Canon 5D Mark II - Got One? Want One?

planetMitch

Maestro wrote:

Are you people serious? You are nitpicking this much? Good gawd!!!

i agree 400% (lol!)

rwells

Maestro wrote:

Are you people serious? You are nitpicking this much? Good gawd!!!

Andy is the one who blew it up 400%. It's visible at 100%.

But, I don't have a dog in this hunt. If you guys/gals don't want to know if a new camera has issues or not, so be it.

One of the reasons to upgrade to the 5DMkll is to get away from added artifacts in the image (Ex: noise at higher ISO), if your OK with a new added artifact in the image , well... OK

W.W. Webster

If this is indeed a problem, an upcoming firmware update will fix it, I expect.

Manfr3d

W.W. Webster wrote:

If this is indeed a problem, an upcoming firmware update will fix it, I expect.

Unless it's a hardware issue ...

Shima

So after reading on the POTN forums that select Best Buys are actually carrying 5D Mark II's... I did a search on their website and learned that the Chicago store on North Avenue has 2 in stock... and now one of them is behind the customer service desk with my name on it. Gotta run, going to drive out there (even though it's about an hours drive) and get it! Sorry Tallyn's... but I'm impatient and want it for my upcoming shoots next weekend and the following!!

(I feel bad having to call Tallyn's if this works out, the folks there have been very nice!)

W.W. Webster

Are you out still there Andy?

Putting aside this potenial black spot issue, what's your assessment of the performance of the 5D MkII, particularly IQ, in the time you've been using it?

Andy

W.W. Webster wrote:

Are you out still there Andy?

Putting aside this potenial black spot issue, what's your assessment of the performance of the 5D MkII, particularly IQ, in the time you've been using it?

Just look at those files, Ross, eh? Amazing quality. Count me as VERY impressed at the image quality.

W.W. Webster

Thanks Andy - I thought as much. I've been exceedingly good this year and was thinking I might put it on a list to be left in a conspicuous location if it measured up ....

DulaMug

My 5DMK2 has been shipped
Andy, You do great work. Please help me prepare for my 5DMK2. What accessories will I need? UDMA card? UDMA reader? etc?

Thanks,
Bill

Andy

DulaMug wrote:

Andy, You do great work. Please help me prepare for my 5DMK2. What accessories will I need? UDMA card? UDMA reader? etc?

Thanks,
Bill

Thanks very much! Fast CF and reader will help immensely, but are not requirements. I use Sandisk Extreme IV cards and the fast Sandisk reader - really helps after shoot to get the files off fast! Lexar UDMAs work fine as well.

DulaMug

Thanks,
Will the Sandisk Extreme IV handle the video?

Bill

Andy

Black spots
This is the middle section of the nightshot I posted in Post #1 of this thread. This is unprocessed, just grabbed from the raw file.

W.W. Webster

There's just no doubt about IQ on that evidence! Any other observations (handling, features, etc) to share at this stage?

Andy

W.W. Webster wrote:

There's just no doubt about IQ on that evidence! Any other observations (handling, features, etc) to share at this stage?

Canon improves. The menus are better, the navigation. The MyMenu thing. The rest is like an old friend, if you've used a 5D, or 40D, etc, you'll be familiar and happy. In hand, feels nicely balanced. Battery life seems really long - if you shoot vids and use that live view, you'll chew up battery though, so plan on carrying 2 a night if that's your goal.

Andy

DulaMug wrote:

Thanks,
Will the Sandisk Extreme IV handle the video?

Bill

Yes Bill

W.W. Webster

Andy wrote:

Canon improves.

Thanks!

jogle

It's been posted in a few places that you don't need a beefy card for video, something like a midrange Sandisk Ultra2 will handle it.

timnosenzo

Andy wrote:

Canon improves. The menus are better, the navigation. The MyMenu thing. The rest is like an old friend, if you've used a 5D, or 40D, etc, you'll be familiar and happy. In hand, feels nicely balanced. Battery life seems really long - if you shoot vids and use that live view, you'll chew up battery though, so plan on carrying 2 a night if that's your goal.

My thoughts exactly, Andy. It's just like my old 5D that I adored, just better.

c-line

Andy wrote:

here's one of the 22 frames that make up this shot - caution, large file!.

Canon's Black Spots?
and here is a 100% crop of all those twinkly lights, for those of you that wanna see black spots?

Andy -- don't mean to be a killjoy but I looked at the file you linked to above -- the one of the 22 frames -- and here is what I see at 100%. Black dots are all over the place -- it's horrible. BTW -- I do not think of viewing an image at 100% as "pixel-peeping".

Shima

I have my 5D now....yay! Though I sadly created the first test photos in RAW at a friends house before driving home from Chicago (where I drove JUST to go buy one, lol) and so now I must figure out how to convert them... or just wait for the battery to finish charging so I can do new test shots in JPG....

PS - full frame is sexy, lol. I understand what they talked about in a previous post now

Vanquiz

Shima wrote:

I have my 5D now....yay! Though I sadly created the first test photos in RAW at a friends house before driving home from Chicago (where I drove JUST to go buy one, lol) and so now I must figure out how to convert them... or just wait for the battery to finish charging so I can do new test shots in JPG....

PS - full frame is sexy, lol. I understand what they talked about in a previous post now

Shima, Congratz Did you cancel your Tallyns' order?

dlplumer

c-line wrote:

Andy -- don't mean to be a killjoy but I looked at the file you linked to above -- the one of the 22 frames -- and here is what I see at 100%. Black dots are all over the place -- it's horrible. BTW -- I do not think of viewing an image at 100% as "pixel-peeping".

Excuse me, but those are NOT black dots. If you zoom in on them, you can clearly see that they are the canisters that are holding the lights.

c-line

dlplumer wrote:

Excuse me, but those are NOT black dots. If you zoom in on them, you can clearly see that they are the canisters that are holding the lights.

Well then I guess I'm not a killjoy. Nevermind

Vanquiz

Regarding the famous black dots, I just read on dpreview, it can be eliminated for now by turning off Highlight Tone Priority, Noise Reductions, and Lighting Optimizer, which they're not sure yet which one is the exact culprit.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=30276248

Hope that you guys that already have 5D II in hand, and having black dots on your images can try this out, and give us some more confirmation.

System

c-line wrote:

Well then I guess I'm not a killjoy. Nevermind

Those do look like black dots to me. Sorry, they're definitely not lamp-housings, etc. On the other hand, I didn't see any in the bridge crop and yeah - we're measurebating here. Besides, as already pointed out the issue can be avoided.

Andy, I'm surprised you haven't sent your MkII in for IR conversion yet You still do a lot of IR work these days?

Andy

c-line wrote:

Andy -- don't mean to be a killjoy but I looked at the file you linked to above -- the one of the 22 frames -- and here is what I see at 100%. Black dots are all over the place -- it's horrible. BTW -- I do not think of viewing an image at 100% as "pixel-peeping".

Tell you what - I'll let you know after it's hanging in my studio, eh?

Oy vey

Andy

sash wrote:

Those do look like black dots to me. Sorry, they're definitely not lamp-housings, etc. On the other hand, I didn't see any in the bridge crop and yeah - we're measurebating here. Besides, as already pointed out the issue can be avoided.

Andy, I'm surprised you haven't sent your MkII in for IR conversion yet You still do a lot of IR work these days?

Sascha my good friend!

No, not converting it - yet, anyhow - I have a Canon G10 converions, 28mm wide, shoots raw, and IR fulltime

System

Hey, long time no see! How you doing?

I shouldn't have mentioned IR, lol. Just picked up a G10 last week for casual stuff and now you've set the gears in motion. The thought of having the G10 modded never crossed my mind... until now

Sweet panos, btw!

Manfr3d

Someone found a fix with in camera settings: http://www.photographybay.com/2008/12/08/canon-5d-mark-ii-black-dots-fixed/

planetMitch

Manfr3d wrote:

Someone found a fix with in camera settings: http://www.photographybay.com/2008/12/08/canon-5d-mark-ii-black-dots-fixed/

Just so everyone knows, the link you posted is just a restating of the DPreview thread that was posted here earlier - it is the same solution and not something different.