Help! 5D...

julie32 · Jan 9, 2008

Ok, so I'm having an argument with a friend and I feel like I'm 100% correct of course. But I am hoping that my "true" family here will stand behind me! Anyway, my friend said she just got her new Canon 40D and she called it a full frame camera with image stabilization. To my knowledge the 5D is the only full frame canon camera right now...and cameras don't have Image stablization, it's the lenses that do, right?

IF I'm correct in my beliefs, and you have a free minute can you please tell me some more differences between the 40D and the 5D??

Said from a 5D believer,
Julie

Thanks so much.

Campbell · Jan 9, 2008

Not sure about the full frame question, but I know for a fact that some cameras do have image stabilization. Off the top of my head, I know that the Olympus E-510 has IS, and so does the E-3.

usayit · Jan 9, 2008

julie32 said:
Anyway, my friend said she just got her new Canon 40D and she called it a full frame camera with image stabilization.

Not full frame. Camera does not have built in IS.

To my knowledge the 5D is the only full frame canon camera right now...and cameras don't have Image stablization, it's the lenses that do, right?

1Ds Mark II and III are also full frame. Canon does not make DSLRs with built-in IS. They have IS lenses.

IF I'm correct in my beliefs, and you have a free minute can you please tell me some more differences between the 40D and the 5D??

Lots of differences. It would be more complete for you to examine the specifications on this site: www.dpreview.com

Ls3D · Jan 9, 2008

Another interesting stat; The 40D does have a 14 bit ADC (16,384 tones) vs the 5D's 12 bits (4,096) tones. Follow the controversy here. Or perhaps below..

-Shea

Mav · Jan 10, 2008

I think the average human eye can only discern something like 100 tones between flat black to pure white, so even a measly 8-bits / 256 shades per channel is "technically" enough. A lot of this is marketing overkill, IMHO.

Anyways, your friend is wrong. As the others pointed out only the 5D and 1Ds MkII & III are "full-frame", meaning their sensors cover the full traditional 35mm film size frame area. A couple o their bodies have a 1.3x crop (1D MkII & III), and then the 10/20/30/40D and the 300/350/400D (Rebels) all have a 1.6x crop for the consumer/prosumer level bodies. Even the 1.6x sensors are MUCH bigger than the tiny little point & shoot sensors which is where all the extra performance comes from, but they're still not full frame. On the Nikon side, only the new $5000 D3 is full-frame. All the rest of Nikon's DSLRs have a 1.5x crop sensor.

As for image stabilization, I think only Pentax and the others mentioned Olympus have in-body stabilization. Your friend probably got her 40D with a lens that has stabilization like the new 18-55IS or the 28-135IS (which comes with a lot of 40D kits), but the lens is what has the stabilization feature, not the body.

Ls3D · Jan 10, 2008

In all things digital, over sampling leads to better fidelity, and in this case greyscale in particular still remains challenged. MHO.

-S

8 bit ramps:

nicfargo · Jan 10, 2008

The 40D has a higher bit then the 5D but the 5D still gives a truer picture because of it's full-frame. I read a review that showed this with the 5D and the 40D at same focal lengths (so when the 5D was at 35mm the 40D had to be at like 24mm) and the quality and sharpness of the image was better in the 5D. The 5D also did a much better job at showing detail in dark areas. I'll post the review if I can find it (it's either dpreview, the-digital-picture-review, or some other popular review site)

Sideburns · Jan 10, 2008

nicfargo said:
The 40D has a higher bit then the 5D but the 5D still gives a truer picture because of it's full-frame. I read a review that showed this with the 5D and the 40D at same focal lengths (so when the 5D was at 35mm the 40D had to be at like 24mm) and the quality and sharpness of the image was better in the 5D. The 5D also did a much better job at showing detail in dark areas. I'll post the review if I can find it (it's either dpreview, the-digital-picture-review, or some other popular review site)

That's a little biased, because the lens was at a different focal length. They should have moved back or something...or anything other than change focal length.

usayit · Jan 10, 2008

Ls3D said:
Another interesting stat; The 40D does have a 14 bit ADC (16,384 tones) vs the 5D's 12 bits (4,096) tones. Follow the controversy here. Or perhaps below..

-Shea

Another interesting stat:
The 40D was announced August 2007
The 5D was announced August 2005

(2 years is practically eons in terms of technology.... )

and what is amazing.... 5D is still the preferred choice by many Canon professionals out there.

Mav · Jan 10, 2008

Ls3D said:
In all things digital, over sampling leads to better fidelity, and in this case greyscale in particular still remains challenged. MHO.

-S

8 bit ramps:

Nice!

I zoomed in on that at ridiculously high zoom levels on my Mac (Control + Mouse wheel) and the color ramp looked smooth to me and I couldn't tell where the changes were. On the greyscale one, I could only tell the difference between each gradient starting at the 2nd half of the ramp where it started to get into the darker tones. Past that into very dark I again couldn't tell the difference. So maybe greys could use an extra bit or two. :mrgreen: