Canon 5d MK II professionally shot footage

[John Wee]

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2086

:bleh:

[Emanuel A.]

On the spot. :)

[michael zaletel]

Quite a budget for demo footage!

Spend the same money and time and lens quality on a Red demo and then compare. Wait, Peter Jackson did that a couple years ago with a pre-production model and early, early build and it was at a whole other level than this stuff.

However, my bigger concern is the workflow, on set monitoring, audio, follow-focus and matte box mounting?

-shooter

[pango]

It is OK for what it is : 30fps (the file actually is slowed down to 29,97), with a rather smooth esthetics, which Canon does not allow the user to modify or parametrize.

Rolling shutter: you see it at several occasions, but it is not really a "show stopper" as for the D90. Once, you see a fiickering on the GPS, that is really ugly, and there is a shot with the camera handheld in the car. It is not easy to actually see the wobble, but the shot is short as well. Looking at the frames, it is there, but there are prosumer camcorders out there that are worse.

So, if you take the video function of the 5D II for what it is and not for what it is not, it can be a fun creative tool.

We will now wait for RED's "answer" :-))) and yes, go for it, the market has just grown sooo much. Canon will be the machine to promote RED to a wider public.

[Tom Lowe]

http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/content/reverie.jpg (http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2086)

Dude, I don't care... that footage looked freakin awesome... and it was not locked off or static. Some of those shots were epic wins no matter how you slice it.

The only thing is, they should offer that at 1080p so we can see if it will really hold up at that res.

[John Wee]

Quite a budget for demo footage!

However, my bigger concern is the workflow, on set monitoring, audio, follow-focus and matte box mounting?

-shooter

Exactly my thoughts. Canon needs to trickle this technology to their Camcorder division. NAB 2009 is going to be Historical. Otherwise I am sure other after market companies ala Element Technica is going to flood the market with 5D cine accessories.

[Luis de la Cerda]

That clip is a great example of the potential the camera holds. I think it's fairly obvious whoever shot it is a great stills photographer... The images are top notch, but the camera work, directing and editing show much room for improvement. In any case, I can't find any severe skew problems, not that there isn't any, but not any worse than an EX1 (my personal POV), light sensitivity looks superb, and the prospect of all that quality in a dslr form factor that I can take with me anywhere and at a price point I would be willing to sacrifice to the crash cam gods for the sake of a great shot has me all excited about it. YMMV. :)

Cheers.

[Pawel Achtel]

Canon and Nikon produce compressed (H.264) RGB. Red's answer will be compressed (wavelet) RAW. It will set them apart just by that; significantly!

[cinepost35]

If they can go 30 why can't they easily make a 24p mode?
Is it just a software thing if it can do 30 now?

[Harrison Diamond]

This 5DII looks fantastic in low light... at that rez.
I'm betting it'll also be great at 1080P.
But while I like a lot of the shots, the whole thing feels very video. Oversharpened, a bit jerky, video.
I could also see some of the limitations of the form factor still being stills-oriented. This will be equalized as accessories are adapted or created to fill this purpose.
If I didn't have confidence that Scarlet would be much better from a pure output and editing standpoint, I'd probably get one and use it with a G adapter for my Nikkors.

[Tom Lowe]

I wonder why they did not offer this as a 1080p sample? Hhmm. Canon is obviously paying for the bandwidth, so that's not an issue.

Once you see video that beautiful, then you start to think about more practical matters, like how you would pull focus, etc.

One potentially very interesting aspect to all of this is the Cineform HDMI recorder....

http://www.cineform.com/products/CineFormRecorder.htm

I can imagine building a cinema camera type rig for the 5Dm2 with a recorder like this.... you might really get some great stuff, if the recorder could grab 10-bit 4:2:2 off the HDMI port, for example.

I'm sure the 24p thing can be addressed with firmware (or a hack?), but the two remaining issues are: No RAW, and no overcranking.

[Caesar]

No RAWSo wth is this?

>> and that’s with the video that is downsized to 960 x 540 (which is 1/4 of 1080p!) in the Apple H.264 format from the full resolution 1080p RAW footage… the RAW footage that comes out of this camera is STUNNING - so much so that the entire video was cut with the RAW footage

http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2008/09/20/something-very-interesting-is-comingboth-to-this-blog-and-to-our-industry/

[Tom Lowe]

I think he made a mistake about that. I hope he's right, but I think if it could shoot RAW, Canon would be hyping that fact.

[James T Mather]

I thought it looked very video at times (popped highlights, that smeary motion cadence as he runs up the steps and grabs the flowers) - on statics and slow pans it looked okay. Some noisy shadows in the night exteriors - but hey, if it avoids a lighting truck and four sparks I'm sure a producer would be happy.

[M Hsu]

It's awesome. I was going to buy a d90 but now I think I'll get one of these... after we hear what Jim has to say about the new red still. I like my 5D a lot. I also like my RED a lot.

[pango]

I think he made a mistake about that. I hope he's right, but I think if it could shoot RAW, Canon would be hyping that fact.

No, he means that there was no post processing of colours etc. And I think that is the price of the absense of a RAW format : you have to decide the look before the video gets compressed to H.264. This is what he has done, fixed picture style, white balance and brightness, etc, and the out-of-the-cam footage looks like that.

I think on some shots there is saturation (of the red channel) on the skin, that is the price of going down to 8 bit at the shot.

Still, very impressing and best "bang-for-bucks" out there.

[Andrew M.]

But the truth is in 1080 full resolution.
Speculating now when you see only compressed H.264 to ¼ resolutions, that is already compressed, is counterproductive.
Let’s them post downloadable 1080p format and only then we will judge this material, based on technical merits. Judging on artistic merits and artistic skills is not the issue here.

Sure it is not the RAW so you can’t edit the clips, it is like shooting in JPG format and tries to edit in PS or Light Room. Once you get the clips you are locked to what you shot at that time.

I just want to see how prosumer cameras output compares to it.

Well, even 1080 doesn't compare to prosumer cameras, Canon 5D doesn’t offer any features for filming but I want to compare anyway. After all it is the first attempt of DLSR to include capture of moving pictures.

[Sanjin Jukic]

The lighting was a bit rough for a film style footage, a sort of "professional" high photo shots in a way but all look pretty "kitsch" and pretentious at the end.

Even f/1.2 wide open lenses were not fast enough if you don't have RAW files.

RED has RAW files that you could process somehow in a similar way (RED Alert, RED Cine) as a film in laboratory.

[P Andersson]

this is great, it is only going to get better - and maybe even cheaper

[kidrobot]

I don't see why you need to defend RED all the time. Scarlet will kick 5D's *perse hands tied behind its back, but the Scarlet is not out there yet. Anyone with some fun glass for the Canon will find it hard to resist at this point, especially when you could be holding one in your hands in december, this year.

*finnish

[albert rudnicki]

low light is stinky good:)

[M_Sanderson]

future is good, how about a red one, a scarlet, a 5d mark3 and if you are really poncing an epic in your arsenal. then you got some serious digital artillery. I can think of many applications where all this cameras will come into their own. hmm!!!! forget sony and panny. theyre old news

[John Wee]

BTS Footage ...

http://vincentlaforet.smugmug.com/gallery/6021407_xEg87#378608891_Jd2CT-XL-LB

[Patrick Tresch]

The lighting was a bit rough for a film style footage, a sort of "professional" high photo shots in a way but all look pretty "kitsch" ...


I second that... with all due respect to this big photographer. I wonder about the lack of subtility in lightning... It seamed to me like well applyed "lightning rools"...

Perhaps he will overcome the this by shooting more moving pictures. I must admit that when stopping on whatever frame the picture seams pleasant (close up on sweat) but while it moves, the light is just "scraming" (shot with the guy in the car. Look at the 6k HMI on his face coming from the steering weel!!! :-) )

Patrick

[Tom Lowe]

The guy is a still photographer. Cut him some slack.

[Sanjin Jukic]

Anyway very good advertising campaign for Canon 5DMkII, also for Vincent Laforet, a photographer by himself and now becoming a filmmaker with 5DMkII.

[pango]

Anyway very good advertising campaign for Canon 5DMkII, also for Vincent Laforet, photographer himself and now becoming a filmmaker.

I hope people realize it is free publicity for RED, too, scarletuser.com saw an all time record of visitors. It is an event, and that is all that matters in our times.

[PaulClements]

Looks great, not perfect by any means but I reckon it'd make a very good camera for shooting SD stuff on. Some of the HD stuff looks like it has compression artifacts but the skew issues of the D90 don't appear to exist at the same level.

Workflow wise this camera records quicktimes if I'm not mistaken (H264?). Should be pretty easy to post with FCP and Color.

I'm sure 24/25p is just a simple firmware update and I'd be very surprised if it didn't get included any time soon.

The video does look a little videoy for my liking but I'm sure we'll see some very impressive stuff shot with it once in the hands of a few directors/DoP's/decent colorist. Reading Laforet's blog he basically got the camera on Friday and put the thing together in the space of a couple of hours and shot it over a couple of days for $5000 so for the time they had it wasn't bad.

Good stuff in my book, the more tools the merrier.

Paul

[Tico Llaurador]

I agree, Paul. Coincidentally, I had been waiting for the 5D replacement for several months, so now that it's out, I'm going to order one. And when the DSMC comes out, I'll revisit the whole issue again. I had actually been holding out for what would have been the Leica "R10", but now I'm not so sure about that anymore. Even though some folks still say it'll appear. And it probably will, since I hear the folks at Leica have been very, very busy trying to make the point that they're still in contention.

But, all things considered, this new Canon 5DMkII represents a very compelling solution, even without video.

[Anmol Mishra]

Hi Tom, Are you sure its uncompressed 4:2:2 10-bit ? It could be 8-bit or even the compressed signal..




I can imagine building a cinema camera type rig for the 5Dm2 with a recorder like this.... you might really get some great stuff, if the recorder could grab 10-bit 4:2:2 off the HDMI port, for example.

[Tom Lowe]

Hi Tom, Are you sure its uncompressed 4:2:2 10-bit ? It could be 8-bit or even the compressed signal..

I have no idea. Has anyone been able to test the HDMI port on this camera to see what it outputs?

[Andrew Martin]

Might be doing something like this video over here in London, it's in the works - and with the right people at the moment.

If we can do it, should be really really really really really cool if what i have planned goes ahead . . . . . . .

My fingers & toes are crossed and i hugged a tree so i should be set.


Andrew.

[Tom Lowe]

Andrew, does that mean you guys are possibly going to have a 5Dm2 in your hands soon? Do you have any way to test the HDMI port? To record video from it?

[Andrew Martin]

I had my hands on the 5DmkII on wednesday just gone - bloody awesome is not the word - but some sod at the thing wiped the CF card before any shots could be transfered we were gutted - then the battery died lol.

Possibly. I'm in contact with the right people.

Andrew.

[Tom Lowe]

Lol....

Hey do me a little favor if you have that badboy at night (on a clear night).... aim it at the sky and do a really long exposure at ISO 3200. :)

[Andrew Martin]

Will do Tom.

But if what i have planned comes about . . . . oh boy - Piccadilly Circus at 3am should be awesome that's all im saying for now . . . . don't want to jinx it now.

I'm writing a treatment at the moment.

Andrew.

[Tom Lowe]

Oooooh.... sounds good!

[Tico Llaurador]

Looking forward to that one!

[Ken Willinger]

Here is some more video posted from this camera on a different site:
http://www.slashgear.com/canon-eos-5d-mark-ii-sample-video-clips-1716575/

[Tom Lowe]

Any new "raw" 1080p samples anywhere?

[Joseph Ward]

I understand if people are disappointed with the new DSLR's movie modes but isn't it the first generation for this mode on DSLR's, and aren't the movie modes supposed to be as secondary from the stills? How much are these new DSLR's?
Remember it can go the other way around, professional photographers can complain that RedOnes or not good for taking Stills.

If we are disappointed that the advertising makes out the DSLR's are made for both still and movie modes as equals, Or that such big companies could have made it better for movie mode, especially canon since its a video camera company also, than I think that is legitimate.

Its up to the company what they put out and up to you if you want it or not. I at least like that they finally made a combo still/motion camera out of FF35mm interchangeable DSLR's, and I know Red will kick all of their asses for combo still/motion cameras!:gun:

[Patrick Tresch]

Does anybody know how the 1080 signal is achieved (downsampled, crop, 1/4 debayer...)

Did anybody do a latitude test?

How does the mpeg-4 hold up (if no CC is applied...)? 4gig for 30 minutes is really compressed...

Is it possible to access a "fullres" file to play with?

Thanks

Patrick