Whoa! A full frame DSLR that can also capture 1080p HD movies. Canon and Nikon have been slugging it out for years in the high end digital photography market and it’s proof that under such market conditions it is consumers that win. While $2,700 is a good chunk of change for the camera body alone, it’s a small amount considering that this is a professional grade camera that boasts an incredible array of features.

I’ve been wanting a 5D for years but am now glad I held off buying one under the assumption that a big update had to be coming following some impressive Nikon releases and a lot of attention paid to the Canon 40D line in recent years.

Pre-Photokina 2008: After a week or so of teaser ads Canon has finally unveiled the successor to the venerable EOS 5D, the world’s first ‘compact’ full frame digital SLR. The EOS 5D Mark II boasts a new 21MP CMOS sensor, an expanded ISO range of 50-25,600 and a wealth of improvements and new features including full 1080p HD movie recording, live view, 3.0″ 920k dot LCD, DIGIC IV processor, increased battery capacity and sensor dust reduction. UPDATE: Body-only prices: US: $ 2,699, EU: € 2,499, UK: £ 2,299.

[From Canon EOS 5D Mark II: 21MP and HD movies: Digital Photography Review]