New 5D mark II Video from Reverie Filmmaker Vincent Laforet on SmugMug

[gooble]

Here's a new 5D mark II from Reverie filmmaker Vincent Laforet http://vincentlaforet.smugmug.com/gallery/6042742_wZKiA#424860674_7Ykfo

I't looks good.

[twofruitz]

This is "more" than stunning.

[muscleflex]

very nice video but all that work, wouldn't you think one would just use a proper HD camcorder?

[sacral]

I've had my reservations about adding video capabilities to a proper DSLR, but I think the technology is (obviously) there, and for the photographer/film-maker, perhaps this is an almost perfect solution. I've been very impressed thus far with the 5dmkII's video capabilities, and for short films and the arsenal of EF lenses available for artistic control, not to mention having to lug around an HD-camcorder (consumer models have limited DOF capabilities compared to EF lenses), i think the 5DmkII is going to do a great job...

[Matthew Craggs]

It's impressive, no doubt.

I wonder if one day Canon will produce a camcorder with an EF mount, full frame sensor, and none of the limitations of the 5DMkII (Which may or may not be limitations depending on what you're using it for, like XLR inputs, manual iris while shooting).

[osv]

love that killer dof... but that's about it.

look at the portion of the clip where the guy with the flashlight is coming down the hall... there is a whole lot of noise in the doorway area on the left, in the foreground.

i'm sure that they have jacked the flash bitrate through the roof for this clip, so that area should have much better quality... unless the noise is there from the original recording.

[gooble]

love that killer dof... but that's about it.

look at the portion of the clip where the guy with the flashlight is coming down the hall... there is a whole lot of noise in the doorway area on the left, in the foreground.

i'm sure that they have jacked the flash bitrate through the roof for this clip, so that area should have much better quality... unless the noise is there from the original recording.

I'm not sure what noise you're talking about but Vincent Laforet mentions on his blog that guys familiar with RED digital cameras say the 5D mark II beats it for low noise at high ISOs and that it is probably the best low noise digital camera for video on the market. Given that, I don't know what you expect.

[Stealthy Ninja]

Looks great.

However, it does seem like "moving photographs" rather than actually a video. I really want to see the first proper short film shot with one of these (you know, with the acting and such).*

Very, very promising. :D

*Maybe Chad Vadar could be shot with one... :lol:

[Travis Ingle]

very nice video but all that work, wouldn't you think one would just use a proper HD camcorder?

Yeah, shooting a video with an HD camcorder when you are trying to showcase the ability of the 5DMKII makes perfect sense.

[muscleflex]

kinda off topic but look at the vid and the guy when he's in the helicopter and he puts on his glasses and tries to hold on to the door frame with his left hand, he misses with his left hand at first try! :-P

[Vulcan58]

Cinema quality filming?
Must admit it is impressive quality, but there again in the hands of a professional.
Guess the kids birthday parties & xmas etc won't be quite the same tho'.
How many minutes of video can that thing do, and what sort of size card are you looking at for the highest quality?

[gooble]

Cinema quality filming?
Must admit it is impressive quality, but there again in the hands of a professional.
Guess the kids birthday parties & xmas etc won't be quite the same tho'.
How many minutes of video can that thing do, and what sort of size card are you looking at for the highest quality?

I have no idea what this sentence means. Are you criticizing it for being unprofessional or saying that it is professional and others won't have such good results?

For what it's worth the person that made this movie is a professional photographer that says he never made a movie before he picked up the 5D mark II.


As for the quality there is SD and HD. You can shoot about 12 minutes of HD on a 4GB card.

[osv]

I'm not sure what noise you're talking about but Vincent Laforet mentions on his blog that guys familiar with RED digital cameras say the 5D mark II beats it for low noise at high ISOs and that it is probably the best low noise digital camera for video on the market. Given that, I don't know what you expect.

the area that i'm referring to is very obvious... it's easily the worst-looking footage of the entire clip... play it back full screen, but put your glasses on first, o.k.?

it could be an issue with the codec implementation, which red has had a ton of problems with.

[Stealthy Ninja]

Cinema quality filming?
Must admit it is impressive quality, but there again in the hands of a professional.
Guess the kids birthday parties & xmas etc won't be quite the same tho'.
How many minutes of video can that thing do, and what sort of size card are you looking at for the highest quality?

Of course. LOL. Just because it CAN be great. Doesn't mean the video of your kid blowing out birthday candles is going to win an Oscar. LOL.

[Tony-S]

the area that i'm referring to is very obvious... it's easily the worst-looking footage of the entire clip... play it back full screen, but put your glasses on first, o.k.? it could be an issue with the codec implementation, which red has had a ton of problems with.

There's a thread in the post processing forum that indicates the video from the 5D2 is h.264 at 40 mb/s. That digic4 processor must be beefy as hell. I wonder what the battery life is?

[abqXT]

it sounds liike the video files use a ton of space on the memory cards.

[gooble]

There's a thread in the post processing forum that indicates the video from the 5D2 is h.264 at 40 mb/s. That digic4 processor must be beefy as hell. I wonder what the battery life is?

The manual says 80-90 minutes per battery depending on temperture.

[Ham1]

Looks great.

However, it does seem like "moving photographs" rather than actually a video. I really want to see the first proper short film shot with one of these (you know, with the acting and such).*

Very, very promising. :D

*Maybe Chad Vadar could be shot with one... :lol:


Is SmugMug the only company hosting 1080p video? Check this out: http://blogs.smugmug.com/don/

Markham

[gooble]

Is SmugMug the only company hosting 1080p video? Check this out: http://blogs.smugmug.com/don/

Markham

If you read that blog you posted to they say they're asking people if they want 1080p hosted so it doesn't appear that their hosting it yet.

[neil_r]

The one thing everyone seems to overlook is that there is no way that the sound will be acceptable. I have a Canon XH A1 and to get acceptable sound I have at least half the value if the camera in mikes.

The camera has 2 XLR inputs to take pro quality sound equipment. Without the ability to do that the 5D MkII will be ok for occasional video but for little else (in terms of video production only obviously).

[gooble]

The one thing everyone seems to overlook is that there is no way that the sound will be acceptable. I have a Canon XH A1 and to get acceptable sound I have at least half the value if the camera in mikes.

The camera has 2 XLR inputs to take pro quality sound equipment. Without the ability to do that the 5D MkII will be ok for occasional video but for little else (in terms of video production only obviously).

There is NO way that sound will be acceptable? How do you figure? The 5D mark II has a mic input and for about $100 bucks if you feel you need xlr you can get and adapter.

[neil_r]

There is NO way that sound will be acceptable? How do you figure? The 5D mark II has a mic input and for about $100 bucks if you feel you need xlr you can get and adapter.

I think you are agreeing with me, but I am not too sure.....

[gooble]

I think you are agreeing with me, but I am not too sure.....

You said there is NO way to get acceptable sound with the 5D mark II. I said that there is a way to get acceptable sound by plugging a mini jack or xlr mic.

Are you saying that using a mini jack or xlr mic is not acceptable?

[osv]

There's a thread in the post processing forum that indicates the video from the 5D2 is h.264 at 40 mb/s. That digic4 processor must be beefy as hell. I wonder what the battery life is?

it is h.264, but it's rather lightly compressed, so there isn't as much current draw during the encode process, as compared to, say, avchd compression.

minimal compression = less power useage = higher storage requirements = less cpu load when editing

i sure wish that i could see the raw footage for that doorway area with all the noise.

[osv]

xlr vs. mini jack is the difference between pro and consumer... and that doesn't address the quality of the mic itself.

[gooble]

xlr vs. mini jack is the difference between pro and consumer... and that doesn't address the quality of the mic itself.

Nobody was comparing xlr vs. mini jack mics. Neil_r said there was no way to get good audio with the 5D mark II period. That just is untrue given the input options. You can input with xlr if you get a relatively inexpensive adapter.

[Stealthy Ninja]

This adapter might be a good idea: http://www.beachtek.com/prod.html
(WARNING: That link has a video presentation that will suddenly come on (watch your speaker volume)

"Acceptable Sound" depends on what you mean.

For me, "Acceptable Sound" is not that great quality (I do events mainly, so long as people can hear the speaker or whatever, it's usually good enough - never had a complaint about sound).

However, if I were making features etc. The sound would have to be recorded on a separate device IMHO.

It would be a good camera for music videos that's for sure. :)

I actually want to use it for making a short film (with speaking etc.). I'll definitely be looking into some good mics etc. Lucky for me I know a couple of sound geeks. :lol:

[osv]

Nobody was comparing xlr vs. mini jack mics. Neil_r said there was no way to get good audio with the 5D mark II period. That just is untrue given the input options. You can input with xlr if you get a relatively inexpensive adapter.

to repeat what ninja wrote, maybe his idea of good audio is pro-quality audio.

my canon l1/l2s all had mini-jacks, and it sucked, because the audio would cut in and out from the bad connections that come with mini-jacks... i have an mp3 player that's doing the same thing right now.

there is an audio guy named jay rose, who used to write for dv magazine... he did some testing of the front end of various camcorders, and found that some of 'em weren't very good... it's the type of an issue that you'd see with camcorders that had cheap mini-jacks.

[TAZorich]

Well, look: XLR jacks on a 5D would be STUPID. No room. And face it, the thing isn't a camcorder at any level.

In the hands of certain people (not including moms at birthday parties or soccer games, for example), the 5DM2 is OBVIOUSLY capable of producing STUNNING video. If you're looking for an HD camcorder, you can get a variety of nice products, whether from Canon or Sony or whomever.

[Stealthy Ninja]

Well, look: XLR jacks on a 5D would be STUPID. No room. And face it, the thing isn't a camcorder at any level.

In the hands of certain people (not including moms at birthday parties or soccer games, for example), the 5DM2 is OBVIOUSLY capable of producing STUNNING video. If you're looking for an HD camcorder, you can get a variety of nice products, whether from Canon or Sony or whomever.

XLR jacks would be stupid to be built into it yeah, because they're too big for a DSLR sized body. However, if you want good auto for set shots (like on a tripod making a drama) it wouldn't be a bad idea to have an XLR adapter (or a seperate recording device).

You're right, for most people it isn't a great choice as a camcorder replacement. If you want a pure video camera, there are better options for similar prices (or cheaper) with all the auto bits people really need. ;)

I think most people here are not dumb about the video capabilities of it. What concerns me are the "normal" people out there who'll buy it thinking it's a great deal because it's a video camera and a still camera in one! Then get disappointed when they can't do it right (no super easy auto mode).

People need to realise too that taking photos during video recording will not be very good really (stops the video for one second and the photo is basically shot in green box mode - auto ISO, Aperture, Shutter etc.).

[osv]

Well, look: XLR jacks on a 5D would be STUPID. No room. And face it, the thing isn't a camcorder at any level.

for the money you spend on the 5d, you can get a pro audio interface on a prosumer camcorder... and you get a *real* zoom lens with something like the hmc150, which you can't get with the 5d.

the avchd format uses maybe 40%(?) less bandwidth, which means you can record a lot more footage on a memory card than you can with the 5d... although it'll be harder to edit, if you have a slow computer.

with the 5d, you can pretty much forget about having a slow crawl shot... you'll be limited to film-style shooting.

[Stealthy Ninja]

for the money you spend on the 5d, you can get a pro audio interface on a prosumer camcorder... and you get a *real* zoom lens with something like the hmc150, which you can't get with the 5d.

the avchd format uses maybe 40%(?) less bandwidth, which means you can record a lot more footage on a memory card than you can with the 5d... although it'll be harder to edit, if you have a slow computer.

with the 5d, you can pretty much forget about having a slow crawl shot... you'll be limited to film-style shooting.

I think this is the point. It's not really a handy cam. It's more for set shots. It will be great IMHO for tripod mounted film style set shots.

[TAZorich]

for the money you spend on the 5d, you can get a pro audio interface on a prosumer camcorder... and you get a *real* zoom lens with something like the hmc150, which you can't get with the 5d.

With a camcorder, you'll also get a lot more low-light noise and less depth of field because of the shallower sensor.

The 5DII is the real beginning of the revolution. It's not the be-all, end-all. And no one ever said it was going to be easy as hell to get good results with it.

But up until now, Laforet was a photographer, not a videographer or filmmaker. And he's getting footage which is simply awesome. So I duly submit the visual evidence as proof that this is a very cool feature to have (as a freebie, mind you) in a dSLR which also happens to be incredible for still images.

[osv]

i agree with everything you said there.

i'm only playing the devils advocate in order to school people on what the pitfalls really are with the 5d approach... plus i'd really like to know why that doorway footage is so noisy!

[gooble]

i agree with everything you said there.

i'm only playing the devils advocate in order to school people on what the pitfalls really are with the 5d approach... plus i'd really like to know why that doorway footage is so noisy!

I would bet it's that noisy because the ISO was cranked up to 6400 or even 12800. It was noticeable but what would you get with any other digital video camera? Could you get anything even usable?

[danskim]

With a camcorder, you'll also get a lot more low-light noise and less depth of field because of the shallower sensor.

The 5DII is the real beginning of the revolution. It's not the be-all, end-all. And no one ever said it was going to be easy as hell to get good results with it.

But up until now, Laforet was a photographer, not a videographer or filmmaker. And he's getting footage which is simply awesome. So I duly submit the visual evidence as proof that this is a very cool feature to have (as a freebie, mind you) in a dSLR which also happens to be incredible for still images.

I also totally agree with you. I also understand osv's reasoning for playing devil's advocate. I am sickened by all the HATE the 5D Mark II has been getting simply because it has FullHD recording ability or that its ability to do isn't as good as a professional dedicated HD video camera. The 5D Mark II's video capabilities are stunning and revolutionary. But obviously the first iteration of FullHD video on a DSLR isn't going to be beating records or replacing studio equipment. I am, however, looking forward to future iterations of this technology... it'll only get better.

[osv]

I would bet it's that noisy because the ISO was cranked up to 6400 or even 12800. It was noticeable but what would you get with any other digital video camera? Could you get anything even usable?

again, we don't know if it's noisy because of the flash encoding or the codec that canon is using.

and we can't compare it to anything because we don't know how much light there was to begin with, or what iso it was shot at... typically, where you would see the noise would be in the dark areas, not in the semi-lit hallway... that's why it doesn't add up.

[Stealthy Ninja]

With a camcorder, you'll also get a lot more low-light noise and less depth of field because of the shallower sensor.

The 5DII is the real beginning of the revolution. It's not the be-all, end-all. And no one ever said it was going to be easy as hell to get good results with it.

But up until now, Laforet was a photographer, not a videographer or filmmaker. And he's getting footage which is simply awesome. So I duly submit the visual evidence as proof that this is a very cool feature to have (as a freebie, mind you) in a dSLR which also happens to be incredible for still images.

I totally agree.

One thing about Laforet though, his videos look really good, but lack story. It's like he's strung together a bunch of really nice looking photos (which happen to move). The dude, should be a cinematographer for sure, but not a director. :)

[cbouchez]

great video!

[David John]

for the money you spend on the 5d, you can get a pro audio interface on a prosumer camcorder... and you get a *real* zoom lens with something like the hmc150, which you can't get with the 5d.

Um, yeah...so what?

I'm certain that there are quite a few things you could get for "the money you spend on the 5d [Mark II]". But, to put the cost into perspective, consider the fact that just a few years ago people were spending the SAME (roughly) amount of money on a 5D Mark I and getting significantly less camera with NO video capabilities!! I was pleasantly surprised at the MSRP on the 5D2...I figured it would have been much more given its upgraded features.

I really dont understand WHY folks here are comparing the 5D2 to a dedicated HD video camera. I've not seen ONE press release or advertisement where Canon is touting this camera as a "replacement" for pro video equipment, nor do I think anyone seriously considering a 5D2 believes it as such.

JMHO

[Zepher]

I wish my HD Camcorders looked as good as the 5D MkII

[osv]

I really dont understand WHY folks here are comparing the 5D2 to a dedicated HD video camera.

isn't it obvious? there are people in this thread who think that they can buy the 5d and use it like it was a camcorder.

the value of what you are getting for your money applies to all new types and models of camera equipment, not just the 5d.

if you want to compare something, look at the differences between minidv and just about any new hd camcorder... there is a huge step up in pq.

[Joony]

Damn, looks good!

I wonder if they took out certain controls from the 5D as to not compete with some of their other HD camcorders such as the XH-A1...