Canon EOS 5D Mk II - some speculation
Posted on June 14, 2007 by Mark
So here’s there deal: I’m thinking about getting an EOS 5D, but am worried the moment I get it, it’s going to be replaced by a ‘Mark 2′ version - the EOD 5D Mk II.
In the past there has been a lot of speculation about an EOS 3D being released. I’m not so convinced about this now: Canon take their time between introducing new models, and if you think back to film days, the EOS 3 was introduced in 1998, six years after the fantastic EOS 5 (called the EOS A2E in the US).
I know in the digital world things move a lot faster, but I don’t think there is any need for Canon to introduce a 3D just yet; they’ve got pretty much every portion of the market covered well (although the entry level market is perhaps a bit thin when you compare it to Nikon…).
With that in mind, I think the most likely thing for Canon to do is to introduce a Mark II version of the EOS 5D - the EOS 5D Mk II. I’ve been thinking about getting an EOS 5D since last Autumn. Back then, I was pretty sure that Canon were going to replace the 5D — probably in the Spring of 2007. After all, the camera was released in October 2005 and Nikon had stepped up the competition quite significantly with the introduction of some very respectable bodies. The EOS 5D replacement didn’t come, and the longer I left off the purchase, the more worried I was about the replacement coming and outdating my new kit.
But then I got thinking a bit more: what you have with the 5D is a fantastic camera. I have a 20D at the moment, and have long been after a full frame sensor. The 5D gives me this (including the fantastically large viewfinder), plus more resolution, plus lots of other nice-to-haves. It is also available now for about £1550 (GBP) - about £1000 cheaper than it’s launch price. If a 5D Mk II comes along, what are going to be the differences? Perhaps the most significant one to me is cost! The replacement camera will probably cost about £2500 again (slightly less than the original EOS 5D list price), so what can we expect for that extra money?
I think we can can look at the latest DSLR to come from Canon - the EOS 1D Mk III - to get some ideas about what we may get in the EOS 5D Mk II. Perhaps the most likely is an increase in sensor sensitivity - going up to ISO 6400. The noise levels in the 1D Mk III are incredibly low too, so perhaps the 5D Mk II will see this too. Others have mentioned weather proofing might appear on the camera, but I don’t believe this. We didn’t see this in the film EOS 3, so I don’t see why we would see this here. It would also really damage the 1D market too — something that would be crazy to do in my opinion.
Anything else? I’m sure we’ll see a larger LCD on the back, and perhaps a live preview, but I could easily live without those features. It’s interesting that Canon haven’t introduced a DSLR with eye-controlled focusing yet. The film EOS 5 was the first camera with this feature, and it would be rather fitting for the EOS 5D Mk II to get this too. I tried it on my old film EOS 5, but it never really worked well enough for me to rely on it. I’m sure the technology has improved since then, so this might be a nice gimmick to bring back!
To conclude, I think the EOS 5D Mk II is going to see an improved sensor, and not a lot else. After all, there isn’t a great deal they can do to improve on the 5D - it’s already a fantastic bit of kit! With all this in mind, I’ve decided to get one myself now — and I’ll be getting it this weekend if I can find anywhere with one in stock!
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28 Responses to “Canon EOS 5D Mk II - some speculation”
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Hi
I agree with you!
Some other new features to the 5D will probably be the dust-cleaning sensor of the 400d, since many people claim the 5D gets a lot of dust and due to it’s large sensor size, it is dificult to clean the borders…
That’s a good point Luis - I didn’t think about the sensor cleaning. As you say, that’s a likely addition to the 5D Mark II too.
I’m also waiting for a 5D replacement since last year. Not in a hurry though so Canon can take all their time if they want. I would love to see it with weather-proof sealing as well as dust cleaning. Those are the two criticisms that it mostly got. I will be surprised if Canon ignored it.
Oh, and don’t forget DIGIC III processing.
I really don’t think they’re going to add the weather proof sealing as this has always been exclusive to the EOS 1 series of bodies.
Even in the film days the EOS 5 (which I had) and the EOS 3 were both polycarbonate bodies, and they didn’t have weather sealing. If they added weather sealing to the EOS 5D Mark II then that would seriously damage the EOS 1D market IMHO.
Dust cleaning would be a great feature, as would the DIGIC III processor - both of which I shuold think we will see in the MkII (unless we’re on to DIGIC IV by then
)
To be fair, even if they announced it in august (which is the current rumour) it would not be possible to get hold of one until October at the earliest. I guess the only reason to wait would be that the 5D price would probably drop a couple of hundred quid. But then again you wouldn’t have had the use of the camera for a couple of months!
Yep, that’s exactly right Chas, which is why I decided to get an EOS 5D last weekend!
Well, weather-proofing it would be out of the question at this point.
While we have this discussion, perhaps they should think about a DSLR camera as compact as the 5D, but with the seals in place for truly on-the-go photographers who want to pack light. But I digress.
Weather sealing is appearing in a lot of competitors releases the Pentax K10D for example and Samsung 10mp DSLRs with Weather Seal all for under £500 double it for Dollers..
I talked with a rep from Canon: A 5D replacement is coming! Look for it to drop around Sept./Oct. Wait until then to see the prices drop for the old 5D and the new one will be priced competitively.
It will have the DIGIC III, little more MP, a self-cleaning sensor, faster frame rate, with possible more AF points, and no weather-proofing.
If someone from Canon are reading this blog, please extend exposure compensation in the 5Dn to +4-4 stops and improve the standard focusing screen for better manual focusing. Also build in a vertical release button in the body. Life is too short for battery grips. If the size of the camera body could be reduced to 30D size. It would also be nice with focus confirmation and improved metering for non-cpu lenses, but ofcourse Canon don´t care for me using my old Leica R lenses, however they could sell quite a few 5Dn bodies to all of the photographers who don´t need autofocus, and have great manual Contax, Leica or Nikon lenses lying around which they can´t get a full frame body for. And why not make original Canon converters e.g. with rapid stop-down function and focus confirmation for Y/C, R and F bayonets? If I were the sales director at Canon I might as well have that added profit, since somebody else will be making and selling these converters anyway. For the people who like to shoot tethered, please add a FW800 interface with a dedicated 5 metre, heavy-duty cable which locks in the camera in an industrial strength cable shoe.
As a CPS member and i constantly in touch with canon reps the reps are not aware of any replacements any thoughts on replacements are mearly speculation so far there is no truth in it, an instance of how little reps get to find out is release of the 400D which was only realeased by name to the reps 1 day before it was realesed to the general public
So Lee, I pretty much predicted everything this rep told you. Hopefully your right. So the announcement should come in August no? Price wise Canadian, hopefully inst too much. What do you think? are they bumping the LCD up to 3″?
I have to say I think it is unlikly that any Canon representative will spill the beans about a replacement this early on - it’s just not worth their job! If they’ve told you anything, it’s probably just rumour in the first place…
i, too, want a full-size sensor. the reason i haven’t replaced my 10d with a 5d is that, according to reviews, the 5d lcd cannot be seen in bright daylight. we’re not talking about direct sunlight. a bright overcast day washes out the 5d lcd. the 30d does not have this problem. if canon puts a 30d lcd on the 5d successor, they’ve got a buyer here.
Well David, I’ve got a 5D and although the LCD is perhaps not perfect, I don’t have any issues using it. I just got back from Marrakech in Morocco and it was pretty bright there I have to say. Still, that didn’t seem to cause me issues. I tend to use the histogram though, and this is probably easier to see than an image…
Interesting news about the 5d mk II. But what I really wonder about is an increase in dynamic range. I currently own a 1ds-mk II and would seriously consider dumping it if they increased the DR on the 5dII…
Improvements I would like to see in a 5D mark 2:
Live view
Higher resolution (15+ MP?)
Easier access to Mirror Lock-up (pigs might fly)
Better LCD - current model shows images that always look overexposed on-screen but aren’t
Something similar to Nikon’s virtual horizon
Having just announced the 40D and 1Ds mk III I think there’ll be a while before anything new is announced. Hope I’m wrong though!
I’d like to see AF calibration like on the 1DIII/1DsIII and Nikon D3/D300. I think this is essential for narrow DOF lenses like the 85mm f1.2. I’ve read so much about AF calibration errors and have also had problems with this myself.
Saturday, a canon rep was giving brochures at Leicester’s Jessops, who were also running a studio course. I told the guy I was waiting for the 5D’s replacement, and he said it was before Xmas. But that was a very junior sales rep. So how can i interpret that?
I think all you can do is sit back and wait for an official announcement.
As has been said before, this is very sensitive information and Canon are unlikely to tell sales reps anything that could damage the sales of existing stock.
Get a 5D now while they’re at such a great price!
14 bit analog-to-digital conversion! If it isn’t included it should be. Tonal range is the biggest weakness of digital photography compared to film. With such low noise levels on their CMOS sensors, Canon has lots of room here. And there is a great deal of discussion that Canon may actually be able to displace the medium-format digital market by offering 35mm sensors of comparable quality for a small fraction the price. This would be an amazing marketing coup, and I think Canon will go for it.
Calumet (www.calumetphoto.com) has announced a price drop tonight on the Canon EOS 5D.
Based on my experiences, that’s a sure sign that a replacement model is going to be out soon. I would say within 1-3 months on the shelf.
That price drop is already increasing higher.
I would expect the new 5D Mark III (because of digic III) in March 2008. And of course it will have digic 3 and the even amazing low noise will lead to a fantastic one at 6400. I would not wonder when it will have 16 Mio, full weather protection and an even better AF. We just got the 40D, that offers some of those features at less than the half price.
I think that the 5D replacement is coming in February of 2008 (logically looking at release dates of previous DLSRs). I tink it will be Full-Frame at 14.4 Mega Pixels with Digic III. Sensor Cleaning and Weather Sealing (I wish the latter one materializes) The name: probably a 7D or 5D II. Price, somewhere around $2799
Canon Australia have just announced a major 5D promotion in which they are giving away a free M80 storage device with every body or body and 24-105 kit sold until the end of may. Sounds like a run out sale to me!
The M80 is worth $1000 dollars as well so either they are dumping the m80 or replacing the 5d and want to move old stock.
Being a quality junkie, i would like them to make a camera with the mk111 sensor, totaly stripped down, m & Av only good af for a real price, a lot of photographers don’t want a nasa computer camera, just full frame 15m+ pix and light.