Has the 5D Mark II changed your opinion on video in SLRs?

olv · 26 Jul 2009 at 16:49

When it was announced that the 5D Mark II would have the feature to record video as well as being a stills camera I was a little apprehensive about it. I guess it was a similar feeling as when live view started to become popular and I thought that somehow these features would begin to dilute photography in someway and it would become more gimmicky.

I have to say how wrong I was though. Some of the videos that have come out of 5D are stunning. The quality of the footage and control over DOF that the full frame sensor allows is superb. It seems to have given a lot of photographers, who wouldn't have normally bothered to buy a high quality video camera, the ability to use their creativity in a new medium and I think that's great.

I for one am happy to see HD video recording becoming more common place across Canon's range and after seeing what can be achieved with the 5D and would definitely look to a body with video as my next upgrade.

How about you? Were you apprehensive about video like me and have since changed your mind? Did you always embrace and still do? Or were you a hater then and a hater now?

Oh and I think it's important to have a reminder of what really began to change my mind, Vincent La Foret's Reverie

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2326

Paul11 · 26 Jul 2009 at 17:10

for me, video on a camera just does not sound right.

if you want a video camera, buy a video camera.

but having said that i am considering getting a 5d mkII and maywell change my mind when i actually use the video function but at the moment i think a camera should be a camera

nolimit · 26 Jul 2009 at 20:11

I use the Canon 5D Mark II at work for shooting inhouse training videos and still images.

There is no doubting the Video Quality is amazing for short video. But personally for me this is not a deal breaker, it is just a nice feature to have on top.

And this nice little feature come with extra cost and work - high end computer to store, edit or play video, more time required to post process video and store.

All the above things considered, I wouldn't buy a DSLR camera to shoot video in mind.

Paul11 · 26 Jul 2009 at 20:49

how big CF cards do you need to store video at any reasonable length without swapping the cards out every 3 mins ?

nolimit · 26 Jul 2009 at 21:26

I can't remember exactly but I think 5 min video shoot was around 2 gig at 1920x1080 with sound.

FreeStream · 26 Jul 2009 at 21:34

No.

A compromise on still image IQ must have been made and/or development time and money taken away from the stills part.

If I wanted a camera to record video, I would buy one.

And at this level, you have the money to buy both.

I wish they hadn't done that. However now we are stuck with it, the 60D is likely to have it and this I guess I will try and use it.

greedy123 · 26 Jul 2009 at 21:51

I'm considering upgrading to a 5D mk II after seeing this:

http://a31.video2.blip.tv/348000163...hioSea2ndLargestAquariumTankInTheWorld492.mov

TheOtherOption · 26 Jul 2009 at 21:55

I now play that very video in the background on my 2nd monitor - tis an awesome piece of work, lovely composition - the speed of the music fits perfectly with the fish!

Mud · 26 Jul 2009 at 23:46

Concorde Rules said:
No.

A compromise on still image IQ must have been made and/or development time and money taken away from the stills part.

If I wanted a camera to record video, I would buy one.

And at this level, you have the money to buy both.

I wish they hadn't done that. However now we are stuck with it, the 60D is likely to have it and this I guess I will try and use it.

This isn't true. It's a very simple step from live-view to recording video, and if a mic input somehow perturbs you then you probably have strange priorities. No further controls are necessary IMO, the D90's method of bringing up live-view and pressing 'OK' is completely adequate (though the video on that is crippled). The ability to record HD video through my expensive collection of lenses for no additional cost? Big yes from me.

FreeStream · 27 Jul 2009 at 00:17

Mud said:
This isn't true. It's a very simple step from live-view to recording video, and if a mic input somehow perturbs you then you probably have strange priorities. No further controls are necessary IMO, the D90's method of bringing up live-view and pressing 'OK' is completely adequate (though the video on that is crippled). The ability to record HD video through my expensive collection of lenses for no additional cost? Big yes from me.

Well if it is that simple then fair enough.

Maybe the compromises start back with live view.

Either way, one thing is for sure, Live View and this recording has required R&D which if it has been added to the sensor development, then all is fine

Russinating · 27 Jul 2009 at 00:24

I had a gentleman ask me just today how my Sony Z7 (1080p HDV camcorder, approx. £4.5k) compared to the Mk II. And I have no idea, naturally, having not used the 5D.

The only things that spring to mind are stability (it usually helps to have a fair bit of weight in the camera) and recording - the Z7 can record to the usual MiniDV and CompactFlash if you're that way inclined, and I imagine the 5D is equally useless when it comes to recording longer videos onto solid state.

Edit: Having watched Reverie, the footage is very obviously video - very Michael Mann. If that's your thing then that's fine, but the Z7 (and other high end HDV cameras) does have more of a cinematic/filmic quality to its footage.

growse · 27 Jul 2009 at 00:28

Concorde Rules said:
Well if it is that simple then fair enough.

Maybe the compromises start back with live view.

Either way, one thing is for sure, Live View and this recording has required R&D which if it has been added to the sensor development, then all is fine

But live view has benefits outside of the video functionality. I don't have it on my 350D, but from what I gather, you can stick the camera on a tripod, zoom in on live view and make sure the focus is perfect where you want it to be. That's handy, even on a camera that doesn't take video.

FreeStream · 27 Jul 2009 at 00:36

growse said:
But live view has benefits outside of the video functionality. I don't have it on my 350D, but from what I gather, you can stick the camera on a tripod, zoom in on live view and make sure the focus is perfect where you want it to be. That's handy, even on a camera that doesn't take video.

I have a 40D with it on.

Never used it, the F2.8 sensors have always been spot on, amazingly!

Macro is where I think it may count, but then again on a small screen you think the focus is fine but get back on a PC, and dam, its OOF!

Not convinced tbh!

Edit: Although, with the above, it is amazing, and makes me wonder how good it will be on the 60D.

Bluelion · 27 Jul 2009 at 01:10

I don't think I'd go out of my way to buy one of these cameras just for the video - it would make more sense to buy a dedicated video camera if that was the case. However, I can see that the ability to record video with high quality lenses and the low light performance of modern full frame sensors to be useful.

The real drawback is autofocus. I haven't used either the 5DmkII or the D90, but the D300's liveview (which I assume it something similar) doesn't have any autofocus on, which I would find invaluable in most situations, I just can't see enough on the LCD to rotate the focus ring to get a moving object in focus. I would need this issue to be resolved before I started using video in earnest.

Regarding the compromises they may have made to add video, how have they resolved the problem of the CCD heating up? I could imaging that 25fps is going to make the sensor pretty toasty warm afer a few minutes of video?

Raymond Lin · 27 Jul 2009 at 01:15

One thing about the 5D have against most other HD video on the market is the lens choice.....just think about it.....its all Canon EF lenses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That said, Video and Still are very different, and you need to have some decent editing skills to put a nice video together, unless you are Martin Scorsese who can shoot 20 mins single panning shot in 1 go (even that has cuts).

greedy123 · 27 Jul 2009 at 06:14

Have canon updated the firmware yet on the 5D so you can adjust the aperture while filming? I know before people were complaining all the settings are automatic leaving no room for creativity.

D.P. · 27 Jul 2009 at 08:16

greedy123 said:
Have canon updated the firmware yet on the 5D so you can adjust the aperture while filming? I know before people were complaining all the settings are automatic leaving no room for creativity.

If you have a a lens with aperture control then you can just rotate the aperture ring manually - I believe.

I would much rather see Ninon and Canon develop completely separate HD video cameras with sensors and focus systems, and body shape, optimized for video.

Yes, it would be nice to shoot video with all your nice Nikkor lenses etc. But it is impossible to have a fully fledged video camera inside an SLR. I mean, to start with the sensor is just not designed for continuous shooting, think how hot it must get. Shooting a lot of video will surely shorten the life of the sensor. The auto focus problem is just one example of why squeezing a feature into a SLR that is not deigned to have that feature will not work. Not that the Autofocus system is a problem - Autofocus is never used in real film production.

Raymond Lin · 27 Jul 2009 at 08:41

greedy123 said:
Have canon updated the firmware yet on the 5D so you can adjust the aperture while filming? I know before people were complaining all the settings are automatic leaving no room for creativity.

Was done back in June, in full manual control you can adjust both on the fly.

greedy123 · 27 Jul 2009 at 09:38

Raymond Lin said:
Was done back in June, in full manual control you can adjust both on the fly.

Excellent! looking more and more like the 5d mkII will be my next body.

Paul11 · 27 Jul 2009 at 10:04

sorry to be OT//

is an import any different to a UK model ?