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Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR - Features

Canon EOS 5D New Picture Style Function

Canon's new Picture Style function unifies settings for image processing parameters (previously Tone Curve, Sharpness and Contrast) and color matrix (previously Standard, Portrait, High and Low Saturation and Adobe RGB) and provides one easy-to-use point of access for the control of Sharpness, Contrast, Color Tone and Saturation. In the past, some users of the EOS-1D line had difficulty understanding the effect of disparate settings on final image characteristics. Also, some thought that their images looked soft because they did not recognize that Canon's default setting for EOS-1 class DSLRs deliberately applies no sharpening. Picture Style makes it simple for users to get optimum image quality by making a selection, which is more or less like selecting a particular film type in the past on the basis of color characteristics, contrast and sharpness.

The first three Picture Styles, Standard, Portrait and Landscape, include Sharpness levels 3, 2 and 4, respectively and do not anticipate major post-processing efforts. The Standard image looks crisp, like a successful snapshot, and the Color Tone and Saturation are set to obtain vivid colors. The Portrait Style has Color Tone and Saturation set to obtain natural skin tones. Sharpness, one step weaker than in Standard, is kinder to skin. With the Landscape Style, Color Tone and Saturation are set to achieve deep, vivid blues and greens for skies and foliage. The Sharpness is set one step more than Standard so that the outlines of mountains, trees and buildings look crisp.

Picture Style selection screen

The fourth Style, Neutral, is the same as the default setting for previous EOS-1D series cameras. Natural color reproduction is obtained and no sharpness is applied, anticipating the knowledgeable post-processing for which this setting is ideal. Like Neutral, the Faithful Picture Style applies no sharpening. It is the same as Digital Photo Professional's Faithful setting. When the subject is photographed under a color temperature of 5200K, the color is adjusted colorimetrically to match the subject's color, even with JPEG images. Each of these five preset Picture Styles can be altered manually in the menu for Sharpness, Contrast, Color Tone and Saturation, so personal settings are easy to develop.

The sixth Picture Style is Monochrome, identical to the EOS 20D camera's monochrome setting. Sharpness is preset at 3 and Contrast is at its middle value. Instead of the inappropriate Color Tone and Color Saturation, settings for Filter Effects (None, Yellow, Orange, Red, Green) and Toning Effect (None, Sepia, Blue, Purple, Green) are offered. User defined PC Settings, set with software under development, may become available at release or separately, as may additional, downloadable Picture Styles.

Canon EOS 5D Ultra-Precise White Balance

The EOS 5D digital SLR has an extensive and highly accurate set of white balance controls and adjustments. First, it has nine types of white balance: Auto (which uses the AWB algorithm of the EOS-1Ds Mark II model), Daylight (approx. 5,200K), Shade (approx. 7,000K), Cloudy/Twilight/Sunset (approx. 6,000K), Tungsten light (approx. 3200K), White Fluorescent light (approx. 4,000K), Flash (approx. 6,000K), Custom (Take a picture of a white subject serving as the white balance standard; then set "Custom WB" mode on the on-screen menu to specify that image) and Color Temperature (set manually from 2,800K to 10,000K in 100 degree increments).

The color temperature of all nine white balance modes listed here can be adjusted or corrected (using the Multi-controller, pushable in all directions) in +/- 9 levels of blue/amber bias and +/- 9 levels of magenta/green bias. White balance correction can fine tune color within the range from 2,000K to 10,000K.

White balance bracketing of up to +/- 3 stops in whole-stop increments can be implemented with a single shutter release. (When WB-BKT is set, the "shots remaining" will decrease to about one third the normal number.) Either blue/amber or magenta/ green bracketing is possible separately. White balance correction and auto exposure bracketing can also be set in combination with white balance bracketing, in which case nine images will be saved to the CF card (with commensurately extended write times). Significantly on the EOS 5D model, white balance bracketing can be used with RAW and RAW+JPEG shots.

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