| Imaging |
| Imaging Sensor/Effective Pixels | CMOS / 21.1 megapixels |
| Effective Sensor Size | 36 x 24 mm |
| A/D Resolution Power | 14-bit |
| Colour Filter Size | RGB Primary Colors |
| 35mm Focal Length Equivalent | 1.0x |
| Image Recording |
| Medium | CF Type I, II / SD (incl SDHC), external media (via WFT-E2) |
| Image Size |
| Large / Fine | 6.4 MB (5616 x 3744 pixels) |
| Middle / Fine | 5.2 MB (4992 x 3328 pixels) |
| Middle / Normal | 3.9 MB (4080 x 2720 pixels) |
| Small / Fine | 2.2 MB (2784 x 1856 pixels) |
| RAW | 25.0 MB (5616 x 3744 pixels) |
| sRAW | 14.5 MB (2784 x 1856 pixels) |
| RAW & JPEG Simultaneous Recording | Yes |
| Viewfinder |
| Coverage (vertical/horizontal) | 1.00 |
| Dioptric Adjustment | -3 to +1 dpt |
| Interchangeable Focusing Screens | Yes |
| Autofocus |
| AF Points | 19 cross type + 26 assist |
| Exposure Control |
| Shooting Modes | 5 |
| Metering Segments | 63 |
| Metering Modes | Evaluative, Partial, Spot (Centre-spot, AF point spot, multi spot), Centre-weighted |
| ISO Speed Range | ISO 100-1600 (expandable to 50-3200 via CF) |
| Exposure Compensation | Manual, AEB - 1/3 or 1/2-stop increments, 2 |
| Shutter: |
| Shutter Speed | 1/8000 sec - 30 sec, X-sync at 1/250 sec |
| Flash Control |
| E-TTL II Autoflash | Yes (with EX-series Speedlite) |
| Built-in Flash / G. No. | No |
| Speed |
| Shooting Speed | 5 fps / 56 shot max burst |
| White Balance |
| Settings | 6 standard + 5 custom |
| WB Bracketing | Yes |
| General Features |
| LCD Monitor | TFT - 3.0 inch |
| Custom Functions/Settings | 17 / 57 |
| Personal Functions/Settings | Yes |
| Integrated Cleaning System | Yes |
| Live View | Yes |
| External Interface | USB 2.0 / Video / PC Terminal |
| Remote Control/Type | USB 2.0 / N3 Remote control/ extension system |
| Battery | Lithium Ion |
| Chassis Material | Magnesium Alloy + Stainless Steel |
| Water/Dust Resistance | Yes (water resistance retained with 580EXII) |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) mm | 156 x 159 x 79.9 x 159.6 mm |
| Weight (excl. battery in grams) | 1,210 |
 type i and microdrives (cf type ii).gif "uses Compact Flash (CF) type I and Microdrives (CF Type II)")
 and high capacity secure digital (hcsd) cards.gif "uses Secure Digital (SD) and High Capacity Secure Digital (HCSD) cards")
