Combining the High-End Specs of the EOS-1 Line and the Ease of the EOS 20D Model, The New Canon EOS 5D Camera Is a Premium DSLR for Under US$3,300
Press Release
Photographers who have yearned for a full-frame digital SLR that won’t
break the bank-or their backs-just got their wish with the new compact
Canon EOS 5D digital SLR, which offers a full-frame CMOS sensor with
12.8 megapixels of resolution, available in October for an estimated
selling price of US$3,299*. As the world’s smallest and lightest**
full-frame digital SLR, the EOS 5D model features Canon’s proprietary
DIGIC II Image Processor, which allows users to shoot up to 3 frames
per second and record up to 60 full-resolution JPEGs and 17 RAW images
in a single burst. The camera includes a new 9-point AF system with six
supplemental AF points for fast and precise focusing and a new 2.5″
LCD/TFT screen with 230,000 pixels that’s viewable even at extreme
angles.
“The Canon EOS 5D digital SLR is the camera that will make
quality-minded 35mm and medium format film shooters switch to digital
once and for all,” said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and
general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a
subsidiary of Canon Inc. “Wedding and portrait photographers who need
facial detail in their group shots require the large file sizes the EOS
5D model can provide. For landscape and nature photographers who want
to enjoy the entire range of their wide angle lenses, the EOS 5D DSLR’s
full-frame sensor is a dream come true. And for those photographers who
hesitate at carrying around EOS-1 Series heft, they will love the EOS
5D digital SLR’s lightweight feel almost as much as their
accountants-or spouses-will love the price.”
A Premium DSLR with Outstanding Image Quality
Combining the high-end specifications of the EOS-1 Line and the
operational ease of the EOS 20D model, the new Canon EOS 5D digital SLR
is a premium digital SLR designed for a wide range of photographers.
While a 35mm full-size image sensor is already available on the
groundbreaking Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II camera, many photographers have
been asking for a DSLR with a full-frame sensor that is smaller,
lighter and more affordable. Enter the Canon EOS 5D digital SLR.
Boasting a 12.8 megapixel, 35mm full-size image sensor in a magnesium
alloy body weighing just 28.6 ounces (810 grams), the EOS 5D digital
SLR is a petite but powerful imaging machine. Perhaps best of all, the
EOS 5D model is a great value at $3,299 for the complete Power Kit with
a full software package including the new Digital Photo Professional
v2.0.
The heart of the Canon EOS 5D digital SLR is its extraordinary new,
Canon-designed and -manufactured CMOS image sensor. At 12.8 megapixels,
there is enough resolution for a double-page spread in a magazine, a
large print of the bride and groom, facial detail in group shots or a
landscape of impressive dimensions. The sensor’s 35.8 x 23.9mm size
means that each pixel can be a generous 8.2mm, resulting in
exceptionally low shadow noise. The sensor’s low power consumption
extends battery life and lowers noise. A finer CMOS production process
and optimized photodiode construction increase the light-sensitive area
of each pixel and improve dynamic range as well.
The full-size sensor maximizes the performance of Canon EF lenses, the
world’s largest selection of autofocus lenses. With the full-size
sensor, EF lenses-even wide-angle lenses-have the same look and feel
they have with conventional SLR cameras, preserving their optical
signatures. Imaging quality in the EOS 5D is enhanced with the addition
of the DIGIC II image processor, which provides detailed and natural
color reproduction and fast image processing, including an incredible
burst performance of 60 Large/Fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images at 3 fps.
DIGIC II also enhances start-up time on the EOS 5D DSLR, bringing it
down to a lightning fast 0.2 seconds.
Picture Styles for Better Pictures
In the analog era, photographers would select the brand of film that
suited their own shooting style or the subject being photographed. In
the digital era, they have to rely on the image quality features and
settings provided by the camera manufacturer. Some users, though, have
experienced confusion about what effects these settings would have on
the image. To provide better clarification, a new feature called
Picture Styles combines processing parameters and color matrix settings
into easy settings designed to obtain the desired effect, almost like
choosing a type of film to obtain a specific result.
For users who do not want to bother with post processing, there is the
Picture Style called Standard that produces images that look crisp and
vivid with the sharpness set to mid-scale and the color tone and
saturation set to obtain vivid colors. In the Portrait setting, the
color tone and saturation are set to obtain nice skin tones with the
sharpness set one step weaker than the Standard setting so the skin and
hair look softer. Under the Landscape setting, the color tone and
saturation are set to obtain deep blues and greens, the sharpness is
set one step stronger than Standard so the outline of mountains, trees,
and buildings look crisper. The Neutral setting is the same as the
default setting for EOS-1 series cameras where natural color
reproduction is obtained and no sharpness is applied. This is the ideal
setting for post-processing. The Faithful setting is the same as
Digital Photo Professional’s Faithful, so when the subject is
photographed under a color temperature of 5200K, the color is adjusted
colorimetrically to match the subject’s color with no sharpness
applied. Monochrome is the same as the EOS 20D camera’s monochrome
setting and with User Defined, the user can create and save their own
preferred settings.
Sophisticated New Autofocus System
The Canon EOS 5D digital SLR has a new nine point AF system with six
Supplemental AF points, a new AF algorithm and a new AF circuitry. The
new AF system improves subject detection and focusing precision at the
center, the most frequently used area, and significantly enhances
subject tracking performance.
On the EOS 5D model, the nine AF points are concentrated at the center,
but the extreme left and right points are located in the same positions
as the corresponding AF points on the EOS-1Ds Mark II. In addition, the
six invisible Supplemental AF points, grouped around the center of the
image, provide highly accurate focusing and do a great job of tracking
the subject in the AI SERVO AF mode. In addition, three AF points on
the new EOS 5D model work with f/2.8 or faster lenses for enhanced
precision.
Highly Durable New High-Speed Shutter
The EOS 5D digital SLR has a newly developed, high-speed and highly
durable shutter unit that was designed to meet the demanding
requirements of a full-frame sensor in a relatively compact body. The
shutter is a vertical travel, focal plane type with two parallelogram
link curtains. Each curtain has four blades, three made from KN Mylar
and one from Duralumin, to create a professional-level shutter with a
durability rated at 100,000 shots
.
Premium Design and Construction
The EOS 5D digital SLR has a solid, substantial and organic feel along
with its compact dimensions and relatively light weight. With the top,
front and rear covers and battery grip made from light and highly
dur
able magnesium alloy, this new model is truly a premium camera. The
EOS 5D model also has an improved grip and mode dial, a modified
terminal cap share and clearer rear controls.
The pentaprism has an all-new shape necessitated by the full-frame
sensor and all associated components such as the mirror, mirror box and
shutter. Thanks to Canon design and manufacturing know-how along with
having the low-pass filter integrated with the CMOS cover glass, the
EOS 5D digital SLR is unusually streamlined for a camera with a
full-frame sensor.
The camera body consists of a stainless steel chassis and a mirror box
made of high-strength engineering plastic. Since the grip and front
cover are one piece, body rigidity on the EOS 5D DSLR is excellent. The
exterior surface is a high-density black satin finish with a leathery
touch that feels smooth in the hands. The three grip surfaces are
covered with rubber and the electroplated “EOS 5D” badge and recessed
and painted Canon logo give a quality appearance to the camera.
High Performance LCD Monitor
The EOS 5D model has a 2.5″ polysilicon TFT LCD monitor with
approximately 230,000 pixels. At 170 degrees, it has an exceptionally
wide viewing angle. In contrast, picture brightness on older LCD
screens was often lost if viewed from even a slight angle, so
oftentimes image review involved a lot of guesswork. The new LCD on the
EOS 5D model, however, maintains the same brightness from almost any
viewing angle. Brightness on the monitor is also adjustable in five
levels and the screen’s backlight feature uses six LED modules, as
opposed to three on previous models, to help illuminate the 2.5″ LCD
evenly. Along with the larger monitor, the menu text is also larger and
easier to read. The full-featured INFO screen includes files sizes, RGB
histogram and AF frame displays. In addition, Quick Review images are
now enlargeable.
New Automatic and Intelligent Noise Reduction Function
Because noise is difficult to see on a camera’s LCD monitor, even one
as large and detailed as the EOS 5D camera, it is hard to know whether
noise reduction should be turned on or not. Thanks to a new automatic
noise reduction feature on the EOS 5D DSLR, getting rid of unwanted
noise has been made even easier than with previous models. In the
C.Fn-02-1 setting, automatic noise reduction occurs when noise is
detected for exposures of 1 second or longer, regardless of ISO. In the
C.Fn-02.2 setting, full-time noise reduction for exposures of 1 second
of longer occurs regardless of whether noise is detected and regardless
of ISO. With these two options, photographers using the Canon EOS 5D
DSLR can adjust the camera’s noise reduction capabilities to suit a
particular situation.
Other High-End Features
The EOS 5D DSLR has a bevy of other high-end features including the
same ISO range as the 1Ds Mark II-ISO 100-1600 in 1/3-step increments
and ISO speed extended at L:50, H:3200. Also included on the camera is
ultra-precise white balance with nine types of white balance settings,
white balance bracketing (blue-amber and magenta-green, even on RAW and
RAW+JPEG shots) and white balance correction. Other features include
enhanced 35-zone exposure metering; spot metering in approximately 3.5
percent of the viewfinder area; six selectable JPEG recording modes
including RAW and simultaneous RAW+JPEG; a large bright viewfinder with
three interchangeable focusing screens; new flexible and convenient
folder creation and selection; and more advanced PictBridge functions.
Australian
recommended retail pricing of Canon’s whole range of DSLRs is shown
below:
- EOS-1Ds Mark II Body: $13,999.00
- EOS-1D Mark II N Body: $6,999.00
- EOS 5D Body: $5,495.00
- EOS 20D Body: $2,399.00
- EOS 350D w/ EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II lens: $1,799.00
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and
industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune’s
Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek
list of “Top 100 Brands.” Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a
top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in
2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information,
visit www.usa.canon.com.
About Canon Australia
Canon Australia is a leading provider of advanced, simple-to-use
imaging solutions for businesses and consumers. Canon’s Australian
R&D company, CISRA, develops customised solutions for local
customers, and exports digital imaging technologies for use in Canon
products worldwide. Canon has ranked among the top-three US patent
recipients for the past 13 years, and had global revenues of $US33.3
billion in 2004. Canon Australia also operates Canon Finance Australia,
which offers one-stop shopping for customers wanting leasing or finance
services. For more information, visit canon.com.au.