Canon EOS 1D Mark II N

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EOS 1D Mark II N Prices

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Value (9.0)

The EOS-1D Mark II n is a heck of a lot of camera—and at $4,000, it had better be. We can judge its value in a few ways, but any way you slice it, this camera is a strong buy.

 

First, we can compare it to the competition: for $500 more than the Nikon D2Hs, it delivers a faster shooting rate and twice as many pixels. The Nikon autofocus system seemed to handle some low-contrast subjects better, but not conclusively so. Comparatively, the 1D Mark II n seems like a great value.

 

Second, let's think about its value as a money-making tool – the EOS-1D Mark II n will make things easier for working professionals. It produces excellent image quality. It's very fast. Its build quality is excellent – though we can't stretch the limits of an imager’s durability, the camera is very solid and should be reliable.

 

Third, we can consider inherent value – what Canon may have spent to get the EOS-1D Mark II n on store shelves. It's hard to find any spots where they seem to have skimped. It can't be cheap to squeeze 45 autofocus sensors into a camera, or to build a data path for 8.2 megapixel images running at 8.5 frames a second. Some expensive invention went into this thing. Heck, weigh it. There's more than a handful of magnesium alloy in that body, which alone can't be all that cheap.

 

Comparisons
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II - The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II is Canon's flagship digital SLR and it has the same size and nearly the same layout as the 1D Mark II n. The 1Ds Mark II is designed for studio, catalog, and portrait work, where its large 16.7 megapixel images and full-frame sensor are important.  In these situations, its relatively slow burst rate (4 fps) is fast enough. (It's worth acknowledging that stuffing four of those 16.7 megapixel images per second into a camera memory is no small feat.) The full-frame sensor and big files go for a list price of $7,999, about double the price of the Canon 1D Mark II n. However, pro users of the 1D series cameras will almost certainly have more than one camera body. Given the high quality of the EOS-1D Mark II n, and the very similar user experience of the two cameras, it's convenient for pros to use the EOS-1D Mark II n – the less expensive camera – as a second body along with the 1Ds depending on the demands of a particular shoot.

 

 

 

Nikon D2Hs - The Nikon D2Hs looks a bit weak next to the EOS-1D Mark II n. At 8 fps, it's a touch slower than the Canon, and at 4.1 megapixels, it has about half the resolution. The Nikon has astonishingly fast autofocus, and was apparently made to appeal to spot news photojournalists. The argument goes that those photographers don't need 8 megapixels, and perhaps would rather deal with smaller files than extra resolution. It's reasonable to say that not every shooter needs 8 megapixels of resolution, but it strains credulity to suggest that there is a significant portion of pro shooters who would rather not have it.  

 

 

 

 

Nikon D2X - Nikon and Canon seem to avoid going head to head on specs. The D2X, Nikon's flagship camera, is a 12.4 megapixel, $5,000 DSLR with a 5 fps burst mode, as well as a 6 megapixel, 8 fps high-speed mode, which crops the image. With price, resolution, and speed, it falls between the 1Ds Mark II and the 1D Mark II n. Jumping from 8.2 megapixels on the EOS-1D Mark II n to 12.4 with the D2X for $1,000 could make sense to photographers who don't need 8.5 fps very often.

Point-and-Shooters - Though the EOS-1D Mark II n can be used in automated modes, it is large, complicated, and expensive. Even folks who own them probably use something other than the EOS-1D Mark II n for snapshots.

Budget Consumers - The EOS-1D Mark II n goes for just short of $4,000. Though it's much less expensive than the EOS-1Ds Mark II and a strong value, it's hard to figure how anyone could buy one of these and call it scrimping.

Gadget Freaks - Are you a Speed Freak too? Crank up this camera’s burst mode and consider how fast all those bits and bytes are getting stuffed onto CF and SD cards. Listen to the clack of the mirror and the snapping shutter, feel its weight in your hands, and marvel at its professional curves. The EOS-1D Mark II n is pleasing to all the Gadget Freak’s senses. (Though admittedly, none of us bothered to taste it. That’s a requirement of a different kind of Freak altogether.)

 

Manual Control Freaks - Manual control freaks will have nothing to complain about with the EOS-1D Mark II n. Its settings are thorough and convenient to use, and the custom Picture Styles are icing on the cake.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists - The EOS-1D Mark II n is a pro camera. Its fast shooting rate and other capabilities are clearly pro-oriented, but a big part of the cost of the camera is justified by the work Canon has done to make it durable – its shutter is rated for 200,000 exposures, and its body is primarily metal.