Tricks of controlling 5D mark II + EF lenses exposure manually

[Bernard Racelis]

Thanks for the clarification.
The reason I had to ask is because you mentioned you had 'total control over ISO and aperture' but now I know it's not the case -- it's not practical to shoot at 1.4 unless that's what you want and/or you don't have enough light available. And you compared it with the DOF preview/twist method in the Vimeo post -- but the DOF preview method allows any aperture so it cannot be compared with your method.

[Tyler Ginter]

Yeah sorry for the confusion. I fixed it where I accidentally said total control over both in my second post by my first post clearly said "to get manual control over my ISO and Lock my aperture to wide open."

[Mathieu Kassovitz]

Originally Posted by Bernard Racelis

And you compared it with the DOF preview/twist method in the Vimeo post -- but the DOF preview method allows any aperture so it cannot be compared with your method.

What method is this?

Merci.

[Luis de la Cerda]

Tyler,

Great info overall, thanks. Just an additional note... You can start increasing shutter speed once iso reaches 100 under normal circumstances and if you enable highlight tone priority, shutter speed will go up once iso reaches 200 ;)

So far, this seems to be as good as it gets for manual control. Now if only we could find a way to reliably get the camera to do, say, max aperture, iso 800, 1/60th with a short focal length like 20mm we would be golden :)

PS. I'd love to have a word with whoever wrote the algorithm for auto exposure at canon. Who told him it was a good idea to make shutter speed stick at 1/focal length seconds? Not to mention the aperture stepping, it's like, very very very shallow DOF or infinite.

The auto exposure with lock limit wouldn't be such a PITA if it wasn't for the flawed auto exposure algorithm. :)

[Bernard Racelis]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Kassovitz

What method is this?
Merci.

It's the "use at your own risk" method.

Many cameras (even back to the film days) have a depth-of-field preview button that allows you to view through the viewfinder what the image (including DOF) would look like with the lens stopped down to the selected aperture.

The trick is to unlock/twist the lens from the Canon body before releasing the DOF preview button so that the electronic contacts are disconnected, and the lens will remain at the selected aperture.

I have not tried this myself so I cannot comment further.

[Tyler Ginter]

Originally Posted by Luis de la Cerda

Tyler,

Great info overall, thanks. Just an additional note... You can start increasing shutter speed once iso reaches 100 under normal circumstances and if you enable highlight tone priority, shutter speed will go up once iso reaches 200 ;)

So far, this seems to be as good as it gets for manual control. Now if only we could find a way to reliably get the camera to do, say, max aperture, iso 800, 1/60th with a short focal length like 20mm we would be golden :)

PS. I'd love to have a word with whoever wrote the algorithm for auto exposure at canon. Who told him it was a good idea to make shutter speed stick at 1/focal length seconds? Not to mention the aperture stepping, it's like, very very very shallow DOF or infinite.

The auto exposure with lock limit wouldn't be such a PITA if it wasn't for the flawed auto exposure algorithm. :)

Oh Awesome tip on the highlight tone priority setting :) Yeah I agree with what you are saying here. Canon lost there mind with their algorithms.. I mean the workarounds are close but imagine how powerful this baby could be with manual control even to a very limited extent... There has to be reasoning behind this, I wish they would just let us know why they didn't put it in the camera. I'm really starting to think they just don't want to lose all their video sales and it's a big conspiracy. Think if this camera had 24/25p and full manual controls... Who would buy their video cameras??? Just saying...

[Don Miller]

I understand the occasional specialized use for high shutter speed, but isn't the bigger problem keeping shutter at 1/30 or 1/60?

[Mathieu Kassovitz]

Originally Posted by Don Miller

I understand the occasional specialized use for high shutter speed, but isn't the bigger problem keeping shutter at 1/30 or 1/60?

1/30th? Isn't it too slow?

[Bernard Racelis]

I just checked whether the shutter speed higher than 1/125 being displayed on the LCD when you mount an EF telephoto lens is accurate or not.

The result = NO.

I mounted an EF 300 and shot a still picture at 1/320 and you can see the fan blades:
http://www.palsomedia.com/canon5d2/s..._320_speed.jpg


But on the video with the LCD showing 1/320, the fan is completely blurred:
http://www.palsomedia.com/canon5d2/s...ed_display.jpg


With a non-EF lens, it does go faster than 1/125. Here's one at 1/400:
http://www.palsomedia.com/canon5d2/s...nonEF_lens.jpg

[Jon Fairhurst]

I assume that a still photo of 1/125 will look the same?

I've got an old turntable. That could be perfect for shutter speed tests.

[Bernard Racelis]

Here's a still photo at 1/125:

http://www.palsomedia.com/canon5d2/s..._125_speed.jpg

[Mathieu Kassovitz]

Movie mode? The shutter speed range in movie mode goes from 1/30th up to 1/125th.

Or exposure simulation? The shutter button information is not reliable.

Take a look: Canon 5D Mark 2 Video Aperture Manipulation Demo on Vimeo

[Bernard Racelis]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Kassovitz

Movie mode? The shutter speed range in movie mode goes from 1/30th up to 1/125th.

Or exposure simulation? The shutter button information is not reliable.

Take a look: Canon 5D Mark 2 Video Aperture Manipulation Demo on Vimeo

All my tests were under the "Movie Display" mode of the "Stills+Movie" Live View setting, not "Exposure Simulation", and I was looking at the LCD information while recording.

[Mathieu Kassovitz]

Originally Posted by Bernard Racelis

But on the video with the LCD showing 1/320, the fan is completely blurred:
http://www.palsomedia.com/canon5d2/s...ed_display.jpg

Originally Posted by Bernard Racelis

Here's a still photo at 1/125:

http://www.palsomedia.com/canon5d2/s..._125_speed.jpg

They seem the same shutter exposition. The movie mode has a limited range. The camera doesn't let to be cheated by the EF lens in this case, that's what I think.

[Bernard Racelis]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Kassovitz

They seem the same shutter exposition. The movie mode has a limited range. The camera doesn't let to be cheated by the EF lens in this case, that's what I think.

Mathieu, it may not have been obvious, but what you just said is exactly the same thing that was being said in posts #39, #41, #42.