Hands-on with the Canon EOS 5D and HDV High Definition XL H1
posted Sep 16th 2005 1:25PM
Canon was showing off their new 12.8 megapixel
EOS 5D DSLR they've garnered so much hubbub
about lately, as well as their HDV High Definition XL H1
they announced this week. We're a long way from high school photo class, but if you want the nightmarishly brief
rundown, the 5D had real heft, the screen was fantastic, and shooting was fast and simple (well, that's a relative
term, of course). It's a little bit of coin for a still camera at about $3,300, though, so we're sure you'll be a good
educated consumer and go peep one for yourself before running out and buying one on our word alone.
The HDV High Definition XL H1 was definitely an advanced piece of plastic—certainly not anything you'd want to risk
getting jumped for by taking it to your kid's soccer game (unless you're the type who brings a film crew around with
you wherever you go). If you're feeling this thing you've probably already got a really good reason why (shooting a
feature-length documentary, perhaps?), but for the record, Canon's director of marketing sounded like they really did
want to do 1080p, but they couldn't hack sourcing the CCD components necessary. Click on for a gallery of live shots of
the two devices.
sweet
What does lens does the $3300 5D kit come with?
Holy crap that's a wicked looking camera!
It doesn't come with a lens--there's no "kit" with the 5D. Kit lenses are POSs anyway--with this high-resolution, full frame sensor, you don't want anything but the best glass in front of it.
I ever read other canon eos, but it with 14 mp !, that true ??
5D looks awesome. My new one.
Any hints at a release date, Engadget? I can't wait.
#2: not true. MOST low end kits have crap lenses. The 20d has a kit version with a superb lens for 2600-3000$
Actually only the Canon basic kit lens is flimsy. Thd D70/D70s ships with a $300 Nikkor lens that is pretty damn good.
The 18-55 EF-S kit is only worth a 100 bucks, so for that amount you pretty much get what you pay for. It's really not as bad as everyone claims it is though, nothing that stopping down and photoshop couldn't cure.
is anyone else disappointed at the fact that this $10k video camera doesn't have support for 24p? i mean c'mon!
any deets on the 5d lens pictured?
"It's really not as bad as everyone claims it is though, nothing that stopping down and photoshop couldn't cure."
It's not NEARLY as bad as some people claim. I've done my own tests with it that come very close in sharpness to Canon's own 50mm 1.4, which is one of the best 50mm prime lenses in the business.
The problem is most of the people who buy kit lenses are people who don't know how to use a camera. By nature, if you buy a kit, you probably don't have any lenses to start with, meaning this is likely the first SLR a lot of these people have ever owned. So they go out and shoot without knowing what they're doing, they get crap results, they read online that the kit lens is crap (from other people who have gone through the same thing before them), and they naturally think that must be their problem too. But the real issue is that they just suck as photographers, to the point where they can't even keep their subjects in focus. Many of these people eventually just decide that SLR photography is not for them.
But yeah, it would be kind of ridiculous to stick a $100 lens in a $3300 "kit" for the 5D. Higher-end cameras rarely come in factory kits because the assumption is these are not cameras for beginners and purchasers will already have their own lenses. If not, it's unlikely they will want to be using a $100 18-55 lens, they will probably be splurging a bit on some more specialized glass; a couple primes, maybe a longer zoom, and no 2 photographers will want the same combo. So including a kit lens would really be pretty pointless.
My understanding is that the 5D is ONLY sold as a kit in Europe, and it includes the new 24-105L f/4 IS lens. That's probably the lens pictured. It looks like Canon is only selling the body alone in the US, though.
Rumor has it that some retailers are planning to ship cameras starting next week. Others are saying October sometime. I'm following it closely because I plan to upgrade from my Canon 10D body.
Besides the full frame 12MP picturs, the 5D takes amazing low-noise pictures up to ISO 3200. So, you can take handheld shots in dimly lit places without a flash, and make great-looking large prints.
The lens looks like the 75-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM
"no 24fps support what gives? Canon really dropped the ball on this one. Looks like Panasonic's HVX200 will be the only 24fps capabale prosumer HD cam."
I believe that the camera does have a 24-frame mode, it's just not captured progressively, so it's not considered a "true" 24p.
This Canon method supposedly differs a lot from the Sony "24-faked" CineFrame mode, which I have read many complaints about.
Matthew Jeppsen
Forget the lack of 24p support, look at what it does support.
SD/HD-SDI output
Genlock
Removable Lens
SMPTE Timecode In & Out
These three features mean a whole heck of a lot more than native 24p to many profesionals. This moves it quite the step above Sony's HDV offerings.
While Panasonic's HVX200 has its own Merits with the P2 format, and some of its other features. I see a different style of Videographer using the HVX200.
John
The 24-105 L lens will be nice but I have my 5D coming as a body only. I just hope it gets here in time to capture some of the Aspen leaves turning gold here in Steamboat Springs. I took a long ride today on my mountain bike and went through one of the first groves to turn high on the ski mountain.
The lens is new too, it'll come out this month, EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM has two different image stabilizer modes; one to stop shake, and the other for tracking moving subjects.
"My understanding is that the 5D is ONLY sold as a kit in Europe, and it includes the new 24-105L f/4 IS lens. That's probably the lens pictured."
L lenses always have a red ring around the end of the barrel.
The lens looks like the new 70-300mm f/4-5.6 EF IS (not L) that was announced 'roundabout the same time as the EOS 5D et al.
Incidentally, I'd love some details about this lens if anyone sees a decent review of it. Looks like everything out there so far is just a regurgitation of the original Canon press release.
well, i recently bought a 350d with a kit lenses (18-55 amd 55-200). Bought it with a kit because i simply don´t have money to buy other lenses that are better.
I do like photography, enjoy it very much and i can say that i understand a little bit, but it´s an hobby to me. In the future (when i stop studying) i will buy better lenses, probably a better machine.
Remeber, a person that buys a +3000 euros machine is a professional or has means to buy it (duh!!! it´s rich :P).
In my opinion if you don´t make a living taking pictures, buy a lower camera, 20d , 350d, nikon d50 etc... it´s more than sufficient to take good photos, oh and with the money you spare buy a good lense.
EOS 5D won't come as a kit, unless bundled by resellers. The lens above is "sold seperately". $3300 is for the body only. Release is mid October, if rumors hold true.
I wonder if this baby is available here in Asia or you need to order it in the US/EU adn just have them ship it back here. $3,300 is a lot of money though.
"I've done my own tests with it that come very close in sharpness to Canon's own 50mm 1.4, which is one of the best 50mm prime lenses in the business."
What a load of crap... try using a Leica lens at around $3,000 new for a F1.4 prime 50mm you cant do better.
The only problem I see with the Canon XL H1 is the price tag - at $8,999 it's 3 times more expensive than Sony FX1. Still doesn't have true 24p though...
My take on the Canon XL H1:
http://www.filmdailies.com/archives/canon-xl-h1/
And the Sony FX1:
http://www.filmdailies.com/archives/sony-fx1/
My XL-H1 arrived on Friday. I've posted initial comments on my blog: http://www.photoethnography.com/blog/archives/2005/12/equipment_canon_9.html