<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Thanks Bryan (again) for setting up this thread.
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Firstly, I upgraded from a 40D. Why? I felt I was ready for a FF and the 5D mk1 was small, slow and too retro for me. The price differential in Greece was small enough to pay more for more with the mk2. Comparisons relate to the 40D *only*.
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]What I like:
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]IQ is seriously much better all across the board, from landscapes to macros (I suppose the extra ISO reach might come in handy one day, but not today)
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Build is serious, solid
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Ease of use: the LCD is a joy, as is the bigger, brighter viewfinder
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Ergonomics: rear is simplified, but the menu is so much easier, but live view button at last makes that useless print button useful, and multi-directional knob convenient. Otherwise, little or no difference compared to the 40D.
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]What I don&rsquo;t like:
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Humungous files (does anyone really need 21 Mb files?)
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Slower fps than the 40D
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Obviously, telephoto lenses lose the 1.6 x advantage
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Not compatible with Photoshop CS3 or anything else (spring another thousand and you get CS4 which is, but that&rsquo;s another story. Lightroom 2 is compatible)
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Immaterial:
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]The CA setting &ndash; is anyone ready and willing to buy this camera going to use this?
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]HDMI video &ndash; ok, so what?
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Black dot / sRAW1 banding issues &ndash; corrected with the firmware update
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"]<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]<span style="font-size: small;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Presence on xxD / absence on XD of built-in flash
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]I regularly print A3+, where the original 5D&rsquo;s low pixel count would suffer, so any 5D mk2 would have been must if I was going to stay with Canon (pretty much of a sure thing given my lens investment). Am I happy with my purchase? Of course! Could it have been better? Again, of course! I think time (and sales stats) will prove the 5D mk2 to be slightly disappointing, if only because our expectations were so high. I image Canon engineers thought about what to add but were overruled by the marketers, so we got the inevitable (and unnecessary, IMO) pixel boost, but HDMI video? This camera replaces a machine that catered to semi-pro, serious amateur and pro shooters. Are these same people really interested in video? I would have preferred better AF and metering for my money, or least any extra image processor to speed it up.
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]In relative terms, the mk2 release price was lower than the mk1&rsquo;s &ndash; and that&rsquo;s a good thing. I&rsquo;m happy I kept my 40D. The the 5D mk2 is not a breakthrough, it&rsquo;s an extension.
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;"]Canon seems to be pursuing the same strategy as car makers: use the expensive models to innovate, pay for innovations with the cheap ones sold in bulk and innovate incrementally. Take a look at the auto market today. Need I say more?