Home / Blog / Canon EOS 5D Mark II

    iPhone 4S vs. 5D mk II

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    iPhone 4S / Canon 5d MKII Side by Side Comparison from Robino Films on Vimeo.


    There has been a lot of talk about the video features within the new iPhone 4S. It’s 1080p camera has been claimed to be able to shoot 4k quality video. To see how the iPhone 4S truly competes, Robino Films created a shot for shot comparison video.

    Even though The 5D still comes out on top its hard to deny the quality of the iPhone’s sensor. Once you start to think about the amount of control the 5D offers and the capability of having a much larger depth of field, it’s really no question which is better. Obviously, I don’t believe that’s the point of the video. The test isn’t exactly a scientific test (the video is encoded for vimeo.) But it’s interesting to see how a camera phone’s image quality is truly starting to compete with a standard pro DSLR.

    Filter Rids Moire and Anti Aliasing For The 5D Mark II

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    Optical Moire filter test from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.



    Moire and Anti Aliasing are a few of the issues that truly haunt DSLR video shooters. I’ve seen some plugins that have been created to fix inherent moire, but I’ve yet to see one that completely fix the problem. Philip Bloom posted info on a new filter by Mosaic Engineering that’s built to clean the Morie and Anti Aliasing off your 5DmkII footage. The VAF-5D2 fits right between your sensor and lens. Bloom claims it works best with a 50mm lens. The smaller you go, the more you run into some softer edges. The video above was shot at 24mm.

    The VAF-5D2 is currently priced at $385. Mosiac is working on a version for the 7D as well.

    For more info and examples, check out Philip Bloom’s site.

    Dynamic Range Test

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    FS100 5D GH2 Outdoor Dynamic Range Test – Updated with Grading Examples from Matthew Thomas on Vimeo.


    If you’re thinking about buying (or renting) the upcoming Sony NEXFS-100 you might want to check out this interesting dynamic range test posted by Cinema5d user mthomas. The test compares the GH2 and the 5D mk II to the new large sensor Sony camcorder. It seems to do very well. I’m excited to see more once the camera ships. Check out the video and see what you think.

    Canon 5D Mark II Firmware Update

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    Canon released the latest firmware patch for the 5D Mark II. Nothing changes drastically in 2.09, only a few specific errors are corrected.

    1. Improves writing/reading speeds when using UDMA 7-compatible CF cards.
    2. Fixes a phenomenon where the IS function will not work when custom function C.Fn III-2 is set to [5: IS start] and the lens attached does not have an AF stop button. This is because custom function C.Fn III-2 allows users to assign IS start to the AF stop button on the lens
    3. Corrects misspellings in the menu screens displayed in Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai languages.

    Download the latest firmware here.

    New Magic Lantern Firmware for the 5D Mark II

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    MAGIC LANTERN AJ5.0 from Moira O'Brien on Vimeo.


    Planet5D is reporting the release of a new Magic Lantern hack for Canon 5D mk II. This isn’t the first release for the 5D mkII. AJ Newman decided to improve the prior hack by recoding the entire project. This version features enhanced menus and audio as well as a fix for some of the issues in the last release.

    As with any hack, install with caution. This hack is still in beta as well, so improvements are on the way. Its also exclusive to the 2.0.4 Canon firmware. If you’ve recently updated you’ll have to switch back. To download the hack check it out here.

    For more info check out Moira O’Brien’s blog post.

    Surreal DSLR Footage From The Disaster In Japan

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    The Guardian’s Dan Chung recently posted this strangely cinematic video from the tsunami destruction in Japan. Using a slider and DSLR he captured footage of the tsunami’s aftermath. Its really striking to see high quality video of what’s really happening.

    I know some find the footage a bit disturbing and too cinematic. I think web video like this can compliment the stories being told online. The lack of a voice over really puts a focus on the visuals in front of you. They tell the story. Its one thing to hear to about what’s happening but another to see it so vividly (even if it is disturbing.)

    Check out Cinema 5D and Planet5D for more coverage of this video.

    Chinese New Year Captured By DSLRs

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    2011: The Year of the Rabbit from Jonah Kessel on Vimeo.


    DLSR News Shooter posted a beautiful video from Chinese New Year in Beijing. Using a Canon 7D and a 5D mark II, Jonah Kessel and friends captured the amazing holiday firework displays from the small firecrackers to the monstrous palm explosions around town.

    I really dig how they used the bokeh effect for the fireworks. It gives such a strange and compelling image. Really cool use of light and darkness.

    Egyptian Protests Shot with 5DmkII

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    Egypt Protest Cairo – Sky News from duncan sharp on Vimeo.


    Sky News posted a video of the Egyptian protests shot using a Canon 5D mark II. In comparison to most of the video we’ve seen of the protests shot on cell phones, this is very eye opening.

    DSLR News Shooter explained what gear the shooter used:

    I’ve been told it is a very basic kit being used: only a 5DmkII and 24-105mm IS lens, with no rig and no Z-finder. Audio was done using a Tascam DR-100 recorder and a Sennheiser mic.



    A pretty simple set up for a beyond intense subject to shoot.

    HDR Timelapse Tutorial

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    HDR Timelapse Tutorial : Part 1 from Andrew Geraci on Vimeo.


    Glancing through Vimeo Video School today, I came across a great HDR timelapse tutorial by Andrew Geraci. He explains how to shoot high dynamic range and create a timelapse with the appropriate tools. His final product (shot using a 5D markII) looks beautiful:

    HDR Plane from Andrew Geraci on Vimeo.


    I’m really excited to see part two. I’m left wondering how he got such a great HDR picture. I’ll post the second part here as soon as it’s released.