Canon 5D Mk II captures Copenhagen
Posted on March 19th, 2009
A few months back I wrote my first impressions having just upgraded from Canon 5D Mk I to Mk II. Winter and non-stop grey overcast weather (and mood) has meant I have only shot a few hundred images since then but I still feel I have enough clicks to write my second impressions of this fantastic camera.
Wednesday the weather in Copenhagen cooperated and produced some fantastic light and clouds. As the sun was setting I created this image of the lovely clouds:
Copenhagen Finger Clouds at Sunset
© Flemming Bo Jensen Photography
Now; with the sun gone and human vision starting to struggle this is where the 5DMk2 shines! It can see in the dark! Well, so can all cameras, it’s a matter of exposure, but the 5D does it so well at such high quality that it really is a view into another universe! This is a 15 second exposure with just a bit of dusk light remaining. I could hardly see this but the 5D can, switch to live view on the gorgeous 3” screen and you have night vision! Here’s Copenhagen After Dark:
Copenhagen After Dark Cloudscape
© Flemming Bo Jensen Photography
Second impressions
- Upgrade from old 5D was definitely worth it! The old 5D was top but this is even more top! (for all you ‘The Castle’ fans out there!)
- Camera still behaving very nicely, not a single problem. Upcoming trips to Africa and Australia will test it, Luminous Landscape article (25% 5DMk2 failures in Antarctica) has me slightly worried so the old 5D is joining me!
- The 14-bit 21 megapixel RAW files continue to amaze. They are truly gorgeous and I love having single shots at this size, more more, I want more pixels (at the same quality of course)!
- Live view and live histogram is proving incredibly useful, much more than I would have thought. I didn’t think I would use it much but it as a great way of previewing your shot, exposure, aperture, white balance before shooting. It is great for shooting stitched panoramas and it is very helpful with exposure and focus at night. It eats battery power though; I won’t be using it in a desert where I can’t recharge.
- I am still used to the top button layout of the 5D Mk I, keep pressing the wrong buttons!
- One thing I would want to change. With the old 5D you could use the wheel on the back of the camera to change aperture in A mode. Here; you have to use the thumb wheel exclusively. I keep changing exposure compensation when I really wish to change the aperture.
- Battery life is improved greatly over the old 5D and is impressive. Which is a very good thing since a 5D Mk extra battery is simply impossible to find anywhere presently. Sold out worldwide! So I am going to Africa with 1 battery and definitely bringing the old 5D as backup.
- Thanks Canon for making the cover for the remote cable release plug easier to remove. May seem a small thing but I had a continuing battle with this rubber cover on the old 5D
- The HD video results is mindboggling, can’t get over how good the files look (even if my video skills are beyond crap). Can’t get over how big the files get! My PC can’t even play the 1920×1080 files without skipping here and there. To see some outstanding 5DMk2 videos, check out Michael Fletcher and his latest videos.
- Automatic sensor cleaning. Well…I am cloning out dust spots! It may still work to a certain degree of course; I may have had many more dust spots without it. We shall see how it deals with the sand of Africa and Australia!
- And…5D Mk II can actually see in the dark! Quite a feat!
Many more images and impressions to come as I take the 5D Mk II on the road!
Wow Flemming I love the second shot, much more drama than the first as the movement of the clouds and the soft water make it a great shot. Nice work.
Thanks Casey, I agree and forgot to write it in my post. First shot is just a standard sunset, nice colours and clouds but not much drama. Second shot is the magicical one the dramatic one!
Nice shots Flemming ! very smooth work indeed. I like the second shot better with it's tones and longer exposure…
Cheers Tony. As I replied to Casey, number 2 is the dramatic winner!
Hey Flemming ….I picked up my mk2 a couple of weeks ago and haven't really given it a big run yet only a couple of weddings ( see my blog ).
My first impressions are of course the detail in the shots is great. I'm not "blown away " by the 3in screen as I've had a 40d with 3in screen for a while now , this screen is better but I don't get off on it.
I've found the sensor cleaner is ok maybe , it's on the 40d as well but I still clean the sensor myself often.
I like the fact that the info is on the live view screen as this is not on the 40d live view screen and that is a bit of a pain at times.
Like the 40d the mk2 live view kills battery life pretty quick. By the way I bought a spare battery here in Perth last week, plenty in stock.
The controls are all placed much the same as the 40d so no trouble there the overall feel of the camera is very good a bit heavier and chunkier and I like the sound of the shutter ( small things…)
The only thing with this camera I find a problem , if you could call it a problem, is that you can fill a 4gig card in no time, looks like an investment in a couple of 16gig cards is coming up.
Overall a great camera I love it. Is it the best , well time will tell.
PS I wouldn't worry about taking it into the desert climate one bit, that's not as extreme as going to Antarctica, dry beats moisture every time.
. I've got a inverter that I take bush with me so charging battery's is no problem. Plugs into the cig lighter or direct to the battery and runs pretty well anything.
Cheers
Hi Merv, thanks for your comments, interesting to hear the comparison to a 40D
You can get Mk2 batteries in Perth? Might have to get someone in Perth to buy me one, does the shop ship internationally? Not a single US or European dealer has any in stock, I've had people in Bangkok looking for those batteries with no luck. Perth to the rescue!
Cool pics Flemming. Have to echo what's already been said about the second shot being the 'winner'
It has quite a central composition, which seems okay… not sure how it could have been avoided :S
I love The Castle! It's a great film… Seems like we might enjoy the same kind of movies… haha
Thanks heaps Beau. The 'central' composition is by design, I could have cropped the bottom and lowered the horizon but wanted a symmetrical composition to enhance the mirror effect.
The Castle is sooooo funny. "It's the culture. There's just culture everywhere!". I can't sit in a car without singing "we're going to Bonnie Doon"
btw check out: http://www.bonniedoon.net
great pics and post Flemming, I agree with everything you said. Mervs inverter sounds good, where do you get one of those mate? But unlike Merv the live view sends me wild!!!
Thanks Christian! I'm with ya on the live view, pretty exciting
I love the second on mate!
Very very good image
only problem is mr. horizon man…. the far left building is not even close to vertically align!
Other wise great stuff!
Cheers Dylan! My super powers work on horizons remember? Horizontal, not vertical! I would need Mr. Vertical man to straighten the buildings
Great work Flemming.
Love the after dark shot, very crisp.
I'm already cloning dust out, very stubborn dust, need to get the sensor cleaned, it arrived dirty as.
File sizes suck, plus the files eat up all my RAM, so will have to upgrade.
Thanks very much Thomas! As for file sizes I guess we can't complain as we want all those lovely pixels. But it sure doesn't make Lightroom go any faster!
Nice shots flemming ,
Would have to agree with every thing you said there . Going from the 400D to MKII really noticed the huge imporovment and fell in love the camera straight away .
Deffinatly the second image for me as well
love how the old buildings over there have the golden look to them at sunset etc .
Thanks Kirk! Yeah the nice warm yellow walls can really go gold at sunset!
I love the 5D Mk II over my 1ds Mk II. I too have the problem with the HD video playing native from the card on my Mac Book Pro. I use MPEG streamclip and convert them to Quicktime with the AIC codes. Plays fine then.
Hi Matt, thanks for the tip on MPEG streamclip – will look into that.
am i the only one in the world without a Mark II??
such a lonely, lonely world it is… lol.
i do really like both here. my eye keeps going back to the top image though.
that's probably due to the colour in the sky-you know, anything bright, colourful, shiny, makes noise… tends to get my attention. haha.
i'm going to be boring and not offer a favorite in my eyes sorry. both great
Hehe Stephen, you must join our club soon mate
I am happy that you can't decide. Must mean they're both so gorgeous decision is impossible haha (yeah right).
Flemming,
Awesome website! Just found it and will keep an eye on your posts
I live in Sydney and bought a 5d Mkii a couple of weeks ago. We have just returned from a week in the Outback and have since stitched a few panoramics together. Love the new camera and got almost 1,000 shots from the battery. I managed to get (seemingly) the last spare battery in Sydney before I left but didn't require it in the end.
Hi Aaron, thanks for your comments and welcome to my blog ! Glad you like my work! Congrats on the 5D Mk II and hey you could sell that extra battery for a fortune at the moment
I am amazed as well by the battery performance, I too got more than 1,000 shots per charge.
Hi guys,
I need to buy a canon 5 D in danemark. Any suggestions where I can get good prices (with website addresses where possible)?
Hi and thanks for your comment! You can check the prices here: http://www.edbpriser.dk/Products/listprices.asp?I… – but your main problem will be finding a dealer that has any in stock!!!!