automatically resume video shooting?

[Jim Newberry]

Anyone know if there's a way to get the 5D to automatically resume shooting after it stops (when file size hits 4GB)?

[Mike Watson]

IMHO it would actually be worse than hitting stop and record every ten minutes... there would be a 1sec gap every twelve minutes, and you'd have no control over where that gap would be.

[Jim Newberry]

It would be useful to me in certain situations...like doing a 2 camera shoot, with one of them on lockdown, unattended.

[Erik Andersen]

Great question, this would be very useful for live event multicam shooting. Magic Lantern? ;)

[Bill Binder]

Originally Posted by Mike Watson

IMHO it would actually be worse than hitting stop and record every ten minutes... there would be a 1sec gap every twelve minutes, and you'd have no control over where that gap would be.

Might be true for you, but there are a lot of us where this is a real significant issue. Two really obvious scenarios come to mind, music shooting and shooting interviews. All you have to do is not notice or forget to restart once and you're completely fvcked.

[Geoff Brandon]

Originally Posted by Bill Binder

Might be true for you, but there are a lot of us where this is a real significant issue. Two really obvious scenarios come to mind, music shooting and shooting interviews. All you have to do is not notice or forget to restart once and you're completely fvcked.

Been there, yes, it would be nice to have it auto start again, as Id rather lose one sec than 10 minutes...like when I was working another camera and forgot about the other one sitting on the tripod.
to me, I have enought to worry about during a shoot or interview than having to check my phone every few minutes to see when I need to stop/start the camera again...(or multiple cameras)

[Jim Newberry]

Originally Posted by Bill Binder

Might be true for you, but there are a lot of us where this is a real significant issue. Two really obvious scenarios come to mind, music shooting and shooting interviews. All you have to do is not notice or forget to restart once and you're completely fvcked.

Yeah, shooting live music is what I had in mind. One camera locked down (and unattended) on wide shot, other camera roving.

[Andrew Waite]

I was hoping to try and rig something for this using an intervalometer... but I'm not sure you can control video start/stop in any way thought the cable pull port.... I wonder if there is a wireless intervalometer out there that uses the RF... I know you can control start/stop with RF. Anyone?

[Jim Newberry]

You can control the shutter release via Pocket Wizards and a special (that is, expensive) cable. But I don't know if that would work for starting video recording.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ble_Motor.html

I have a cable release (not the above) for the 5D; I just tried it in live view mode and it takes a still shot. I have a feeling the PW shutter release would do the same thing.

[Martin Koch]

I can do that. Its more suited for locked down studio work because it requires an Apple laptop, and a Zephir IR device connected via USB and aimed at the camera. I bought a RC-1 remote and learned the Zephir the codes. I also submitted the code to the Zephir database so you wouldn't need the RC-1 (it can be found under Canon > Cameras > SD Mark II). The repeating 11 minutes long recordings are then controlled by AppleScript. This should also work with the 7D which has a much better IR sensor placement. On the 5D the lens and the grip can hinder transmission so you need to aim the Zephir very accurately (I mounted it very close).

The AppleScript looks like this:


tell application "ZephIR"
repeat --repeat until AppleScript is stopped
fire zephir command "START-STOP VIDEO" of component "Canon 5D Mark II RC-1" --start recording
delay 660 -- record for 11 minutes (11*60s)
fire zephir command "START-STOP VIDEO" of component "Canon 5D Mark II RC-1" --stop recording
delay 1 -- wait one second before starting recording again
end repeat
end tell

[Martin Koch]

I found great info about the RC-1 remote and was able to build a stand alone, battery operated solution that automatically resumes video recording after 11 minutes via IR control. For details read my blog.

[Andrew Waite]

Martin,
Amazing! Good work... I need set myself up with something like this soon. Well done!

[Jim Newberry]

Wow, that's fantastic, thanks for sharing!

ETA: I didn't realize the RC-1 could start and stop video. The Arduino solution will send an IR signal every 11 minutes, right? So you wouldn't need to press the switch every 11 minutes? Also I noticed the RC-1 has a max. range of 16', which isn't very far. I wonder if the Arduino could have an extended range?

[Martin Koch]

Originally Posted by Jim Newberry

I didn't realize the RC-1 could start and stop video.

It's the only way to do it remotely. As far as I know there's no way to do it via cable release.

Originally Posted by Jim Newberry

The Arduino solution will send an IR signal every 11 minutes, right?

Correct. It stops recording after 11 minutes (or any time you choose) and starts it again with a 1 second delay. A 9 V battery should last a very long time.

Originally Posted by Jim Newberry

Also I noticed the RC-1 has a max. range of 16', which isn't very far. I wonder if the Arduino could have an extended range?

I wouldn't do that because there's always the danger that someone interrupts the IR signal. Additionally the placement of the IR receiver on the 5D is miserable chosen. For fool proof operation mount the battery operated Arduino box very, very close to the IR receiver of the camera. Alternatively if you power the camera with a power adapter you could power the Arduino box with a 9 V power adapter. For a smaller form factor use an Arduino Nano.

[Jeff Murray]

Does anyone know if this device is now available commercially?

Regards

Jeff