Firmware update coming to 5D Mk II
I never got around to posting about this last week, but in case you missed it Canon have announced a firmware update for the 5DII to give it full manual control. Kudos to Canon for listening to their customers. The 5D has gained quite a following for its video capabilities, with the large sensor providing beautiful depth of field even higher than that normally found on traditional 35mm movie cameras. The one problem had been the lack of manual control. In true indie movie maker fashion though, people had come up with some quite creative solutions to the problem, including using Nikon lenses with an adaptor, because some Nikon lenses have a manual aperture ring and allow you to manually control the depth of field. Someone had also come up with a questionable technique of setting the f-stop before entering movie mode, then half turning the lens so it lost contact with the camera body and kept the wide aperture when filming.
Anyway, this methods will no longer be necessary now that Canon have decided to give its customers what they asked fore. I expect you will see a lot more from this camera in the future. In the mean time, if you haven’t seen it already check out cinema5D.com It’s a forum and site dedicated to shooting video on the 5D and has links to some amazing work already done by film makers with this remarkable movie making tool.
I know I’ve kind of bashed the 5D in the past, but that’s mostly for its abilities as a stills camera. (and mostly the lack of a modern AF and Metering system in a high end camera from Canon) but as a movie making tool, I’m blown away by what some people have done with this thing. My estimation of Canon has gone back up considerably too for doing this.
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