I just upgraded from a 20D to the EOS-1D Mark II, and the speed of the latter just blows the 20D out of the way! Image quality of both cameras is roughly similar, but how the camera gets you those images is simply amazing. The EOS-1D Mark II has the fastest shutter out there, low noise, consistent color, spot metering, multiple spot metering, weather sealing and the list just goes on and on! This camera demands the best glass, but you won't be sorry.

Before buying the 1D Mark II there are a few things you need to know :

1. It's easy to overlook the specification that the camera's USB connection is USB 1.1 and not USB 2.0. This is 40 times slower than USB 2.0, and Canon clearly intended the Mark II to be connected via firewire. That said, I occasionally use it with my laptop on the road, which only has a USB connection. It's convenient that the port is there, but my 1GB CF card takes a good half hour to empty.

2. By the time you've attached a solid L series or comparable lens to this camera, it weighs enough that lugging it around on your shoulder, even without a camera bag full of tricks, is quite a burden. Also, I was talking to a professional photographer who wouldn't buy the model just because cameras this heavy give her wrist trouble. If you've NEVER held a camera this size in your hand, I recommend borrowing one first or checking our your local camera store, even if you do ultimately buy from Amazon.

3. The camera conveniently supports both SD and CF cards. Unfortunately there's no way to copy between the two cards using the camera. It's not a gigantic deal, but there were times I had to wait to get home from a trip to free up the SD card when I didn't have a camera cable, but just an external CF reader.

Those are really the only 3 things I wish I'd known before I bought the camera...but would they have affected my purchase? Probably not! As I said, I bought the camera by mistake. Has it been loads of fun? Definitely. I have prints almost as good as medium format - at 100 times the convenience.



Link: Order the Canon EOS-1D Mark II 8.2 megapixel