Poli Bou » Canon

24 fps on Canon 5D Mark II

Poli — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:22:50 +0000

I haven’t been keeping up with news on the 5D Mark II. It was a nice surprise to see Canon release a firmware update to enable 24 fps video in both PAL and NTSC. I’m sure cinematographers everywhere are jumping in their seats. Many people said it couldn’t be done through a firmware update. I bet those were the same people who said manual control was also impossible through a firmware change. In any event, I’m sure everyone is glad to be wrong this time. Cheers to Canon for continuing to update their products.

The new firmware was actually released earlier this week but there was a bug with audio recording in the creative modes. Today, they did a minor fix with the release of firmware version v2.0.4.

Here are the changes:

The Version 2.0.4 firmware includes the movie function enhancements listed in items 1 through 5 below, and also incorporates the correction listed in item 6.

Adds or changes the following movie frame rates.

NTSC:
1920×1080 : 30 fps (changed – actual 29.97 fps)
1920×1080 : 24 fps (added – actual 23.976 fps)
640×480 : 30 fps (changed – actual 29.97 fps)
PAL:
1920×1080 : 25 fps (added – actual 25.0 fps)
1920×1080 : 24 fps (added – actual 23.976 fps)
640×480 : 25 fps (added – actual 25.0 fps)

Adds a function for manually adjusting the sound recording level (64 levels).
Adds a histogram display (brightness or RGB) for shooting movies in manual exposure.
Adds shutter-priority AE mode (Tv) and aperture-priority AE (Av) mode to the exposure modes for shooting movies.
Changes the audio sampling frequency from 44.1 KHz to 48 KHz.
Fixes a phenomenon where communication between the camera and the attached lens is sometimes interrupted after manual sensor cleaning. (This phenomenon only affects units with Firmware Version 1.2.4.)

How to update your firmware:
Updating your firmware is really simple. However, I suggest you follow the official procedure if you have never done it before.

Here’s a simple step by step recap.
Step 1. Format your compact flash card in the 5D mark II.
Step 2. Remove the CF card stick it in your computer’s memory card reader.
Step 3. Open up the CF card in your browser. You will see 2 folders.
Step 4. Download the new firmware. Extract it and copy to the root directory of your CF Card.
Step 5. Place the CF card back in the 5D.
Step 6. Make sure your battery is charged. Important!
Step 7. Navigate to firmware and hit set.
Step 8. The camera should find the new firmware and give you the option to update it.
Step 9. Hit OK, and then don’t touch any buttons on the camera. You will see a progress bar as it goes through the update process which should only take a minute.
Step 10. Format your card again once it has completed. Happy Shooting!

Canon Freeze Tag Commerical

Poli — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:06:53 +0000

Some pretty awesome technical shots in this commercial. Just thought I’d share.

CANON Commercial – Freeze Tag from Saman Keshavarz on Vimeo.

Disassembled 50mm f/1.4

Poli — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:32:27 +0000

Ever wonder what a $300 dollar 50mm f/1.4 lens look like disassembled? Sorry for the lack of close up shots and detailed info as I didn’t plan to do a write up. I got the lens for a good deal off Craigslist since the autofocus was shot. It still worked fine manually but I could tell the motor was struggling due to some fine grit or sand. So I attempted to take it apart and see if I could clean it up and lube the gearing. I had to bend some of the guide rails back in place. They look like they were over extended and became deformed. After thoroughly cleaning the pieces I used some Mobile 1 motor oil to coat any moving part. Haha, I know…probably not the best thing to use on a lens, but I didn’t really plan this out and it was all I had. A month later and the autofocus is still working fine so no harm done .

Manual Exposure Control on 5D Mark II Video

Poli — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:29:35 +0000

Looks like we’re finally get manual control! Canon will be releasing a new firmware on June 2, 2009. It will be available here: EOS 5D MarkII Firmware Update Version.

Press Release:

LONDON, UK, 27th May 2009: Canon announced today it will release a firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II allowing users to manually control exposure when shooting video. The new firmware will be available for download from 2 June 2009 on Canon Europe’s support web site.
Following the launch of the EOS 5D Mark II in September 2008, Canon’s Research and Development team has listened closely to customer feedback to develop additions to the camera’s movie recording functionality.

Allowing EOS 5D Mark II owners to achieve even more stunning video results with the camera, the firmware update will include the following manual controls when shooting video:

Full aperture selection
ISO speed: Auto, 100 – 6400 and H1
Shutter speed: 1/30th – 1/4000th second

The EOS 5D Mark II integrates full HD movie capability into a high-end 21.1 Megapixel camera; opening a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists and news photographers. Since its launch the camera has proved its appeal to professionals working in diverse fields, from studio and wedding to nature and travel. Now, following customer feedback, Canon has improved functionality for professional video users, further unleashing the potential of the EOS 5D Mark II for cinematographers and photographers alike.

Canon 5D Mark II

Poli — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:20:23 +0000

I picked up the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1 MP full frame camera about a month ago. The low light performance is outstanding. Iso 3200 is virtually noise free and iso 6400 is perfectly usable. Community consensus says spend your money on quality lens rather than upgrading the camera body. In this case, I disagree. While adding a lens to your arsenal is always a good thing, the change in body technology basically upgrade your entire lens collection. Those f/4 you own can now be used indoors and that 50mm f/1.4 is now a cat eye in darkness. Justification may be warrented in my case since I moved up about 3 generation from a 30D. The other glaring feature that cannot be overlooked is the HD video capabilities. 1920x1080p video at 30fps with stereo sound and the ability to use the entire EOS line of lenses makes this one sweet production camera. Of course the low light performance in video is equally amazing.

I can’t do this camera justice with a proper review so read at: www.dpreview.com. But here are my pros and cons:

PROS:
1. Noise free high iso capabilities.
2. 21.1 Megapixels. You can crop your crops.
3. Full Frame
4. 1080p video
5. 3 inch 920,000 dot LCD monitor

CONS:
1. Large file size
2. Lack of manual controls in video mode
3. Center auto focus still the same as previous generation