3 quickies on playing well w 5D2
 

• Planning on using the Zoom H4n and my xlr mic with the 5D2. Is there a good way to monitor the audio via headphones?
• I would also like to use my Marshall 7’ lcd 3GSDI to monitor and check focus etc. Will that work well with a 5D2?
• Lastly, when I got my EX1 I bought Doug Jenson’s helpful DVD on how to use it. Is there anything like that for the 5D2?

thanks in advance :)

Haven't tried it myself yet, but you'll probably get a good start with Philip Bloom's training DVD. There's a banner link on his website, Philip Bloom - DP, Director, Filmmaker

Ha! Greg you're asking some of the same questions I am. We're getting a 5DM2 soon and I'm trying to learn as much as I can in advance. Too bad Doug doesn't make a 5DM2 DVD like he did for the EX1/EX3. :)

I think to use your Marshell you'll need a Blackmagic HD-SDI to HDMI mini-converter. There's a thread on here somewhere about using it.

Please let me know if you find any good instructional DVD's on using the 5DM2 for video.

Good luck! :)

You can plug your phones into the Zoom unit. There is a volume control just for the phones as well.

Some people like to run an 1/8th inch from the zoom to the 5d to get a reference audio track. This means occupying the same jack as you'd use for phones, so you wouldn't be able to monitor at the same time. But if you're okay with finding sync points or using pluraleyes you can just monitor from the zoom.

Greg,

As well as Phillip Bloom's DVD, Blue Crane Digital have several DVD's on the 5Dmk II and 7D
Blue Crane Digital - DVD Titles

cheers

Morton

Erik, thanks for the Zoom info. I had checked their site etc but didn't see any mention of a headphone port. Not sure why they didn't tout it but glad its there :)

Mitchell, yeah I thought we were running parallel on this one, I will track down Blackmagic info :)

Paul & Morton - thanks for the training dvd ideas, I will check them out :)

I guess Erik's post brings up a good point, as far as syncing audio; is the Pluraleyes the way to go here or is everyone just doing it manually? Any tips and tricks or that front?

as always, much respect and appreciation

Pluraleyes is awesome! I had a personal demonstration at NAB this year. But you just have to remember that it uses audio to sync. So you'll have to record audio on the 5DM2 along with the Zoom so the clips will sync up. The quality of the audio clips isn't important. In fact at the demonstration I saw they used some really crappy YouTube clips. The video was crappy the audio was really crappy but they still synced up in a matter of seconds. Amazing.

Greg,

I have the Zoom H4 (not the H4n) which has both 'line out' and 'phones' (separate), Though I haven't used both at the same time, I'm assuming they will both work together.

What would be really nice is if it came with a sound man also, so I don't screw up like I did the other day and either kept audio rolling or failed to record audio all together in one scene (as I just found out).

I'm using an H4 with my 5D and Pluraleyes to sync at it works fine. Sometimes (when using multiple cameras) it takes a bit of messing about to get everything lined up, but generally, it's pretty good and fairly fast. Worth the money if you have a fair bit of this kind of thing to do.


Avey
theacationhouse.com

I've been doing a cost effective (manual) method of syncing.... I get the talent to do a loud clap before speaking. I know it's an oldie -- but definately a goodie. (It may even be just as quick syncing up on the timeline than pluraleyes).

I'm running a video camera to record sound - cause I can't decide on which recorder to look at - and also still buying lenses instead.
cheers

Clapping certainly works, and while it's not necessary for pluraleyes it's helpful to have in case pluraleyes can't get the sync - but I'd never want to sync more than a couple clips without pluraleyes. It's possibly the best $150 I've ever spent on production-related software, and if you're using your DSLR with an external recorder I'd consider it a must have.

Just shot a 48 hour film project this weekend. 2 5DmkIIs, 1 H4n, 1 H4 = 40+ audio files, 100+ video clips, threw them all on a single timeline and pluraleyes had them all perfectly synced (plus multicam'd) in 20 minutes. I ended up having to manually sync only 2 clips - both in situations where one of the cameras was positioned such that it's audio wasn't at all similar to that of the recorder.

Thanks guys, Pluraleyes it is! And now to get out the credit card :)

Your biggest challenges using the 5D will be:

1. Stabilization. You will have to break your own personal paradigm, it is NOT a still camera while your shooting video per-see, so hand holding and getting good stabilization footage is a challenge, unless you use devices to help. Zacuto, Steadycam, etc. Post production techniques with stabilization will help. I just added a Glidecam HD4000 to the kit, for its ability to break down for travel, going to need the vest now.

2. Focus. A magnifier is a MUST to get focus, in bright situations. The camera does have its own zoom function 5x and 10x to aid in this function. Zacuto, in my opinion has best viewfinder. Yes a monitor is nice but the camera to date does not stay in correct aspect ratio when it goes into record in HD unless you use the SD out to stay in correct aspect ratio.

3. Audio. Pluraeyes software a must for syncing, along with a Zoom recorder, biggest challenge here, remember to turn on the recorder! If it stay's on no big deal unless you do not have a large memory card, or low batteries. I use a 16 gig card and lithium batteries which power it all day, Pluraeyes will adjust If you leave it running.

4. Codec. Dealing with conversion of the files to a editable codec is a time consuming process, and with tight deadlines this can be a issue. Hopefully a FCP update would help with this issue. We are staring to see other editing system(s) addressing this.

5. Plan to spend more $ on accessories, including lens. Perhaps your biggest expense item. New accessories are on the horizon for 2010 for these cameras, is your bank account?

6. Spend time over at Philip Bloom - DP, Director, Filmmaker site, lots of great info there, as well as Vincent Laforet’s Blog site

7. Finally, get out and shoot, tell a story.