Total control over 'Shutter' speed 1/40 to 1/8000 and 'ISO' workaround.

[Don Miller]

That's interesting.

What will be the uses for a fast shutter? The "Saving Private Ryan effect"? Can it be used the other way - to lock in slow shutter?

[Bill Binder]

I'm a little confused about something.

I totally get that I can set aperture, press DOF preview, twist lens to disconnect contacts, then flash light into the lens and lock exposure. That all makes sense to me.

Where I'm getting lost is how you control shutter speed? I thought the cam worked in a limited range, like 1/30 to 1/125? I also thought the camera would be tweaking both iso and shutter speed.

From the description on vimeo, it almost sounded like you were somehow locking down ISO, then able to set shutter speed? How (exactly)?

Or maybe I'm just missing something. But it seems like you've gone beyond spec. How do you know you were actually at 1/8000? I mean the footage looks like a high shutter, but I'm wondering if that is really just 1/125 or something?

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Makes sense to me. in bright light, ISO is 100 and shutter speed increases. in dim light, shutter speed decreases until 1/30th and then ISO kicks in as needed up to 3200.

Now the question is is there any way to check what settings are in use? does it tell you what your ISO and shutter are at?

Seems like if you point the camera at a bright light and it is able to expose correctly for it without any ND filtration. Then that's probably your verification that the camera can go past 1/125th shutter. Otherwise, if ISO 100 and 1/125th shutter is the most the camera can do to cut exposure, daylight exteriors would be pretty blown out all the time.

[James Miller]

Bill, once you get the ISO to 100 the wheel adjusts the shutter speed. It depends on the amount of light available to what speeds you get.

Its easy to see what I mean when you try it out. That shot on Vimeo was taken at 1/800.

What you can't do is try and hold the ISO at 200 or anything other than ISO 100 and adjust the shutter speed beyond the normal limits.

Hope that makes a little more sense.

[James Miller]

Noah, you get all info on screen as usual and when you half press the shutter. The only thing missing is the aperture display '00', but as we set this before lens rotation we know what it is.

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Oh, really? thats great! So really all someone needs to do is build a lens cap with a built in dimmable LED. Something like that could even be calibrated so all you have to do is set the led, and unlock and lock exposure while lens cap is on, and start shooting :) .

while shooting, there is an exposure compensation option, right? as you adjust that, does the iso/shutter readout change?

still a bit of a pain that you have to be in iso100 if you want a "normal" 1/60th shutter. itd be great if it changed iso up to 800 before going from 1/60 to an open shutter. oh well

[Valeriu Campan]

Originally Posted by Noah Yuan-Vogel

Oh, really? thats great! So really all someone needs to do is build a lens cap with a built in dimmable LED. Something like that could even be calibrated so all you have to do is set the led, and unlock and lock exposure while lens cap is on, and start shooting :) .

There is one. It's made for small video cameras only... It would be great to have a larger one designed for the larger diameter of still lenses, up to 88mm.

You can find it at lytecap for the Canon HV20/HV30 HDV

[Don Miller]

You can't use a fast shutter without making the video look like crap. ND filters are still going to be necessary.
On the little cams the point of the light is the lens to open up and not increase gain. At least that's how its done on Canon camcorders.
I just picked up my 5DII. I'm psyched.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Don Miller

You can't use a fast shutter without making the video look like crap.

My son just completed a promotional rugby video (DVX) with a moderately fast shutter, and the result was perfect. With fast cuts, driving music, lots of action and short bits of interview, it worked well with just the right amount of judder.

BTW, one trick he used was to render to 24p with the action shots captured in 30p for a 25% overcranked slo-mo. It didn't look slow. It just looked cool.

See, the 30p limitation won't be all bad. ;)

I just picked up my 5DII. I'm psyched.

Congrats!

[Don Miller]

Picked up my camera last night. Don't really have much to report except on fast lenses the camera would boost ISO instead of going below f2 (on a 85 1.2). I'm trying to not get angry dealing with the pettiness of Canon's restrictions on control.
We haven't talked about CF cards. I'm using the inexpensive Ridata 16GB 233X UDMA. So far no problems. I'll try their 36GB next.

[Don Miller]

Here's a video they're arguing about on DPReview:

Re: 5D MKII Videos shot in daylight please: Canon EOS-1D / 1Ds / 5D Forum: Digital Photography Review

They don't like the choppiness, but the shutter speed is too high.

It doesn't seem that the max shutter speed documented is accurate. A guy in the dpreview thread said he tried his 300/2.8 and the camera chose 1/320. I've noticed the camera wants to set shutter at 1/focal length.

I've started testing non-Canon lenses and the increased control makes me happy.

The good news may be that this situation is so messed up that Canon has to make some changes.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Don Miller

The good news may be that this situation is so messed up that Canon has to make some changes.

Canon needs to provide better control, unless their goal is to sell Nikon lenses. And they need to do 25p, if they want the camera to do well in Europe. Let's hope they do 24p as well. Blu-ray doesn't do 30p...

Resolution Frame rate
1920x1080 59.94-i, 50-i
1920x1080 24-p, 23.976-p
1440x1080 59.94-i, 50-i
1440x1080 24-p, 23.976-p
1280x720 59.94-p, 50-p
1280x720 24-p, 23.976-p
720x480 59.94-i
720x576 50-i

[Don Miller]

Here's a pretty good first outing with the 5DII: :)

Lynx on Vimeo

[Jon Fairhurst]

The lynx film really shows the strengths and challenges for this camera. The strengths being the great pictures in natural light and the lens options. The challenges being the limited frame rate for slo-mo and trying to maintain focus. I saw at least one exposure change mid scene.

A 2/3" Red Scarlet with a 35mm mount, a follow focus and a big monitor - if that package existed yet - would have been ideal. You would be able to control everything, get nice long shots and have a better chance at keeping focus - not that tracking a moving lynx would be easy even then. And with 120 fps, the slo-mo would have been silky smooth.

But that camera setup isn't available yet at any price, let alone $2,700 sans lens. A similar RED ONE package is available today, but at nearly 10x the price - and it doesn't do 120 fps.

I just put my name on the waiting list for the 5D MkII at a small, local camera store. Hopefully, they get their shipment soon. I like a good challenge!

[Tyler Franco]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

A 2/3" Red Scarlet with a 35mm mount, a follow focus and a big monitor - if that package existed yet - would have been ideal.

Somehow, I think there is a great possibly that you would have never gotten the shot had you had to have hauled around a monitor with a camera mounted on rails with a follow focus! Although, if you could have, I'm sure it would have looked great. :)