EOS 5D

Canon broke new ground two years ago when it released the first digital SLR for less than £1,000. Since then prices have tumbled, but sadly the same can’t be said for the more professional end of the market, where full-frame sensors represent the Holy Grail of digital imaging – until now, that is.

Canon’s brand new EOS 5D delivers a full-frame 35mm digital sensor for a street price that’s only a whisker over £2,000. That may sound like a lot of cash, but this is the digital equivalent of a medium-format camera that will turn out beautiful images with stunning tonal gradation, and it’s far cheaper than the only other full-frame SLR by at least £2,000. But it’s important to understand why an affordable SLR with a full-frame sensor is big news.

Most digital SLR cameras use sensors that cover about the same area as a frame of APS film, which is little more than half the area of a frame of 35mm film. Producing a camera with a sensor that’s larger than APS is an expensive process. Larger sensors are much more difficult to make, and that pushes their price up enormously.

Unusually, Canon makes its own camera sensors and has been developing CMOS technology as opposed to the more common CCD types. CMOS chips can produce better and more consistent results, especially at low light levels. The difference between the two technologies isn’t that important to most photographers, but the difference in size is. Larger sensors accommodate more megapixels and gather more light. This means more resolution and a much better recording of the difference between smaller changes in light levels. Another benefit is the reduced depthof- field that a larger sensor offers, which means it’s easier to produce shots with blurred backgrounds.

The absence of a multiplier effect is also a bonus. Smaller sensors only register the centre part of the image being focused by a lens, meaning a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera becomes more like a 42mm lens when stuck on a digital SLR with an APS-size sensor. This takes a bit of getting used to, and means that photographers with film lenses often need to invest in a new set of lenses in order to get wider-angle images. With a full-frame sensor there is no multiplier effect – a 28mm lens is still a 28mm lens when attached to a 5D. Photographers shifting from film to digital will find this reassuring.

Unbeatable results
The EOS 5D is no sylph-like SLR. This is a big camera and it needs a big lens, so it’s best used in a studio or on location in a fairly controlled environment. You certainly won’t want to drag it around on holiday.

In terms of image quality, the difference between the 5D and its competitors with smaller sensors is awesome. Examine an image from the 5D and you’ll be bowled over by the level of detail in the highlights and the shadows. This is the ideal camera for a cover shot – it can stand extensive cropping and yet still turn out stunningly crisp images.

Even when shooting at ISO 1,600 the photos produced by the 5D are unbeatable. Shadow detail and noise levels are breathtaking. When it comes to metering, the camera is spookily accurate. The average metering algorithm can handle everything you throw at it – sometimes too well. But that’s not a problem because there are centre-weighted and spot metering modes for trickier situations where you may deliberately want to produce a hard silhouette effect.

Equally impressive is the EOS 5D’s astonishing level of colour fidelity. With the white balance set to Auto, it’s a safe bet that most scenes will be recorded with excellent colour. Of course, there are fine-tuned presets and you can store your own white balance settings for things such as studio flash or one of Canon’s dedicated flash units.

Choose your lenses
For all its imaging pedigree and clever technology, the EOS 5D still remains a relatively simple and well laid out camera to use. It certainly won’t be restricted to professional photographers. Canon has done a great job of simplifying the control interface and de-cluttering the button count by having them carry double functions.

As you’d expect, the EOS 5D isn’t sold with a lens kit. And with such a superbly sensitive sensor you’re going to have to choose your lens with some care. Anticipating this situation, Canon has launched a new 24- 105mm USM IS L-series lens. It’s a beast and will set you back around £800, so that’s another cost to factor into the buying decision. You can, of course, use any Canon EF-series lens on this camera, but bear in mind that lenses designed for film cameras aren’t always optically compatible with digital SLRs. Some film lenses will produce vignetting at the corners of an image and colour fringing, too.

Taking these caveats into account, there is little doubt that the EOS 5D is a new milestone in SLR technology. It delivers state-of-the-art photography at something approaching a feasible consumer price. If you want stunningly detailed, professional results from your photo shoots, this is definitely the camera for you.