Canon EOS 5D Mark II unboxed

It's been on sale for a couple days now (at least in Shanghai), so it had to happen eventually -- you're witnessing the first tentative breaths of a Canon EOS 5D Mark II as it leaves the box. So many manuals to ignore! So many useless composite video cables and driver CDs to fill your drawers! So much bubble wrap to spend intimate moments with! It all goes down at the read link, kids.

[Thanks, Mikha]

[Aubrey Posted Dec 2nd 2008 11:58PM]

Nice! Thank you Engadget.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:54AM]

A couple of samples from the buyer:
http://album.foto.ru/photos/16911/

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 2nd 2008 11:59PM]

gimme

[Mehul360yahoocom Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:05AM]

Engadget, why dont you have this as a Christmas give away?!

[loocas Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:46PM]

Because it costs more than iPhone.

[Byrdman Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:36AM]

I am definitely considering selling my current camera and putting the money towards buying this beast. this thing looks amazing and if you get the kit it comes with an "L" series lens, making it even better.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:42AM]

das hot

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:46AM]

except for the damn read link is in russian...

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:05AM]

Did anyone notice that a battery grip will cover up the HDMI port? That kinda sucks.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:11AM]

and of course... you're just gonna plug in your HDMI out in the boonies to your high def tv with no power source laying around.
there's this feature with battery grips where you can remove them

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:15AM]

anyways bro, that's not the HDMI port on the bottom

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:05AM]

It's all in Russian! It always amazes me how countries, where the vast majority of its citizens has barely enough money to buy food, seem to be first in getting high priced stuff like the new Canon...

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:13AM]

you must be living in the basement for a loooong time if still think like that

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:18AM]

Waiting for this Camera from last 5 Months ...... Sold my Nikon D3 for this Hope to get it soon as Possible. Thanks for Updates.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:22AM]

I've received mine last friday in Belgium (Europe). GREAT stuff it is :)

[derX Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:55AM]

Wow, you saw a need to put Europe in parenthesis. xD

You have even less faith in humanity that I do.

[loocas Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:43PM]

Well, better than stating: Belgium (Earth) for those living in the US.

[CL Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:35AM]

Looks like they are still using that stupid pursing LED indicator for the battery charger, why can't they just put 3 LEDs on it like you know, red for nearly empty, orange for around half and green for almost good to go?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:49AM]

It lights GREEN when charged.

[Information Central Posted Dec 3rd 2008 3:19AM]

Still no intervalometer. Canon, WTF? This has to be about the easiest feature to add, ever. Combined with the already existing (but also crippled) multi-exposure mirror lockup, you'd have a great time-lapse camera.

Oh, and video but no 24 or 25 FPS?

Shows a lot of potential, but also some ridiculous design gaffes.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 8:37AM]

Rumour has it that 24/25fps modes will be added in a later firmware update and is "very much in the works"

Also, you can do interval shooting with the fancy remote that has the LCD on it -- I think its about £50. They want you to buy more products, obviously. ;-)

[Information Central Posted Dec 3rd 2008 3:20PM]

Thanks smi. I have that timer (TC-80N3), but it's somewhat crippled by an idiotic 99-picture limit in the total-number-of-shots mode. You can get around that by just letting the card fill up or by baby-sitting it manually, but that's a pain. Usually you know you want X seconds at some frame rate, so you want to just dial in your total.

99-picture limit: Unbelievable, Canon.

[iThrust Posted Dec 3rd 2008 4:41AM]

Does the "large sensor" mean that a fisheye lens will work to its full glory? My current Kiss only has a small sensor ("suck my kiss"?) so doesn't give the full effect. :P

[CL Posted Dec 3rd 2008 6:36AM]

Only EF mount lenses will work on a full frame body, as far as I know, no Canon EF-S lenses can physically mount on a full frame body. That being said, the Tokina ATX-116 I got back when I had the 350d sort of works on a 5d. It will mount just find, but you have to keep the focal length above 15mm in order to stay away from the crazy vignette (more like a black letterbox all around the picture if you use 11mm)

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 11:36AM]

Yes, this is a full-frame sensor so your fisheye lens will stay fisheye.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 7:50AM]

Seriously... Belgium, Russia? I have been told (in US) that I will get mine it 2 - 3 weeks if I am lucky. I am moving back to Europe!!!

And yes, it cracks me up that diggit thinks most people in Russia have nothing to eat. Have you seen the US economy lately?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 9:08AM]

Hopefully this will be my Christmas present to me.

[DanH Posted Dec 3rd 2008 11:53AM]

I wonder what my liver's going for on eBay these days... "NEW IN BOX BARELY DRINKS LQQK!!!"

[loocas Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:41PM]

I just came...

[Tommy Five Posted Dec 3rd 2008 12:47PM]

That's weird.... my body-only came in a box that pictured the 24-105L lens, with a disclaimer "Lens not included". There's something awry in Canon packaging!

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:23PM]

The camera is SO good, it can even take pictures of itself coming out of its box... amazing! :P

[Tombio Posted Dec 3rd 2008 1:34PM]

Picture on the box looks kind of funny without any optics attached...

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 5th 2008 11:14AM]

I'm still sitting on some god-forsaken waiting list. I was told 6-8 weeks. I'm going to go off and cry in a corner now. Thanks engadget. :-P

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 6th 2008 3:23AM]

Many of the Best Buy's have received them already.
You can go there and purchase one today

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 23rd 2008 1:44PM]

My Christmas present arriving just in time. today!!!!!!!!