5D Mark II video

I tested out the new 5D Mark II this weekend. Did some tech tests and shot a pretty simple music video for a talented, and local, artist named Jerry Hannan. He wrote the song "Society" that Eddie Vedder sang in Into The Wild. Sort of like Tom Waits meets Jack Johnson. Good stuff. This was for his song called "Sandcastle". A couple of early mornings, a lot of rain and 7-11 coffee.

Also tested out some new lights that I totally love called Litepanels. I'm still not sold on the new 5D2 though. For video, the most discussed problem is the 30p limitation. While my eye isn't quite trained yet to see the difference from 24p, additional, higher framerates would be much appreciated. Of course, with the amount of footage on the internet, who doesn't want to see some guy's dog drooling at 120fps? Or more flower shots in slow motion?

Also, the shadow detail isn't great at low light and there's really too much file compression to do anything too dramatic (like significant color grading) in post.

Here's a couple stills from the video. Hopefully I'll have time to edit the footage before leaving for the D on the weekend. Certainly the RED, or even the HPX170 or Sony EX1/3, still seems like the way to go for shoots with any budget. While far from perfect, the 5D2 is a step in the right direction, and might create a few new Spielbergs by facilitating access to some cheaper tools.


© Michael Sugrue

© Michael Sugrue