I. OVERVIEW
In the Canon DSLR lineup, the gap between the EOS 20D camera, at about $1,500, and the new EOS-1D Mark II N camera, at about $4,000, represents an irresistible marketing and engineering opportunity. Of course, many combinations of size, performance, ruggedness and complexity are possible, especially for Canon. Canon has the inestimable advantage of being able to mix original design elements with existing, proven, successful components and software, as appropriate, from the EOS-1Ds Mark II, the EOS-1D Mark II and new Mark II N, the EOS 20D and the EOS Digital Rebel XT cameras. Because Canon manufactures not only its own CMOS sensors but also the machinery that makes those sensors, as well as the devices that test and maintain that machinery, Canon has extraordinary control over the manufacturing process. Canon has developed leading mold making and metalworking technologies, and it makes virtually all of the critical electronic and optical parts in its DSLRs. Consequently, the occasion of a new camera brings with it the possibility of some new and very special items to throw into the mix. That is exactly what has happened with the new Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR.
The heart of the EOS 5D SLR is its all-new, specific to the 5D model, 12.8 megapixel full-frame, Canon-designed and -manufactured single-plate CMOS sensor. Each pixel is a very large 8.2µm, and is therefore able to receive a great deal of light, producing not only excellent resolution but a wide range of ISO settings and low noise levels on a par with the 8.2 megapixel EOS-1D Mark II camera. The DIGIC II Image Processor, DDR SDRAM and 4-channel reading enable an incredible burst performance of 60 Large/Fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images at 3 fps.
Also newly developed for the EOS 5D camera are the 9-point AF unit with 6 invisible Supplemental AF points and a more durable shutter rated to 100,000 shots as required in a professional camera. This shutter mechanism has to be large enough to handle the full-frame sensor, which, in turn, has required the development of a new, large mirror box assembly.
New and shared with the concurrently-introduced EOS-1D Mark II N camera, is the
2.5 inch, approximately 230,000 pixel, wide-view monitor, which is an absolute delight
1Ds Mark II | 1D Mark II N | 5D | 20D | Digital Rebel XT |
