5D Mark II

Canon 5D Mark II owners and hopeful buyers were happy to see the release of firmware 1.0.7, which Canon made available yesterday, which is intended to address the "dreaded" black dot and sRAW1 banding issues.

In our article published a few days ago announcing the sale of the 5D Mark II in China, we anticipated hopefully that a US release was just around the corner. It turns out that it was - the long awaited Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which was originally announced way back on September 16th, will finally begin shipping tomorrow, Tuesday November 25th.

According to Chuck Westfall, Technical Advisor at Canon USA, the highly anticipated DSLR will begin shipping from Canon USA warehouses tomorrow and arriving at retailers shortly thereafter. This means that, depending on shipping times and how quickly dealers can handle the incoming stock, those customers savvy enough to have pre-ordered their cameras could have them in hand by the end of the week. Although it has not yet been confirmed whether or not 5D Mark II accessories will be shipping tomorrow, Westfall did indicate earlier this month that certain key items such as the Battery Pack LP-E6, Battery Grip BG-E6, Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E4/E4A and EG-series focusing screens would ship around the same time as the camera.

A number of RAW files and sample photos from Chinese units have already been popping up around the web, soon to be joined by plenty of U.S. specimens. Canadians will be adding their contributions

After what has likely seemed like an eternity to those who pre-ordered the new Canon 5D Mark II (though in reality it has only been a little over two months), the first production models of Canon's new 21.1 megapixel full-frame dSLR are now being sold at retail locations. In China, at least. Units have been spotted and purchased in retail shops in Beijing. The photo below (via DPReview forums) shows a Canon 5D Mark II kit being removed from a display case in a Beijing camera shop.

Retailers in China reportedly have the 5D Mark II kits (which includes Canon's 24-105mm L lens) in stores at this point, though supposedly

Photography professionals and enthusiasts alike continue to await the release of the highly anticiapted 5D Mark II. Originally announced in September, the 5D Mark II has been slated for release sometime in Novmeber without any additional information about when units will ship since the camera's introduction. As is the case with all highly anticipated camera (or any gadget, for that matter), rumors and reports continue to swirl as to when the camera will hit shelves. For those of you who still haven't pulled the proverbial trigger and ordered a 5D Mark II, the pre-order situation is getting more difficult, but options still exist. Following are updates on both available pre-order options and possible release scenarios.

Pre-Ordering
Though there is still no definitive on exactly how many units Canon will ship (nor will there ever likely be, really), it is very clear that demand is high. Conventional wisdom still demands that those who hope to get their hands on a 5D Mark II in 2008 or early 2009 pre-order the camera and stake their place in line. Unfortunately, many major retailers have already stopped accepting pre-orders (such as Amazon, Adorama, and J&R). There are still several well-respected retailers still offering pre-order opportunities on the 5D Mark II.

Many retailers are also suggesting that those who are pre-ordering late order the kit (complete with 24-105 L lens). The rationale behind this

Highly acclaimed and Pulitzer-winning New York photographer Vincent Laforet has used Canon's new 5D Mark II to produce a short film entitled Reverie. The film is nothing short of amazing, with video quality you would expect from professional film equipment. According to Laforet himself, “you no longer need half-million dollar’s worth of high definition video cameras and lenses delivered by a truck with its own driver to shoot a high definition film in low light - you just need a $2,700 camera and a few lenses.”

After writing a review of the 5D Mark II on his blog, Canon gave him the opportunity to use their not yet released camera to shoot Reverie. The stunning HD film was completed in under 72 hours and is now