11th Aug 2005
Canon 5D is finally unveiled
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- Sushubh @ 8:21 pm

Canon 5D is finally unveiled

News has leaked out that Canon is going to be introducing a completely new
body to supplement its professional EOS digital camera range. The launch
is scheduled for Aug 26 in Shanghai. This camera will be displayed at the
IFA in September. The sale of this camera in the US is scheduled to start
in Oct with pre-orders beginning in early Sep at select retailers.

The EOS 5D has been talked about for a long time by Canon camera users.
Known as the 3D, it was a professional camera body with a affordable price
tag. The Canon 1Ds MK2 retails for 7995 $ in the US. The 5D also sports a
full frame but will in all probability retail for 3495 $ in the US and
3695 Euros in Europe. This camera thefore, is the first digital Canon body
with a full frame to retail under 4,000 $. Many pro photographers who use
a 1D as their primary camera have required a 1D body without the
associated price tag. The 5D full frame provides a shallow depth of field,
a larger viewfinder(than the 20D) and ease of manual focus.

With the 5D, Canon has reaffirmed what one of its executives said in an
interview early this year, that Canon 1 series will eventually merge to a
full frame single body and the 1.3x sensor will be discontinued. Canon
also hinted that it would introduce a dust cleaning mechanism in its pro
bodies after getting many requests for that feature but a full frame and
dust cleaning technology would have pushed up the price of this camera
considerably.

For pro photographers, this camera now allows them to stop compromising
with the 20D. The film 3D was used by many photographers as a backup body
and had a better build quality than the Elan 7 series. The 5D appears to
have taken the same spot as the film 3D. The 5D does not appear to have
seals in various joints like the 1D series and will therefore not be
protected against salt water and dust as thoroughly as the 1D bodies are.

For many semi-pro photographers, this camera will bring the affordability
of full frame and a pro-body and their wide angle lenses will truly be
wide angle with the 5D.

For sports photographers, this camera may not be interesting to them as
the frame rate is 3frames/sec. This is quite inadequate compared to the
8frames/sec of the 1D-Mk2. The 4.8mp difference between the 1D-MK2 and 5D
is also not that significant to compel them to invest in this camera. The
difference in price tags between the 1D-MK2 and 5D is not significant but
these cameras serve entirely different purposes.

For photographers using Nikon bodies, the D2X has suddenly become a tad
unappetizing. The 5D has trumped it with the full frame and 3200 ISO and a
price below 4000 $. For many Nikon users, this camera might be compelling
enough to switch to a Canon system. However, the build quality, user
interface and focusing system of the 5D will not match the Nikon system.

The sensor can go upto ISO 3200. This, while being normal, many hoped that
Canon had progressed further with its sensor technology to introduce ISO
6400. The flash sync is also limited to 1/200. Canon has also introduced a
new 430EX flash with this camera.

If you have significant investments in wide angled lenses, the 5D will be
a welcome upgrade.
Kodak discontinued its full frame DSLR body(Nikon system) on 31st May.
This left the 1DsMK2 as the only full frame 35mm DSLR on the market. The
5D will be welcomed by the digital photographers for its affordability.

The sensor is a CMOS 12.8megapixel and is based on the 1Ds MK2. Full frame
at 35.8 x 23.9mm.
Shutter speed is 3 frames per second with a 60 frames JPEG burst speed. 17
frames RAW
9 point autofocus with 6 invisible points. The 5D will be compatible with
all EF lenses (but not EF-S). LCD of 2.5 230,000 pixels. This is an
improvement over the 1D series. Magnesium body. DIGIC II. USB 2.0
connectivity. CF card. RGB Histogram. The 5D is much lighter than the 1D
bodies and only weighs 40grams more than the 20D. It has the form factor
about the same as the 10D. It will take a new BG-E4 grip. Type: 35.8 x
23.9mm CMOS
Effective Pixels: 12.8M Approx.
Total Pixels:13.3M Approx.
Aspect Ratio:3:2
Low-Pass Filter: Built in/Fixed
Colour Filter Type: Primary Colour