Canon cameras have been quite popular with photographers around the world. Whether it was the film era, the DSLR era, or now, the mirrorless era, the company has launched some truly spectacular devices over the years. However, there is only one camera that is so great that it continues to be loved by many. Yes, it is a DSLR, but even today, it’s worth every dime: the Canon 5D Mk II. So, why did we choose this over others in the 5D series? Let’s have a look.
The Canon 5D Mk II was launched in 2008, a few years after the original 5D. The camera features a 21.1MP full-frame CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 processor. It also has an ISO up to 25,600 and a burst rate of 3.9fps, and it is the first Canon DSLR to offer full HD videos at 30fps. While it may not seem much, these specifications were quite powerful in the day. In addition, you also get a 3-inch 920k-dot LCD, a battery that can shoot 850 shots.
While the camera was used long before The Phoblographer was founded, our editor-in-chief, Chris Gampat, owned and used it on multiple occasions and continues to swear by it. One reason is that you get much better skin texture than the other cameras today, thanks to the lower resolution of the lenses. The optical viewfinder is quite great if your eyes are up to the tast, and the autofocus is spot on as long as the contacts of the lens and camera are maintained. The latter was a result of the center focus point, something many photographers have forgotten. In addition, the RAW files from the cameras were actually good, and the camera retained details in the shadows. In fact, people who shoot genres like wedding photography will also like the camera, since it can do a lot.
Like the autofocus and simplicity, what made images from the Canon 5D Mk II so great was the color science. The camera could shoot at higher ISO, so you get good, grainy images that look like scenes from a movie. Like we said in our test, “As you can see from the test, the Canon 5D Mk II is the clear winner with the cleanest ISO readings at 2500. Canon 21MP sensor and DIGIC IV processor does an excellent job—which only harkens back to the fact that even three years after it was announced it is still a force to be reckoned with.” In addition, in bright light, the camera produced nice images with a good light meter, which, when post-processed, looked surreal. In fact, we are of the belief that Canon never was able to recreate the colors of the 5D Mk II again in any of their cameras. While there were the 5D Mk III and IV, they did not have the same kind of presence as the Mk II.
If you are planning to purchase your first camera, do give the 5D Mk II a chance. It does cost a bit more, but you will continue to love the images you get. Isn’t that great, considering the state of the market?