The Canon 5D Dslr Camera: Product Review

While the Canon 5D may be an older model camera; it's still an extremely useful one that will serve you well. And since the newer Canon 5d MK II is now available for purchase, the price on the "ordinary" 5D should go down.

General Information -

The Canon 5D is a mid-level professional dslr (digital single-lens reflex) camera. It has 12.8 megapixels, a 2.5" screen, full-frame capability, USB 2.0; etc. The body of this camera is mostly made of magnesium, which makes it a heavier camera that can withstand more of a beating. The sensor size of this camera is around 36 x 24 mm, which basically improves the image quality.

It's also known for creating photos that have less noise in them, which is especially noticeable at a high iso. Of course, if you're not going to blow up your pictures to a hundred percent then you will probably never even notice any noise. The full-frame capability also helps the colors to pop out a bit more than they might with a lesser dslr (like the Xsi). Though, this is more of an opinion than a fact.

The LCD Screen -

Unfortunately, there is a slight greenish cast to the 2.5" inch lcd screen that is on the Canon 5D. This makes it almost useless; however, this problem can be remedied (at least somewhat). The default settings on your Canon 5D probably have the lcd brightness at fifty percent. Simply change it to seventy-five percent or so, and your lcd screen should look much better. While not a perfect fix, this at least makes the lcd screen a little more useful colorwise.

Types of Lenses -

Unlike cropped body cameras, the 5D will only be able to use RF lenses. So your RF-S lenses will not work on the 5D (they're too small). It's important to note that good lenses are just as important (if not more so) than a good camera body. So be sure you buy higher quality lenses such as the 100mm Canon macro or the 17-40mm Canon wide angle lens. The lenses you buy don't necessarily have to be high quality L glass lenses, but it certainly helps in many cases.

Cost -

The cost of the 5D is quite steep compared to other lower quality dslrs. A new Canon 5D will probably cost you around two-thousand dollars; however, there are ways around this. Obviously, you could do a search on eBay or any other similar site for a used camera.

You could also purchase a refurbished 5D from online stores such as Adorama or B&H Photo. Be wary of scam sites that claim to sell Canon 5D cameras for abnormally cheap prices. If you suspect a website to be fraudulent, then check out the ratings for it. You can discover what other people think about a website from a company called Resellerratings.

Cleaning the Sensor -

Cleaning the sensor on a 5D is something that probably intimidates a great many people. This is especially true the first time you do it. You only need to clean your sensor when you notice a large amount of dust spots. Dust spots are gray blurry specs that show up on your photo. They can easily be removed in image editing software; however, if your page is full of them then you will probably have to clean the camera sensor.

You can purchase kits online that will have tools you can use to clean your camera sensor. Or you could take it somewhere to have it "professionally done". The choice is yours; however, if you decide to clean the sensor yourself then you need to realize something. If you do damage the sensor, then it may cost you hundreds of dollars to fix the damage. Or possibly more than that. On the other hand, constantly taking it for a professional cleaning will cost a lot too. So it's just going to come down to what your budget is.

Who Needs a 5D?

Only aspiring professionals and individuals who actually work in the photography industry need this camera. Camera enthusiasts who just have to own a 5D will use it too. But if you're a mom who just wants to take pictures of her kids or other such memories, then a camera like the Xsi will do just fine. Or even a decent point and shoot camera will work as well.

The Canon 5D is a great camera for the semi-professional or a true photographer. While there are better cameras out there, the 5D is definitely nothing to sneer at. Especially, when you combine it with a great lens.