EOS Rebel XT, so I had AEB and RAW access, though, with the 5D I finally converted to 100% RAW shooting.I still use the AEB quite a bit for HDR photos, though the only drawback with Canons is the 3-shot limit compared to Nikon's 5/7/9. Not needed for most photos, but there are situations in HDR that would benefit from more exposures. To compensate, it is really simple to take 3, then adjust the bracket without moving the camera a noticeable amount and add another 3/6 the delete the overlaps in post production.LOVE the HD video though I haven't experimented with it enough to fully appreciate it. Did an HD shoot where I quickly grabbed some HD video and that was sweet/effortless with all the quality.Obviously I am benefiting from the full sensor and L series lenses. So nice to shoot in low light, handheld without a flash. And even my timed exposures need considerably less time, resulting in less movement/greater ability to shoot in wind. Being on the ocean, wind is almost always a factor.But the BIGGEST JOY I have found with this camera is LIVE VIEW mode. I use it on nearly every shot and because of it, I now shoot almost exclusively manual focus, especially for landscape/product shots. I now have utmost control to decide on a small detail to focus on the subjects front/back edge or square in the middle. This is the first time since the 80/90 days of film that I feel the post-production focus was as tight as I envisioned during the shoot.Last night, I picked up the Rebel to teach the kids and I was amazed how small the Rebel LCD screen was so, clearly, I am happy with the 5D LCD - it's easy to take the size/quality/clarity for granted.I also bought the Zeikos ZE-CBG5DII Multi-Power Battery Pack for Canon 5D Mark II and love it with the 5D. The 5D's battery indicator menu is excellent showing both batteries, remaining power and shots used for each. In the past full month, I shot 1000-ish RAW shots (plus some light video) in heat/cold on 1 charge each so I am very happy with battery life.Best camera I've owned/used to date.

I've been looking at the Canon 5D Mark II for a long time - since before it came out in late 2008. It's taken a while but I finally pulled the trigger.My first Canon SLR was the EOS 650 - the autofocus SLR that "started it all". Then in early 2000's I got the Digital Rebel, then an XTi and quickly after that the Canon 40D.I've liked all the digital SLR's I've used to date but only the 40D reminded me of the build quality and "heft" that my original 650 had. And although you get used to it, the 1.6 crop factor of the sensor size is really a big difference on the wide-angle side.Over time I also upgraded my lenses to the 17-40 F4L, the 24-105 F4L, the 70-200 F2.8L and the 100-300 F4.5-5.6L - with IS in all but the 17-40.I guess I'd call myself an "advanced amateur". My usual approach to photography is to compose a good shot and then crop later to a better composition to get my "keepers".With the 40D and my outfit of lenses I can pretty much do it all - especially on the telephoto side. However, I noticed that when you crop significantly a 10.1MP image, the end result can have significantly reduced image quality.So - I determined a little more megapixels to work with would be helpful.Next, the 40D's max ISO is 1600 but at 800 the noise can be a bit of a distraction. The simple solution is to stay below 800 but that requires a flash or photos of stationary objects in darker settings.So - I determined that something with better light sensitivity would be helpful.I noticed that some of my lenses were sharper than others on the 40D. I sent the body to Canon with my 24-105 to get the focusing "matched" and the results were good. But it was a one-size fits all solution.So - I determined that something that offered lens microadjustment would be helpful.I watched and waited patiently for the "brouhaha" of enthusiam for the 5D MarkII to settle down as I'm not the sort of sucker that pays more than MSRP for anything. I knew my time would come, I'd get my 5DMarkII - even if my wife said no. Now the MSRP is $200 less!Finally, along comes this blasted Canon 7D to totally ruin my plan. It solves my megapixel issue, it solves my ISO issue, it has lens microadjustment (as does the 50D) it even offers an advanced video capability and "new and improved" autofocusing system. And it's $800+ less expensive. What a quandary.... now what?With much consternation and angst I debated over and over the 7D or 5DMII. On the one hand, on the other had - you know the drill. Is the 5DMII worth it?I put my 17-40 lens on the 40D and then on my EOS650 and like I said - the difference is huge between a full frame and cropped sensor. I'm not a video-enthusiast and I'm not really sure what the big deal is about "24p" vs "30p" so that wasn't too important. I believe with autofocusing - "it's not the arrow, it's the indian" and unless something's out of wack your images should be focused or you're making a mistake.So, I took the plunge and purchased the 5D Mark II.It's awesome.The look and feel is very EOS-like. Not too different than my 40D - probably a little better in fact. I like the Creative Auto mode a lot and the menu on the LCD is great.The ISO range is totally worth it. I take shots routinely at 3200 and they look like 400 on the 40D (very minimal noise / graininess). When I use a flash - the results are amazing.I microadjusted the camera for all the lenses I own, and as expected the settings for each were slightly different. Now my images are spot-on, unless I screw up (again - it's not the arrow, it's the indian).To top it all off - Canon is coming out with a firmware update to add 24p (et al) to the 5DMark II.The Live-view mode is much simpler than on the 40D and focusing is very easy.The 21 Megapixels is way more than I really need but when I crop my images I get great results so I'm delighted there. I delete images I don't like so my storage constraints are limited.Finally - the full-frame sensor gives me all the image my considerable lens investment can provide and offers me opportunity on the wide angle side that the 7D couldn't. It's a big deal and not to be discounted (although you can get an EFS 10-22 to make up for it on a cropped body).I'm sure the 7D is an awesome camera too and I bet the autofocus system is an improvement. However - if you're like me, you've got great lenses, you've been patiently waiting for the hysteria to calm down, and you're ready to change camera bodies then I totally recommend going full frame and getting the 5D Mark II.

I bought this about a year after getting my 7D. Yes, the focus system is not as sophisticated. This camera came out earlier, and thus its video controls aren't dedicated. Beyond those 2 things, this camera is my favorite in every other way. If I'm going somewhere and I'm taking 1 camera, this is the 1. It does make you want better glass, as it's using the corners more and the higher resolution benefits more from sharper glass. The video from it is fantastic, though focus is hard to attain at larger apertures. I have just ordered a Z-Finder in hopes it will make focusing easier. I love prime lenses and shallow depth of field and for those purposes, this camera is the clear choice over the 7D. If you are looking for sports and wildlife (particularly birding) the 7D may be the better choice. This camera can still provide great results in those conditions, but I don't think those things were a focus when they were designing this camera. Scratch up another $1500 for the new 5D Mark III if you want it all. If you want the best results for portraits, candids and landscapes that you can get for a reasonable hobby-ist price, this thing is the way to go.A few reasons I pick this up over the 7D are:- slightly better overall image quality.- slightly better depth of field control.- about 1 stop better (lower) noise at high ISO's.If these things are a consideration for you, I don't think you'll be disappointed picking this over the 7D. Like I said, if you can afford it, I'm sure the 5D3 is the best of both worlds. But for less money, I've got 2 bodies that do everything I need. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this for the conditions I outlined above.

The Canon Mark II is great camera but the item pictured here by Amazon is a Mark III... I intend on buying the Mark II but not at the Mark III pricetag. ;)

This camera was an upgrade from the original Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) which I loved. I never thought the image quality could be improved upon enough to warrant $2,500 to upgrade, but I was wrong. It was still painful to plop down this much money since I am only a serious amateur, but it turned out to be SO worth it. I'm not ready to completely give up my old 5D though and still use it as a 2nd camera body.First off, the image quality has to be seen to be believed when coupled with "L" quality lenses (non-L lenses will show numerous flaws). Low light performance alone makes the upgrade worth it: Virtually noise-free up until ISO 800 (barely noticeable), starting around ISO 1000 (acceptable) and really doesn't become bothersome until around ISO 4000 or so. If you use a good noise control program like Noise Ninja or others, you can get away with even higher ISO's.I coupled this camera with a Lexar Professional Series 16 GB 300x UDMA CompactFlash Memory Card CF16GB-300-381 and the write speed is almost instant, even though the camera is moving 20+ MB of data with each shot. I would recommend a card reader though, because going directly from camera to computer can be slow.The new menu system is 100 times better than the old one, very easy to go from tab-to-tab rather than all the scrolling of the old menu system, and you can find your selection much faster. The true VGA LCD screen on the back is a VERY welcome change. Larger and brighter, you'll notice it self-adjust the brightness when you're outside too. Live-view is awesome! I've been using it in my macro and studio work for razor sharpness and it's made my poor eyes much happier than all the squinting. I had a pirate eye-patch for doing that work with my old 5D.The dust-reducing facilites are another welcome change. I had to clean my sensor before every important shoot with the old model. I've had the 5D MK II for about 3 months now and have yet to clean the sensor on it. Dust will still adhere to the underside of the focusing screen, but easily blown off with your Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster Large (Black).Finally the resolution. I've been able to take wildlife shots at some distance, and crop out the subject and still have a superior quality photo. It's really added a lot of flexibility for composition in post-production. I have successfully printed up to 24x36 with absolutely no distortion at all using Alien Skin's Blow-UP 2 Software. It's my belief you could easily do a perfect 11x14 or 12x18 straight out of the camera though.Some people love the Digital Photo Professional software that comes with it, but my personal preference is Photoshop. Note that if you're still using CS3 or before you will need to convert the CR2's from the 5D MK II using Adobe's DNG converter (free download from Adobe) or upgrade to at least CS4.I am currently using this camera with the optional Canon BG-E6 Battery Grip for Canon 5D Mark II Digital SLR and 2 batteries in the grip. Battery life with this combination is amazing. I can easily go weeks between charges, and an easy menu on the camera gives detail on battery life. The incremental battery life indicator on the top window is a lot more accurate than the old 5D.It's just my preference but I disagree with the reviewers who say there should be a pop-up flash on camera. This camera is pro level quality and as any serious amateur or pro will tell you, built-in flashes are useless. In combination with my Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras it's a winning combination for flawless flash photographs with no red-eye and no harsh shadows when bounced. If you're going to spend this much on a camera, a good speedlight is a must.The latest firmware version 2.0.4 fixes some bugs and improves movie performance so if your new model doesn't have that version, it's a free download from Canon. I do not have experience with movie mode yet, so I will update this review later on that.I'm still have a bit of sticker-shock, but after using this camera awhile, it seems more an investment. Once you see the quality, it should alleviate your pain.

I just graduated from a 60D to a 5D mark II. This is one of the best full frame cameras on the market. I will continue to use this camera for years to come.

I upgraded from a t2i to this camera. Things to notice if you also have a t2i:the auto focus on the 5d seems slower and worse in low lightthe iso performance to 6400 is incredible on the 5d, not so good on t2imaximum AUTO iso on t2i is 6400, on mark ii its 3200 and you cant change itmagic lantern is on t2i and coming to 5d5d is a lot heavier and slightly larger, but feels like a rock compared to the plastic t2ithe LCD screen on the t2i is leagues better for reviewing images.t2i batter lasts longer*****t2i recognizes when you are looking through viewfinder, and turns off lcd to preserve battery5d resolution is higher and its full frame(no 1.6 crop)buttons on t2i are place betterno flash on 5d60 FPS in 720p on t2i vs 30fps 1080p 5d2CF cards on 5d are extremely expensive and harder to find______EDIT____I have only used the 5d2 for a few days when I wrote this review from lots of testing but realize I was technically wrong for the battery life. Since the t2i auto turns off screen when you look through the viewfinder(and 5d2 doesn't), the t2i saves a lot of battery.But after playing around with the top lcd on the 5d2, I found that it displays all you need in a very basic way. It lets you view the iso, shutter speed, f stop, metering mode, battery and pictures left which is all you really need. You have to memorize the different symbols for metering mode though. After getting comfortable, I just turned off the LCD on the 5d2(which makes it black/turned off but turns on after you take pictures or when you want to review).The results were quite incredible. Paired with the 30 second auto turn off time, I started taking pictures at 8am and it lasted until 1:30am with 50% life left. I even shot with a 32GB card and took 700~ pictures with no flash and in low light(with in camera noise reduction enabled).The only thing I miss is the camera mode on the top LCD. I taped my camera so none of the white parts appear to make it more subtle(instead of a big shiny camera with white reflecting all over)