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Front (8.0)
 The Canon EOS-1D Mark II n is a big, square camera, about as tall as it is wide. The gaping Canon EF lens mount, which looks awfully big on the Canon Rebel XT and the 20D, is more proportionate on the 1D Mark II n. The camera's viewfinder hump is made up of gradual curves and gentle inclines, and bulges forward only slightly. The lens release is on the right side of the mount. It's a large, rectangular button that projects only slightly from the camera surface. It is easy to use purely by feel. On the opposite side of the mount, toward the bottom, there is a small, glossy black button with a long travel toward the right. It's the depth of field preview button, and it's designed to be actuated with the left pinkie, as the left hand cradles the lens.
The EOS-1D Mark II n’s handgrip itself is excellent. It is smoothly curved from front to back, so users can shift their grip without running afoul of any sharp contours. A subtle indentation wraps around the top part of the grip, forming a bed for the user's right middle finger. The cap of the grip juts out a bit with a curved plane that slopes down, and the main shutter release is on that surface. The bottom end of the grip bulges too, forming a spot for the shutter release for vertical shooting. The second release is also set on a sloping plane.
The bottom edge of the camera bulges forward to create a comfortable handgrip that's reminiscent of the main one. The EOS-1D Mark II n's battery slides inside the bottom, and half of the two-part battery lock is visible in the lower left corner, opposite the second shutter release.
From the front, the Canon EOS-1D Mark II n ultimately looks very businesslike and plain. It's remarkable that on this sedate façade, the whole of the camera's ponderous name appears, in four installments and in various treatments. Gratifyingly, it reads correctly from top to bottom. On the viewfinder, there's the attractive Canon logo, embossed and filled with white paint. Screen printed on the right shoulder is EOS-1. Below that, on its own small badge, is a textured, metallic D. In a similar finish, but much smaller type, is the “Mark II n” to the lower right of the lens mount.
There is also a self-timer indicator light on the face of the camera, between the grip and the lens mount.
 Back (8.5)There are 20 controls, two displays, a microphone, a status light, and a door on the back of the EOS-1D Mark II n, but because they're spread over a 6 x 6-inch area, the back still doesn't look or feel crowded.
At the top of the back and left of center is the viewfinder, with a diopter adjustment on its left side and an eyepiece shutter on its right. Both are mechanical controls, and they are pretty beefy. The diopter wheel feels a bit loose, but since it's protected by the rubber eye cup, it shouldn't get accidentally jostled out of adjustment.
Under and to the left of the viewfinder, the 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel color LCD and a monochrome text and icon-based LCD share a single plastic slab on the left half of the back. There are five buttons in a column on the left of the displays, on the very left edge of the camera’s back. They are: Lock/voice annotation, Menu, Select, Display, and Memory card select/ image magnify. Below the displays, there are three more buttons: delete, image quality, and white balance.
Canon's familiar and sizable “Quick Control” dial is to the right of the LCD, inset significantly from the display surface, but also raised above the thumb grip area further to the right. A large pivoting switch that activates Quick Control is tucked in the triangle formed by the LCD, the viewfinder, and the Quick Control itself.
The main power switch for the camera is below the large Quick Control dial. It is a rotary switch with three positions: Off, On, and on with beeps. The beeps confirm focus in one-shot focus mode. It's a stiff switch, so it's unlikely that the camera could be shut off accidentally. The four tiny microphone holes are to the left and slightly above the power switch, between it and the LCD.
The EOS-1D Mark II n's memory card door latch is in the same neighborhood. If the Quick Control were a clock face, the power switch would be at 6:30, and the latch would be at four o'clock. Like the main switches on the camera, the latch is a large and secure control. But unlike the other controls, using the latch is a two-step process: there's a small tab to flip up before the latch can be turned. The card door is large, much taller and wider than the CompactFlash and Secure Digital card slots it covers. The door is well sealed, with a rubber gasket and baffle closure.
Three buttons in the uppermost right corner of the back select the autofocus sensor, lock the exposure setting, and modify the white balance. It's convenient to hit any of them while the camera is at eye level. All three are duplicated in the lower right corner of the back, for use with the vertical grip. The white balance control is a bit odd – it works in conjunction with the main white balance button under the LCD and the main control dial, so it's awkward to use while the camera is at eye level, particularly when the camera is vertical.
Left Side (8.5)
The center of the left side of the EOS-1D Mark II n has two rubber doors covering jacks pertaining to both shooting and playback functions. The shooting jacks are a PC sync terminal and a jack for wired remote controls. The playback controls are an analog video out port, USB 2.0, and FireWire. Above the ports, there's a shoulder strap lug inset into the camera. The bottom inch or so of the left side is made up of the camera's battery pack. The battery pack latches are a bit more secure than even the ones on the memory card door. Again, there is a large tab to flip down and then rotate. But to release the battery, the user must take another step – pressing a small button labeled “2.”
Right Side (9.0)
Moving counter-clockwise from the very top, the right side of the EOS-1D Mark II n features an inset shoulder strap lug, the memory card door hinge, and a big expanse of textured rubber that makes up part of the handgrip. Centered below the grip and card door hinge is a large rotary switch which turns on the controls for vertical shooting. The FEL button, which selects spot metering points, and the main control dial for the vertical grip are also visible from the right.
Top (8.0)
The top of the EOS-1D Mark II n offers several buttons, nearly all of which activate more than one function. Left of the viewfinder hump, three buttons are set in an elongated triangle. The Mode button is on top. When it's pressed, the main control dial can then switch the camera's exposure mode. The middle button controls the autofocus mode – while it's pressed, the main control dial can cycle through the modes. The bottom button activates the control for metering pattern and flash exposure compensation.
The three buttons access even more controls when they are pressed in pairs. Pressing Mode and AF simultaneously allows the user to set the exposure increment between bracketed frames. The autofocus and metering pattern button combine to control the ISO setting, and the Mode and metering pattern button together control the drive mode.
Only people with very large hands will find it easy to hit two of those buttons simultaneously with a single finger. Most users will find themselves making very basic adjustments – setting the ISO – using two fingers on the left hand to press buttons and turning a dial with their right index finger simultaneously.
The EOS-1D Mark II n has a flash hot shoe on top of the viewfinder hump, which is compatible with the dedicated functions of all EOS flashes.
On the right side of the hump towards the front of the camera, there are buttons for exposure compensation and illuminating the LCD panels. There is a monochrome LCD behind the buttons, which shows exposure and shooting data.
On the top of the grip, there's an FEL button for selecting spot metering points, and there’s also the main control dial.
Bottom (8.5)
Most of the bottom of the EOS-1D Mark II n is the gripping surface of the vertical grip, so a good share of the bottom is covered in a relatively smooth, leather-textured rubber. There is a flush-mount lug for a wrist strap near the vertical shutter release. The strap wouldn't work with the vertical grip. The tripod socket is centered on the lens axis, right where it should be. A look in the battery compartment shows a metal assembly reinforcing the connection.
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