Canon 5DMKII - 1 year on the road in Africa

[Langebaan Sunset]

Hi Folks

I have been using a Canon 5DMK II for a couple of years now and we took it on our trip in Africa. It performed really well and the HD movie mode is pretty amazing. Whilst it is at the upper end of the scale in terms of cost etc..... the quality of the images with L Series lens kit was a massive step up from my previous Canon. We still used the IXUS point and shoot for quick movie and snap shots. We stored the kit in a Lowe Pro Fast Back rucsac, some dust did get in but nothing to worry about

Pros to using 5DMKII

• Robust build & quality - took a real beating on the trip and we had no problems
• High Res images @ 20MB - depth of colour is very noticable
• HD movie - The playback quality is crystal clear - very impressive

Cons

• Weight - Its a heavy beast, esp. with heavier L Series lens kit on
• Size - its a very visible item when in confined markets / crowds
• Motor noise - If you dont use a remote mic you get motor noise on playback if you film with image stabliser on

I am slowly uploading high res images to my photography site and I also wrote a report on Overland Land Photography which you can read on our Blog You can see all our photos on our main website

One thing you have to manage on a trip like this is DUST..... its so fine it gets through zips, even if they have a flap cover. I also used a cloth to cover camera when driving so I had it to hand for quick access when we stopped.

Regards

Nick

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Thanks for the report, Nick. We're about do do some work in Egypt with a 5D MkII, and I'm optimistic about the results. I've heard about the motor noise issue in video mode; we bought a good remote microphone partially for that reason. We'll also be trying one of these (with suitable safety straps):

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

I've been shooting with the 5D MarkII for just a full year now and I cant believe how much it has done for my photography. The colors and range it offers is amazing.

I cant comment on the video, I've only shot a few clips just to see what it was like, and it opens a completely different field of editing than I'm comfortable with

I agree it's built really well and makes for the perfect travel/documentary camera

 

[DrMoab]

So Pat...is there a 1Dx in your future?

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Cindy told me if I can come up with half, she'll cover the other half :victory:

I'm working on my half as we speak!