Canon unveils 21-megapixel DSLR with HD video

 

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By David Fearon

Posted on 17 Sep 2008 at 11:20

Canon has shaken up the enthusiast-level digital SLR camera market with the release of the successor to the EOS 5D.

The advent of the 5D Mark II is no shock to followers of the Canon range, with the 5D's replacement speculated for well over a year.

The surprise part is the specification. Industry pundits were predicting a 15 or 16-megapixel sensor, but Canon has raised the stakes by fitting a full-frame 21.1-megapixel CMOS unit to the new body. This matches the resolution of its ultra-high-end EOS 1Ds Mk III, in a body around half the price at a suggested retail price of £2,299.

Canon has also snatched the brief lead that Nikon established after its release of the D90 two weeks ago. The D90 was the first DSLR to offer video-recording capabilities. The 5D Mark II raises the game with full 1080p, 30fps (frames per second) video to the D90's 720p, 24fps capability, albeit in a camera costing more than twice the D90's £900.

Also on the feature list is a 3.9fps second burst mode and sensitivity expandable to an impressive 25,600 ISO.

The new model holds on to the 5D's peculiar market niche, being the only semi-professional DSLR - Canon labels the model "compact" - to feature a full-frame sensor.