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First video tests with Canon 5D MK2

R

Renderz

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 27, 2004
315
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Although the Canon 5D MK2 is quite old now, it's a recent acquisition for me. Even though I'm a die hard Nikon user I've been wanting to get my hands on the 5D's video feature for ages. So far I've taken it to just one wedding (another one tomorrow) and a few gigs. I've been very impressed! I'm still waiting for Nikon to respond. (arguments not intended).

You can see my sample video here. Sorry for the choppy audio, no idea why it does that.
 
I had a d90 as my first DSLR and while I enjoyed the video I got out of it, once I upgraded to the 5D II there's just no going back. The quality it produces is top notch, you will love it more everytime you use it, enjoy!
 
Cute video. I think it breaks the 'net photo forum cat cliché, at least a little bit. I like the bit where the cat jumps on the camera.

A few constructive criticisms:

- Don't loop the audio track. Pick a song that will last the length of your film, or if you really want to use a specific track of a certain length, make the film shorter.

- Camera stability is paramount. At the very least, use a small portable tripod (but your 5D/24-105 is probably too heavy for that, which could make things worse than shooting hand-held). A step up from that would be a dedicated video tripod that allows easy panning, or if you've got the cash one of the various Zacuto rigs works really well.

- I think may of the budding videographers riding the DSLR wave are coming to the realization that the shallow depth of field offered by these cameras is no panacea for good video; keeping the subject in the field of focus is *hard*, especially for a fast randomly moving subject like a playing cat. For such subjects you may want to stop down a stop or two and improve the scene lighting to compensate.

BTW, may I ask what made you decide to get a 5DII rather than a Nikon VDSLR or a different Canon model (e.g. 7D/550D)? I imagine your answer may be "full frame video" but I'll ask anyway...
 
I was going to get the 5DII, but I cheaped out and got the T2i instead. I'm having a hard time myself to keeping the focus, especially when using shallow DOF.

By the way, I believe that ticking sound is your lenses' IS. I had to turn mine off to stop that sound.
 
Welcome to the Wonderful World of dSLR video.

These things are like Barbie Dolls/GI Joe; most of the fun is adding the accessories. Mics/external audio recorders, eye cups, fluid heads, shoulder rigs, follow focus, fast lenses, NLE software....
 
Thanks for the feedback guys, especially from Funkboy. I am well aware of all that you said. This was nothing serious, it was just me grabbing the Canon and shooting from the top of my stairs. The audio was a last minute thing, I wanted to avoid using any copyrighted stuff.

With regards to Nikon, and at the risk of starting a flame, I'm not happy with any of Nikon's cameras to shoot video, and believe me I am a die hard Nikon fan. I still believe the D3 series is still the one to beat. However, I wanted to explore video more especially in the documentary field (which can include weddings).

I have been very impressed with the 5D MK2 and the 7D for video having used both for extensive periods. Combine that with image quality on par with Nikon's D300s and D700 (and cheaper) then it's an attractive proposition.

I have well over £10,000 worth of Nikon kit so it's very difficult for me to swap over (if I felt the need), but for now I'm happy to explore the 5D's potential. I've already made several videos for my local youth charity and I have footage of several weddings waiting to be edited by me.

Finally, I got a relatively cheap mic, the Rode Mono videomic for recording interviews and general dialogue, I've been very pleased with it so far.
 
fwiw, and obvious to most here probably, I find for stability using a monopod works for me.
No up/down bouncing image, hands don't get tired, easy to pan, and easy to stow/bring out.
Yea, keeping subjects at various distance in focus as you pan or they move....good luck with that as well.
Tried all the tricks, still problems at times.
(I shoot video with my T1i for lots of our church functions, learning by doing)
 
DSLR video

Im getting a 5dII pretty soon and cant wait to shoot video with it!!!

Question about tripods: Is there any reason why a video tripod with fluid panning and everything would not work well as a photo tripod as well?
 
I do agree with you that Canon have the video aspect locked down more so than Nikon - the rolling shutter issue is still a problem with Nikon's implementation more than anything, and they're only just about getting to the land of 1080.

The ticking noise is definitely the IS of the lens. Turn it off, or use a decent shotgun mic to get the pickups away from the lens. Mics will become increasingly important as you get better - I usually use a shotgun mic, coupled with some wireless clip-ons for lapels.

As others are saying, stability is always an issue. Tripods work well for a fixed viewpoint, and monopods do a reasonable job - but the big issues lie with movement. Professional video set ups are heavy, and this actually helps the stabilisation, dampening vibrations. If you really get in to your video, investing in a good rig will work wonders, but they are not cheap.

As for a video tripod working as a photo tripod...yes, it'll work, but video tripods are more intended for pans/movement rather than the photo tripods that are supposed to be fixed to a position and locked. That said, you can just swap heads and keep the legs, although video legs are a lot more substantial.
 
Renderz said:
I have well over £10,000 worth of Nikon kit so it's very difficult for me to swap over (if I felt the need), ...
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You might want to hang onto that Nikon equipment for awhile longer yet. The D7000 is due to start shipping any day now and it's going to be a very nice Fusion camera. The "problem" with the Canon Mark 5 II is that it's still quite expensive for a two year old camera. And the Mark 5 III is still about a year away. Though... if you have Canon and want the best, the rumor is that the Mark 5 III is going to shoot 3K, but at a price of at least $3000 for the body (probably more).

But anyway... back to the Nikon D7000. It will shoot full frame 1080P and the price point is $1000 bucks less than the Canon Mark 5 II. I just wish the Nikon gave the option for 60P. Though the Canon has a higher resolution for stills, the Nikon is priced very aggressively for what it will be able to do.

As for me, I'm sitting on the fence not sure what to do. Buy the Canon Mark 5 II, or pay $1000 less and get the Nikon D7000? I'm not invested too heavily in lenses (yet), so I suppose I should be looking at the cost of those over the long term and not the camera bodies that will be changing as the technology develops. Nikon lenses have a tendency to be a bit more expensive, but I like the pro line better than the Canon's L series. The color is more accurate (subjective) in the Nikons... but that might not mean anything for video.

Nikon D7000 review

Chase Jarvis D7000 road test video. Looks pretty sweet!
 
You should definitely get a vimeo account for videos :)

Beware though, before you know you have spend a fortune on various add-ons and gizmos.

I've had my 5D Mark II for 1.5 year already and I primarily use it for stills.

I just bought the Stage Zero Dolly from Dynamic Perception to make some really nice timelapse videos for a client.

I also own a variety of vintage lenses, a collection which surely is going to grow.

if you have any questions about using the video function of the 5D MarkII, I highly recommend Cinema5D.
 
Pressure said:
You should definitely get a vimeo account for videos :)

Beware though, before you know you have spend a fortune on various add-ons and gizmos.

I've had my 5D Mark II for 1.5 year already and I primarily use it for stills.

I just bought the Stage Zero Dolly from Dynamic Perception to make some really nice timelapse videos for a client.

I also own a variety of vintage lenses, a collection which surely is going to grow.

if you have any questions about using the video function of the 5D MarkII, I highly recommend Cinema5D.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks for the link and I know what you mean about buying all sorts of accessories, but I know I'm primarily a photographer so for now the Canon 5D does everything I demand of it. I did look into getting a cheap sigma 24-70 f/2.8 but I like the range of the 24-105mm even if it is only an F/4.
 
funkboy said:
This may be of use to you: http://www.16-9.net/nikon_g/

It's an adapter that lets you control the aperture on ringless Nikon G lenses when adapted to a Canon EOS body :).

Good luck.
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Oh my!! I just got very excited by a ring!! LOL!! Thanks for the link Funkboy. I'm going to do some more research into that, but it looks like I'll be able to use all my Nikon lenses with the Canon 5D. I'm not bothered about AF as I'll be using it for video.

**update** I knew there had to be a down side. You have to remove the weatherproof seal on the Nikon lens for it to work. That's a big no-no in my book. But I shall try and find testimonials to see if it is a big deal.
 
Renderz said:
I knew there had to be a down side. You have to remove the weatherproof seal on the Nikon lens for it to work. That's a big no-no in my book. But I shall try and find testimonials to see if it is a big deal.
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I imagine that would be pretty rough if you ever wanted to use the lens on a Nikon body again. If you have any non-G lenses then a normal Cameraquest adapter should work fine. Personally I use a few different Zeiss lenses from the old Contax SLR system adapted to my 40D, along with a few focusing aids and sometimes live view focusing.
 
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