Canon has released ANOTHER firmware update for the 5D Mark II. The last firmware (2.0.3) had a small bug in it, which caused audio to stop recording when using the custom modes C1, C2, or C3. This is not a big deal for us movie shooters, but the good news is Canon has addressed the issue and released firmware 2.0.4. Download the new version here. Thanks Canon for the quick fix.
Canon has just released their latest firmware for the 5D Mark II (2.0.3). Find the firmware here. Follow the instruction to install the firmware on your camera yourself. Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 16th) we will be hosting a firmware upgrade party in our NYC office. Come by to celebrate the release, get your camera upgrade by us, and see a presentation from Jon Fauer, ASC. Upgrades will be performed all day, and presentations start at 6pm. Hope to see you there.
Canon announced today that new firmware for the 5D Mark II camera will be available on March 16th. This is a highly anticipated upgrade that adds 1080 24P (actual 23.98) and 25P recording to the 5D Mark II. Previously 1080 30P was the only supported recording format, and filmmakers have been asking for 24P for sometime. The 30P record mode has also been updated to be 29.97, which will ease editing problems with true 30P footage. With this upgrade also comes the ability to adjust audio recording levels manually. On screen meters will be available to monitor levels and adjust. Additionally Canon has added a new histogram display for shooting movies in manual exposure, shutter-priority (Tv) and aperture-priority (Av) have been added, and exposure modes will also be available in movie mode. This is exciting news, so we will be holding a 5D Firmware Download Party on March 16th in NYC. We will have Canon experts on hand to discuss the new features of the camera, and we will upgrade any 5D Mark II for free. Check back for more information soon, and find the firmware here when it is posted.
With all the various HDSLRs appearing on the market, keeping their features straight can be a bit of a challenge. Abel’s Andy Shipsides has put together a handy chart comparing five of these cameras side-by-side. He compares the Canon 5D Mark II, 1D Mark IV, the 7D, the new Rebel T2i, and the Panasonic Lumix GH1. His chart is available to view or download in the Resources section of abelcine.com.
Canon has a new HDSLR camera and a new Final Cut Pro plug-in. The EOS 550D (or Rebel T2i as it is also called) is their latest HDSLR camera, with an 18 MP APS-C size sensor and the ability to record full HD video. In terms of video, the specs are very similar to that of the 7D:
The big differences from the 7D is a lower ISO range (100-6400), and it records to SDHC or SDXC cards instead of CF cards. The sensor is not exactly the same, so some comparison will have to be made, but the price is significantly different at under $1000. Read a full review of the new 550D at DPreview.
The other big news is that Canon is developing a plug-in for Final Cut Pro. It will allow importing of ‘EOS Movie’ footage into FCP through the Log and Transfer mode. The plug-in will convert the QuickTime movies created in Canon HDSLR cameras into Apple’s ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Additionally, users will also be able to add timecode, reel names and metadata to footage quickly and easily. This is great news for anyone working with Canon HDSLR cameras. A beta of the plug-in will be available in March.
Many people have asked me about CF card requirements for shooting video on the Canon HDSLR cameras. Compact Flash cards come in many speeds, and the faster they go the more expensive they get. Canon lists the data rate of the Canon 5D Mark II and 7D video modes at a maximum of 330 MB/minute (a bit less for the 5D Mark II). That’s 5.5 MB/second video, which can be converted from MegaBytes to Megabits (1 Mbit = 0.125 MByte) to 44 Megabites per second. So what speed cards do you need? Well, to be safe I suggest cards with a minimum transfer of 8 MB/second, and there are many of these cards on the market at very affordable prices. You may see CF cards listed in X values (40X, 60X, ect), so to help you decode I have provided the following chart.
…continue reading CF Card Specs for Canon HDSLR Cameras
Switronix has released an adapter to power a Canon 5D Mark II or 7D off a power tap. It is a simple adapter called the XP-DSLR-C that allows users to adapt the Canon DC coupler directly to a battery or other source with a power tap plug. So an Anton Bauer Gold Mount will work as well as the D-Tap found on an IDX battery. This will greatly extend the battery life of the cameras, and the adapter has an additional power tap on it to power other 12V accessories. Look for an adapter for the Panasonic Lumix GH1 in the future as well.
