Is canon 5D Mark II suitable for low light photography

If you learn how to auto focus properly even an old 10D is quick in low light.

* Move AF activation off the shutter release (a custom function).

* Use the center AF point.

* Place the center point over an area of contrast and activate AF. Once locked, recompose and shoot.

** Shooting fast primes helps.

This is absolutely faster than manually selecting a point, and absolutely more sure than letting the camera choose points. Whenever I read complaints about AF in low light I just laugh. Used properly I haven't had a slow AF lock or AF misfocus in low light with any of the xxD series going all the way back to the 10D, which has a very old AF module by today's standards. Even with f/4 lenses. Used properly any AF module on any modern camera is quite good in low light.

It has a hard time in dim lighting on low-contrast targets when using the outer AF points. I find ordinary indoor lighting perfectly adequate for the center AF point on most subjects. I use the AF assist of the ST2E remote flash when shooting in darkness or near darkness to illuminate the subject with red target lines. Then it locks on instantly.

Image quality is amazingly good, even at ISO 3200 and, in a pinch, ISO 6400.

YES.

One again it all depends on h elens you put in front of the camera.
I shoot very often @ ISO 3200, but that's @ F1,2 to F2. It sounds different if you go high ISO to compensate for a F5.6 lens.

Check this link for images taken @ ISO 3200 and also HD video @ F2,8
http://nomadphotography.com.au/blog/2009/07/miss-top-model-haley-on-nomad-tv/

I wanted to add that the same basic technique used on an old 35mm A2E also results in fast AF even in very low light.

Yes if you know how to get the best from AF. I suspect fast lenses help but as all the one I use regularly are F2.8 or faster I have very little experience of slow lenses.

Daniel, can you explain the significance of moving AF activation off the shutter release?

It separates the AF from the metering if you are shooting in Av for example.

Cheers, Bob

Elliot - in addition to Bob's comment, to me it's easier to activate off the rear button. You don't have to try and hold down the shutter half way while recomposing. If you happen to be shooting with settings that yield good DoF, you also don't have to keep focusing if your subject distance has not changed. (I mention the DoF because it can be razor thin with, say, an f/1.2 lens, so thin that even slight body movement forward or backward on your part could require a refocus.)
The most frustrating thing is to have the AF points land on low contrast areas, and have a camera guessing with each shot. Nearly as annoying is having to focus/recompose with every frame if the subject distance has not changed.

I've used Daniel's old skool "lock AF on points of contrast" since 1990 and have never failed to achieve AF. Before that I did it manually with the prism spilt on my FM series cameras. And modern cameras like the 5DII are way better than my old EOS 10S, 5 and Elans. So with a little technique and common sense nailing AF in hand holdable light is as easy as falling off a friggen log.

Personally I don't like CF 4 and using the * button or AF-on button instead of the shutter. I prefer using the * to lock exposure as I often metering off objects other than my subject.

But back to the 5DII. It has the best low light AF and high ISO of any camera I've owned these past 19 years, and I've owned many. No problem shooting outside at night, in dim churches, bars and casinos, etc. Incidentally, most wedding shooters use fill flash so the AF assist of a Speedlite will even let your focus in total darkness on a white wall if you need to...