You guys that are into measurebating and pixel peeping might not find this all that interesting. No groundbreaking news or earth-shattering discoveries here.
The way I test equipment is pretty simple.....I just take pictures. I do some focus tests here and there, but for the most part my testing consists of shooting photos and doing a few test prints to make sure that what I see on the screen looks like it should when printed. That's about it...
Since none of my lenses arrived, I borrowed a 50mm/2.5 macro locally and took it for a quick spin yesterday. I managed to pick up one of my favorite lenses (Sigma 24-60mm/2.8) in a Canon mount. It's much different on the FF body that it was on cop bodies, but the IQ and sharpness is still there.
Bottom line: A camera is just a tool. I see no real difference in IQ with one camera vs. the next. In fact, if the K20D was a FF body, I'd go as far as to say there's zero difference in IQ between them. The one thing the Canon does better is high-ISO noise. Even ISO3200 files look pretty good straight out of the camera. All of the images below were processed RAW files with no NR applied. I haven't tested it much in a low-light scenerio, but the focus is pretty snappy and I have every reason to believe it will perform well in that situation. Those were two of the main reasons I decided to switch.
My observations, good and bad:
Good:
- Full frame is a good thing! I grew up on 35mm film, so this is somewhat familiar to me. That being said, it's going to take some getting used to (again). It's been a while since I've shot consistently with a full frame camera. The difference FOV is significant, enought that I think about it when looking through the viewfinder.
- Ergonomics: It didn't take long to figure out the controls on this body. Changing ISO, EV comp, etc. on the fly is not as bad as I thought it would be. The thumbwheel, which I really like, has a lot to do with that.. The hardest thing may be getting used to the shutter position. It's slightly forward of where it is on the K20D and other Pentax bodies I've shot with. Other than that, the body w/grip feels comfortable in my hand.
- Battery grip: The grip is actually at the bootom of the body (duh!) and into the battery compartment. Why didn't Pentax think of this. Both batteries are accessible without having to remove the grip. The only negaive I see is having to remover the battery door on the body to mount the grip. One must take great care in making sure you don't lose that door.
Bad:
The WB presets suck! Either that or the 5D produces really cool images compared to Pentax. In outdoor sunlight, the AWB was much more life-like than the daylight setting, which was was pretty cold in comparison. Fortunately this can be adjusted in the custom settings, but I haven't gotten to that part of the manual yet.
Custom menu: While not as bad I had had heard, it definitely doesn't have the number of custom options the K20D does. The basics are covered, but that's about all.
No TAv mode: With a camera that handles high-ISOs as well as the 5D does, TAv mode would be a treat to shoot with. Unfortunately, Canon does not have this feature. Kinda sucks if you ask me. The fact that ISO3200 files are pretty good makes it even more of a disappointment for me.
Pics - All shot in RAW (CR2) and processes in LR and/or CS3. Some light smart sharpening applied. All EXIFs should be intact.
1 (some noise added here in post)
2
3
4
5
6
7 (w/Sigma 24-60/2.8)