Mk2N VS 5D.....single AF point, in Servo?

[SeanH]

What do you think? I have a pending sale on my Mk2n and am buying a 5D.Someone said something to me yesturday that I have known for a long time, but never really stopped to think about it when comparing bodies............the AF (motor) for all Canon EOS camera's is in the lens. So I have two questions-

1) using single point AF and the same lense how could it be possible for one camera to the next to focus faster?

2)(and prefer comments from people who had owned, or do own both a 5D and Mk2N).........do you actually notice a difference in the AF........same conditions, same lens?

I do shoot some motocross, and I am wondering if the AF on the 5D is that different that the N..........cause honestly I can't tell that much difference for the N to my 20D. So if the 5D's AF is as good, or better than the 20D I will be perfectly happy

[KevC]

1-series has a far superior AF system.... dedicated chip.... (no hard evidence here, sorry)

I would assume that the 20D would perform almost identical to the 5D. So try it yourself. Compare your 1DMk2N and 20D.

[SeanH]

So try it yourself. Compare your 1DMk2N and 20D.
I have, and actually don't notice hardly any difference.........I mean I want to because I could buy almost 4 20D's for the price of the N......but I'm just not seeing it.

That's why I asked other opinions

[KevC]

I have, and actually don't notice hardly any difference.........I mean I want to because I could buy almost 4 20D's for the price of the N......but I'm just not seeing it.

That's why I asked other opinions

In that case, buy 4 20Ds. Or 2 5Ds. Or a 30D and a lot of nice glass. Wait, you already have a lot of nice glass. Hah.

What's important is for you. If you don't notice a difference in AF, you'd definitely notice the cash in your pocket =)

However, there might be something you're doing wrong, since I've heard 1-series autofocus is far superior to the x0D-series. Hm. But then again, if it's not working for you, then there's no point keeping it.

[SeanH]

I wouldn't say "not working", it's working great. I guess I just might be one of the guys that can admit my 1000 dollar camera is Damn close to my 4000 dollar camera (in that aspect).........but then again, I was asking about a 5D.......not the 20D I already know about :wink:


.....and what's this "I've heard" stuff......you don't own one, and your telling me.................next:wink:

[Permagrin]

I sold my 1DMKIIN and bought a 5D. Truly, as far as the auto focus goes, I can't detect any difference in the speed of focus (I'm using all the same lenses on the 5D that I did with the MKIIN). The 5D is very fast and the focus is really reliable. I actually like the metering better too, on the 5D over my MKIIN. You won't be missing anything except speed (frames per second) and even that, I don't notice (I mostly shoot landscapes, portraits..animals...that sort of thing). I did notice that I shoot less photos in order to get the one I want, because my 5D shots turn out the way I want to the first time, more often than not (I'm speaking focus & metering here). I think the AF is in the lens but it matters how the camera controls the AF to get the speed....(in incredibly lay-man speak) :) Anyway, that's my opinion of the two cameras. And congrats on your new purchase!!!

(You'll really notice a difference in details and shadows and lack of noise with the new 5D. Have fun!)

[Jim Victory]

The difference is in focus acquisition. If you don't use anything other than a single focus point then you may not see much of a difference between the 5D and 1DMKIIn.

The difference becomes apparent in extreme situations such as irratic movement of a subject and size of the subject in the viewfinder. I'm speaking from the viewpoint of sports or wildlife photography where the 1D's focus point is better equipped to provide a positive lock on your subject.

This is especially true if your subject provides a small target in your viewfinder like the eye of a bird. The 5D's focus points are actually larger than the 1DMKIIn and when trying to lock focus on a small object you may pick up the background instead. The spread of the focus points of the 5D are smaller in comparison to the 1D.

It appears that every since the 5D came out people are trying to compare it to some other camera. If it isn't the 30D it is the 1DsMKII or 1DMKIIn. The 5D is a different camera than the 1DMKIIn with different purposes. That is why I own both.

Bottom line the 5D has a good AF system and I think it is better than the 30D, I have one of those too, but it is not as good or better than any 1 series camera. Saying so is only wishful thinking or a lack of your ability to recognize the difference.

[Tom W]

What do you think? I have a pending sale on my Mk2n and am buying a 5D.Someone said something to me yesturday that I have known for a long time, but never really stopped to think about it when comparing bodies............the AF (motor) for all Canon EOS camera's is in the lens. So I have two questions-

1) using single point AF and the same lense how could it be possible for one camera to the next to focus faster?

The 1-series uses a separate processor for AF functions. In normal "still" situations, this doesn't matter much, though in AI-Servo mode, a 1D II should be more accurate and faster at predicting the focus adjustment for successive shots. I'm not sure of the limitations of each system, though the 5D advertizes that it is capable of tracking objects moving as fast as those tracked by the 1D II.

2)(and prefer comments from people who had owned, or do own both a 5D and Mk2N).........do you actually notice a difference in the AF........same conditions, same lens?

I have had both the 1D 2 (not the "N") and the 5D, and in situations in which I shoot, I've not noticed any real difference in terms of tracking moving subjects. The caveat here is that I have always used the center focus point for this type of shooting, with the expanded AF points function turned on (the 5D uses the 6 "invisible" AF sensors for this). If I frequently had my subjects well off center, I'm certain that the 1D II would provide superior performance due to the greatly increased focus-sensor saturation.

I do shoot some motocross, and I am wondering if the AF on the 5D is that different that the N..........cause honestly I can't tell that much difference for the N to my 20D. So if the 5D's AF is as good, or better than the 20D I will be perfectly happy

The AF on the 5D is as good or better than the 20D, as reported by many that have both. In particular, for shooting at moving subjects like motocross, the ability to use the expanded AF sensor points gives you greater ability to keep an AF sensor on your subject.

In comparing my 5D to the 30D, I've not made any conclusive determination as to whether the 5D is better or not, though I've had situations where the 5D is right on the money but the 30D seems a tiny bit off. I really have to do more controlled tests, though.

[malla1962]

If shooting motorcross,will about 3FPS suit you?Why do you want to go to the 5D?There is no way I would trade my 1DMK2 for a 5D.:D

[SeanH]

If shooting motorcross,will about 3FPS suit you?Why do you want to go to the 5D?There is no way I would trade my 1DMK2 for a 5D.:D

I always hear that, but since I ride / race myself I think I have a better feel as to what is going on and I really have never been a spray & pray type of photographer. 99% of my motocross shots are single shots.......at the right time. I have probably used the drive in high 3 times since I have owned the camera. If I use the drive it's always in low.

Thanks everyone for your comments, I'm feeling much better about it now. Honest to God the hardest part of letting the N go is losing the "bling" factor.......LOL

[Ronald S. Jr.]

You have a 20D, so that'll be your "fast crop cam" if you need it. I had a 1DMkII, and I haven't noticed any decrease in AF performance on the 5D which I have now. If you don't need 8.5fps, and you don't need a crop factor, and you don't need 45 AF points, the 5D is probably for you. God knows you've got the perfect lenses for FF.

[Permagrin]

"The Canon EOS 5D is equipped with a newly developed 9-point AF unit with 6 invisible Supplemental AF points. Results include improved AI Servo AF subject tracking and improved focusing from a defocused state. I find the 5D's autofocus to be both fast and accurate - even in low light situations. Although not quite as good as the 1D Mark II and 1Ds Mark II, the 5D performs well for real AF challenges such as action sports photography. My AI Servo AF hit rate through several soccer games was slightly less than what I generally see with the 1Ds Mark II, but still very good."

From a review of the 5D at http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-5D-DSLR-Digital-Camera-Review.aspx

I really hope you do enjoy your new camera and find that it is everything you need. Ultimately, what matters is what we each think of our personal systems...

The above review might help you decide if you need the 5D or want to consider something else.

[grego]

I'd take the 1D in overall situations, but the 5D can hold its own. As long as you are happy with the camera t the end of the day, that's all that counts.

[Lightstream]

AI Servo on the 5D is very decent. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to compare it to a 1-series camera. The six additional invisible points are very useful things.

If only the 5D had a faster framerate it would be perfect, it reduces the need to time something. I was trying to get a horse jumping today and it was not easy with 3fps although I think I bagged it in the end.