Is the hysteria over this camera justified?

[Paul Cascio]

I've got to admit that when I first heard 22MP, 1080P, Full Frame DOF, I was overwhelmed, especially considering the price. But the longer I think about this camera, the more realize that while it is a revolutionary camera, it's real benefit is that it marks a shift to full frame sensors at an affordable price. As a camcorder, it has lots of flaws that we seem all to willing to accept for the sake of DOF control.

I think that within the next year, we're going to see affordable full frame camcorders that provide real camcorder functionality and the DOF control we coveted so much that we were willing to accept the image deteriation that 35mm adapters produced, just to achieve it.

This is not a knock on 35mm adapters, they were a brilliant, if not somewhat flawed, solution to a major problem that for many, made video a stepchild to film. But they were certainly not perfect.

I think the 5DM2 marks a change not so much in DSLR as in the dawn of new era in video.

[Don Miller]

I think most of us understand that this model and Red are the start of a new era in video.

Let me turn the question back to you. If the 5DII was not available, what would you need to produce the type of low light photography that's been shown from this camera?
For some people cinematic low light shooting for under $5K total is a good reason to get hysterical. :)


Someday I will have my flying car, but for now the 5DII will do.

[Rick Hill]

As an amateur videographer/photographer I am excited over the low light 1080p capability. Clearly the full frame sensor is a big reason for this performance. The bonus is film-like DOF and more importantly to me the potential for creativity with interchangeable lenses. Throw in top quality still photography and there's not much left to complain about.

Having said all that, I am going to hold off on a purchase. The 5D MII isn't going away anytime soon (as if I could just go get one now anyways). So there will be plenty of time to play wait and see while the early adopters put it through it's paces.

Experience shows that when something goes this hot when introduced into the market the follow up in products that address the noted deficiencies can be mind boggling. Both in how fast they get into the market and how well the deficiencies are addressed.

Exciting times for sure . . .

[Jon Fairhurst]

I don't know that the 'hysteria' is justified, but after years of wanting an HD camera and not buying anything, and not having an inkling of a desire to spend big bucks on a still cam, I'm buying this the minute there's a camera matching my name at the top of the waiting list. Heck, I bought a spare battery today, and I don't even have the camera.

It's not just about DOF. It's also about low light, and clean (if not "technically" perfect) images. It's about being able to stick whatever lens I want on it. It's about being able to set the color profile and luma curve in the camera. It's about a workflow that doesn't require any new hardware or software.

My only regret is that it doesn't do 24fps. I'll live. (And I'll use 30fps as a 25% overcrank. Shoot at 1/30th, drop every other frame, and I'll have a 37% undercrank...)

I drooled over the HVX. I've rented an HVX (for work.) I've compared it to Varicam footage and found it to be pretty darn soft. I've seen it shoot available light, and was disappointed. After that, I stopped wanting the HVX. I just couldn't justify the price for the performance.

After NAB, I was ready to buy a Scarlet for $3k. It's now $3,750 and a year away. It turns out, the 5D MkII is my Scarlet. It's worse in that it doesn't have the frame rates, control and pro audio. It's better in that it supports cheap, quality glass, has a huge sensor, and is shipping today.

I think what really sold me was the fantastic footage I've seen people shoot right out of the box. Couple that with the ability to take a RAW photo, tweak it, put the profile back in the camera and shoot video, and I was sold.

The other thing that sold me is the timing. I'm ready to buy today. And I can live with the limitations. Everything has limitations, no matter your budget.

It's not hysteria. It's the right camera (mostly), at the right price, at the right time.

[Chris Barcellos]

A box, a mount, a chip, and media-- who is going to make this dream come true ??

[John Sandel]

I'm not after shallow DoF with the 5D2; I can get that other ways. What excites me is the size and sensitivity of the sensor. I've had it with teensy, grainy, dim chips! This camera takes long, tall drinks of light.

And I'm tired of merely magnifying my shots with zooms. I want the changes in perspective that swapping primes affords. It feels more like photography to me—more natural.

I can live with the ergonomic limitations and the hobbled electronics. And other cameras will come down the tube with improvements. But the 5D2—& the D90—are game-changers.

Hysteria? Try relief.

[Jay Birch]

It really depends on what you want it for. If you are using it for tripod shots, minimal pans/zooms... I think it is more than capable of producing amazing video for the price. For news/journalism, where even cellphone quality video will sometimes be shown, if it is the right content... then this could be a massive step forward.

If you want to make an action film (extreme example) with it, you are gonna see many, many flaws to this camera.

The hysteria is warranted, either way, as it signals where we could be in a year or two with DSLR video. Once all the side issues are sorted, the Canon and Nikon models will be ready to compete with Red and the other "pro" cameras in alot of situations and will be far, far cheaper for a full frame sensor camera with everything needed to start shooting and a huge array of lenses to choose from.

I don't think the DSLRs will pursue the 3k+ imagery or the fast framerates of Red (in the near future at least).... but to be honest, who has the need for such things? They are nice to have, but not essential for most.

The 5DII and D90 are not without some fairly major faults, but it is a look towards a very interesting future for videographers/film makers.... and this is all without mentioning that they are both extremely capable still cameras.

[Christopher Witz]

I have a confession to make.... I have not pulled my ex1 out of the bag since I got the 5d2.... but to be fair, I've not had a job that required audio or long takes.

The workflow with the 5d2 and fcp is just so fricken easy... and I'm a lazy sod at heart.... so being able to yank a card... stab it in a CF express adaptor in the MBP and drag the .mov's to a folder without using any tranfer tool.... then dragging the .mov's into fcp.... it's just so easy and fast.

I here a lot of people concerned about crushed blacks and blown highlights.... I feel like it's just a built in s-curve and try to light and expose accordingly. I much prefer the look over a very flat look.

Here's a music video I shot friday that has no color correction or filters applied in post at all.... yes.... a few blown highlights and deep shadows..... but it looks fantastic for out of the box. I'm not saying that the camera does not have some wishes... but heck.... a great tool for the money ay?

Where does love go ... Misty

[Toenis Liivamaegi]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

Couple that with the ability to take a RAW photo, tweak it, put the profile back in the camera and shoot video, and I was sold.

Where can I read about this feature, this is utterly fantastic. I wish I could do that with my 5D MKI. If I can use the tweaked RAW look back in camera to get video I'm sold, not to mention if I can get the RAWs pre-tweaked, in camera. This cam is a gift.

Thanks,
T

[Christopher Witz]

use the picture style editor that comes with the camera on the disk.

you can also tweak the styles in camera... but limited to; sharpness, contrast, saturation.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Toenis Liivamaegi

Where can I read about this feature, this is utterly fantastic. I wish I could do that with my 5D MKI. If I can use the tweaked RAW look back in camera to get video I'm sold, not to mention if I can get the RAWs pre-tweaked, in camera.

Here's a direct link to the Picture Style Editor manual (Windows.) It's also available on the Mac:
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/3/030000...se1.4-w-en.pdf