Do you want to know what's better Canon EOS 5D Mark II or Canon EOS 5D? SpecsPRO has compared Canon EOS 5D Mark II vs Canon EOS 5D: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II vs Canon EOS 5D

  • Main

  • Model

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • launch

  • Announced

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

  • Max resolution

  • Sensor size

  • Sensor type

  • Processor

  • Image ratio w:h

  • Other resolutions

  • Sensor photo detectors

  • Image

  • ISO

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

  • Custom white balance

  • Image stabilization

  • Uncompressed format

  • JPEG quality levels

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

  • Maximum shutter speed

  • Aperture priority

  • Shutter priority

  • Manual exposure mode

  • Subject / scene modes

  • Built-in flash

  • External flash

  • Continuous drive

  • Self-timer

  • Metering modes

  • Exposure compensation

  • AE Bracketing

  • WB Bracketing

  • Flash modes

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

  • Screen size

  • Screen dots

  • Touch screen

  • Screen type

  • Live view

  • Viewfinder type

  • Viewfinder coverage

  • Viewfinder magnification

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

  • Microphone

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

  • Number of focus points

  • Lens mount

  • Focal length multiplier

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

  • Dimensions

  • Environmentally sealed

  • Battery

  • Battery details

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

  • HDMI

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

  • Timelapse recording

  • GPS

  • Samples

  • Videos

  • Main

  • Model

    Canon EOS 5D Mark II

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Effective pixels: 21 megapixels

    SENSOR Max resolution: 5616 x 3744

    SENSOR Sensor photo detectors: 22 megapixels

    IMAGE ISO: Auto, 100 - 6400 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 12800, 25600 as option

    IMAGE Boosted ISO (maximum): 25600

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Continuous drive: 3.9 fps

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen size: 3

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen dots: 920,000

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Live view: Yes

    VIDEOGRAPHY FEATURES Microphone: Mono

    PHYSICAL Weight (inc. batteries): 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz)

    PHYSICAL Battery Life (CIPA): 850

    CONNECTIVITY HDMI: Yes (HDMI mini)

    Go to the Summary

Canon EOS 5D
  • launch

  • Announced

    Sep 17, 2008

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    21 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    5616 x 3744

  • Sensor size

    Full frame (36 x 24 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Digic 4

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    4080 x 2720, 2784 x 1856, 5616 x 3744, 3861 x 2574, 2784 x 1856

  • Sensor photo detectors

    22 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 100 - 6400 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 12800, 25600 as option

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    25600

  • White balance presets

    6

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (1)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus Sync connector)

  • Continuous drive

    3.9 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2 or 10 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±2 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    ±2 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis)

  • Flash modes

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fixed

  • Screen size

    3

  • Screen dots

    920,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    TFT liquid-crystal color LCD

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    98%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.71×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)

  • File Format

    H.264

  • Microphone

    Mono

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    9

  • Lens mount

    Canon EF

  • Focal length multiplier

    1×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz)

  • Dimensions

    152 x 114 x 75 mm (5.98 x 4.49 x 2.95)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    850

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Microdrive

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (HDMI mini)

  • Wireless notes

    (Optional)

  • Remote control

    Yes (N3 connector)

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes (by cable and PC)

  • GPS

    None

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • launch

  • Announced

    Aug 22, 2005

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    13 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    4368 x 2912

  • Sensor size

    Full frame (36 x 24 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Digic II

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    3168 x 2112, 2496 x 1664

  • Sensor photo detectors

    13 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    100 - 1600 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 3200 as option

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    3200

  • White balance presets

    6

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (1)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe & sync)

  • Continuous drive

    3.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (10 sec (2 sec with mirror lock-up))

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±2 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    ±2 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis)

  • Flash modes

    External

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fixed

  • Screen size

    2.5

  • Screen dots

    230,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    TFT liquid-crystal color LCD

  • Live view

    No

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    96%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.71×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

  • Microphone

    None

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Single
    • Continuous

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    9

  • Lens mount

    Canon EF

  • Focal length multiplier

    1×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)

  • Dimensions

    152 x 113 x 75 mm (5.98 x 4.45 x 2.95)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes (Water and Dust resistant)

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion BP-511A rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    400

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    Compact Flash (Type I or II)

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

  • HDMI

    No

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

    Yes (N3 connector)

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes (by cable and PC)

  • GPS

    None

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The Canon EOS 5D Mark II maximum resolution of 5616 x 3744 pixels (21 megapixels) is better in comparison with the Canon EOS 5D maximum resolution of 4368 x 2912 pixels (13 megapixels). The Canon EOS 5D Mark II offers a wider ISO range of 100-6400 than 100-1600 ISO range of the Canon EOS 5D. This ISO range allow you to take good quality pictures in low light situations.

    The Canon EOS 5D Mark II display is better as it offers more screen dots 920,000 in comparison to 230,000 dots of the Canon EOS 5D display. The higher dot count display is better for reviewing pictures on your camera. The EOS 5D Mark II supports a very useful live view feature that lets you to use the display as a bigger viewfinder.

    The Canon EOS 5D Mark II battery life is better than the Canon EOS 5D battery life. According to CIPA standards you will be able to capture 850 shots with the EOS 5D Mark II and only 400 with the EOS 5D. The EOS 5D Mark II weighs 850g that is 45g less in comparison with the weight of the Canon EOS 5D.

    As you can see the EOS 5D Mark II will become the best buy. Check the list of the best offers on Amazon.