Canon 5D Mk III is shipping in UK (pictures)

[Tariq Peter]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

Also, I'd avoid the Standard picture style. Try Neutral with sharpening at the minimum, then add some sharpening in post.

I have just downloaded and installed Technicolor CineStyle and the settings it gives are
Sharpness: 0 Contrast: -4 Saturation: -2 Color Tone: 0

Have you tried this and would you suggest I take the Sharpness down to -4?

[Jon Fairhurst]

I've been using minimum sharpness forever on the 5D2. I've read that the sharpening on the 5D3 is not very good as it leaves halos. It's best to turn it down and sharpen in post.

Note that Cinestyle requires that contrast be added in post. The footage from the camera will likely be very flat with high black levels. This allows the maximum adjustments in post as neither the whites or blacks are likely to clip.

The Standard picture style has high contrast, which likely to contributed to you needing f/22 to keep the whites from clipping. Standard tends to crush the blacks while over-boosting the whites. Cinestyle is the exact opposite, using very low contrast. Normal picture style is somewhere between the two.

[Tariq Peter]

I have just watched Philip Blooms review, he suggests exactly what you say

Sharpness at 0
Contrast at 0
Saturation -2

Canon 5Dmk3 video review on Vimeo

I'll try again tomorrow :) Thank you

[Kris Koster]

Originally Posted by Tariq Peter

The sun was so bright even at f8 I was way over exposed and I did not have an ND filter, my only option was to go to f22.

Invest in a vari ND filter by Lightcraft. I never leave home without mine. I set the aperture and ISO to whatever I like and 'dial' my light in using the vari ND.

Buy the size that fits your largest diameter lens and buy cheap step down rings so that you can use the filter aross all your lenses.

If you do go that route, ensure you buy genuine Lighcraft and not cheap Chinese varis. As with all glass you're putting in front of a lens, it's worth paying a bit more for quality.

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

Yes, sorry Tariq, my mistake...I didn't mean to write "dial ISO up" in this situation! :)

[Tariq Peter]

What fstop would you use if you had a bride walking in from about 30ft away and you had to keep her in focus while she made her way down the aisle?

I am going to be standing directly in front of her in a stationary position with my 5DMK3 on a monopod.
I don't have a viewfinder for my 5DMKIII yet as I am saving up for a Zucuto.

Thanks

[Colin Rowe]

There is no answer to that, it depends on the intensity and the direction of the light. Take your camera out and shoot, shoot, shoot. Talk to the camera constantly, noting your settings for any given shot, Scrutinise the shots to get to know just how your camera/lens combo is performing in different lighting situations. As I have said many times before, you must understand your camera, you must know how to get the best out of it, in any situation. Eventually, and after a great deal of practice it will all come naturally. My father was my mentor back in the sixties, he drummed 4 words into me. COMPOSE - EXPOSE - FOCUS and SHOOT. After 3 years he let me shoot solo on commercial jobs, I count my blessings to this day for his teaching. What I am trying to say is, it wont happen overnight. You really do have to be at one with your equipment, you need to pick it up and be confident that you can deliver the required result with any given camera. There are very rarely simple solutions, most shots, video or stills dont just happen, they are composed, exposed, focused and shot by whoever is behind the camera.

[Tariq Peter]

Thanks Colin!

I guess panic just kicks in sometimes :)

[Chris Hurd]

Thank you for the post of the day, Colin -- and it ain't even noon yet -- that was excellent.

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

Great post, Colin! :)

Tariq, you'll find it extremely difficult to maintain accurate focus with the bride if you only judge when to re-focus by looking at the rear screen. (and she will also not thank you if the biggest day of her life is out-of-focus).

A loup fixed the screen is a must-have item in my opinion, and I would suggest that you buy or make a cheaper option if you have to wait too long to save for the Zucuto.

There are many options to choose from, such as the LCDVF, Hoodman, and others. I use a Hasselblad chimney finder which clips quickly and safely on-and off the Canon 5D. It is very high quality and a wonderful aid for manual focus, and has built-in diopter adjustment.

Here is a good DVinfo link to a discussion (with photos) of finders for the 5D/7D including my Hasselblad:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eo...-took-lcd.html

[Colin Rowe]

Thank you Chris and Tony for your kind comments, much appreciated.