Full review posted for Canon EOS-5D
By
Dave Etchells
(Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 16:05 EDT)
In the "it's about time" category, we're happy to announce that we've finally posted our full-length review for the Canon EOS-5D full-frame d-SLR.
Having knocked upwards of $4,000 off the cost of entry to full-frame 35mm digital shooting, the Canon 5D is currently a hot model, or at least one that many people are seriously evaluating. We found it to be a very capable camera, with excellent resolution straight from the camera, good color, and excellent noise characteristics. (It also does exceptionally well at very long, multi-minute exposures, with its optional noise reduction enabled.)
Whether it fits your needs or not will depend a lot on what you do, where you're coming from, and what your budget is like. While its full-frame sensor permits true wide angle shooting with 35mm lenses, the availability of Canon's own 10-22mm EF-S ultrawide zoom lets cameras like the EOS-30D shoot just as wide, and at a considerably lower cost. The Canon 5D's full-frame sensor also imposes severe quality requirements on the lenses you shoot with, and the least softness in the corners with anything other than real premium L-glass will be quickly shown off in all its glory.
So, while an EOS-5D body will save you quite a bit relative to the cost of a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, you still need to plan on spending the big bucks for premium glass. - Meaning that the cost of lenses will quickly eclipse that of the body.
All this isn't by any means to say that there's anything wrong with the Canon 5D itself: If you want and need the full-frame capability, it's a phenomenal camera that delivers amazing photos. It's just that we suspect that a sub-frame camera like the EOS-30D or Nikon D200 will better match the needs of more shooters.
Read our full Canon EOS-5D review for all the details!
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