|
| |
Please help support us with the purchase of
cameras and accessories,
at their lowest prices, by clicking on the Amazon ads. You pay
NO EXTRA, yet we
get a small commission.
Thanks, Valerie Seewald
11.'08
Canon
EOS 5D MkII Press Release /
21.1-megapixel full frame
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., September 17, 2008 –
Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the
EOS 5D Mark II Digital
SLR camera, the long-awaited successor to Canon’s
highly popular EOS 5D, introduced in 2005. Building
upon the qualities that made the EOS 5D camera so
successful, Canon has coupled the creative power of a full-frame
CMOS sensor in a relatively compact and affordable
camera body, together with groundbreaking HD video capture that opens the door
to a much wider range of imaging possibilities for photographers. Along with the
ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920×1080 resolution, Canon’s
EOS 5D Mark II Digital
SLR camera features a 21.1-megapixel full frame
24×36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4
imaging processor and significantly lower noise, with an expanded sensitivity
range from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600.
"The anticipation
surrounding the launch of this camera model has exceeded our greatest
expectations, and we believe our loyal customers will be awed by the level of
innovation and features built into the new EOS 5D Mark
II Digital SLR. Once they
have the chance to experience the camera, we believe they will agree that it was
worth the wait," stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general
manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.
Among the many advancements in Canon’s new EOS 5D Mark
II camera is the Company’s proprietary DIGIC 4 Imaging
Processor that powers the camera’s fast 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion for
smooth color tones and exceptional gradation. The Canon EOS
5D Mark II Digital SLR
offers a full-frame 24×36mm, 21.1 megapixel CMOS
sensor and continuous shooting at 3.9 frames per second (fps) for an unlimited
number of full-resolution JPEGs to the capacity of the
memory card or up to 14 RAW images in a single burst
when using a UDMA CF card. The camera includes a
15-point Autofocus (AF) sensor with nine selectable AF points plus six
additional Assist AF points (three center AF points sensitive to f/2.8 lenses)
with enhanced light source detection and AF micro adjustment for greater
autofocus performance. The EOS 5D Mark II camera also
features a large, clear 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen
with 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, four times the pixel count of the
EOS 5D camera’s 2.5-inch screen, for enhanced clarity
and color when viewing images. The new camera is equipped with a
high-performance, high-magnification optical viewfinder providing 98 percent
coverage, giving a new dimension to the saying, "what you see is what you get."
Professional photographers will also appreciate the enhanced 150,000-cycle
shutter durability of the EOS 5D Mark II camera.
Canon, the first company to introduce a full-frame
digital camera, has improved the EOS 5D Mark
II Digital SLR camera’s
newly developed full-frame CMOS image sensor.
Utilizing proprietary Canon technology, the Company has reduced noise and
expanded the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor up to
ISO 25600, which is three full stops higher than the
ISO 3200 limit of the original EOS
5D camera. Although the individual pixel dimensions of the
EOS 5D Mark II camera are the same as the
21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor used in the
EOS-1Ds Mark III digital
SLR, the new sensor incorporates an improved output
amplifier and a more advanced color filter that improves light transmission
while retaining excellent color reproduction. By applying the same kind of
advancements in sensor design and image processing technology as the recently
introduced EOS 50D camera, but at
higher resolution and with larger pixels, the EOS 5D
Mark II achieves the highest level of image quality of any
EOS Digital SLR released to
date.
With the combination of its improved CMOS image sensor
and the powerful new DIGIC 4 image processor, the
Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera provides
ISO speeds from ISO 100 up
to ISO 6400 in 1/3-stop increments, along with two
high-speed settings – H1 and H2 - of
ISO 12800 and ISO 25600,
respectively, as well as a low-speed setting of ISO 50.
The full-frame sensor maximizes the performance of Canon EF lenses, the world’s
largest selection of autofocus lenses.
HD and SD Video Capture
Canon has taken its expertise in imaging, photography and video capture
technology to a new level with the EOS 5D Mark
II Digital SLR. Answering
the question of where SLR technology is going next,
the EOS 5D Mark II features 16:9 Full HD video capture
at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps as well as 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video
capture at 640×480 pixels and 30 fps, both capabilities appearing for the first
time in a Canon SLR camera. Video capture is part of
the camera’s Live View function, using the Picture Style that has been set for
Live View still image shooting. This allows skilled photographers and
cinematographers to adjust image sharpness, contrast, color saturation and white
balance, and have those settings apply to the movie image. When recording video,
the camera’s rear LCD screen can be letter-boxed by a
semi-transparent border to match the aspect ratio of the movie recording size.
Moreover, the EOS 5D Mark II camera’s HD video
capability enables new levels of creative expression through its unfettered
access to the complete line of more than 60 Canon EF lenses, which provide an
incredible variety of visual effects including everything from ultra-wide-angle
and fish-eye to macro and super-telephoto, including many large-aperture
L-series professional lenses that can keep the main subject in razor-sharp focus
while blurring the background beyond recognition.
The EOS 5D Mark II will record video up to 4GB per
clip or a maximum continuous movie capture time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds,
whichever comes first. Depending on the level of detail in the scene, a 4GB
memory card can record approximately 12 minutes of video at full HD resolution
or approximately 24 minutes in standard definition.i Video clips are
recorded in .MOV format using an MPEG-4 video
compression and sound is recorded using linear PCMii
without compression. The new camera features an input terminal for external
stereo microphones as well as a built-in monaural microphone for convenience. To
help show off those fantastic movies as well as still photos, the
EOS 5D Mark II camera includes an
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp,
clear images on a High-Definition TV.
Live View Shooting
For both still images and video, the Canon EOS 5D Mark
II camera features Live View, one of the most sought after features in digital
SLRs today. The 5D Mark II features three Live View AF modes – Quick, Live and
Face Detection Live mode – for capturing either still photos or video, each with
its own attributes. Quick mode automatically sets One-Shot AF using the camera’s
phase detection AF system. It also allows users to select the AF point, even
while the Live View image is displayed. Although the camera’s reflex mirror must
be lowered briefly to take an AF measurement in Quick mode, it is the fastest
way to set focus automatically when the 5D Mark II camera is set for Live View.
Live mode uses contrast-detection AF with the image sensor and here, as with
Quick mode, users can change the AF point using the Multi-controller. Face
Detection Live mode uses contrast AF to recognize human faces. When multiple
faces are detected, the largest face closest to the center of the frame is
targeted as the AF point. While Live View is engaged users can still change
settings including the AF mode (Quick, Live, Face Detection Live mode), drive
mode, ISO speed, Picture style, White Balance, and
more.
Peripheral Illumination Correction
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Digital SLR camera automatically conducts peripheral
illumination correction when shooting JPEG images, a
function that previously could only be accomplished through post-image
processing using software such as Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, which
Canon supplies at no extra charge. Peripheral illumination correction evens
brightness across the image field, making an image of a blue sky even toned
throughout and reducing light fall-off at image edges. This new feature
essentially eliminates one of the limitations of previous full-frame digital
SLRs.
Auto Lighting Optimizer
Canon’s enhanced Auto Lighting Optimizer technology helps ensure each picture’s
subject is clearly visible by analyzing image brightness and automatically
adjusting dark areas in images so that they appear brighter. This function is
ideal in high-contrast situations such as urban landscapes captured on sunny
days, where the tops of buildings are brightly lit while street level details
are obscured by heavy shadows. In this type of scene, the 5D Mark II camera’s
Auto Lighting Optimizer technology preserves accurate exposure of the highlights
while opening up the shadow areas for a more pleasing tonal rendition.
Canon’s New Creative Auto Mode
Recently introduced with the new EOS 50D, Canon’s "CA"
Creative Full Auto setting can also be found on the EOS 5D
Mark II Digital SLR
camera’s mode dial. This setting allows users to make image adjustments such as
aperture or shutter speed through an easy-to-understand navigation screen on the
camera’s LCD menu, allowing them to "blur the
background" or "lighten or darken the image." These easy-to-understand image
options allow photographers to experiment with image options while still
shooting in an automatic mode.
Two Small RAW Formats
For photographers seeking the flexibility and creative possibilities of shooting
RAW format images, without the large file size, the
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital
SLR camera offers two more manageable file size
options with sRAW1 and sRAW2 recording formats. At the sRAW1 setting, resolution
is 10.0-megapixels with a file size that is approximately 25 percent smaller
than a standard 21.1-megapixel RAW image. With the
sRAW2 setting, resolution is 5.2 megapixels at less than half the file size of a
standard RAW image, retaining all of the flexibility
and creative possibilities associated with full-size, conventional
RAW images. Wedding and portrait photographers, in
particular, will appreciate the options of variable resolution and file size
which allow them to fine-tune the 5D Mark II’s operation for their specific
needs.
Silent Shooting in Live View
Canon has equipped the EOS 5D Mark II with two Silent
Shooting modes in Live View which will prove particularly helpful to law
enforcement officials, and for behind-the-scenes shooting on movie sets. In Mode
1, the camera will shoot with the mechanical shutter open at the beginning of
the exposure, using the electronic 1st-curtain function of the
CMOS sensor and a reduced shutter-cocking noise,
allowing multiple shots to be taken with minimal noise. In Mode 2, to minimize
shutter noise during single frame photography, shutter cocking does not occur
until the shutter button returns to the half-way position after shooting.
EOS Integrated Cleaning System
With the introduction of the EOS 5D Mark II camera,
the entire Canon EOS system is now equipped with the
highly acclaimed EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The
Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II
has been upgraded with a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust
resistance.
Pricing and
Availability
The Canon
EOS 5D Mark II Digital
SLR camera is compatible with Canon EF lenses and is
scheduled for delivery by the end of November. The EOS 5D
Mark II will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail
price of $2,699. It will additionally be offered in a kit version
with Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4L IS
USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $3,499.
New EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM Lens
The new EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens is the successor to
Canon’s EF 24mm f/1.4L USM professional wide-angle
lens released in 1997. Targeting professional photographers, the new EF 24mm
f/1.4L II USM lens has been introduced to address the
advancements high-resolution digital SLR cameras with
re-designed optics and use of a new anti-reflection lens coating called
SWC (Sub-Wavelength Structure Coating) to minimize
ghosting and flare. Features such as dustproof and waterproof construction that
have been adopted make this a high-performance lens with specifications that
respond to the demands of professional users. A welcome complement to the
EOS 5D Mark II Digital
SLR camera, the EF 24mm f/1.4L II
USM lens is scheduled to be in stores this December at an estimated
retail price of $1,699.
upload 12.11.08
|
