Specifications#
- Brand
- Canon
- Model
- EOS 5D
- Camera type
- DSLR
- Released
- 2005-01-01
- Lens mount
- Canon EF
- Sensor size
- 35.8 × 23.9 mm (Full frame (35 mm))
- Crop factor
- 1.01×
- Resolution
- 12.7 MP (4,368 × 2,912 px)
- Continuous shooting
- 3 fps
- Weight
- 810 g (28.6 oz)
- Sensor
- 35.8 x 23.9 mm CMOS (full-frame)
- Storage
- CompactFlash (CF) (Type I or Type II)
- Viewfinder
- Optical, pentaprism
- AF points / area
- 9 user points + 6 assist points
- Metering
- TTL, full aperture, 35 zones
- Exposure modes
- Full auto, programmed, shutter-priority, aperture priority, manual
- Shutter
- electronic focal-plane
- Battery
- Li-Ion BP-511A Rechargeable
- Dimensions
- 152 *
- Lens
- Interchangeable
- Successor
- Canon EOS 5D Mark II
- Drive
- up to 3 frame/s.
Specifications merged from Wikipedia, Wikidata, Lensfun and openMVG. Spot an error? Tell us.
Sensor size compared#
Focal length equivalents & field of view#
Multiply any focal length by 1.01 to get the full-frame field of view. Angles are for a rectilinear lens focused at infinity.
| Lens on this camera | Full-frame equivalent | Horizontal | Vertical | Diagonal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mm | 10 mm | 121.6° | 100.2° | 130.2° |
| 12 mm | 12 mm | 112.3° | 89.8° | 121.7° |
| 14 mm | 14 mm | 103.9° | 81.0° | 113.9° |
| 16 mm | 16 mm | 96.4° | 73.5° | 106.7° |
| 18 mm | 18 mm | 89.7° | 67.2° | 100.2° |
| 20 mm | 20 mm | 83.7° | 61.7° | 94.2° |
| 24 mm | 24 mm | 73.4° | 52.9° | 83.8° |
| 28 mm | 28 mm | 65.2° | 46.2° | 75.1° |
| 35 mm | 35 mm | 54.2° | 37.7° | 63.2° |
| 40 mm | 40 mm | 48.2° | 33.3° | 56.6° |
| 50 mm | 50 mm | 39.4° | 26.9° | 46.6° |
| 56 mm | 56 mm | 35.5° | 24.1° | 42.0° |
| 70 mm | 70 mm | 28.7° | 19.4° | 34.2° |
| 85 mm | 85 mm | 23.8° | 16.0° | 28.4° |
| 100 mm | 101 mm | 20.3° | 13.6° | 24.3° |
| 135 mm | 136 mm | 15.1° | 10.1° | 18.1° |
| 200 mm | 201 mm | 10.2° | 6.8° | 12.3° |
| 300 mm | 302 mm | 6.8° | 4.6° | 8.2° |
| 400 mm | 402 mm | 5.1° | 3.4° | 6.2° |
| 600 mm | 603 mm | 3.4° | 2.3° | 4.1° |
| 800 mm | 804 mm | 2.6° | 1.7° | 3.1° |
Depth of field table#
Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 29.8 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor). Detailed tables: 24 mm f/1.8, 24 mm f/2.8, 35 mm f/1.8, 35 mm f/2.8, 50 mm f/1.8, 50 mm f/2.8.
| Focal | Aperture | 50.0 cm | 1.00 m | 2.00 m | 3.00 m | 5.00 m | 10.0 m | Hyperfocal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 mm | f/1.8 | 5.3 cm | 22.0 cm | 92.3 cm | 2.23 m | 7.95 m | ∞ | 9.03 m |
| 22 mm | f/2.8 | 8.3 cm | 34.8 cm | 1.55 m | 4.19 m | 32.9 m | ∞ | 5.81 m |
| 22 mm | f/4 | 12.0 cm | 51.2 cm | 2.56 m | 9.57 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.08 m |
| 22 mm | f/8 | 25.0 cm | 1.26 m | 81.6 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 2.05 m |
| 43 mm | f/1.8 | 1.3 cm | 5.6 cm | 22.8 cm | 51.9 cm | 1.47 m | 6.31 m | 34.5 m |
| 43 mm | f/2.8 | 2.1 cm | 8.7 cm | 35.7 cm | 81.6 cm | 2.36 m | 11.3 m | 22.2 m |
| 43 mm | f/4 | 3.0 cm | 12.4 cm | 51.4 cm | 1.19 m | 3.57 m | 21.9 m | 15.5 m |
| 43 mm | f/8 | 5.9 cm | 25.1 cm | 1.08 m | 2.68 m | 10.8 m | ∞ | 7.79 m |
| 73 mm | f/1.8 | 0.4 cm | 1.9 cm | 7.8 cm | 17.7 cm | 49.8 cm | 2.02 m | 99.3 m |
| 73 mm | f/2.8 | 0.7 cm | 2.9 cm | 12.1 cm | 27.6 cm | 77.7 cm | 3.19 m | 63.8 m |
| 73 mm | f/4 | 1.0 cm | 4.2 cm | 17.3 cm | 39.5 cm | 1.12 m | 4.68 m | 44.7 m |
| 73 mm | f/8 | 1.9 cm | 8.3 cm | 34.8 cm | 80.1 cm | 2.32 m | 11.1 m | 22.4 m |
| 120 mm | f/1.8 | 0.1 cm | 0.7 cm | 2.8 cm | 6.4 cm | 18.2 cm | 73.8 cm | 268 m |
| 120 mm | f/2.8 | 0.2 cm | 1.0 cm | 4.4 cm | 10.0 cm | 28.3 cm | 1.15 m | 172 m |
| 120 mm | f/4 | 0.3 cm | 1.5 cm | 6.2 cm | 14.3 cm | 40.5 cm | 1.65 m | 121 m |
| 120 mm | f/8 | 0.6 cm | 2.9 cm | 12.5 cm | 28.7 cm | 81.4 cm | 3.37 m | 60.4 m |
Equivalent aperture#
Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.
Diffraction & pixel pitch#
With 8.20 µm pixels, diffraction starts to soften pixel-level detail around f/12.2. For maximum sharpness keep landscapes between f/6.7 and f/12; stopping down further trades detail for depth of field.
| Aperture | Airy disk diameter | Spread over | At 100% view |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/2.8 | 3.8 µm | 0.5 px | sharp |
| f/4 | 5.4 µm | 0.7 px | sharp |
| f/5.6 | 7.5 µm | 0.9 px | sharp |
| f/8 | 10.7 µm | 1.3 px | sharp |
| f/11 | 14.8 µm | 1.8 px | sharp |
| f/16 | 21.5 µm | 2.6 px | slight softening |
| f/22 | 29.5 µm | 3.6 px | visibly soft |
Maximum print sizes#
At 12.7 MP the Canon EOS 5D produces 4,368 × 2,912 pixel images. See the 12 megapixel guide or the print size calculator.
| Resolution | Typical use | Inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | Photo-lab quality | 14.6 × 9.7 in | 37 × 25 cm |
| 240 DPI | Fine-art inkjet | 18.2 × 12.1 in | 46 × 31 cm |
| 200 DPI | Wall print | 21.8 × 14.6 in | 55 × 37 cm |
| 150 DPI | Poster, viewed from 1 m+ | 29.1 × 19.4 in | 74 × 49 cm |
Night-sky exposure limits#
Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors.
| Focal length | 500 rule | NPF f/1.8 | NPF f/2.8 | NPF f/4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 mm (14 mm eq.) | 35.5 s | 22.1 s | 24.6 s | 27.6 s |
| 20 mm (20 mm eq.) | 24.9 s | 15.4 s | 17.2 s | 19.3 s |
| 24 mm (24 mm eq.) | 20.7 s | 12.9 s | 14.3 s | 16.1 s |
| 35 mm (35 mm eq.) | 14.2 s | 8.8 s | 9.8 s | 11.0 s |
| 50 mm (50 mm eq.) | 9.9 s | 6.2 s | 6.9 s | 7.7 s |
Handheld shutter speed guide#
The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.
| Focal length | No stabilisation (1/equiv. focal) | With 3-stop IS | With 5-stop IBIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 mm | 1/25 s | 0.3 s | 1.3 s |
| 50 mm | 1/50 s | 1/6 s | 0.6 s |
| 99 mm | 1/100 s | 1/13 s | 0.3 s |
| 199 mm | 1/200 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s |
Lenses for the Canon EOS 5D#
Native Canon EF lenses in our database (267 total). Also adaptable: T-mount (T2), M42 screw mount, Deckel (DKL), Tamron Adaptall, M39 / LTM (Leica thread).
- Samyang 8mm f/3.5 Fish-Eye CS 8 mm
- Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS 10 mm
- Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D 12 mm
- Samyang 12mm f/2.8 Fish-Eye ED AS NCS 12 mm
- Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM 14 mm
- Samyang 14mm f/2.8 AE ED AS IF UMC 14 mm
- Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 14 mm
- Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A 14 mm
- Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle Macro 15 mm
- Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM 16–35 mm
- Samyang 16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS 16 mm
- Samyang 20mm f/1.8 ED AS UMC 20 mm
- Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM 24 mm
- Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS IF UMC 24 mm
- Samyang T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC 24 mm
- Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 24 mm
- Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 28 mm
- Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 XF 33 mm
- Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 40 mm
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 50 mm
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II 50 mm
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM 50 mm
- Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.4 XF 56 mm
- Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro 60 mm
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM 70–200 mm
- Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | S 70–200 mm
- Samyang 85mm f/1.4 IF UMC Aspherical 85 mm
- Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C 100–400 mm
- Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C +1.4x ext. 100–400 mm
- Sigma 105 mm F1.4 DG HSM Art 105 mm
- Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC 135 mm
- Sigma 4.5mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM circular fisheye 4.5 mm
- Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM 8–15 mm
- Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM 8–16 mm
- Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG circular fisheye 8 mm
- Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 10 mm
Similar cameras#
Other Full frame (35 mm) cameras from around the same time.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the crop factor of the Canon EOS 5D?
The Canon EOS 5D has a crop factor of 1.01× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 43.0 mm vs 43.3 mm).
What size is the Canon EOS 5D sensor?
35.8 × 23.9 mm (Full frame (35 mm)), an area of 856 mm² — 99% of full frame.
Is the Canon EOS 5D full frame?
Yes — its sensor is the same 36 × 24 mm size as 35 mm film.
How many megapixels does the Canon EOS 5D have?
12.7 megapixels (4,368 × 2,912 pixels), enough for a 15 × 10 inch print at 300 DPI.
What lens mount does the Canon EOS 5D use?
The Canon EOS 5D uses the Canon EF (flange distance 44.00 mm).
How long can I expose the night sky with the Canon EOS 5D?
With a 20 mm lens (20 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 25 s and the stricter NPF rule at f/2.8 gives 17 s.
Sources & licences#
- Wikipedia: Canon EOS 5D — CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikidata Q64955 — CC0
- Lensfun camera database — CC BY-SA 3.0
- openMVG sensor width database — MPL-2.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources