My first movie with EOS 5D Mark II

[Big Ern]

I hope they can fix that with a firmware upgrade. Besides that everything works just fine.

 

[jerseyguy]

Thank you. I loved your video. This camera is awsome. I'm impressed it was done with the 24-105 and not a faster lens. I ordered mine in Sept..
--
Life is what happens while you're making other plans

 

[Sal Baker]

Hi Big Ern,

Noce shots but to me I can clearly see flickering lights right into
the opening scene and uneven movements in the "spinning wheel".

Aren't that the kind of problems we face just because the camera is
only 30 FPS in this part of the world where all power is 50 Hz which
is not possible to divide with each other and get an integer?

I was also very keen on this camera but I only see it as an
intermediate model version and will probably standby until an updated
model comes out, let it be an 1DsIV or 5DIII or maybe Nikon.

Many will (or should) ask for 25 FPS and much more manual operation
in my honest opinion.

The lack of these are holding at least me back from a purchase.

Digital isn't tied to power frequency like CRTs were. The worldwide spec for HD includes 30fps and should display correctly on HD gear in any country.

Sal

 

[Foto_grapher]

Nice video!

 

[Big Ern]

Tripod

 

[Charles Hull]

It took me right back to when I went to Tivoli way back in '87 when I
was a cruise ship photographer. Those were the days!

Took me back as well. I proposed to my wife at Tivoli and the video puts me right there, so it brings back the memory. Much better than stills - I'm amazed.

 

[MaxFX]

Thanks for sharing, you did a wonderful work!

--
MaxFX

 

[Johan Forssblad]

I hope they can fix that with a firmware upgrade.

My guess is they will not fix it with a (free) firmware update. Canon barely just fix programming mistakes in their firmware.

I think they never add new functions in their firmware updates. (Changes which demand a new instruction book to incorporate new functionality.) New functions => new model.

I have the feeling the market department pushed:
–We need to get the new 5D out now when Nikon has video!

Perhaps the technicians said "wait - we need to implement all the different shooting modes in the video mode too".
–Hey, the new 5D is long overdue!
–Then we can sell another upgraded model too!"

The functions and image quality are great for the price and I would love to buy the camera. However, 30 FPS only and no manual modes in video ... it sucks! I had hoped to intercut 25 FPS Canon XL-H1 clips with 5DII clips taken in a microscope and short clips when we didn't intend to record video but saw great shots.

This 30 FPS is a real disadvantage for people making video professionally. But it is OK if you intend to make web films, though way overkill.

 

[Johan Forssblad]

Digital isn't tied to power frequency like CRTs were. The worldwide
spec for HD includes 30fps and should display correctly on HD gear in
any country.

Hi Sal,

It is not about display. You don't buy a 5DII for display. It is all about capture!

That is why the technicians had to specify frame rates which are possible to divide with the power frequency. Thats why they still had to specify 25 FPS for Europe and 50 Hz for Japan and US.

An electric light source may pulsate according to the delivered frequency. If the shooting isn't synchronized with the pulsating light there might be a variable amount of light in the shots causing a flickering impression.

Just think about it. A light tube flickers according to the sine wave of the voltage. Sometimes (100 times a second in 50 Hz countries) the light happens to be off. If the frame is taken (with short exposure time) it will be dark! Next frame will be lighter ... following the perodic cycle and depending of the light source ability to follow the sinus wave.

1. So I see one problem with capture when using some electric light sources.

2. Another problem is editing in a 25 FPS timeline for television, intercutting with other 25 FPS material.

If anybody comes up with a solution to these I would be one of the first to be glad and stand in the long queues.

 

[Sal Baker]

I hope they can fix that with a firmware upgrade.

My guess is they will not fix it with a (free) firmware update. Canon
barely just fix programming mistakes in their firmware.
I think they never add new functions in their firmware updates.
(Changes which demand a new instruction book to incorporate new
functionality.) New functions => new model.

I have the feeling the market department pushed:
–We need to get the new 5D out now when Nikon has video!
Perhaps the technicians said "wait - we need to implement all the
different shooting modes in the video mode too".
–Hey, the new 5D is long overdue!
–Then we can sell another upgraded model too!"

The functions and image quality are great for the price and I would
love to buy the camera. However, 30 FPS only and no manual modes in
video ... it sucks! I had hoped to intercut 25 FPS Canon XL-H1 clips
with 5DII clips taken in a microscope and short clips when we didn't
intend to record video but saw great shots.

This 30 FPS is a real disadvantage for people making video
professionally. But it is OK if you intend to make web films, though
way overkill.

I make videos professionally and 30fps works perfectly for broadcast applications. 1080p 30fps transcodes seamlessly and instantly to U.S. boadcast standard 1080i and HDCAM.

I agree that operation of the camera requires workarounds, like locking the exposure and manually adjusting with exposure compensation. But the results using fast lenses in low light are incredible enough to be worth the hassle, and offer a "look" not available on any standard HD videdocams.

The only issue I've seen with cutting the 5D2 video into a timeline with other HD videocams is the 5D2 low light stuff looks so much better. But I wouldn't want to shoot a football game with it!

Sal

 

[Johan Forssblad]

I make videos professionally and 30fps works perfectly for broadcast
applications. 1080p 30fps transcodes seamlessly and instantly to
U.S. boadcast standard 1080i and HDCAM.

Yes Sal, in United States!

But not in the rest of the world which mostly use 50 Hz power and 25 FPS television!

I wish they once standardized the power frequency way back. Now it costs a lot of money and headache to produce so many things in two versions where none isn't much better than the other!

And the HD video world is even making it much more complicated with different versions!

 

[Mikee]

Thanks for sharing!

--
Migs
http://www.migsvuitton.com/blog

 

[Johan Forssblad]

Thats why they still had to specify 25 FPS for Europe and 50 Hz for Japan and US.

Sorry, it should of course have been "... to specify 25 FPS for Europe and 30 FPS for Japan and US."
It was too late to use the edit function when I discovered my error.
Johan

 

[Sal Baker]

I make videos professionally and 30fps works perfectly for broadcast
applications. 1080p 30fps transcodes seamlessly and instantly to
U.S. boadcast standard 1080i and HDCAM.

Yes Sal, in United States!

I was only responding to the notion that professionals wouldn't use 30fps. There are a few pros in the US, and their videos will play worldwide on HD gear.

Shooting in other countries sounds like an issue though.

Sal

 

[EricDP]

More than half of the world (using PAL TV) would prefer Canon to
produce a 25 FPS model too.

Any TV that can display HD content can display both 25 and 30 FPS. PAL and NTSC are analog standards that do not apply to the digital era.

 

[mike kobal]

--
mike kobal
http://www.mikekobal.com

 

[Johan Forssblad]

Any TV that can display HD content can display both 25 and 30 FPS.
PAL and NTSC are analog standards that do not apply to the digital
era.

Hi EricDP,

Please see previous post and several other threads about this.

There are concerns about the capture and editing of material from 5DII in 50 Hz and 25 FPS TV countries.

1. To capture video in an area (like Europe) with 50 Hz power feeding electrical lights you may risk flickering footage if you use a 30 FPS camera. This flickering effect is hard or impossible to compensate for. Instead you prefer a camera with 25 or 50 FPS. But 30 FPS is fine in US with 60 Hz power. This flickering depends of the kind of artificial light source. In only sunlight it has no influence.

2. Broadcast in Europe and some other parts of the world use 25 FPS TV (including 50i) because of the factor above. It is hard to implement 30 FPS footage into 25 FPS timelines without causing jittery motion. The broadcast in Europe is not done on a 30 FPS timeline. Any normal video (PAL, HDV etc.) in Europe will not use 30 FPS to be compliant with the fact 1. above.

You may edit in a 30 FPS timeline at home in Europe and show it with smooth motion for your friends. However, it may still suffer from flickering lights.

Sorry, but this is the truth as far as I and many others know. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I also think that many photographers here are not used to video work very much and they will not recognize these kind of artifacts at first. But when they start to compare they will immediately see it later. (Like CA in lenses.)

I remember a Canon demonstration video for the XL-H1 about the "watchmaker".

When I saw it it had stutter in the motion but looked fine. Then I realized, by advancing frame by frame, that the movement wasn't even because it was transferred (from 30P to 25 FPS).

 

[Ken W.]

I was only in Copenhagen for a few days a few years back but I have so many nice memories. Thanks for bringing back some of those memories. Must be pretty cold there right about now.

Nice video. Pretty amazed at the quality coming off this cam!
--
Ken W.
http://www.arc-photo.com

 

[DaveWC]

I downloaded it and played it on my 50" TV. Even at the 960x540 resolution it played really well. Can't wait to play with one of these.

 

[Thoughmyeyesonly]

FOrgot to ask you! What compact card did you use?

Im thinking about getting the Sandisk Extreme III 16GB card. Hope it is enough for the video recording.