The Canon camera line.
The EOS film-based line can be grouped in the three-tier level identified above: the 1 and 3 are the top-grade cameras with durable and weatherproof bodies. Then we have the 5 and 30 models that offer high-grade accuracy and features in a body that is less durable in its engineering. At the bottom we have the 300 and 3000 type of bodies that are mass-produced for low cost.
The EOS DSLR line follows the same grouping: the top-grade camera is the 1 series, then we have the high-grade models 5D and 30D and differing mainly in the sensor size and at the bottom we have the 300D/350D.
The anomaly here as in the film-based line is the '5'. It would be logical to have one-digit designation for the high-grade cameras, two-digit designation for the not so heavy-duty bodies and a three-digit notation for the mass-market bodies. The original EOS 5 for film-loading was also in the second-tier. It shared components with the high-grade 3 and 1 bodies, but the use of plastic film guide rails put it definitely in the lower-grade class. Also the incorporation of the on-board flashgun characterized the camera as second-tier. The EOS 5 had eye-control and the focus points could be coupled to the partial spot metering, elevating its status. These aspects are lacking in the 5D, presumably because the processing power had to be dedicated to the Digic-II programs and because exposure metering is good enough. The EOS 5 had dimensions of 154 x 120.5 x 74.2 mm and a weight of 665 gr. The EOS 5D has dimensions of 152 x 113 x 75mm and a weight of 810 gr. Finder accuracy of the 5D is 96% (close to the EOS 3) and better than the EOS 5 (93%).
It is evident that Canon is a master of the Lego system of component mixing and can fine-tune a camera to whatever specifications, price level and user group the model should appeal.
While the 5D feels and handles like a second-tier camera, the quality of the images is first rate and after taking more than 10.000 pictures over a period of less than half a year, the camera did not fail once. The shutter is good for 150.000 cycles and thus will still function reliable after 5 years of this use. Then the camera is surely ripe for retirement.
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