best video camera to complement the 5d2
 

I have the 5d2 and love it but need a video camera that is better at focusing and has much more digital memory to record 1080p.

pmw-ex1r :-)

wow that's a bit pricey. Great looking camera though.

canon xh-a1/s

love the ex1 but it is expensive.
by an old hvx200, those are work horse cameras.

or, by a follow focus (or make one out of legos) and you'll be set!

I disagree at least if you are filming interiors & in low light as the performance of the Canon XH-! in those circumstances is poor & the consequent graininess of the footage is just impossible to match up with that of the 5DII.

The XH-A1 is a great video camera (I have two) & can be far easier to use compared to the 5DII as it has good audio on-board, live auto-focus, a motor zoom lens with 20x range & Optical Image Stabiliser, the ability to record a single take of over one hour, LCD viewfinder that swivels, recording to tape which gives an automatic archival medium etc However the exaggerated hyper-sharp 'look' of the video from the 5DII makes the XH-A1 video look very poor in comparison & we have found it impossible mix footage from the 5DII & XHA1 in the same scene for this reason. You may be OK with exteriors & in bright sunshine but even a little consumer camcorder like an HV30 will work in those situations.

if 12 min. threshold is not a problem for you, shouldn't be a problem running 2 cams;
I'd go with 7D, it is probably the closest match after another 5D, it is still cheaper and better choice than go with Sony or Panasonic, especially with Panasonic and expensive P2:
but if you really need to have a camcorder, go with your budget, if you watch WB on both cams shouldn't be a problem, but of course the larger sensor the closer match,
I use 5D as a second cam with EX1, 5D is so much sharper;
call me a dreamer, but I am expecting a new camcorder from Canon with the 5D guts;

You're not a dreamer, but the price will be an issue. I bet they roll it out at NAB; I bet it's $10k.

12 minutes isn't that bad. It's the auto focusing that is the bigger problem along with battery life and memory usage. I get about 1 hour per battery and 20gig/hr thus shooting 10 hours mean 200 gigs of memory and 10 batteries along with all the lost shots while changing memory cards and batteries.

HDR-XR500V | 120GB HD Handycam® Camcorder | Sony | SonyStyle USA

Something like the sony above?

Impossible? Hardly. I've mixed footage from these cameras on quite a few occasions with excellent results.

A lot of my recent projects have used this very set up. With a few minor tweaks they can match up just fine.

if you're going to use 2 cameras, I believe that's what we're talking about, there won't be any lost shots, but 10 hrs? what are you shooting, time-lapses?
I would use external power and probaly 64Gb cards;

I think a a battery grip is what I will do along with 64gbcards once they come down in price.

I can see XH-A1 & 5DII footage matching up OK if there was plenty of light but the grain of the footage from the XH-A1 gets pronounced anytime that you need to up the gain. In bright sunlight the XH-A1 is great but for interiors with ambient light it will look very grainy compared to 5DII video in the same low light.

My wife and I run a videography business and have added both the 5d2 and 7d to our kit in 2009....we've been shooting with the original HVX200s for about 3 years. Just picked up a 200a about 18 months ago, and just recently the EX-1r. We have since sold off the original HVX's...still have a 200a and the EX-1r. We've been VERY successful with mixing footage from all 4 (the two DSLRs included).

I LOVE my EX-1r...BUT, I have always had a special place in my heart for the DVX/HVX line of cameras....over the last half decade or more, they've made some very special pictures. HVX footage isn't as sharp as my EX, but the film look, the softer, but still high rez look as something special:) You can get into an HVX (all from sellers with more money then skills, so the cameras are in perfect shape...just too tough for them to shoot with, all over ebay and Craigslist, I've seen 'em....20 hours here, 43 hours there, 3 hours here...you get the picture), the original HVX in excellent condition for around 2-2.5k, just under 3k with P2 card(s). BTW, P2 cards have taken a 50-60% hit over the last 3 months! Good news for VERY reliable media. The HVX200a on the used market, maybe 3-3.7k with media. HPX170, another excellent camera...couple of better additions like scope and DVI output compared with 200a, same sensor block, but no DV tape deck. You can find these around the same 3.5-4k used. Original EX1 about $5k.

Those are the ones I would recommend, buy I'm biased:) I do shoot in Alaska though! Lots of outdoor shooting (We've shot Iditarod, Brutally cold and 2-3 day snow machine races, tons of crappy weather) and these cameras are still going strong. We bought them because of the cameras Discovery and the History Channel were using for shows like "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers"...(We helped out on some of the local stuff).

Very dependable gear and a marvelous addition to your DSLR package. (Dont get rid of your DSLR though....they'll help you on your shallow DOF shots and low light footage)

J