Best landscape lenses for Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 5D Mark II is Canon’s full frame digital SLR with HD video capture. As a full frame camera, Canon 5D Mark II has great image quality, especially at high ISO settings such as ISO 1600 above. Canon 5D Mark II has a much wider angle of view than APS-C DSLRs. As a result, Canon 5D Mark II is the preferred camera for landscape photography.
The best lenses for landscape are lenses with superb optical quality and image stabilization: landscape photography requires small aperture to achieve a large DOF (Depth of Field) and image stabilization allows to take sharp photos at much slower shutter speeds.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 USM is a very sharp lens. It is one of the most useful lenses on Canon 5D Mark II for landscape photography.
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM is a very sharp lens too and it is relative light and affordable.
The best telephone lens for Canon 5D Mark II is Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS USM. This is one of the sharpest lenses available with four-stop image stabilization. It is relative light and easy to carry.
A cheap version without IS Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L is also available.
For overview of best Canon lenses, read here.
Canon 7D and Canon 5D MarkII comparsions
Canon 7D, the Canon’s new class of APS-C digital SLR for serious photographers, features a new 18 megapixel CMOS sensor and HD movie capture. Canon 5D MarkII , the only full frame digital SLR with 1080p movie capture, features a 21.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Which one is for you?
As a full frame camera, Canon 5D Mark II has better image quality, especially at high ISO settings such as ISO 1600 above. Canon 5D Mark II has a much wide angle of view and shallow depth of field. As a result, Canon 5D Mark II is the preferred camera body for wedding, portrait and landscape photography.
Canon 7D utilizes the new 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors in center at f/2.8 and f/5.6. Canon 7D also has a much higher continuous shooting speed of 8 frames per second vs 3.9 fps with Canon 5D MarkII. Therefore, Canon 7D is the preferred digital SLR for sports photography.
As an APS-C digital SLR with 1.6 crop factor, Canon 7D has a longer reach than Canon 5D MarkII when using the same lens. Canon 7D is a better body for wild life photography especially bird photography.
For Canon 5D Mark II reviews, manual, best lenses and essential accessories read here.
Best Canon digital SLR for wedding photography-Canon 5D mark II and lenses
Wedding photography involves a lot of portraits, group portraits under low light conditions. For these kind of shoots, the full frame digital SLRs can offer higher image quality and wider angle of view. The recent released Canon 5D Mark II (read 5D Mark II reviews here) is a great choice and it is one of the most affordable full frame digital SLRs around. The Canon 5D Mark II – best lenses and accessories have been discussed previously. But for wedding photography, more lenses are required:
The most useful lenses are:
Wide angle lens Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
Standard lenses: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 LUSM or Canon 24-105mm f/4 IS USM. Some people prefer Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM for the larger aperture, some people like Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM for its IS.
Telephoto lens: there is no argument here, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is the one to choose.
If you prefer prime lenses, a good kits will be
In addition, you need a back up camera body just in case some is wrong with the 5D mark II. Canon 40D or even Canon XSi or Canon T1i will be fine. The lenses are the most important.
Canon 5D Mark II is available at B&H for immediate shipping
Canon 5D Mark II is available at B&H now for immediate shipping. This camera has been constantly running out of supply as a result of the high demand. So if you want to buy, order it quickly before it is sold out again.
To buy, order from B&H for $2699.95 with free shipping
For the best lenses and accessories of 5D Mark II, read here.
Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 50D comparison
Canon 5D Mark II is the successor of the Canon’s highly popular full frame digital SLR EOS 5D. Canon 5D Mark II features a 21.1-megapixel full frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 imaging processor and significantly lower noise, with an expanded sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600. 5D Mark II offers 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.
EOS 50D has a 15.1-megapixel CMOS APS-C size image sensor with expand sensitivity up to ISO 12800. The faster processing speed of the camera’s DIGIC 4 image processor contributes to the fast 6.3 frame-per-second (fps) continuous shooting capability (for bursts of up to 90 Large/Fine JPEGs or 16 RAW images on a UDMA CF card).
As a full frame Camera with a large sensor, Canon 5D Mark II has better image quality with lower noise than APS-C camera Canon 50D. 5D Mark II also has a much wider angle of view than 50D. On the other hand, Canon 50 has a much higher shooting speed (6.3 fps) than Canon 5D Mark II (3.9 fps)
For sports photography, it will be better to buy Canon 50D for the higher shooting speed of 6.3 fps. For portrait photography, and especially low light portraits such as indoor wedding photography, Canon 5D Mark II will be the one to get for its low noise and shallow depth of field.
Which Camera has the best video recording: Canon 5D Mark II, Nikon D90 or Canon 500D /T1i?
Canon just announced the new entry level digital SLR Canon EOS 500D / Canon digital Rebel T1i with 1080p HD video capture. Together with Nikon D90 and Canon 5D Mark II, there are now three digital SLRs with the HD video recording function. Which one has the best video mode?
Canon 5D Mark II has the best video mode with two movie modes: a HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) mode at 30 frames per second which can record ca 12 min and a SD mode (640 x 480) at 30 frames per second which can record ca 24 min. The built-in internal microphone captures only mono audio. But you can use an external microphone to plug in the socket on the side to record stereo sound.
For a Canon 5D Mark II video sample and Nikon D90 video sample,
However, Canon 5D Mark II is very expensive at $2699 and beyond the price range of most of consumers. Canon 500D / Rebel T1i and Nikon D90 are sub $1000 digital SLRs with HD video function.
Canon 500D / T1i, which will be available in May, has three video modes: a 16:9 720p HD video capture at 30 fps, a Full HD 1080p video capture at 20 fps, and a third option to record 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps. You can adjust image sharpness, contrast, color saturation and white balance and apply these settings to video capture. EOS Rebel T1i camera will record video up to 4GB per clip equaling approximately 12 minutes of Full HD video, 18 minutes of 720p HD video, or 24 minutes of SD video.
For a video sample of Canon 500D / Rebel T1i, watch here.
For more sample photos and videos of Canon 500D / Rebel T1i
Nikon D90, being the first digital SLR to record video, has very limited video recording. HD video recording on Nikon D90 has only 1280 /720 (720p) at 24 fps. There is a 5 min limit. The SD video mode on Nikon is also not as good as Canon T1i, 640x 424 at 24 fps with a 20 min limit. There is one more movie mode: 320 x 216 at 24 fps, not very useful, apparently.
Never the less, Nikon D90 is a great camera with higher shooting speed (4.5fps) than Canon T1i (3.4fps). In addition, Nikon D90 has better building quality and better AF. For reviews, best lens, accessories, tutorial DVD, and free videos on Nikon D90 read here.
Which one is you? If you prefer a high quality camera with top video mode, the full frame camera Canon 5D Mark II is the one for you. Full frames cameras have better image quality and a wider angle of view than small sensor cameras.
If you have Nikon lenses, go for Nikon D90. However, if you are looking for your first digital SLR, Canon T1i 500D might be a better choice for the HD video, and most important, availability of a wide range of lenses at more affordable prices comparing with Nikon lenses. For the comparison of Nikon and Canon digital SLRs, read here.
Sign up here on amazon to be notified when Canon T1i becomes available.
Canon 5D Mark II reviews, manual, best lenses and essential accessories
Canon 5D Mark II is the upgrade of the popular full frame Camera Canon 5D. Canon 5D Mark II is the only full frame digital SLR with 1080p HD video recording function. The key features of Canon 5D Mark II is as follows:
- 21.1 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion (16,384 colors/each of 3 primary color), wide range ISO setting of 100-6400 (expandable L: 50, H1: 12800 and H2: 25600)
- HD Video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution for up to 4GB per clip with HDMI output for HD viewing of stills and video.
- DIGIC 4 Image Processor for faster processing of fine detail and color reproduction as well as reduced image noise.
- 3.9 fps continuous shooting, new shutter with a durability of 150,000 cycles and improved weather-resistant body.
- 3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) monitor with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coatings for improved viewing and smudge protection.
- Updated EOS Integrated Cleaning System
Canon 5D Mark II manual and software can be found here.
It received great reviews on dpreview, popphoto. To help the folks who want to buy Canon 5D mark II, the following is a list of best lenses, essential accessories: The best place to buy Canon 5D Mark II: for US residents is amazon ($2699 free shipping), for international buyers, B&H $2699 free shipping.
Best lenses for Canon 5D mark II:
Best walk around lenses:
Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 L USM is one of the best walk around lenses available. It is very sharp with top building quality. This lens focuses quite and very fast, with full time manual focus. Canon 24-70mm is also weather sealed. However, this lens does not have IS, which makes it not so great at low light conditions such as in door.
This is why I prefer Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM for small sensor Canon DSLRs.
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM is the kit lens of Canon 5D Mark II. It is one of the most popular and best walk around lenses for both small sensor and full frame Canon digital SLRs. The lens has very quite and fast focus with full time manual focus. Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS features a 3-stop image stabilization. This makes it a great travel lens which is especially handy when no tripod is available. The only downsides are pronounced barrel distortions and higher than expected CAs at the wide-end of the zoom range.
Best telephoto lens:
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is one of the most useful lenses and it is also a good portrait lens, sports lens, and walk around lens as well. It is a must-have for Canon 5D Mark II owners. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM features excellent image quality, fast and quite focus, top building quality, large aperture, and 3-stop image stabilization.
A new Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM will be available in Feb 2010. The new Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM features one fluorite and five UD elements for increased optical quality and reduced chromatic aberration. It has a minimum focusing distance of 1.2m/3.9 ft. at all zoom settings. The most significant improvement over the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is the 4 stops of image stabilization instead of three.
Best portrait lenses:
Canon 85mm f/1.2 L II USM
Canon EF 135 mm f/2L USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Alert: 5D Mark II firmware 1.1.0 available to download. This update enables the manual control when shooting video.
Related posts:
Canon 5D Mark II essential accessories
- Canon battery grip BG-E6
- The best price on the the battery $80 at MacMall
- Digital SLR bags: many people like the photo backpack: Canon Deluxe photo backpack 200EG.
If you like a compact bag, Lowpro Rezo 170AW is an excellent one.
- Filters: circular polarizer is one of the most useful filters read here. For best polarizer filters, read here. For UV filters and where to buy, read here.
- CF cards: You need at least two memory cards with at least 8G each in case one is fail. The recommend brands are lexar, SanDisk or Kingston.
- External flash: Canon 580EX II
- Tripod: Gitzo GT-1541T Traveler 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs ($519 from B&H) with a good ball head: such as Kirk BH-1 ($355 from B&H).
- Remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5, Remote Controller RC-1, Remote Controller RC-5
- Software: Adobe photoshop lightroom 2.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II reviews
Dpreview just posted the in-depth review of Canon 5D Mark II:
This camera has 1080p 30fps video recording which is second to none. The video function is usable in low light conditions with very good quality. The high ISO performance is almost as good as Nikon D700/D3. The major problem with this camera is the average auto white balance and especially the slow continuous shooting speed.
Review from Imaging resource:
…being a camera that can deliver high quality over a wide range of lighting conditions and different ISO settings is what makes the Canon 5D Mark II such a compelling choice, and a clear Dave’s Picks.
Review from popphoto:
And the vast amount of detail that goes along with 21.1MP, as well as the sophisticated image processing served up by its new DIGIC 4 engine, cannot be understated — it’s a wow! The low-light image quality is almost life-changing.
But the 5D Mark II’s old-fashioned AF system can’t keep up with the cutting-edge imaging power. Nor is the 3.9-fps burst rate state-of-the-art.
Related Posts:
Canon 5D Mark II, best lenses and essential accessories
Canon EOS 5D Mark II preview and comparison with Nikon D700
Firmware updated to fix the problems with Canon EOS 5D Mark II
It was reported earlier that some users of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera (with firmware version 1.0.6) have the following image quality problems:
- “Black dot” phenomenon (the right side of point light sources becomes black)
- Vertical banding noise
Firmware version 1.0.7. is now available to address these problems. It is available for downloading from the following Web site:
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos5dmk2/firmware.html
When updating to firmware version 1.0.7, please also update the Digital Photo Professional and Picture Style Editor software. For details, please read the Firmware Q&A section on the firmware download page.
Should you upgrade to Canon 5D Mark II? What you need to know
Alert:
Canon offers $200 mail-in rebate on digital SLR purchase
If you have Canon EOS rebel or Canon 20D, 30D or 40D, and consider to upgrade to Canon 50D Mark II, Please read:
- Canon 5D Mark II has very high ISO 6400 with expandable up to H1 12800, H2, 25600. It is very good for night photography.
- Canon 5D Mark II has a continuous shooting speed of 3.9 fps which is considerable slower than Canon 40D (6.5 fps).
- The listing price of Canon 5D Mark II is $2699 and it seems very expensive than Canon 40D ($840 at amazon). However, you can save the cost ($800) of HD camcorder since Canon 5D Mark II can record HD video. Since the full frame digital SLR would provide better image quality and wide angle of view, you can save on the expensive wide angle lenses.
- The best lenses for Canon 40D or Canon XSi may not be the best lenses for Canon 5D Mark II. The EF-S lenses such as Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM will not fit on Canon 5D Mark II. The best walk around lenses for Canon 5D Mark II are Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, You might find 200mm is not long enough without the 1.6x factor on Canon 40D and Canon XSi. Therefore, a Canon EF 1.4X II extender is recommended.