I can not find the video I saw a while back where they showed how to hold your hand in front of the camera to get the camera to set the lens to wide open outside.

If someone can show me where it is I would appreciate it, and make sure I bookmark it this time.

Denny

Hi Denny,

if you have the latest firmware update on your 5D2 you don't have to do that. If you don;t yet have it, there's a link here
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-eos-5d-mk-ii-hd/236547-firmware-update-now-available-link.html

Best way to get the aperture wide open while filming outside is to use ND filters to reduce the amount of light allowed into the camera. I use an ND4 usually and sometimes an ND8 if it's sunny. Find a thread on this forum about the Vari ND and the Fader ND as these seem to be quite flexible in use, expensive compared to the usual ones you can buy, but much more flexible.

Hope this helps

Avey

Wayne, what I was looking for is the way a guy makes the camera choose a much faster shutter speed and shoot wide open rather than shoot at say 5.6 or 8.0.

He held his hand in front of the camera to make it stop down, then hit the * button to lock the exposure.

Here's one of them... but things have changed now that Canon put out the firmware...

How To Use Video Mode on the Canon 5D MK II on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/2517472)

another one...

http://vimeo.com/2530166

Here's one of them... but things have changed now that Canon put out the firmware...

How To Use Video Mode on the Canon 5D MK II on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/2517472)

another one...

Canon 5D Mark 2 Video Aperture Manipulation Demo on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/2530166)

Thanks, very good link, it was not the exact link I was looking for, but great and reminded me where the video was, here is the link I was looking for.

EventDV TV // 5D Reel on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/4055622)

But you only had to do that hand trick when we didn't have full control over the aperture, which since the latest Canon firmware update, we do. so now you just dial in the widest aperture and away you go.

The reason I mentioned ND filters is because if you're shooting outside and want the widest aperture, it might be overexposed and NDs are a good way to stop light getting into the camera while still keeping the widest aperture.

Wayne, I knew that was the one you really wanted... I just couldn't find it amoung so many
videos now on Vimeo... glad you got it, its a good one...

Now you need to research the variable ND filters... I think you'll like the extra control they
give you when shooting out doors... plus there is one that has variable ND plus a polarizer.

But you only had to do that hand trick when we didn't have full control over the aperture, which since the latest Canon firmware update, we do. so now you just dial in the widest aperture and away you go.

The reason I mentioned ND filters is because if you're shooting outside and want the widest aperture, it might be overexposed and NDs are a good way to stop light getting into the camera while still keeping the widest aperture.

Although blowing out is one reason for the ND, the much MORE IMPORTANT reason is so you can still keep your shutter speed down where it should be, near 1/60. Unless of course you're going for that stuttering high speed shutter horror film look that is.