anyone using the 5DII

[daveswan]

Just out of interest, is anyone here using the Canon 5DII to make movies?
If so, what are your impressions of this cam, what does the footage look like, and how "graunchy" is the camera to use?
I've no immediate plans to buy a new cam, but I'm interested in how the new cams perform. I may be in the market sometime later this year, or early next (Thinking Scarlet)
Cheers,
Dave

[tom hardwick]

The 5DII is one of the first-off hybrids that shoots full frame digital stills and masked frame 16:9 movies. As a still camera it's just wonderful, but as a video camera it's seriously lacking in the ergonomics department I feel.

We all know the audio side of movies is just as important as the pictures, but the 5D has no proper mic inputs, though of course you can strap a Beachtek box to its underside. You still don't get access to manual audio controls though and there's no built-in mic (unlike Panasonic's new Four Thirds system).

The rear screen is fixed which - even with live view - is a pain for movie makers who want high and low shots. Also we want constant auto-focus, OIS, inbuilt NDs for dof control, 20x zooms and running times longer than 21 minutes before the camera shuts down in a fireball. Lots of us here aren't keen on the rolling shutter effects of CMOS, either.

The one big plus point is the big (nay - huge) chip. It's incredible in the gloom and you certainly don't need fast lenses any more. It means focus must be spot on but of course you have the wealth of Canon primes and zooms at your disposal. No more wide-angle converters with all their nasty compromises.

So if you want a wonderful DSLR that just happens to shoot movies on the side, then I feel the 5DII fits that bill. But I wouldn't buy it a movie camera - just holding the thing steady for long takes (rather than 1/250th sec) is problematical.

tom.

[Stephen]

you have just about touched on every negative on the 5DII there Tom !

and commented positively on that ...yes... humongous chip!
36x24mm (full 35mm) thats 5616 x 3744 resolution...lordy lordy.... 21.1mbegapixel !!
allowing 1080 at 30fps in video mode...

I agree entirely with your comments though !...

I was seriously thinking of buying one for my next video camera hoping that convergence had very nearly taken place with this superb DSLR...
the low light handling is absolutely amazing ! but a huge setback in that you have only 3 aperture settings in live video which kind of defeats the primary reason for buying it as all those lovely lenses and the DoF !!!

but that was the final part of the criteria not met and why I didn't buy it..

still a cracking camera though !!

ended up with a Z7

me thinks that was the best route just waiting for DoF adaptors to become a bit cheaper !!

but hey is HD some learning curve !!!...

my computer is melting !!!!!!!!!!

[tom hardwick]

Although as you say I touched on every negative of the 5DII, I was answering Dave's question as to how it fared as a video camera.

You say, '36x24mm (full 35mm) thats 5616 x 3744 resolution...lordy lordy.... 21.1mbegapixel !!
allowing 1080 at 30fps in video mode...'

but of course the chip is masked down for 16:9 shooting - though still pretty big of course. And the 30p mode isn't a lot of use to us here in Europe. The 5DIII should be better in all departments as Canon must be pleased with the response so far.

tom.

[Stephen]

absolutely Tom .... I understand your comments were in reply to Dave's query on how it fared in the video area... No probs....

as you also say the 5DmkIII should be a lot more interesting to the eurpean market....

as it stands at the moment convergence of DSLR's and Video cameras have some way to go yet...

without hijacking the thread... What do peeps think about what is shot on DSLRS wether it be animated, timelapse or 'real' video as entries into competitions? .... Thinking on the harmonising of A/V and film makers?????

[billyfromConsett]

.... Thinking on the harmonising of A/V and film makers?????

Ask that question and I would guess that you'll get a lot of emotionally-detached debate there ...

[Stephen]

Well its out in May ... the Canon EOS T1i !

http://i.gizmodo.com/5182772/canon-eos- ... e=true&s=x

prior to the city going into meltdown it would have been a good price ...

[daveswan]

Hi all, been away a while, sorry. Really should check up on threads I've started
I'm inclined to agree that, although the footage is remarkable, the ergonomics are dire. Oh, yes and that Ti, or 500D as it's known here.....1080p at 20 fps? what? I mean what were the engineers smoking when they came up with that one!
I don't think I'll be buying a 5DII, as I already have a 5DI for my 'togging, but I may look at the Panny GH1 when it comes out, depending on how the footage looks. There have been a lot of posts over in certain US cine forums hoping for a firmware fix to give 24 fps and manual control, but my opinion is they're whistling in the wind, Canon have never given us a feature boost via firmware. If they did, even if it was just manual exposure I'd probably change my mind, even though getting AVCHD into Avid MC is a PITA.
I guess the perfect, affordable DSMC is still a long way away, and Scarlet is bloomin' expensive what with the collapsing exchange rate an' all
Ah, well, back to editing from my HVX,
Dave

[fraught]

What are Canon doing with the 500D?! They've basically thrown HD Recording into the 50D, less than a year after it's release, and then slapped the same price tag on it?! Plus, the 500D tag suggests to me that its in the same model range as the 300D-450D.

Seems a bizarre decision to me!