Choosing a Great DSLR Camera And Lens

Features of The Canon 5D Mark II

Why I Like my 5D MK II

• FULL FRAME: A digital camera with an image sensor the same size as a 35mm film frame is called a full frame camera. This is important because image quality and resolution is not just a matter of having a lot of pixels. Image quality improves greatly with the size of the image sensor. This isn't just because it can accommodate more photo-sites (pixels), it's because the light catching ability of the photo-sites improves with the size of the image sensor. Most lower end digital cameras have smaller image sensors so when comparing digital cameras, don't just count pixels, consider the size of the image sensor.
• 21 MEGAPIXELS: That's a lot of megapixels and when you consider the full frame image sensor, you know your will capture great images. The advantages of a high pixel-resolution camera include the ability to zoom in and crop and image with lots of pixels left over for a large print. The more pixels you have, the larger size you can print your images so more is good for resolution and enlargement.
• BROAD ISO RANGE: The 5D MK II can operate at ISO's from 50 to 25,600. You probably know that the ISO settings determine the sensitivity of the image sensor to light. This is a huge range to allow you to take pictures in a wide range of lighting conditions.
• LIVE VIEW MODE: This mode allows you to see through the lens using the 3" LCD screen on the back of the camera rather than looking through the view finder. This can be very handy under some shooting conditions.
• SELF CLEANING IMAGE SENSOR: This is a helpful feature as it helps you keep the image sensor free of dust that might settle on it when changing lenses. When you are busy this can help prevent your having to stop to clean your sensor.
• 3.9 FRAMES PER SECOND BURST: With my type of photography I seldom need this but it's wonderful when you're shooting something in motion and want to capture it at just the right instant. In this mode, hold the shutter release down and it takes 3.9 full frame images per second - great for sports and some wildlife.
• IT'S AN HD-VIDEO CAMERA: Most digital cameras these days are also useable as video cameras. I seldom use this capability for my photography but this camera is a high definition (1080p) video camera and was actually used to film a season finally of the House TV program.

Why it's my Most Used Lens

• 24-105mm ZOOM: This is a great range from wide-angle to moderate telephoto. It allows me to shoot everything from landscapes to portraits with a single lens.
• L GLASS: When you see an "L" in a Canon lens description you know you are looking at a Canon high end lens. The "L" indicates the lens contains Canon's Super-UD glass which provides optimum contrast and color resolution. In photography, resolution isn't just pixel count and image sensor size, the quality of your lens makes a big difference.
• IMAGE STABILIZATION: The "IS" in a lens description indicates the lens comes with Canon's image stabilization technology to help reduce camera shake for sharp clear images.
• AUTO FOCUS: This is a fast and sharp auto focus (AF) lens using Canon's USM technology. You can also switch AF off for manual focus when needed.
• f/4: This lens has a maximum aperture of f/4 which is constant throughout the 24-105 range. This isn't a super-fast lens but it's more than adequate for most shooting conditions.