Firmware 1.1.0 - WFT-E4A + external USB drive attached
 

Someone claims that with the new firmware, you can record in movie mode directly to an external USB drive attached directly to the WFT-EA4 wireless transmitter.

Canon also say this (near bottom of the page). Pity you can't go beyond the FAT32 4GB limit though.

Canon Digital Learning Center - EOS 5D Mark II: Movie Mode Basics

Richard

I had noticed there was support for A:/ (the CF card), B:/, which must be the external USB, and C:/, which appears to be a NVRAM filesystem internal to the camera. I don't see anything that opens or writes to files on C:/ in the firmware and haven't been brave enough to try it yet.

I thought the old firmware did this also.

Only the wireless transmitter?

Just thinking this would be amazing to have option to use USB port on the camera. I use tripod anyways and could just secure a rugged HD to a leg of my tripod and record to that.

I guess this would mean having to make a menu option to change function of USB port. I wonder if USB could keep up with recording?

Why oh why didn't Canon use Firewire on 5D's? So many things that could have been done with a firewire port.

I'm pretty sure you can do exactly what you want. And speed is not an issue since the video is 40 mbits per second and USB is hundreds.

Does anyone know if this is true? I would like a confirmation before going out and getting a USB mini B to mini B to test since all my hard drives are only mini B. Does the screen stay on when hard drive is connected? If you use something like a rugged where would the power come from? Not from the camera I believe. So you would have to have a power cord correct?

*EDIT* - I just read someplace else this isn't possible that you must have the wireless transmitter. Not worth the $900 cost to save a bit of time. Oh well.....

Can we get any confirmation on this???