Canon EOS 5D Mark II

The Canon EOS-5D Mark II is a solid upgrade to its predecessor, and a great choice for Canon users looking to step up to a full-frame body. The Mark II has a whopping 21.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor (which isn't without a few issues), great build quality, full manual controls, HD movie recording, and more accessories than you could possibly afford. There aren't a lot of negatives, but they're all important ones. Images straight out of the camera are quite soft, though your choice of lens has at least some role in that. You'll also find some detail smudging from noise reduction at low ISOs in some photos, proving that compact cameras aren't the only one with this problem. While the Mark II's HD movie mode is very cool, the lack of continuous autofocus makes recording a challenge. Finally, the 5D lags behind its two main competitors -- the Nikon D700 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 -- in terms of battery life and continuous shooting performance. Despite those issues, the 5D Mark II is still a heck of a camera, and one that is easy to recommend. Read full review ...

UPDATE: retested with firmware 1.1.0. Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II is a powerful and feature-packed DSLR that represents a significant upgrade over the original 5D, and a tough rival in the growing ‘affordable’ full-frame market. We’re becoming used to seeing new models released every 18 or even 12 months, with often gradual improvements, but a lot has changed in the three years since the EOS 5D was launched. The new EOS 5D Mark II may share essentially the same body and AF system as its... Read full review ...