Canon EOS-5DBy: Dave EtchellsSlightly smaller and lighter upgrade brings greater speed and ease of use along with higher res and lower image noise. <<Field Test :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 3:DesignReview First Posted: 04/02/2006 |
Design
Following the general design and control layout of other Canon EOS digital SLRs, the EOS 5D will be immediately familiar to photographers already accustomed to other EOS cameras, whether film or digital. At 32.1 ounces (909 grams) with battery and memory card (but minus the lens), the 5D is pretty hefty model, though not much more so than the popular EOS-20D sub-frame model, and quite a bit less so than members of the "professional" EOS-1D series. Body dimensions of the 5D are 6.0 x 4.4 x 3.0 inches (152 x 113 x 75 millimeters), just slightly larger than preceding sub-frame models.
The front of the camera features a Canon EF lens mount, indicated by the presence of the red dot (standard EF, rather than EF-S) alignment mark on the inside of the lens mount. There's also the lens release button, a depth of field preview button (on the lower left of the lens mount as viewed from the rear), and the self timer lamp. Nestled in the inside bottom of the handgrip, but just about visible in this picture, is the port through which the DC coupler cord emerges, when using the dummy battery connector with the AC adapter.
The top of the camera features the Shutter button, Mode dial and a small status display panel that reports most of the camera's settings. An LCD Illuminator button next to the status display panel backlights the display with an orange glow for better viewing in dim shooting conditions. Also on top are the Main dial and several control buttons (AF Mode / White Balance, Drive Mode / ISO Speed, and Metering Mode / Flash Exposure Compensation). The top of the camera also contains a hot shoe for mounting an external flash unit. The hot shoe has the usual trigger terminal in the center, as well as four other contacts for interfacing to Canon EX Speedlight flash units, and a hole for a locking pin to prevent rotation of the speedlight. Fixed neck strap eyelets are visible on both sides of the top panel as well.
The top-panel data readout conveys a wealth of information about the current status of the camera and its settings. Here's an illustration showing all possible segments and icons and their interpretation:
On the right side of the camera, toward the rear of the handgrip, is a large door which slides back and out to reveal the CompactFlash slot (which supports Type-I and Type-II cards, including the Hitachi MicroDrive). Inside the compartment, underneath the CompactFlash slot is a small gray eject button for removing the card.
The opposite side of the camera features two hinged rubber flaps covering the digital (USB), Video Out, PC flash sync, and N3 remote control terminals. This picture also shows the Depth of Field Preview button (bottom) a little more clearly.
The rear panel of the EOS 5D is home to the bulk of the camera's controls, as well as the large, bright LCD screen. Beneath the LCD monitor's lower right corner is the main power on/off switch, with an additional setting that turns on the Quick Control dial. Just left of the optical viewfinder is the camera's Print button. Lining the left side of the LCD monitor are four buttons: Menu, Info, Jump, and Playback. Underneath the LCD screen is the Delete button, and to the right of the screen is the large Quick Control dial, in the center of which is the Set button. The Set button in the center of the Quick Control Dial acts as a menu selection button. At the lower right of the Quick Control Dial is the Access lamp, which indicates when the memory card is being written to. Located next to the top right corner of the LCD monitor is an eight-way "joystick"-style multi-controller that also functions as a button when pressed directly inward, used for selecting AF points, adjusting white balance, scrolling around enlarged playback displays, or moving the cropping frame in direct printing. On the top right corner of the optical viewfinder is the diopter adjustment knob, recessed slightly to prevent accidental changes, and featuring a ridged surface to give grip. Finally, the top right corner of the rear panel features the AE/FE (Auto Exposure/Flash Exposure) Lock / Index / Reduce and AF Point / Enlarge buttons.
The very flat bottom of the camera reveals the metal tripod mount, as well as the cover for the BP-511 Lithium Ion and a separate CR2016 button battery chamber. The main battery compartment cover is removable, as needed when installing the optional vertical battery grip (BG-ED2) on the camera. A small latch lever at the outside edge of the battery chamber cover unlocks it so that it may be opened. The battery compartment cover is far enough from the tripod socket that you should be able to swap batteries without removing the camera from your tripod mount. The large surface area of the camera's bottom provides a stable mounting surface for use with a tripod, even with fairly large lenses attached.
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