Canon EOS 5D

By Eamon Hickey, CNET.com
Nov 16, 2005

For some photographers, a sensor the same size as a frame of 35mm film (24mm by 36mm)--often referred to as full frame--is the Holy Grail of digital SLR technology. It promises the familiar shooting experience in viewfinder size, in lens angle of view, and in certain aspects of a picture's look. Until now, this object of lust was available only at great expense (US$7,000 or more) or in cameras with significant design and performance quirks. But Canon's EOS 5D changes that, combining a 12.8-megapixel, 23.9mm-by-35.8mm CMOS sensor with a competent midsize SLR body for less than half the price of the only full-frame alternative available at this writing, also a Canon, the EOS-1Ds Mark II.

The Canon EOS 5D's design and performance are only fair, and its feature set is unexceptional for the price. But its high-resolution images offer superb detail, rich tonality, and incredibly low noise. If image quality is your paramount concern, or you're one of those full-frame nuts--er, aficionados--then buy this camera, and you've just saved US$4,000 bucks.

Design
The Canon EOS 5D has a reasonably handsome version of the Canon family look, with fairly clean styling and a curvy top cover reminiscent of its higher-end EOS 1-series stablemates. The body, which is finished in matte black, is a combination of magnesium alloy and polycarbonate with a rubberized grip. It feels solid and durable, but it's a definite step down from the pro-level build quality and weather resistance you'll find in other digital SLR cameras priced at more than US$3,000. We found the camera comfortable to hold and use for long periods, and it weighs a moderate 893g with battery and media installed--a welcome contrast to the pro-level behemoths we just mentioned.

This camera's control layout and overall user interface are nearly identical to those of Canon's slightly smaller EOS 20D. Most functions are controlled with one of two command wheels (one at your forefinger, one at your thumb) in conjunction with a push-button on the camera body. For example, if you press the ISO/Drive Mode button, you can then change the ISO setting by spinning the thumbwheel or change the drive mode by spinning the forefinger wheel. All the buttons and wheels are within easy reach, and their operating logic is straightforward.



The menu system, which is color-coded, is reasonably quick to operate. You use the thumbwheel to cycle through the settings and the Set button, which is located inside the wheel, to make your selections. We have no significant complaints about this system, but it's starting to look a bit dated. The newest menu systems on some recent competitors, which are based on four-way controllers, have somewhat more consistent command sequences from feature to feature.



You can also program the Set button to allow instant access to image-quality settings, which are otherwise hidden in the menus. Alternately, you can program the button to access the EOS 5D's color and tone controls, called Picture Styles (more about this in the Features section). These are useful capabilities, but we'd like to see Canon add one more button to the camera's body and let us directly access both features.



Like the EOS 20D, the Canon EOS 5D has a status LCD and a viewfinder display that do not include a constant reading of your current ISO setting, which we consider a must on a camera of this level. Also, the exposure mode dial on the camera's top-left side spins fairly easily and doesn't lock; we inadvertently changed our exposure mode a couple of times and would like to see a lock on that control. Finally, the PC terminal for triggering studio flashes is hidden behind an unusually stubborn rubber cover, which most studio pros we know will tear off in frustration by the third day they own the camera.

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