Canon® EOS 5D Mark II Digital Field Guide

Chapter 6. Selecting and Using Canon Lenses

It's been said that the incredibly high resolution of the 5D Mark II sensor highlights any shortcoming of your lens's optical characteristics, and there's no question that the full-frame 5D Mark II produces the best-quality images when using high-quality lenses, such as the Canon L-series lenses. With a high-quality lens, pictures have stunning detail, high resolution, and sharp contrast. Alternatively, low-quality optics tend to produce softened edges — particularly with wide-angle lenses — more chromatic aberrations, and distortion.

With the full-frame sensor of the 5D Mark II, the need for the best glass is especially important because at full-frame, 21.1 MB resolution, any defects in the lens performance show up immediately in terms of soft or darker corners. As most photographers know, over time, the investment in lenses far exceeds the money invested in camera bodies. For this reason, making studied decisions on lens purchases pays off for years to come in getting great image sharpness and quality.

Choosing the right lens can help you capture intricate details, such as this dew-covered web and its spider owner. ISO 1000, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., with an EF 100mm f/2.8 USM lens.

Understanding Canon Lenses

The 5D Mark II is compatible with the Canon EF mount lenses but not with the EF-S lenses designed for the cropped sensor cameras from Canon. ...