5D3 movies and focus...

So I have the 5D3 and am wanting to shoot some movies.

Is there a way to have focus follow what you are pointing at, or adhere to the AF points in an AIServo kind of way?
Or do I have to keep my hand on the focus ring and make it happen myself?

Forgive my ignorance.

Keith

Nope, you have to manually control it yourself. Now, there are easier ways than others to do it. The best IMO is using a proper follow focus, but decent/good ones arent cheap. Watch this video, itll explain more: LINK

Or, if you want the by far best bang for the buck professional follow focus, I just upgraded to the Redrock Micro microFollowFocus Blue and like it A LOT more than the V2 I had before: LINK

Thanx ben_r_,

Your news is expensive news in the wake of my already expensive camera purchase.

I must contemplate this...

Keith

Kechar wrote in post #14156636
Thanx ben_r_,

Your news is expensive news in the wake of my already expensive camera purchase.

I must contemplate this...

Keith

Oh yea, big time! Take a look at my gear list. Once I made the decision to "get into" video I quickly learned that audio AND video both will cost more than I had invested in photography equipment in order to get professional results.

Now, dont get me wrong, there are cheaper ways to do anything, I just never take them and prefer the top quality right tool for any job I do. I guess I just hate being hindered by making due with lower quality tools. I mean, sure you can take a picture with any lens, and if thats all youre going for, you should never have any interest nor see any difference in results from a piece of L glass right? Ya get what ya pay for.

Do yourself a favor if youre really thinking about "getting into video", pick up this book and give a thorough read and youll have a great deal better understanding of the DSLR video industry: LINK

...and contemplation indeed, these are fields that can take years of study and research, just like photography!

My T1i has a focus ability while in video mode. If I hold the focus button the camera will focus during recording. So it is obviously possible. Now I would think the 5D can certainly do it but its probably not there due to the fact that mostly professionals would be buying a 5D anyway and most of the professionals already have follow focus systems. Is this the case? If so then why not just include it? I would think it really comes down to a specific function in code which would not be hard to include for the occasional non-professional.

mrbubbles wrote in post #14159152
My T1i has a focus ability while in video mode. If I hold the focus button the camera will focus during recording. So it is obviously possible. Now I would think the 5D can certainly do it but its probably not there due to the fact that mostly professionals would be buying a 5D anyway and most of the professionals already have follow focus systems. Is this the case? If so then why not just include it? I would think it really comes down to a specific function in code which would not be hard to include for the occasional non-professional.

Oh they all CAN, its just painfully slow, inaccurate and unprofessionally un-smooth, so no one uses it.

I'm not a pro photographer, and really don't aspire to be a pro videographer.
They are just hobbies for me. My 9 to 5 pays way too much to allow me to make this move, and I don't want to ruin the love by trying to mix in finances.

This is the kind of stuff I am looking to do...
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=gDGxffx_u0Q

I shot that with a $49 walmart point and shoot mounted on a mono-pod for stability (and it looks it) and did some mixing in Vegas Video.

Although I do plan on doing a few things that include a need for audio, for the most part not.
I am a musician and have a small home studio (amps, mixer, mics, etc.). I have some very nice mics including a wireless Sure SM58 that may come in handy when the time comes. Not portable stuff, but useable I imagine.

I couldn't get a 5D3 .MOV file into Sony Vegas 8 and am going to try to upgrade to 10 or 11 and see if that will allow the .MOV files in directly.
I know I can convert them to another format, and have experimented with that, but what a pain.

Do you know of any other descent video editing software that would take .MOVs from the 5D3, and allow me to add separate audio tracks, text overlays, transitions, video color correction (to entire video), and maybe some clip effects? I've just always used Vegas, long before it was Sony, and know nothing else.

I agree...I tried the half press and the camera seemed to refocus, but it wasn't as smooth and accurate as I might like.

I'm figuring, after a little research, I could get away with a descent follow focus/rail system, viewer thingy for the back LCD, and a descent video stand for right now. I can probably budget around $600 to $800 for this, depending on how much the new Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VC runs when it comes out.

ben_r_: I read through your gear list and it made me absolutely SICK. What would you estimate total you have spent on Photography/Videograph​y in your life?

Thanx for all you comments!!!

I'm in kind of the same boat, 5D2, non pro and just want good videos. The trick is to video wide angle with small aperture. That'll get you a large DOF, hence no need to manual focus much.

If you want to be cheap about it like me, a monopod + lcdvf or it's knockoffs can really save the day. Not sure if they make a 5D3 version yet, but I have one for my 5D2 with smaller lcd, and it works great for manual focusing. It doesnt take long to figure it out, it's pretty simple, and just takes practice. I figure you are taking videos with your 24-105, which has IS. You should get an external mic because that IS system will noise in your videos. It took me a few weeks to really get it down, and now manual focusing is pretty easy.

Of course you can always go to the dark side(nikon, sony) if you want a face tracking system. IMO, you dont need a follow focus and can probably get away with the jar opener or freehand method for a while.

jar opener: http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=wr7ODWNcMoY

Kechar wrote in post #14161727
I'm not a pro photographer, and really don't aspire to be a pro videographer.
They are just hobbies for me. My 9 to 5 pays way too much to allow me to make this move, and I don't want to ruin the love by trying to mix in finances.

This is the kind of stuff I am looking to do...
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=gDGxffx_u0Q

I shot that with a $49 walmart point and shoot mounted on a mono-pod for stability (and it looks it) and did some mixing in Vegas Video.

Although I do plan on doing a few things that include a need for audio, for the most part not.
I am a musician and have a small home studio (amps, mixer, mics, etc.). I have some very nice mics including a wireless Sure SM58 that may come in handy when the time comes. Not portable stuff, but useable I imagine.

I couldn't get a 5D3 .MOV file into Sony Vegas 8 and am going to try to upgrade to 10 or 11 and see if that will allow the .MOV files in directly.
I know I can convert them to another format, and have experimented with that, but what a pain.

Do you know of any other descent video editing software that would take .MOVs from the 5D3, and allow me to add separate audio tracks, text overlays, transitions, video color correction (to entire video), and maybe some clip effects? I've just always used Vegas, long before it was Sony, and know nothing else.

I agree...I tried the half press and the camera seemed to refocus, but it wasn't as smooth and accurate as I might like.

I'm figuring, after a little research, I could get away with a descent follow focus/rail system, viewer thingy for the back LCD, and a descent video stand for right now. I can probably budget around $600 to $800 for this, depending on how much the new Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VC runs when it comes out.

ben_r_: I read through your gear list and it made me absolutely SICK. What would you estimate total you have spent on Photography/Videograph​y in your life?

Thanx for all you comments!!!

Adobe Premiere Pro (CS5.5 is the latest variant) and Apple's Final Cut Pro are the two standards these days and the will both natively allow imports of .mov files.

In my LIFE?! lol I have no idea, but invested in right now is around $35k. lol man, when I look at it like that it sounds nuts, but I am kinda out there, so yea it makes sense for me I guess. You have to keep in mind, especially around here, that amount invested in is relative for everyone. All depends on how much you make and how much you have going out for other things in life. Spending $100k on a home theater system for some is just how its supposed to be, while others strive to save up for the $600 home theater in a box system from Worst Buy. Same with cars and everything else in life. On top of that, I have no wife, no kids, mortgage is well covered each month as is car and other bills and girls come and go. So that right there eliminates 80% of what takes most people's money away from what theyd rather be spending it on. I am just a collection of calculated odd experiences and actions that has led me to this place in life, and while it wont last forever I have decided to enjoy as much of it as I can before its gone. Ya cant take it with ya!

Kechar, have a read of this eBook (free but requires signup to their mailing list), I found it to be a good primer on DSLR video.

http://nofilmschool.co​m/dslr/

One other question, if I may...

When buying a rail and focus system, do they support having a grip on your camera?
I always use a grip, although the 5D3 grip isn't out yet.

Thanx!

Kechar wrote in post #14168576
One other question, if I may...

When buying a rail and focus system, do they support having a grip on your camera?
I always use a grip, although the 5D3 grip isn't out yet.

Thanx!

They can. They just mount to the tripod mount hole of the camera. However using a grip for anything other than hand holding and shooting portrait is never the most stable way to do it. Grips were never meant to support the weight of a camera and they droop a bit. Depending on what company you go with for a rail system and how their camera mounting works, you may also lose the anti-twist feature of their mount when trying to mount with the grip on. I know its that way with the Redrock Micro gear that I use anyway. That being said, also there is no advantage to shooting video with a grip on other than battery life, but even that isnt a huge issue as swapping a battery out is very fast and simple.

Thanx!

Yes, battery life is my only concern.

Hopefully i'll be able to pull the trigger on a rail, tripod, and follow focus soon.
I'm also considering an inexpensive carry bracket and mic.

I don't want to go overboard LOL or i'll be divorced.

ben_r_ wrote in post #14169252
That being said, also there is no advantage to shooting video with a grip on other than battery life, but even that isnt a huge issue as swapping a battery out is very fast and simple.

Not quite. Most camera battery compartments are a PITA to access when the camera is mounted on a tripod and/or rails. Battery compartments on grips are accessed from the side. Much easier to replace batteries - just pull out the tray.

Or maybe it's just my T2i, whose battery compartment lid doesn't clear my tripod's quick release plate.

Snafoo wrote in post #14169780
Not quite. Most camera battery compartments are a PITA to access when the camera is mounted on a tripod and/or rails. Battery compartments on grips are accessed from the side. Much easier to replace batteries - just pull out the tray.

Or maybe it's just my T2i, whose battery compartment lid doesn't clear my tripod's quick release plate.

Yea I dont know about the rebels, but the battery doors on the 60D and 5D2 are totally unobstructed when mounted to ANYTHING I own whether its RRS L plate onto gear, or Redrock Micro DSLR clamp onto rails.

This guy: