Canon 5D: First Impressions
Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4

Focus

The focusing system in the 5D is obviously an upgrade from the 20D. The new "hidden" focus points around the center point are supposed to help the camera better track action. I couldn't really test this functionality, but I did notice that focusing performance of the center sensor seems better than on my 20D. Focusing was a tad more decisive and snappy.

The other eight focus points seem to be of about the same sensitivity as on the 20D—not as sensitive as the center by far, but still useful in many situations. My chief complaint with these points is that they are the same physical distance from the center point as on the 20D. This means that the cluster of focusing points occupies a much smaller percentage of the full-frame image.

The place where this raised itself as an issue is when I wanted to use the far right or left focus points and focus without recomposing. Since the points are that much closer to the center, I found myself still playing the focus-and-recompose dance—and therefore just leaning on the center point. Focus and recompose is a technique that I'm comfortable with in normal circumstances, but one that is problematic for me when working at f/2.8 with long lenses. The plane of focus is so thin in these conditions that recomposing can often move the camera about enough to move the plane of sharpest focus off the desired area.

I still pine for the 45-point focus system on my trusty EOS-3 film camera that covered a large portion of the viewable area. An improved version of this system is, of course, available on the 1D and 1Ds series of cameras, but the full-frame 1Ds Mark II is more than twice as expensive as the 5D. Hopefully, in future Canon Digital SLRs, a much better autofocus system will move into the 5D level price-point for full-frame Digital SLRs.

Other Impressions

Obviously, in the low light conditions of the conference, the noise characteristics of the 5D and the full-frame sensor size were the two features of the camera I most appreciated. Along the way, however, I made several other observations:

• The larger review screen is a definite upgrade over the 20D. A nice side effect is that the text of the menus is also larger now and easier to read at a glance. At first, I wasn't happy that the text size was bigger, but after using it a while, I came to like it.
• The slightly larger size of the 5D means that the BG-E2 battery grip that the 20D used doesn't work on the 5D. I've become very reliant on having the battery grip for ease of portrait shooting, so having to buy a new battery grip is a drag. Still, I can't wait for the BG-E4 to become available.
• The large viewfinder is a joy to use—especially in contrast to the chopped-down view in the 20D. However, I still pine for the great bright viewfinder in my film-based EOS-3.
• Some may bemoan the lack of an onboard flash. I'm fine with it. If I want to use a flash, I'll use my external flash. It provides much better performance than any built-in flash could deliver.
• I have no idea what the Direct Print button is all about. I mean, I know what it does, but I don't consider the ability to print from my camera a feature. As far as I'm concerned, images from a Digital SLR aren't done until they are properly processed in Photoshop or a similar application.
• Battery life is shorter than on the 20D. Most likely, this is because of the larger sensor. However, two batteries got me through most days. And those were days where I filled up 2GB CF cards several times over.

Above all else, however, is the impression that this camera marks a watershed moment in the evolution of the Digital SLR. I've been working with Digital SLRs since I bought one of the first Canon EOS D30s in 2000. And each generation has brought multiple improvements. Having a full-frame sensor, however, at this price point—roughly the same as the original D30—means that the last compromise in moving from film to digital is now no more.

Final Thoughts

In just the short amount of time I've used this camera, I've just barely started to come to terms with what it can do. In the rest of the photos I took at the Web 2.0 conference (you can check out the Flickr photostream to see more images taken with the 5D), I found that even after taking a few-thousand frames, I was still learning the best way to dial it in to get the images I wanted. But every day brings more awareness of what is possible with this camera—as well as a continuing re-education of how my lens collection behaves when using a full frame of view.

There is really only one major glaring issue with the camera: the focusing system. It really deserves the 45-point autofocus sensor capabilities of the EOS-3 camera. The other nits I have, such as the questionable inclusion of a direct-to-print button, really do become nits when you look at the final resulting images. And, after all, it's about what the final images look like, isn't it?

The other point that should be made is that, at $3,299, this isn't a cheap camera. Not by a long shot. But, if you are really serious about photography, you shouldn't let the price stop you. Just think about the amount that you used to spend in a year processing film and/or slides and factor that into your purchase calculation. As well, Moore's Law is in effect here. Five years ago, the 3 megapixel D30 came out at a price not much less than the current 5D. Now, you can buy a Digital Rebel XT, which bests the capabilities of the D30 by a long shot for less than a $1,000. The price-to-performance ratio over the next five years should be interesting indeed to watch. Even if you don't move to a full-frame 5D now because of cost considerations, the next few years should bring the functionality down to a price point that will tempt you.

One thing is for sure. This camera is, without a doubt, the most fun-to-use and capable image-creation device I have ever had the joy of owning. I can't wait to get back out in the field and use it some more.

James Duncan Davidson is a freelance author, software developer, and consultant focusing on Mac OS X, Java, XML, and open source technologies. He currently resides in San Francisco, California.

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