Uncompressed Video vs H.264 ?

[Aram Rian]

hi.
just a quick question.
is there any possibility of recording uncompressed HD video with Canon EOS 5D Mark II using third-party hardware? is there any way to overcome this h.264 compressed format limitation?
thanks.

[Evan Donn]

No. The camera does not put out a clean, full HD signal via HDMI, so it's not really compatible with any of the external recorders that have hit the market recently.

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

Answer to both questions: No.

However, an alternative solution to the H.264 limitation is to not have any heavy vfx (chroma keying is okay if you have lit properly) or color grading done on the footage. If you shoot close to your final look, with minor grading only, then the H.264 codec is no longer a limitation.

[Aram Rian]

Originally Posted by Evan Donn

No. The camera does not put out a clean, full HD signal via HDMI, so it's not really compatible with any of the external recorders that have hit the market recently.

thanks for the reply.
i didn't mean output via hdmi.
i was thinking more along the lines of a different type of storage (hence, higher quality output), like, for example, the attachable hard drive for Sony EX-3 as opposed to memory cards.

[Aram Rian]

Originally Posted by Sareesh Sudhakaran

Answer to both questions: No.

However, an alternative solution to the H.264 limitation is to not have any heavy vfx (chroma keying is okay if you have lit properly) or color grading done on the footage. If you shoot close to your final look, with minor grading only, then the H.264 codec is no longer a limitation.

hmm, that doesn't sound good.
you mean, even if i work with h.264 converted into apple prores 422 or 4444 or uncompressed 8-bit for Color, regular colour grading and effects would not be recommended?

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

even if i work with h.264 converted into apple prores 422 or 4444 or uncompressed 8-bit for Color, regular colour grading and effects would not be recommended?

It depends on your definition of 'regular color grading and effects'. Prores cannot put in anything that isn't already there (Think of the extra data as 'padding'). The best an intermediate codec can do is weather the blow for a few more iterations of manipulation. However, if your grading and effects are heavy, and you HAVE to shoot in H.264, then you might have no choice but to go the prores or cineform route. In fact, I recommend rendering the locked edit to an uncompressed image sequence instead of an intermediate codec.

The results will vary depending on your requirements, effects, delivery and workflow. I suggest testing samples to find which route you need to take.

And if you're grading heavily, you must try to work in 32-bit float, or at the very least 16-bit (Note: Your monitor might not be able to display all the colors).