Canon 1D C versus Canon 5D Mark II

The Canon EOS-1D C and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II are two professional cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in April 2012 and September 2008. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The 1DC has a resolution of 17.9 megapixel, whereas the 5D Mark II provides 21 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 1D C vs Canon 5D Mark II

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 1D C and the Canon 5D Mark II is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the 1DC – represents the basis or 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 5D Mark II is considerably smaller (33 percent) than the Canon 1D C. Moreover, the 5D Mark II is substantially lighter (45 percent) than the 1DC. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can find an overview of suitable optics in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 1DC gets 1120 shots out of its LP-E4N battery, while the 5D Mark II can take 850 images on a single charge of its LP-E6 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D C»	6.2 in	6.5 in	3.3 in	54.5 oz	1120	Y	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 5D Mark II«	6.0 in	4.5 in	3.0 in	30.0 oz	850	Y	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 5D Mark IV« »	5.9 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	31.4 oz	900	Y	Aug 2016	3,499			Canon 5D Mark IV
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	6.2 in	6.6 in	3.3 in	54.0 oz	1210	Y	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 70D« »	5.5 in	4.1 in	3.1 in	26.6 oz	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon 6D« »	5.7 in	4.4 in	2.8 in	27.2 oz	1090	Y	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	6.0 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	33.5 oz	950	Y	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 1D X« »	6.2 in	6.6 in	3.3 in	54.7 oz	1120	Y	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 7D« »	5.8 in	4.4 in	2.9 in	30.3 oz	800	Y	Sep 2009	1,699	-		Canon 7D
	Canon 1D Mark IV« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	43.4 oz	1500	Y	Oct 2009	4,999	-		Canon 1D Mark IV
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	5.9 in	6.3 in	3.1 in	48.9 oz	1800	Y	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 5D« »	6.0 in	4.4 in	3.0 in	31.6 oz	400	Y	Aug 2005	3,299	-		Canon 5D
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	55.2 oz	1200	Y	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Nikon D4« »	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.6 in	47.3 oz	2600	Y	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
Convert to Metric

The camera’s price is obviously a critical decision-making factor. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The 5D Mark II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 77 percent) than the 1DC, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Canon 1D C vs Canon 5D Mark II

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the 5D Mark II offers a higher resolution of 21 megapixel, compared with 17.9 MP of the 1DC. This megapixel advantage translates into a 8 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the 5D Mark II has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 6.41μm versus 6.95μm for the 1DC). Moreover, it should be noted, that the 1DC is much more recent (by 3 years and 6 months) than the 5D Mark II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the 1DC provides a higher video resolution than the 5D Mark II. It can shoot video footage at 4K/24p, while the 5D Mark II is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison: Canon 1D C vs Canon 5D Mark II

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1DC and the 5D Mark II are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 1D C and Canon 5D Mark II along with similar information for a selection of comparators. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

Both the 1DC and the 5D Mark II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The 5D Mark II was replaced by the Canon 5D Mark III, while the 1DC does not have a direct successor.

Review summary: Canon 1D C vs Canon 5D Mark II

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Canon 1D C or the Canon 5D Mark II – has the upper hand? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Canon EOS-1D C:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/24p vs 1080/30p).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 920k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (14 vs 3.9 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (1120 versus 850) on a single battery charge.
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 6 months of technical progress since the 5D Mark II launch.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (21 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 8%.
• More compact: Is smaller (152x114mm vs 158x164mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 695g or 45 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (77 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in September 2008).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 1DC comes out slightly ahead of the 5D Mark II (6 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 1DC or the 5D Mark II. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D C»	-	-	-	-	-	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 5D Mark II«	91/100	79/100	4/5	5/5	-	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 5D Mark IV« »	HiRec	87/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	3,499			Canon 5D Mark IV
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	-	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 70D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon 6D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	HiRec	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 1D X« »	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 7D« »	HiRec	84/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2009	1,699	-		Canon 7D
	Canon 1D Mark IV« »	-	89/100	-	5/5	-	Oct 2009	4,999	-		Canon 1D Mark IV
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	-	HiRec	4.5/5	-	-	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 5D« »	88/100	HiRec	rev	rev	-	Aug 2005	3,299	-		Canon 5D
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	-	-	-	-	-	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Nikon D4« »	-	-	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when refering to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If you cannot find the camera you are interested in, please send me an email, and I will try to add information on that model to the database.

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