Does The Canon 5d Mark II Still Hold Up?
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2022
- It's now been over 14 years since the release of the legendary Canon 5D Mark ii. And, while I wanted one pretty desperately when it came out, I couldn't afford it at that point in my life. However, now it is an extremely cheap way for you to do some full frame digital photography. So, I thought I would buy one to test it out and see if it still holds up in the modern era.
What I found was a camera with great build quality, plenty of resolution, good usability and great cannon colors. While the dynamic range isn't quite what you are able to find on today's cameras, for the price that you can buy one of these Canon camera's at, I still think it's a pretty good deal.
what lens did u use in this? love the pics so much
Pretty sure it was the 50mm 1.8 STM. Honestly, a very average lens. The gear doesn't really matter much.
14:42 f1.8@@john_neil
It's so interesting to listen to people talk about the capabilities of cameras these days. When I started photographing weddings in the 1990's with film, our maximum shutter speed was 1/1000 sec, and the flash sync speed was about 1/160 sec., and the entire wedding would be shot on ISO 100 speed film. When we got our hands on these digital cameras with shutter speeds of 1/8,000 sec and sync speeds of 1/250, or more with High Speed Sync, PLUS variable ISO, you can only imagine the possibilities that unfolded in front of us. To me, the 5D Mark II is a VERY capable camera that can accomplish astonishing results.
Thank you for posting this and keeping these incredible machines alive! Photography isn't about your gear, it's about your vision.
Having shot some film in the early 2000s before digital really took flight, I can definitely relate.
Thank you for your thoughts here, I could not possibly have said it better. Vision is everything, truly.
Great little camera, Canon really did something special with that one.
Great video and some great shots. Love the beach looks. It's kinda unbelievable that one can buy a 2300$ semipro full frame camera like this for 300-500$ now. This was my dream back in the day in 2009. With the right lens and some practice it produces stunning results. Thank you.
It's a great camera. Thanks for commenting.
came across your channel randomly and really love the calm commentary you give with the clever quips on the subtitles. your shots are motivating me to go out and shoot again. earned a new sub!
Thanks, I was feeling kind of down about the channel today. So, this was nice to see. Glad you enjoyed the video and happy to have you here. I do have more of these in the works; glad you like the style. Cheers!
Some of the greatest images in the last 20 years were taken on the Canon 5D and 5D2. Great cameras don't stop being great just because technology moves on. You need to ask yourself "Why did these cameras take great images?".
There's no question that Sony came along and raised the technology bar but then people spent hours trying to get their Sony images to look like Canon images. Nothing in photography is more important than the images, and the images from these early Canons look amazing (throw the Canon 6D in there as well).
Today you can buy a Canon 5D + Canon 5D2 + Canon 6D + 50mm 1.8 .. for the same price as the latest iPhone. 300 dollars for an immaculate 5D2!!! I mean what are people waiting for?
I wish I lived somewhere as photogenic as this! Canon 5d mk2 is a masterpiece of a camera, always will be! Loved this video, subbed!
I like the way you answered your own questions in post on video. Giving me inspiration about my purchase of the same camera. My first full frame. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback, was a fun video to make. Hope you enjoy the camera!
thanks for the effort and the sharing. really enjoyed your insights (and the pix!). i've been using a Canon 6D as my current walkabout and really enjoying the images and the experiences. thumbs up.
Great camera. Glad you enjoyed the video. Canon will always be special to me.
I used the 5D MK2 for years as a profesional portrait photographer. Then I moved on with the MK3 and 4 and so on. I had to give the profesinal part up because of health problems. So I was left with a 70D, a 6D, an old EOS M and a Panasonic with an electronic wievfinder. I HATE the electronic wievfinder, and I hate touch screens. I have now bougth a secound hand 5D MK2, for 180 USD!!! I love it! One thing I don't like that much is when people are putting the 50 mm "plastic fantastic" on it. I found out that the lens is everything on the MK2. When I put aside the EF 24-105 Canon L-lens for a Sigma Art 24-105....my GOD what a difference. Or the EF 85 F 1,8.
I hate that most camera manufacturers are stopping production on DSLRs (only Pentax is left(. I think the optical viewfinder has a place in the market. I do have mirrorless and DSLRs and I really quite enjoy shooting with the OVF a lot more than mirrorless though MILC are much more efficient.
I was running the Sigma art lenses on a 5D classic. Now on a 5DII. Lens is everything and you'd be surprised how hard it is to resolve a whole 12mp sharply.
My gramps worked in broadcast and commented on the megapixel wars: "Can those built in zoom lenses even RESOLVE 6mp?"
So do you like the sigma art lens?
Pair it with the 85mm f1.8 or the 50mm f1.4 the you get some amazing image quality!
Yes💪👍
I’ve just picked up the 5DMII with the 50mm 1.4, is the 85 mm 1.8 really good?
Excellent video and not at all ‘boring’. Really enjoyed it and some great shots with that low budget combo! Nice.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting and watching.
Thank you for that - I feel like I got my daily dose of vitamin D from watching it! The shots of the surfers from the pier are just lovely. Greetings from a very grey Berlin.
Ha ha, had to really cover myself in sunscreen for that one. Was an otherwise nice time though. Thank you for the kind words and for watching. I spent two weeks in Berlin last year, loved it there.
Where was that? SoCal? Never seen that kind of mist/haze, beautiful! Picking up one of these any day now as my first real camera.
Thanks for the demonstration of the camera, getting more stoked the more videos i watch.
Yes, San Clemente California. Enjoy your camera.
I'm a photojournalism major starting from scratch. I bought one of these used, with 4 used lenses, a Lowepro Bag, cards, reader, batteries, etc for the same price as the A74 body I was looking at before tax. This is so much better than my phone I'm not complaining, but I'm pretty sure it would be even better if I wasn't running around on full auto. Thanks for posting, you just earned yourself a subscriber!
Thanks for watching and subscribing! Hard to imagine a better camera to further your education on, great choice. Working through the technical aspects of exposure and controlling the camera just takes time, keep at it. You'll be shooting in all the different modes before you know it. :)
@@jongraf1714 I'll see if I can get that in the lineup, so many videos to shoot. If you've got the time, I'd say go for it. :)
Nice chilled vibe to this video with some lovely shots. I’ve just bought the 5D Classic, having heard so many good things about them. Man, the camera is so good. It’s everything I want… no extra gubbins getting in the way like video, EVF, IBIS etc…. Just turn on, set exposure and just shoot. Bought it crazy cheap too. The Mark II is a tempting option as it’s only a bit more with an extra push on resolution. Paired my old Olympus lenses to the body and it’s a great budget full frame setup.
Great choice and great camera. :)
I bought my 5D Mark II last March, it's just a phenomenal camera. The previous owner had used it mainly for video, the shutter count was less than 5k, I anticipate using it for years. I've also got a Canon 7D and plan to add a 5D Classic and 6D in the near future, after which I don't expect to buy another camera body for the rest of my life! Any of these cameras paired with good glass will give you world class images on par with or better than anything new or anything likely to come out for the foreseeable future, and for a fraction of the price. Great video, I hope you keep the 5D Mark II, I would have nothing but regret if I got rid of any of my cameras.
It really is a fantastic camera. I have other cameras and gear to review for the channel, so ended up selling it, but I could have been happy shooting with it for many years. Amazing how affordable photography can be if you just dig beneath the surface a little. Thanks for commenting!
I managed to end up with all that aside from the 7D. Honestly, you only need one. Maybe the 5D classic as a cheap backup body. My 6D had the screen fail so I've been using the 5D and grabbed a mk2 to use now. Last DSLR I buy before grabbing a mirrorless I think. The 5D2 and 6D have very similar performance, same pixels while one has slightly better sensor and one better built and 8000th shutter speed.
If you are looking for a GREAT camera, a D5 Mk ii is an absolute steal at current prices!!
I was gifted with 5D II a couple of years ago and now want to use it more after watching your video.
Nice choice for your walk! Love San Clemente!
Great gift, glad you are enjoying it. Yeah, it's beautiful down there.
I actually love this post edit monologue captions thing! Really creative
Thanks! I enjoyed making them.
For anyone thinking about this camera, look up the film “Meru” by Jimmy Chin. He used this camera for a lot of that video, alongside a Panasonic camcorder.
Meru is an incredible film. Jimmy Chin is a legend.
@@john_neil heck yea! I was watching some of his stuff the other day and I was thinking, “I bet he has some high dollar cameras” so I looked it up. Well wouldn’t you know! It’s funny how I have all of this envy for camera gear and want new lenses, new body for filming my Offroad videos and then a good body for shooting my sons soccer games. A lot of the CZcams camera scene is gear reviews and comparing this to that, when it really doesn’t matter at all. Kind of like musicians or guitarists spending all their time online comparing this guitar to another, or why this guitar is better when in reality a lot of those people can’t play very well anyways, they just like the gear more than music
I bought a used one on Facebook market place this summer with a 50mm 1.8 off of a wedding photography who upgraded to mirrorless. The body's shutter count is high, but the lens is mint. I almost passed on it but she kept dropping the price 😂. Ending up only spending like 160 on the body and 80 on the lens. It still works fine! I was still using my rebel T3 from high school, nice upgrade. Make more of these videos!
That's a great deal. I loved the rebel cameras also.
Damn what a freaking deal
i got mine for 400 last year 💀🥲
I agree with what you said about chimping. Back in the day the film elitists used to hate on photographers for chimping. But now mirrorless cameras force you to perpetually chimp even before you take the shot 😅 it's interesting now how "in the moment" we can feel by going back to old tech, even if it wasn't too long ago.
Most certainly, thanks for the comment! Chimp on!
For those who don't know what chimping is. Check out the urban dictionary
I’ve never understood the issue with chimping. Always seemed like an ego thing for those who complain about it to me.
The 5D II and even the SD Classic are still plenty capable these days. I shoot with a Fuji S5 Pro and a Nikon D200. Both screens are awful, especially in bright light. You really have to know how to read your histogram. That will really only let you know if its properly exposed though. So I take my iPad and a card reader with me. Take a few shots and upload to my iPad where I can get a much better look at how the photos are turning out and what adjustments need to be made. Its almost a must when using older DSLRs with low quality LCD screens in conditions where lighting is changing.
Yeah, there were definitely some struggles with the screen. Made me miss my newer cameras, even though the 5d produced great photos. Good thinking to review on site as you go.
My first DSLR camera that I purchased recently (early this year, 30k miles in 14 years). I spent a very long time choosing between crop and full frame, settled on this camera and did not regret it. Yes, it’s old, and it’s hard to take pictures, but I no longer have enough of a phone and this is a conscious choice, the result of the photographs is impressive.
Fortunately, I own three iterations of this great camera, Classic, Mark II and Mark III. Only the Mark II was bought new, the other two used. All are in working in good conditions. I must admit, each of them possess unique attributes. I love them and won't ever part with them. Hope to continue using them as long as they continue clicking.
I'm a hobbyist, don't need the latest. Had I been a pro, would be using the same cameras with confidence. Because, they perform all the tasks I need from them.
Thank you for the video.
Picked one up for $500 with a shutter count under 10k and in perfect condition. Great video very fun to watch ❤
Great deal! Enjoy your camera and thanks for watching and commenting.
Nice video man😍❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love the video so relaxing but also very interesting for me because I am thinking about buying a 5d mark ii as my first fullframe dslr
Glad you enjoyed the video, it's a great camera. I won't regret it if you have decided full frame is for you. Cheers!
Hello and congratulations for this video and for you channel! I have to started to learn professional photography on this camera in 2017 and I still own one that just over 100.000 shutter count and it works great. I want to share some of my experience with this camera. The camera is great, the RAW files are gorgeous and a pleasure to post process them, the JPEG files if you want to shoot JPEG are just fine and you can use them straight out of the camera. I am using this camera for outdoor photo sessions with my prime lenses Canon 24mm 1.4L MK II, Canon 35mm 1.4L MKII, Canon 85mm 1.4L IS and Canon 135mm f/2L lenses for weddings or fashion or corporate photography and I just love it.
It is not my main camera but backup or secondary camera but I still use it professionally and I use it personally when travelling all the time in my backpack. My main camera is Canon 1DX (first version) which is out of this world superb (but I wont get into describing that camera here) but I wouldn't shy to take only the 5D MKII with the prime "L" lenses to a professional contract.
The one major thing I don't like about this camera in this day and age is that it has only ONE card slot and I want always redundancy for my photographs in case something bad happens to a card or to a card slot. I have also started to film some small footage 2K with MagicLantern software and its amazing how much quality you can get from it.
In my personal experience I believe that the highlight recuperation is not that terrible nor the dark area recuperation but you have to keep working with a low ISO. I am not using this camera handheld professionally at night for example, at the restaurant during the wedding party ceremony I would use it only by day professionally at an event. I wouldn't go pass ISO 1600 maybe 2000. The focus points in low light on moving subjects such as for a party or during wedding at the restaurant are not great, the center point works well but you have to be careful. The central focus point I find it great and workable.
My obvious choice of upgrade and more logical would be Canon R6 in the future because it has that small 20 Mpx file which can be easily be processed and delivered to the customer. Personally I find the 18Mpx of the 1DX and the 21 Mpx of the 5D MKII ideal for my workflow.
Thank you for all your in-depth thoughts here. I tried to use Magic Lantern a bit, but I couldn't find a build that didn't have a lot of bug. Had some camera crashes and problems, eventually gave up. When it was working however, the RAW video dynamic range was incredible.
All your experiences regarding the photography quality mirror mine as well, great camera and amazing images. Thanks for being here and for commenting. :)
Nice video! Sorry what lens was this mate? Thanks!
Traded in my b-cam (Lumix GX85) and a Sigma MFT lens for one of these to get into full frame photography. Was able to trade those two things for the body with a 200k shutter count, a Canon battery grip, 2 batteries, a 50mm 1.8 II and a small camera backpack. Been loving it so far.
I still have 5D2...I love it! :) I used it when I was working in a studio many years ago. So I bougth one last year, in box for 180 USD. I have many other cameras....but there is something special about the 5D MK2. :)
hello
I wanna know what lens you used in the video
thank you very much
The digic processor is the best in the mark 2, along with the chassis.
Purchased mine a couple years ago, also got me a 24-105f/4 L. i've paired it with an 85mm f/1.8, the 50mm f/1.8 STM, and currently about to drop on an 70-200 f/4 or f/2.8. the 50mm i have lives on the camera, it takes amazing shots.
a person could do a lot worse than this combo.
the one body i would consider updating to this one is the mark III if you dont have this one and the price isnt too steep for you, or... im setting my sights on a 6D mark II... or keeping this one and picking up a used 1Dx model.
but if you have this or even the mark I.. just spend your money on glass.. get whatever L series that fits your range of shooting and send it..
Sigma art on 5D here. Glass is everything. The quality they went to for cinema lenses in the film days for half the frame size we use for stills cameras is absurd. And that film would resolve like 6mp in most cases.
I like the images you came away with!
Use it more I would say!!
Thanks! Taking it on a trip this weekend actually. We'll see what I come away with.
Great Job John! I love your POV. I shoot a lot of portrait with analogue equipment/film and found the 5D2 to have the colours I need straight from jpeg. I am so impressed with the 5D2 I ended up buying 3!
It’s a great camera, glad you’re enjoying it! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks for the vid! Are the photos edited or SOOC Jpegs? If the latter, what were your settings? What was your picture style? Cheers!
I didn't adjust any of the picture settings. I shoot raw with my own presets in Capture One. But the ooc jpegs look pretty good too.
thanks for sharing.
what video camera you using and how is it mounted?
I was using a GoPro Hero 7 with a chest mount.
Nice photos I have this cam rarely used it I think I’m going to bring it back out, were you shooting wide open? White balance, iso?
I shoot wide open a lot, 1.8 on this lens, but not all the time. Had to stop down frequently because it was a bright day and that camera's shutter speed only goes to 1/8000. White balance was auto. ISO pretty sure I just left at the lowest setting, 160 maybe. Thanks for watching!
Trying to sell it?
You spend 10k plus dollars for a once in a life time trip to Antarctica, and you are going to wait until you get home to see if your "digital" photos turned out? Might as well shoot film, but for the cost. Even if you view them later aboard the ship, you are not going back to that location to try again. Even closer to home, you may never get back to place again, and if you do, the light will surely not be the same. Amazing that anybody who actually uses a camera would hold such an opinion as to not review your shots while you can do something about a mistake. I like this video, by the way, and the other things you shared on this outing.
I totally agree with about reviewing your shots as you go, as I said, not sure how that became a popular viewpoint. Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for taking the time to watch and share your thoughts. Have you been to Antarctica? I'd love to go someday. :)
Is it switzerland@@john_neil
what lens were u using. i’m about to buy the 5d mark iii and have a sigma 70-300. i know you used a 50 mm prime but was the brand sigma/tamron,etc. thank you so much for making this video!!
It was the Canon 50mm 1.8. D version if I remember right. Not expensive
@@john_neilthanks! what f-stop do you usually shoot on. especially for photos where you have a subject and would like some background visible
Beautiful beach..,where is it? Nice shots also! I love older dslr's.
I love my Mark D ii ❤😊
What is the camera’s lens?
The Classic 5D (mk 1) is still relevant in 2023. @ 12 MP and no video capabilities. It’s just a pleasure to shoot. Portrait, landscape photography are uncomplicated do to the design of the camera. Simple interface similar to my early Canon EOS 1N-HS. Maybe it’s because I am very familiar wit Canon cameras. JMO. I also shoot older Nikon cameras, F100 (film) and a D200, just because I had Nikon lenses leftover from shooting this Fujifilm Finepix S2 Pro 6.17MP camera which finally broke down.
I gotta agree with you. The 5D Classic has a look unmatched when you check out the newer high res models. The pictures it produces has "SOUL."
Very few cameras since, if any, can match the colour rendition of the 5D mk1 or mk2.
The D5 ii produces the best colours of any Camera Canon made and since. If you want to shoot video, get a video camera. Its up there with the D700, but its primitive focus points are not so good for moving subjects.
My hometown! Love San Clemente
It's a beautiful place.
I like your camera strap. Where did you buy from?
A company called Topo Designs.
In shooting live view does it really need to press the AF-on button to focus? Foes it not focus when pressing the half shutter button in live view?
I'm not sure, I don't use live view much.
I use this camera with full satisfaction and have no plans to replace it. However, in order to get the best results; I need to shoot in RAW and process it. It's not an action camera. I own 5DIII as well and find it better suited for shooting wildlife.
Nice! I definitely enjoyed using it. But even on more modern cameras I also still shoot RAW. Though jpegs have come a long ways.
I like it ❤
This video made me buy the 5D Mark ii, just curious which lens are you using?
Hope you like it, was using the 50mm 1.8 stm I think. Not an amazing lens though, so can’t really recommend it.
Yes that’s the 50mm 1.8 STM absolutely brilliant for the money if you don’t mind me saying. I got the Sigma Art 50mm and it blows it away obviously. But I was happy enough with it!
What editing software do you use?
Final Cut
how is the autofocus in 5dmkii ?
It's ok, nothing special. Not great for fast action imho.
is it hard to focus on moving objects? like animals?
I don't think so. I don't do much of that kind of photography, and the auto focus isn't really... fast. However, I was able to get a few shots of my friends riding bikes and their 2 year-old playing, which are both moving pretty quick. Hope that helps!
AI Servo with Back-Button Focus really helps me with tracking moving subjects. I’ve been able to get a few in-flight birds that way and the results are very sharp.
save bro so does the 5d mark ii have auto focus?
Yes, it has autofocus.
@@john_neil vou responder em português estou sem tradutor aqui, obrigado mano ajudou muito 🫶
Feliz por ajudar
Nice :) It's a cliche but it's the photographer not the camera. Just look at the greatest photographs ever taken in the history of the art form. They are on old cameras. Some way more basic than the Canon 5D mark 2. You also pay less for older cameras. Not always but usually. Unless you want to keep up the Joneses. The vast majority of people looking at your pictures won't know or care what you used. Question is, do you have the skill to use a camera that doesn't have, for example, 1,000 focus points and right-eye dominant autofocus. Good photographers do.
Do you remember the camera settings?
Mostly I shoot in manual or aperture priority mode. The settings aren't that important. Can be learned in an afternoon. Composition is how the photography is made.
I just picked up mine in France for 100e. High shutter counts mean nothing on these..look up the one on 2.2 million! Im using m42 glass like the Takumars, wonderful. And actually..it’s the first time I’ve liked video on a DSLR. I changed the cf to a sd adapter as I have a bunch. And as always run Magic Lantern, I’m still amazed people don’t know it.
The strangest thing about this camera, shots I’m sure are too contrasty look fine on the computer.
Pretty amazing how capable magic lantern is, even today. 100 is a steal. Congratulations.
@@john_neil I got carried away, just bought a 7D too, 12 months Guarantee..149e!
@@Kinematographer Ha ha ha. Well, one cannot have too many cameras.
Be aware that the mkii has a big drawback if you want to shoot full manual - it is locked to ISO 400. In order to have Auto ISO you need to shoot with shutter or aperture priority.
really? i never heard or read about this. anyone else?
@@smalltalk.productions9977yeah same here, was wondering if that was a glitch but I guess not
TAKE IT OFF AUTO ISO AND YOU THEN MANUALLY SELECT THE ISO
while in MAnual Mode
Full manual mode
Take it off auto iso to control iso
Pakai lensa apa bang?
This was with the 50mm 1.8 STM.
You can see it live in 'live view' mode.
Yeah, I find live view kinda of clunky to use on these cameras, but that's a good tip. I guess I could always use it to kind of meter the scene, and then switch back to the viewfinder. Thanks for commenting and watching!
I travel quite often. Where is this beautiful location?
This was in San Clemente, California
@@john_neil thank you so much!
Where is this place?
Switzerland
Swiss
This is probably a stupid question but is it a digital camera
yes 😃
Not a stupid question, but yes it is.
@@john_neil okay thanks 👌
Correction : this is one of the best digital reflex cameras ever made, if not the best.
is it good for 2023?
I think it is.
Is this even better than the camera in something like an s22 uktra
The images out of the 5d ii would be many magnitudes higher quality than an s22 (or any phone). Dynamic range, resolution, detail, etc... If you only took photos during the day (bright light) and only viewed them on a phone, you probably wouldn't notice. But anything else the difference would show.
Throw on a nice Sigma Lens
Well at least with all those buckets u have something to drink
11:34 You can set your exposure once check that its right then you should be able to (in relatively static lighting) either adjust relative to it or leave it alone. Most of the time the people that chimp are shooting in an assisted mode anyway not manual ... not to mention all modern DSLRs have multiple different light meters in them.
Sorry but I disagree. Your job as a photographer is to concentrate on the subject not on the camera.
My 6D's screen dies, so no chimping for me.. Manual exposure isn't very viable though.
@@mikafoxx2717 Why?
8000 is low for u lol
omg. He shoots on auto??? haha :D
ok.. i thought he is photographer... Guess not... Just not worth watching further!!