Rangefinder Magazine
February 2006

Click Here for printable version of this article.

First Exposure John Rettie
Canon EOS-5D -- More like a medium Format Camera

With its full-size sensor the 5D also sports a full-size mirror, which in turn improves the brightness in the viewfinder.

I’M SURE MOST photographers will agree that of all the new digital cameras introduced last year the one that—perhaps surprisingly—created the most interest was the $3299 Canon EOS-5D. In fact, judging from the reactions of many people on numerous Internet forums, you’d think Canon had re-invented the digital camera.

Why? Just because it has a full-frame (i.e. traditional 35mm film size) 12.8- megapixel sensor? In a word, yes.

Despite its large size, the 2.5-inch LCD monitor is still difficult to see in broad daylight. Canon released a firmware upgrade for this issue.

For one reason or another many people are convinced that a digital SLR camera has to have a sensor the same size as 35mm film for the camera to deliver the best quality possible. Of course, there is nothing magical about the 36x24mm size other than the fact it has been a standard for over 50 years, which means lenses and bodies have been designed around this size. Obviously it proved optimal for film, as most professional photographers gradually moved from 4x5 film to 120 film to 35mm. Various companies tried smaller film sizes but they never caught on, even among amateurs, undoubtedly because smaller-sized film could not deliver the quality that was good enough for even casual shooters.

Regular readers of my “Digital Photography” column know that I am a proponent of new camera designs that take advantage of the many features a digital camera can potentially offer that a film camera can’t. Because of my interest in this area, I have to admit I was frankly underwhelmed by the specifications of the 5D when it was announced. Because of the high cost of producing full-size sensors, I did not anticipate Canon would introduce one in a relatively low-cost body anytime soon. But they did, to many people’s surprise. However, instead of putting it in an all-new body with advanced features, Canon chose to put it in what is essentially a slightly larger version of the 20D camera body, which has not changed much in layout since the original D30. The body, like the 20D, is made from rugged magnesium alloy. That’s not all bad, as the 20D has proven to be an exceptionally good camera both for amateurs and many professionals who like its smaller size and lighter weight (almost one pound less) compared to the tank-like 1D series.

Canon’s newest L-series 24–105mm f/4 zoom lens is an ideal size for the 5D.

By now it’s obvious that I approached the new 5D with some reservations. However, I have to admit that within a short time I fell in love with the camera. It produces incredibly good images.

Personally, I like the smaller size of the camera as compared to a 1D series because it does not physically wear you down when carrying it for extended periods of time. At one of the first events where I used it, an AP photographer asked about the camera. He said he was tired of carrying two 1D bodies and was contemplating getting a 20D or 5D as a second body.

Ergonomically, the 5D is similar to the 20D. It feels quite solid, and although it is basically the same size, it has a bigger hand grip than the 10D. I have not found a need for a battery pack and vertical grip, which I have on my 10D. If, like me, you never use the vertical shutter release, you probably won’t feel the need for the optional vertical grip unless you have big hands.

If you shoot RAW+JPEG images, you’ll be lucky to get 120 on a 2GB CompactFlash card.

The big change is a much larger 2.5-inch LCD monitor on the back, which is really good for zooming in to check images and for displaying a histogram. At first I found that it was difficult to see in daylight, but a few days before I finished this review Canon issued a firmware upgrade that helped brighten the display and make some other minor changes. Now it’s much better, though still not as good as it ought to be.

Although the 5D is only rated at 3 fps, I found it was adequate in all shoots where I used it, including an auto race where I easily captured a sequence of 10 images during an important contretemps in the race. It has an impressive buffer large enough for capturing 60 JPEG, 17 RAW or 12 RAW+JPEG images. Unless you really need the firepower of the 1D, a 5D should prove adequate in this department for most users.

No problem retaining detail with the 12.8-megapixel EOS-5D.

Unlike the 20D, which Canon did not really promote as a professional camera, it is heavily advertising the 5D as a camera for professionals. (Witness the ads and inserts in Rangefinder and elsewhere.)

Perhaps that’s why it does not include a built-in pop-up flash like its 20D sibling. Personally, I have grown to appreciate having one on my 10D; it comes in handy when you need an occasional flash for fill or when you’re caught without having a big flash on the hot-shoe. Obviously, the pop-up is not an ideal flash for all occasions, but increasingly more pros find it useful to have ready for emergencies and even for controlling remote wireless strobes.

Although the camera is not as speedy as a 1D, it is no slouch. It turns on immediately and fires instantly, with no discernible shutter lag. The menus are easy to read on the large rear monitor. Some of the functions, such as picture styles, are buried in menus rather than being available via buttons. As with other Canon cameras, the top buttons serve dual functions, which are changed via either of the thumb wheels. Sadly, I always seem to forget which wheel changes which function and usually have to try both to get the right one. Although many functions are relatively easy to change, they are not always immediately intuitive.

The 5D image on the left was shot with a Tamron 28–300mm zoom set at 300mm, while the image on the right was taken on a 10D using the same lens set at 200mm. The tight crop demonstrates the shallower depth of field with the 5D for a similar size field of view.

Thanks to the bigger sensor, the 5D has a larger mirror, which in turn allows for the bigger viewfinder many will appreciate. However, I did not find it as great an improvement as I expected, probably because I wear glasses and cannot see the complete screen as easily.

I was surprised to find that the 5D collected more dust on the sensor than my 10D. I’m not quite sure why. I always suspected the 10D was better than my old Nikon D1 because it had a CMOS sensor instead of a CCD; but the 5D has a CMOS sensor too. Perhaps the tendency to collect dust has to do with its bigger size.

Another negative is the slow flash-sync speed of just 1/200 sec. Some will also find the lack of a second card slot (as found in the 1D) and the absence of any weather sealing to be other drawbacks.

But enough of the downside of the camera—the upside is that the camera produces incredibly good images, even at 1600 ISO. For example, I shot the entire SEMA Show in Las Vegas without using flash or a tripod at ISO 1600. Many of the indoor shots were at 1/400 where there was enough light and others ended up being shot at 1/60. There’s almost no noise even at this high ISO.

I am not generally a fan of shooting in RAW because I do not like having to convert images. Yet on another shoot I did set the camera to capture in RAW and JPEG. The camera still operated fast enough, although I was not always able to chimp immediately to view images on the LCD after some bursts. Of course, it took only 60 shots to fill up a 1GB CompactFlash card. Thank goodness 4GB cards are affordable nowadays!

As I discussed in the January “Digital Photography” column, a 10x20-ft. print made from a cropped image I took on the 5D was displayed at the SEMA Show. That image vividly indicated how the quality obtained by the 5D is about as good as that obtained by a medium-format camera.

Generally, I do not conduct comprehensive comparison tests between cameras and lenses. It’s very time consuming and requires a good set of lenses and cameras always at the ready; however, to satisfy my curiosity, I did some quick tests comparing the 5D with my 10D using three Canon lenses and a Tamron lens. What amazed me was how little difference there is in quality between the three L lenses and the much cheaper Tamron lens. I also had trouble finding any serious flaws in the corners of the wide-angle lenses on the 5D.

Furthermore, when I zoomed in on the screen with images captured on the 5D and 10D, there was little difference between the two when using the same lens at the same settings (much as there would be no difference if one took a cropped center section of an image captured on 120 film and compared it with the same image taken on the same type of 35mm film). This is not so surprising since the pixel pitch for the 10D is actually finer, with 135 pixels per mm compared to 121 for the 5D. Obviously though, when you zoom in on an image of the same overall field of view, the 5D begins to excel.

All in all I was tremendously impressed with the 5D. If you still hanker after the feel of a film camera, or indeed still use a 35mm film camera, you’ll immediately feel at home with the 5D. For example, you’ll get the same shallow depth of field at any given focal length. Also if you’ve been eyeing the 1D but don’t like its heft or cannot justify its expense, the 5D is a great alternative—as long as you don’t need the speed and/or rugged build of the 1D.

If, on the other hand, you’ve gotten used to the crop factor of other digital SLRs, which works so well with telephoto lenses, it might be worth waiting to see what the specs are on the upcoming replacement for the 20D. Judging by the natural progression of image quality, I bet it will be pretty darn close in quality to the 5D and will presumably cost considerably less.

Further Information: EOS-5D
Canon USA Inc.
One Canon Plaza
Lake Success, NY 11042
(800) 652-2666
www.usa.canon.com