My first live field test of 5D Mark II video at DVinfo.net

My first live field test of 5D Mark II video · February 21st, 2009, 07:53 PM

I was hired to do a marketing piece for a company that does high-end digital sales training, and when I told them I could do not only photographs (as I have done for them before) but video, too, they jumped at the opportunity. I decided that I would commit to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II to film this piece for a few reasons...

See my blog post for the rest:
My first live field test of 5D Mark II video | Steve Maller Photography

Comments?

Chris Barcellos · February 21st, 2009, 08:15 PM

Steve:

Thanks for pic of the rig.

I have my 5D2 coming next week. I intend to use my Beachtek as you have done. My understanding is that there is live a/v out. I happen to have video monitor which includes audio in. Shouldn't I be able to monitor what camera is recording soundwise throught that a/v output ?

Have you tried HDMI monitoring to an HD screen, and if so, does it out put a Hi Def image.

Steve Maller · February 22nd, 2009, 12:13 AM

Chris, that's a good idea. I didn't think of that. I'll have to try the A/V output's audio and see if I get a signal from that!

Jon Fairhurst · February 22nd, 2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Maller

Chris, that's a good idea. I didn't think of that. I'll have to try the A/V output's audio and see if I get a signal from that!

Unfortunately, the 5D MkII doesn't support audio monitoring.

Chris Barcellos · February 22nd, 2009, 02:30 PM

John:

Are you saying that in the AV out mode, the camera does not send sound out to the AV port during recording ? I have a small LCD4Video monitor that I can put my AV inputs from my HV20 into, for intance, and and get sound and video at same time and I can listen through a headphone port on my Videomonitor port. Have you actually tried that or is there something in literature somewhere that says it doesn't out put audio through AV ports during recording.

Chris Barcellos · February 22nd, 2009, 02:40 PM

Okay, answered my own question. Top page 124 of manual, sound will not output to a tv during recording.

Thanks Canon for another crippling of an otherwise tremendous piece of equip. Looks like we are going to have to go with the new Beachtek for the 5d whenever it comes out.... crazy....

Michael Friedman · February 22nd, 2009, 03:21 PM

I can see using a beachtek if you already have one, but it seems to me that if you have to purchase equipment it may make more sense to just buy a Microtrac or Zoom H4. You could still run the output of the recorder into the camera to have sync clips but you would have a complete back up of your audio, plus, if you shoot stills your audio will continue through.

Just my opinion.

Chris Barcellos · February 22nd, 2009, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Friedman

I can see using a beachtek if you already have one, but it seems to me that if you have to purchase equipment it may make more sense to just buy a Microtrac or Zoom H4. You could still run the output of the recorder into the camera to have sync clips but you would have a complete back up of your audio, plus, if you shoot stills your audio will continue through.

Just my opinion.

We shoot most of our narrative stuff though a field mixer, so double system is not that much of an additional issue. However, synching is always a pain, and kind of defeats that easy file transfer mode we want in the first place.

So we will experiment with our mixer, and see where that takes us.... see if we can gets some kind of dependable sound. I know Beachtek is working an inaudible high frequency tone to defeat the AGC. I actually have a tone generator that I could run on one track, leaving the other track for voice, if nothing bleeds.

Jon Fairhurst · February 22nd, 2009, 04:19 PM

One nice thing with the Microtrack II - if you can't hear the sounds, it's not recording. (That's not to say that it's perfect. If the memory card fails, you still lose the result.)

With the Beachtek, you might think everything is fine, only to learn that you didn't plug the cable into the camera all the way...

Chris Swanberg · February 22nd, 2009, 04:38 PM

Sooo, Chris B. that field recorder I've been whining for us to buy is looking more and more like a good idea, eh ? (grin).

Chris Barcellos · February 22nd, 2009, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Swanberg

Sooo, Chris B. that field recorder I've been whining for us to buy is looking more and more like a good idea, eh ? (grin).

You sound guys, all the same.... want, want, want...... Whats wrong with my Hi-MD Mini disk, ....:)

Sean Seah · February 23rd, 2009, 07:57 AM

Lovely interview shot. Was that a 24-70mm F2.8?

Steve Maller · February 23rd, 2009, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Seah

Lovely interview shot. Was that a 24-70mm F2.8?

Thanks. It was the Canon 35/1.4L shot (if I recall) at f2.

February 21st, 2009, 08:15 PM	#2
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Steve: Thanks for pic of the rig. I have my 5D2 coming next week. I intend to use my Beachtek as you have done. My understanding is that there is live a/v out. I happen to have video monitor which includes audio in. Shouldn't I be able to monitor what camera is recording soundwise throught that a/v output ? Have you tried HDMI monitoring to an HD screen, and if so, does it out put a Hi Def image. __________________ Chris J. Barcellos Last edited by Chris Barcellos; February 21st, 2009 at 10:45 PM.

February 22nd, 2009, 12:13 AM	#3
Steve Maller Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Burlingame, CA USA Posts: 285	Chris, that's a good idea. I didn't think of that. I'll have to try the A/V output's audio and see if I get a signal from that! __________________ me@facebook: http://facebook.com/stevemallerphotography

February 22nd, 2009, 02:30 PM	#5
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	John: Are you saying that in the AV out mode, the camera does not send sound out to the AV port during recording ? I have a small LCD4Video monitor that I can put my AV inputs from my HV20 into, for intance, and and get sound and video at same time and I can listen through a headphone port on my Videomonitor port. Have you actually tried that or is there something in literature somewhere that says it doesn't out put audio through AV ports during recording. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

February 22nd, 2009, 02:40 PM	#6
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Okay, answered my own question. Top page 124 of manual, sound will not output to a tv during recording. Thanks Canon for another crippling of an otherwise tremendous piece of equip. Looks like we are going to have to go with the new Beachtek for the 5d whenever it comes out.... crazy.... __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

February 22nd, 2009, 03:21 PM	#7
Michael Friedman Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Los Angeles, USA Posts: 57	I can see using a beachtek if you already have one, but it seems to me that if you have to purchase equipment it may make more sense to just buy a Microtrac or Zoom H4. You could still run the output of the recorder into the camera to have sync clips but you would have a complete back up of your audio, plus, if you shoot stills your audio will continue through. Just my opinion. __________________ http://www.michaelfriedman.org/

February 22nd, 2009, 04:19 PM	#9
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	One nice thing with the Microtrack II - if you can't hear the sounds, it's not recording. (That's not to say that it's perfect. If the memory card fails, you still lose the result.) With the Beachtek, you might think everything is fine, only to learn that you didn't plug the cable into the camera all the way... __________________ Jon Fairhurst

February 22nd, 2009, 04:38 PM	#10
Chris Swanberg Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 904	Sooo, Chris B. that field recorder I've been whining for us to buy is looking more and more like a good idea, eh ? (grin).

February 23rd, 2009, 07:57 AM	#12
Sean Seah Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,498	Lovely interview shot. Was that a 24-70mm F2.8?