Canon EOS 5D full-frame 35mm SLR zoom lens digital photography camera system product review.

We have a Canon EOS 5D, and are testing this full-frame digital camera.  Initial tests are Orlando, Athens (Greece), Lisbon (Portugal), and Guatemala (Central America).

We will be posting our evaluation of the Canon 24-105mm zoom lens, 100mm Canon macro lens, and comparing them with a full frame Kodak SLR/c, a Kodak SLR/n, and a Nikon D100.

Later in the summer we will add a comparison with the Nikon D200.

Anyone considering buying this camera should realize that FLAAR does not receive money from Canon cameras. We are not paid by any photo dealer to promote this camera. We do not receive kickbacks in the form of commissions.

Plus we have ample experience with medium-format digital cameras, so we can competently comment on the utter nonsense in popular US trade magazines that the Canon 35mm are as good as a medium format digital camera.

Sorry, no way. We have evaluated the Leaf, Imacon/Hasselblad, and MegaVision so far. They are light years ahead of any Canon camera.

If you prefer slick commercial pseudo-reviews, that just tell you supposedly how great a camera is (as they send you to buy it somewhere), FLAAR is not the website you should read.

But if you are about to spend your hard-earned money on any digital camera, and want the blunt facts on digital cameras, FLAAR is independent.  To cover the operating expenses of our non-profit institute at Bowling Green State University, naturally we have sponsors (FLAAR has a staff of 12, and they do appreciate a salary every month). But we don't suck up to sponsors, or the camera brands they sell.

If you are buying Canon EOS cameras due to all the favorable PR in all the trade magazines, you might want to make the effort to obtain this independent FLAAR Report first. We do not receive kickbacks from the manufacturer, nor from any camera dealers.

Here is the Canon EOS 5D.

Comparing Canon EOS 5D with Nikon D200

Later this summer we will evaluate the Nikon D200 and Nikon D50. We had the Nikon D100 and the Kodak SLR/n on the same field trips as the Canon EOS 5D. Frankly they both performed just as well as the much more costly Canon EOS 5D. The Kodak SLR/c performed even better, especially with scenes out in the bright sunlight of Greece and Guatemala.

So far we have taken the Canon EOS 5D to Orlando, Athens, the island of Hydra in the south Aegean Sea, Lisbon, and London. Next week we leave for Amsterdam, Thessaloniki, and the north Aegean island of Lemnos. Last week we were in Guatemala testing the Canon EOS 5D.

So far, distinctly under-impressed. Not a bad camera, but not one that improves our photos much over an elderly Nikon D100. The Canon EOS 5D is about the same picture quality as a Kodak SLR/n, though the physical Canon viewer is dramatically better. The SLR/n LCD screen is the worst one ever manufactured.

For price comparisons I would suggest the Nikon D200.

We already have several PDFs on the Canon EOS 5D; these are all available to everyone who takes the FLAAR course on Digital Photography, available via the Internet.

Printing your digital photos

Since we do not have any of the recent Canon printers such as the imagePROGRAF W6400 or W8400, and definitely not any of the new Canon printers, iPF 5000 or iPF 9000, we tend to print with an Epson 4800, 7800, 9800 or the HP 130, all of which we do have.

Every several years there is either a new Canon iPF printer or a new Epson or a new HP water-based printer. It is hard to keep track of the advances in inks and color management features. FLAAR is keeping track by visiting printshops around the world that have these various brands. Each brand has its good points and a few issues and an occasional deficiency.             

The advantage of a place that offers both Epson, HP, and Epson is that they can provide some tips on the differences. If a store sells only one brand or the other, they will understandably push the brand they sell. One value-added retailer that we have visited several times is Parrot Digigraphic. They know each of the brands and models. Contact info is 978.670.7766.

Most recently updated May 12, 2006.
First Posted April 19, 2006.

The complete FLAAR Reports are in full-color PDF format. Our institute has comprehensive FLAAR Reports on over 73 different wide format inkjet printers, RIP software, color management, scanners, digital cameras and on countless markets such as wide format inkjet printers for photography, giclee, proofing, CAD, GIS, graphic design, signs, and specialty applications too. All FLAAR Reports by Dr Nicholas Hellmuth and his team are available on Wide-format-printers.NET

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Nicholas Hellmuth’s Medium Format Digital Camera Initiative For over 40 years Nicholas Hellmuth has used Rolleiflex and Hasselblad cameras to record the flora, fauna, and archaeology of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Now for several years he is extending his medium format experience to digital photography. Since FLAAR works both in a studio as well as out on location, we are an ideal focus for judging portability. We have experience with large format digital scan backs (the excellent BetterLight) and we also use Nikon and Canon digital cameras. A full-service digital pro should have at least one medium format digital system and should consider large format digital options as well. Although we started with a Leaf Valeo 22 coupled with a Mamiya 645 AFD body and lenses, we are open to showcasing all bodies as well as other digital backs. Indeed we have tested an Imacon 4-shot back on a Hasselblad H1 body. Then (February 2006 onwards) we are evaluated a MegaVision black-and-white dedicated back for fine art photography. Next we are testing a 33-megapixel Phase One P 30. Since 2008 FLAAR has used a Phase One P25+ (a great way to update an aging Hasselblad ELX body with its excellent Zeiss lenses). Camera resellers or manufacturers who wish to have their cameras, lenses, and backs included in this initiative are welcome to send their equipment for evaluation. FLAAR is the de facto source of information because we have been university based, independent, blunt, and we are one of the few review sources that dares to review advertising specs, advertising claims, and advertising hype. We can afford to reveal all the pros and cons because FLAAR is a research institute. Photographers feel they can trust a university research professor who has devoted years to understanding the pros and cons of each aspect of a digital camera system and workflow. Notice you are not blinded by blinking, flashing, or pesty ads for low-bid camera stores on a FLAAR photography review. I am always amused by a pseudo-review that obviously is simply paid to send you to a camera store. You can download our colorful FLAAR Reports on our medium format digital camera initiative.