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Canon EOS 1D Mark II N

Digital Camera Review

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Physical Tour

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November 16, 2005 By Alex Mekelburg
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Canon EOS 1D Mark II N
Page 3

White Balance Shows icons for built-in settings or for custom white balance, or a Kelvin temperature for a dialed-in white balance



Color correction


Provides color adjustment along a blue-to-amber axis and a green-to-magenta axis


File number and folder number


Shows the numbers, but not the alphabetic prefixes


Image Size


Shows file format – RAW, the various sizes of JPEG, or combinations of RAW and JPEG


Memory Cards


Shows whether there are memory cards in the camera, whether the CF and SD cards are being written to, and whether RAW images are being written to either the SD or CF card



Viewfinder (9.25)
The EOS-1D Mark II n viewfinder is bright and comfortable, with good eye relief. Data displays below and to the right of the image are easy to see without straining. Fine black lines outline a small circle at the center of the frame for the center spot metering area, and they outline a larger vaguely elliptical shape, which shows the area in which the 45 autofocus sensors are arranged. The black lines are always visible, but the red rectangle indicating the autofocus sensor sites will not light up until the AF point selection button is pressed.
 
Exposure scales for both ambient light and flash run vertically to the right of the screen. A two-digit number below the scales shows the maximum burst that the buffer can accommodate. The number varies, depending on the image size, image quality, and how many images are already in the buffer. A JPEG icon lights up if the camera is set to write JPEGs.
 
The data displayed below the screen are modal: not all the following indicators are visible simultaneously. They include: aperture and shutter speed, focus confirmation, AE lock, manual mode indicator, flash ready light, warning for improper flash exposure, high-speed sync mode, autofocus point selection mode, flash exposure lock, "Busy" indicator, active memory card indicator, ISO, white balance correction, shots remaining, and self-timer countdown.
 
It sounds like a huge amount of potentially distracting information, but in regular shooting all you see is the exposure scales, aperture, shutter speed, shots left on the card, and shots left in the buffer.
 
LCD Screen (7.75)
Color LCD
A primary modification on the Mark II n is the improved LCD display. Up from the 2-inch screen applied to the earlier 1D Mark II, the EOS-1D Mark II n offers a 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel color LCD for image review. The size is adequate for reviewing images for sharpness, and provides plenty of room to peruse menu options. Just as Canon's marketing claims, the LCD is visible over a wide range of angles, and the color and contrast are better than average.  We found the screen to have a much wider angle of view to the sides than when viewed from above or below, but it still offers more visibility than many LCDs applied to professional level DSLRs. The screen’s only major deficiency was its inability to handle bright conditions.  Under direct sunlight or strong overhead illumination, images on the screen became washed out and visibility was almost entirely lost. 
 
Monochrome LCD
The monochrome LCD on the back of the EOS-1D Mark II n shows a range of shooting data. The indicators are large and readable, and the display itself is sharp and full of contrast. The data shown are:
 
 
The top LCD panel on the EOS-1D Mark II n shows shooting information that would be familiar to film shooters. The data relates to the mechanical aspects of the camera, rather than digital components.
 
Aperture
EF lenses share this information electronically
Exposure Mode
Shows if the camera is in Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual
Metering Mode
Shows if the camera is in Evaluative, Partial, Spot, and Averaging
Battery status
Shows four steps, from fully charged to empty
Shutter speed
Shows shutter speed as set on the camera, but also shows a timer when the shutter is set to Bulb, timing how long the user keeps the shutter open
Autofocus point selection mode
Indicates whether the autofocus point is manually selected
ISO
Shows ISO speed
FE lock
Indicates if flash exposure is locked
Busy/ Error
Shows camera status
Shots remaining
Shows shots remaining based on current settings
AF mode
Clarifies if the camera is in One-shot or AI Servo
Drive mode
Indicates if the camera is in Single, Low-speed continuous, High-speed continuous, or Self-timer (2 or 10 seconds)
Exposure compensation
Shows selected compensation, or bracketing amounts
AEB
Demonstrates Auto-Bracketing status (on or off)
Flash exposure compensation
Icon shows if compensation is set to something other than zero; press flash exposure compensation button to show the compensation value
Personal Function
Icon shows if any of the personal customizations have been set to non-default settings
 
Flash (8.0)
The EOS-1D Mark II n does not have a built-in flash. It's compatible with Canon's EOS-dedicated, EX-series flashes, and offers the following flash control options.
 
E-TTL II Autoflash
Uses lens focus distance information as well as light metering to determine exposure
High-speed sync
Enables sync at all shutter speeds
FE Lock
Locks flash exposure
Flash exposure compensation
Lets the user set exposure compensation up or down 3 stops, in 1/3-stop increments
FEB
Stands for flash exposure bracketing, letting the user adjust it up and down up to 3 stops, in 1/3-stop increments
E-TTL II wireless autoflash with multiple speedlights
Multiple EX-series flashes can be controlled wirelessly
Metered manual flash
The camera will determine the proper exposure based on a pre-flash
 
It's impressive that the EOS-1D Mark II n is compatible with all the EX flashes – they go way back. It's as if you could mount a Model T steering wheel on the latest Ford. Nikon flashes, in contrast, don't maintain nearly as much compatibility.
 
Lens (9.0)
The EOS-1D Mark II n is not marketed with a kit lens, but our sample came with a 16-35 mm f/2.8 EF USM lens, which, with the EOS-1D Mark II n's 1.3x magnification factor, looks like a 21-45mm on 35mm body. Canon's EF lenses have a great reputation, and no manufacturer makes a broader variety of autofocus lenses for their cameras.
 
The 16-35mm lens is sharp and full of good contrast. The ultrasonic motor in the lens zipped it into focus very quickly. Of course, the camera's autofocus mechanism is primarily responsible for that, but the lens is clearly not a drag on the system.
 
Click here to view a list of all compatible Canon EF autofocus lenses.
 

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Canon EOS 1D Mark II N
Digital Camera Review
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Previous: Page 2

Physical Tour

Previous: Page 4

Design / Layout