Canon 5D II firmware upgrade for manual exposure controls in video

[David Selby]

Tonight Canon has announced they will be releasing a new firmware on June 2, 2009.



The press release excerpt:





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

[Garrett-Grimsley]

Nice!
It will be interesting to see what people will create now with manual control over the video settings.

[Jon Ruyle]

Sweeet!


Umm.... I don't think I get it though. I don't know much about video, but... shutter speed? For jerky movement effect or something?

[crosbyharbison]

I was hesitant before, but now I am fairly certain I'll be buying one in the fall for multipurpose photo/video use.

[Daniel Browning]

This is really great news. I stated before that if Canon did this I would eat my hat. Now I'm looking for baseball cap recipes. :)






I don't know much about video, but... shutter speed? For jerky movement effect or something?
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>





Generally, shutter speed in video is very simple: if you want a film-like effect, use a shutter speed that is exactly half the frame rate (30p means 1/60). If you want a soap-opera or news-like effect, use a shutter speed that is the same as the frame rate (30p and 1/30).


Higher shutter speeds on the 5D2 (1/120+) would only be for the jerky movement effect (like the opening of Saving Private Ryan) and those times when you can't put on a ND, can't stop down, but 1/60 is too bright (i.e. an emergency-only exposure adjustment).


The autoexposure system on the 5D2 video was very brainless. It chose shutter speeds based on the focal length, as if it was trying to reduce camera shake. But the 1/focal length rule has absolutely nothing to do with video. It was frustrating because my 24mm lens always got 1/20 shutter speed (that's what it reported, but actual speed was 1/30).


I will be so happy to finally control f-number, shutter, and ISO.

[alex]

Generally, shutter speed in video is very simple: if you want a film-like effect, use a shutter speed that is exactly half the frame rate (30p means 1/60). If you want a soap-opera or news-like effect, use a shutter speed that is the same as the frame rate (30p and 1/30).





I've wondered my entire life how it is that soap operas and some other media look so "real" compared to film and most TV. It's all related to shutterspeed...


But wait, I really don't understand that. Are you saying that when you're shooting video on a 5D II, and you've selected 1/60s for shutterspeed, the shutter is literally opening and closing 60 times a second, over and over again? Isn't that loud? And how is that possible, since 60 frames per second isn't even possible on a dSLR?


Very confused...

[Daniel Browning]

I've wondered my entire life how it is that soap operas and some other media look so "real" compared to film and most TV. It's all related to shutterspeed...


Frame rate is the more important factor, but the 5D2 can't change frame rate. Soaps and news generally record interlaced video, which is 60 "fields" per second, so the motion is similar to 60 frames per second. The shutter is typically 1/60, but even if the shutter were 1/120, it still looks like "soaps/news/sports".



. Are you saying that when you're shooting video on a 5D II, and you've selected 1/60s for shutterspeed, the shutter is literally opening and closing 60 times a second, over and over again?


The 5D2 has an electronic "shutter", but film cameras (and some digital cinema cameras) do have mechanical shutters:


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Moviecam_schematic_animation.gif ("http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_disc_shutter)


High speed film cameras even go up to 400 FPS. They also have some viewfinders that are very different from SLR.



Isn't that loud?


It can be. Early film cameras were so loud that they built special enclosures (blimps) to get the noise down. Even modern ones can sometimes be too noisy.



And how is that possible, since 60 frames per second isn't even possible on a dSLR?


As you imagine from the above illustration, fast shutter speeds are very easy for a rotary shutter. The hard part is moving to the next exposure on the film, getting it in exactly the correct place, holding it still during exposure, then quickly moving to the next exposure on the film strip.

[Oren]

The 5D2 has an electronic "shutter", but film cameras (and some digital cinema cameras) do have mechanical shutters:
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>





Daniel, What do you mean by "electronic shutter"???


The 5D Mark II, like all other EOS cameras has a "Vertical-travel, mechanical, Electronically-controlled, focal-plane shutter" - that is a mechanical shutter.

[ShutterbugJohan]

I hope that they will add video in the next firmware upgrade for the 50D. :-)






What do you mean by "electronic shutter"???


The 5D Mark II, like all other EOS cameras has a "Vertical-travel, mechanical, Electronically-controlled, focal-plane shutter" - that is a mechanical shutter.





I think that Daniel means that when shooting video, the camera does not use the mechanical shutter, but the mechanical shutter stays open and the exposures are captured electronically. FWIW, I've heard that the original 1D only used its mechanical shutter for long exposures, everything else used a electronic shutter and that is why its sync speed was 1/500sec.

[Oren]

I hope that they will add video in the next firmware upgrade for the 50D. :-)
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>





That would be cool, I'd love to have video on my 50D... but on a more serious note - I doubt it's gonna happen.

[joback]

The firmware upgrade can't come soon enough. I'm looking forward to playing with it. I didn't buy the 5D mkII for video, but it's a nice capability to have "thrown in."