TIPS, TRICKS, DO’S AND DON’TS WITH CANON HDDSLR

M U L T I M E D I A I M M E R S I O NOriginal ly Prepared for the part ic ipants o f NPPA’s mult imedia workshop, Las Vegas

~ Updated May, 2010 ~

P r e p a r e d b y D a v i d S t e p h e n s o n • 8 5 9 . 3 2 1 . 4 9 7 5 • d a v i d @ d a v i d s t e p h e n s o n . c o m • w w w. d a v i d s t e p h e n s o n . c o m

OverviewWhat it is, what it ain’t

This tip sheet relates only to the video mode of Canon’s 5D Mark II, 7D and 1D Mark IV. It is compiled from various sources and from personal use of the cameras. Much of the technical hooha in this document comes from a Canon article which can be found at http://tinyurl.com/6kcecn. I have personally own the 5D Mark II and the 1D Mark IV, but I have not had good play time with the 7D so forgive any lack of insight to that camera specifically.

One thing should be made perfectly clear: This is not a video camera. So don’t expect it to do the same things a video camera does. For many photojournalists whose work serves many masters (print, web, broadcast), the advantages of this camera will often outweigh its weaknesses. For sure, shooting video with this camera will slow you down - but that’s not always a bad thing.

Here are some of the reasons the 5D Mark II will serve well for newspaper/print photojournalists:

•No need for a separate video camera. That means less equipment, less to learn, less to forget. You can have one body and not have to juggle equipment and different technologies.

•The ability to capture video on short notice.

•Frame grabs are far better than from video cameras.

•The use of Canon lenses allows for shallow depth of field.

•Better color and contrast, especially in low light.

It is not without it’s flaws, though. Some are being addressed through firmware upgrades. A few of the more frustrat-ing aspects of the camera include:

•Lack of audio control MANUAL AUDIO CONTROL NOW WITH 5D Mark II FIRMWARE UPDATE.

•Lack of autofocus while recording (well, it is available, but impractical)

•Not an ergonomic-friendly camera when shooting video. It can be awkward having to use the LCD as your monitor, and handholding can be fairly unsteady. This can be resolved with many, many third-party stabiliz-ing devices (see accessories section).

Frame grab, published 6-columns in Lexington

Herald-Leader.

Frame grab in seriously low light.

5D Mark II in use during interview with wire-

less microphone and Gitzo tripod, fluid head.

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Camera SettingsFirst thing’s first - start recording

Each of Canon’s HDDSLR camera have different methods for starting to shoot video. Kinda a pain in the butt if you are using more than one camera model like I do (a 5dII and MKIV). I’m constantly pushing the wrong buttons on one or the other.

5D Mark II

To record video, press the live view button (it’s the button just to the left of the eye piece). This flips up the mirror allowing the image to directly hit the sensor. To begin recording, press the ‘set’ button in the center of the rear control wheel. A red dot will appear in the upper right corner of the monitor signaling that it is recording. Pressing the set button will stop recording.

Live View button Set button starts and stops recordingMenu settings I use for Movie mode

7D

Easy-access, external switch for movie mode, and Start/Stop button for video recording. At least the two switches are next to each other!

1D Mark IV

To record video, press the ‘set’ button in the center of the con-trol dial to lift the mirror, then press the “FEL” button on the top of the camera to start/stop recording.

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Frame Rates

Relatively new to the 5D Mark II is the ability to change the frame rate of the video you are shooting. It has always been available with the 7D and Mark IV. However, notice that not all of the frame rates are available on all the cam-eras, so make sure when you are shooting with two different models that you are set to the same frame rate. Heads Up: The 7D’s movie recording menu is hidden unless the live view function is turned on first, then press the menu button. The ability to shoot at 60fps would allow you to do some better slo-mo recording or allow you to shoot many more frames per second if you were looking to pull frame grabs. Imagine: You now have a 60fps motor drive (although your images won’t be any larger than 1920 x 1080 pixels).

From Canon:

“The case for 30 fps: 30 frames per second is the traditional recording speed for material to be used on-line, whether on popular web sites like vimeo.com™ or youtube.com™, or on another commer-cial site. The true EOS 7D recording speed at an indicated “30 fps” is actually 29.97 frames per sec-

ond — precisely the TV standard in North America. Thus, it’s well-suited to material you intend to transfer to DVD or otherwise display on a typical standard-definition or HDTV. Material to be re-corded for TV commercials or any other video that will be potentially be directly broadcast on TV may be better suited for recording at the 29.97 fps rate.

You can select your Movie Rec Size in the dedicated menu (only accesable when the EOS 7D is in Movie Mode)

Additionally, if you’re recording moving subjects or will be significantly moving the camera, there’s a bit less tendency for a choppy “strobe effect” in finished video at the faster 30 fps.The case for 24 fps: You’ll hear some experienced video shooters say that 24 fps generates more of a “film look”, meaning that certain types of motion appear more natural to your eye and brain.

However, this slower frame rate can sometimes produce movements that are less smooth than when captured at 30 or 60 fps. This can be an issue if you anticipate frequent subject movement, or camera movement (think of “reality” TV shows as one example of this type of shooting where there is constant movement of both subject and camera). This also presupposes slower shutter speeds, around 1/50th of a second.

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Frame rates available for 5D Mark II Frame rates available for 7D and Mark IV. Notice that 60fps is available at reduced pixel dimensions

Autofocus

There are three autofocus settings that can be used in video mode. They can be found in Menu>Live View/Movie func set>AF mode. I prefer Live mode WITHOUT facial recognition. Quick mode can be quicker indeed, but it drops the mirror back down, temporarily turning off live view while it autofocuses. If there is ever a time you want to auto-focus while recording, you won’t be able to do it using Quick mode. Live mode with facial recognition does not allow you to zoom your LCD for critical focusing. TIP: For critical focusing, you can zoom 10X into your live image and focus. To do this, turn on live view, use the ‘joystick’ (the knob above the control wheel) to move the white box to the area you want to zoom into, press the magnify+ button (top right on back of camera) once or twice. You can then finely focus. You cannot zoom once recording begins.

White Balance

Be sure to set your white balance just as you would when shooting still photos. DO NOT USE AUTO WHITE BAL-ANCE. If you use AWB, the color may very well change during the duration of your clips. A custom white balance can be set the same way you would for a still image.

Exposure

In order to have manual exposure control, make sure that your firmware is updated.

Shutter speeds up to 1/4000th can be used in manual exposure mode. But be cautious when using higher shutter speeds (above 1/125th) or your video may appear jumpy and rough.

New also recently is the ability to record video using the Tv and Av exposure modes.

To use manual exposure while recording video, you must have the camera set in manual. Your custom functions will determine how your control dials will work, but the default will allow the top control dial to change the shutter speed and the rear control wheel to change aperture. You can see your exposure changes on the LCD screen and you can see your shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings as well.

If you have your ISO set to AUTO, though, then the camera reverts back to a kind of automatic exposure setting even if you are in manual exposure mode. I would advise NOT using the ISO AUTO setting while in manual exposure mode.

Here are some other tips I have found to be true with this firmware update:

• Shutter speed range will be 1/30 - 1/4000 sec. The faster the shutter speed the less smooth the subjects movement will appear to be. You may find a satisfactory middle-ground when shooting sports increasing your odds at getting a non-blurry photo.

• If you set the ISO to "AUTO" and are in manual exposure mode, you can see the ISO setting on the LCD by pressing the AE lock button (asterisk) or by tapping the shutter button.

• If you use the shutter or aperture priority modes, the camera will go into a modified auto exposure mode - you won’t really be giving priority to the shutter speed or aperture. It appears that it reverts to the old way of auto-exposing but it is difficult to verify that. All three models now allow for full use of the Tv and Av exp. modes.

To use an automatic exposure mode, like aperture or shutter priority, and you want to control your exposure using exposure compensation, you can do the following:M u l t i m e d i a I m m e r s i o n Ti p s a n d Tr i c k s f o r v i d e o w i t h C a n o n H D D S L R

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Activate Live View mode. Notice at the bottom of the display an exposure meter with two stops under/over. (If it isnot visible, press the INFO button at left until it does). By spinning the control dial, you can under or over expose theimage. You will see the changes on the monitor as you do this. To lock the exposure, press the AE lock button (theasterisk). The asterisk will appear in the monitor to let you know it has been locked.

Working with audioWhat is Auto Gain Control and why should you be aware of it?

Newly released is the ability to manually set your audio levels. Still, while the 5D Mark II has a built-in microphone, you will likely be using an external mic for your audio. Whether you use the internal or external mic, the camera has a built in Auto Gain Control. This means that it is ‘listening’ to the levels of audio signal being input into the camera, and adjusting up or down to try to balance it to a reasonable level. That’s OK much of the time, but similar to expo-sure control, you will want manual control of that. Now you have that option as a menu item.

Auto gain control works something like this: If you are recording an interview in a quiet room and your subject pauses for more than a cou-ple of seconds, the gain will go up as the camera strains to ‘hear’ some-thing. White noise will increase, and the first moment of speech from the subject will be jacked up. Super-loud rooms, like basketball games or concerts, may peak and cause unwanted distortion. In order to eliminate the AGC: Change the menu item on the camera, or use a third-party adapter from BeachTek or Juiced Link which costs $400-$500. It not only eliminates the AGC, but it allows for use of XLR microphones, headphone monitoring, and manual sound level-ing.

Using external microphones is essential

Sound recording is possible with an external stereo microphone connected to the camera via its 3.5mm stereo mini-plug jack. External microphones that require phantom power cannot be used, however.

In other words, you can plug in most external mics via the mini jack. If you have an XLR mic, you can use an XLR to mini cable. Most wireless mics come with a mini plug. I have used shotguns, mini shotguns and wireless with good results knowing, though, that the AGC is always a factor.

Sony UWP series has headphone monitoring Sennheiser MKE 400 BeachTek DXA-5D.

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Monitoring your sound

Again, another major flaw with the camera audio is the ability to monitor sound. There is none. There are only a cou-ple of ways I have found around it. One is to buy the BeachTek or JuicedLink adapter. Though it gives you many other valuable options besides sound monitoring, it’s expensive and bulky. The other is to use a wireless mic system, like the Sony UWP series, that has headphone monitoring in the receiver. It’s not perfect, because the monitoring is happening in the receiver, not the camera. But at least it allows you to hear what the microphone is hearing. TIP: If you want to know if a mic is working, record a test clip and play it back on the camera. You can hear the audio through the cam-era’s built-in speaker.

Typical shooting workflowThe following is a typical rundown of what you need to think about as you shoot video with the HDDSLRs

First, compose your shot(s)

The beauty of this camera is that most still photographers will be comfortable with it. You are used to ‘seeing’ with a dslr camera and you know what the lenses will give you. It has allowed me to get beyond the technology and shoot like I normally would. It’s just slowed down a bit. So anticipate your shot or set up your interview and get ready to roll.

Then focus

Set your focus before you begin recording. DO NOT rely on autofocus tracking your subject while you are in Live View. It just won’t work with this camera.

Next, find your exposure and lock it in

In most circumstances, you won’t want your exposure changing. If you are using an automatic exposure setting, be sure to lock it with the AE lock button (the asterisk).

Start recording

Press the ‘set’ button on the back of the camera (5D Mark II) or the FEL button (Mark IV) or the Start/Stop button (7D) to start and stop recording.

Playing a clip on the camera’s LCD

The LCD screen displays a playback menu that lets you play, pause, stop or jump quickly to the beginning or end of a clip. When the playback is paused, it’s possible to move forward or backward a frame at a time, and slow motion playback is also available. The top of the screen displays the elapsed time, a progress bar indicating the playback po-sition, the file number, and the storage location of the file. Sound volume is adjusted by turning the camera’s main input dial during playback.

What? You mean I have to do all that JUST to record video?

Well, yes and no. You MAY have to do all of that or just some of it, depending on your circumstances. B-roll without having to worry about audio is obviously much easier to deal with. With practice, you will get more comfortable with the nuances of the camera. This is much more cinematography than run-and-gun.

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AccessoriesTripod, fluid head

Just like with traditional video cameras, a tripod is a must. The 5D Mark II kit lens is a 24-105 f/4 with Image Stabili-zation. I have found that the IS works well when hand-holding, but it gets uncomfortable after the first few minutes and it will never be as stable as a tripod. A fluid head is a must if you intend to pan or tilt during recording. I use a Gitzo tripod with a leveling column (so you can level without having to manipulate the legs up and down). I also use a Gitzo 2180 fluid head. TIP: You will likely want to switch between mounting the camera on the tripod and mounting long lenses. I purchased extra quick-release plates so I can change quickly between mounting a camera or long lens on the tripod.

CF cards/memory

A 4GB CF card can record approximately 12 minutes of movies at full HD resolution. CF memory cards with a data transfer speed of at least 8MB per second is recommended. Be prepared to change cards often during an extended shoot. The EOS 5D Mark II will record movies up to 4GB per clip or a maximum continuous movie capture time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds, whichever comes first. The camera is ready to record again in the time it takes me to swap out CF cards.

Gitzo 2180 fluid headShooting with the MKE 400 and wind-muff

Singh-Ray Variable Neutral Density filter

Microphones

As mentioned previously, a microphone is an essential accessory - probably the first one you should purchase. If you only have a couple hundred dollars, buy a video mini-shotgun like the Sennheiser MKE 400 or the Rode VideoMic.

I have used both the Sennheiser Evolution series wireless mics and the Sony UWP series wireless mic and they both work well. They are in the $600-$800 range for a kit. The Sony transmitter has a headphone jack for monitoring.

Neutral Density Filters

One of advantages of shooting video with the 5D Mark II is the ability to use your existing Canon lenses and getting the shallow depth of field that comes with them. However, getting that shallow DOF in bright light is difficult. Cine-matographers have traditionally used neutral density filters for this reason. Now, it’s our turn. Wouldn’t you love to be able to shoot with your 85 mm f/1.8 outdoors AT f/1.8? The Singh-Ray Variable Neutral Density filter, while ex-pensive, allows you to have one ND filter which will adjust density from 2 2/3 to 8 f-stops. Pricey, though, at $340.

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BeachTek

The BeachTek DXA-5D is a great solution to the audio shortcomings. But it’s not cheap at $379 and is quite bulky. There may be other models available now.

JuicedLink

The JuicedLink DT454 for $419 is another alternative to the BeachTek and performs similar functions.

Zacuto Z-finder

This is a great option (at $300-$400!! eeek) for helping with two things: Focusing and stablization. It snaps to the cam-eras LCD and acts as a second viewfinder. It allows for more critical focusing ability and the third point of contact to your face helps steady those hand-held shots.

Steady cams

The GlideCam and the Merlin appear to be the more favored of the steady cams. They range from $500-$800 just to get started.

Dolly

Tracks and dollies are gaining popularity with HDDSLR users as more compact and affordable options are hitting the market. Check out the Pocket Dolly by Kesler for $500

Stablilizer/shoulder mounts

Zacuto and Red Rick Micro are among many third-party manufacturers who are creating modular rigs to help HDDSLR shooters get steadier shots. They start at $500.

Monitors

Compact HDMI monitors can be quite helpful for focus and for group work with clients. They can be wired up and set across the room or on top of the camera with a hot-shoe mount. They are in the $600-$1000 range to start out.

Lite Panels

Inexpensive daylight-balanced LED lights powered with AAs. Starting at around $200.

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Workflow in Final Cut ProEditing in the native h.264

The files from the camera are in h.264 format (in other words, they appear as a .mov file and are encoded using h.264 codec). Well, h.264 is a great codec for display and distribution, but not for editing. I have found that while it’s possi-ble to edit in h.264, I have to tolerate some dropped frames on playback. You cannot export out of the timeline in the h.264 format if you edit in h.264. Personally, I have found the convenience and speed of drag-and-drop editing pref-erable to transcoding the files before editing.

Here are some tips that might help if you chose to edit in h.264:

The first time you drag a clip into the timeline, you may get a message from FCP suggesting that you change the timeline settings to match your clip. You should agree to that and let FCP change it for you.

Then, go into User Preferences/General and UNcheck the box next to “Report dropped frames during playback”. If you get a notice every time a frame is dropped, you’ll never get anywhere during playback in the timeline. Expect to see some skipping and dropped frames while editing - they won’t be there after export. Most of the dropped frames happen at the beginning of each clip. When the playhead has moved from one clip to the next clip there is a bit of a stutter.

Canon Plugin for FCP

If you are working on a project that does not ha

Transcoding the files before editing in FCP

If you are working on a project that does not have tight deadlines, you may want to consider transcoding your 5D Mark II files into another file format for editing in Final Cut Pro. Again, editing in h.264 is not recommended, even though it’s possible. This is also recommended and perhaps even essential for users of Final Cut Express, which does not currently have proper sequence settings for the 5D Mark II footage.

There are a lot of ways to transcode your footage. One way is to use FCP, but a simpler way is to use a free program MPEG Streamclip (www.squared5.com) to convert the files before importing.

For settings you can use the following:1. Export to Quicktime2. Apple Intermediate Codec OR Apple ProRes 422

Exporting from FCP

Exporting video, as you may well know already, has been called a ‘dark art’ by some, and I agree completely. There are so many options and they are always changing.

When editing in h.264 as mentioned above, DO NOT export using “current settings”. Instead, use the following set-tings: Export>Quicktime Movie>Current Settings> Apple ProRes 422 1920 x 1080 60i 48kHz. This gives me a large, full quality file that I use as my source to encode for the web. Normally, a 3-minute video will export in 15 minutes and give me a 3-4 Gb file.

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Do’s and Don’ts with HDDSLRs when shooting video

DO NOT use Auto White Balance. You want your white balance to remain constant throughout your clip(s). If you use AWB, the color will constantly be shifting to accommodate for the changing light source. Trust me, don’t do it. The good news is that the monitor will give you WYSIWYG on the color so you can see the changes as you change the white balance. Setting a custom white balance is the same as if you were setting it for still photos. There obviously will be exceptions, like moving quickly through varied light sources.

DO NOT use Auto Focus while recording. Well, you CAN use it during recording, just don’t expect to use the foot-age. AF efficiency is severely reduced when the mirror is up.

DO NOT take a still photo while recording. Rarely will you want to do that. While it is possible to take a still photo while recording video, you will end up with a one-second gap in your video. Frame grabs are pretty darn good from this footage.

DO NOT expect “point-and-shoot”.

DO expect “point-and-focus-and-lock exposure-and-shoot-and-pray-the audio works”.

DO use a tripod whenever possible.

DO focus (manually or AF) before recording. If you need to change focus while recording, do it manually. Or if you are hand-holding the camera, focus with your feet.

DO lock exposure before or at the beginning of recording a clip. Under most circumstances, you don’t want expo-sure to change during a clip (unless, for example, you are following someone indoors to outdoors). Use manual expo-sure to ensure your exposure won’t change, or when using one of the automatic exposure modes, use the asterisk on the back of the camera for exposure lock. The asterisk will appear in the monitor after you press the button.

DO plan and anticipate. Photojournalists have to be good at anticipating moments. That is a crucial skill when using this camera. Normally, a matter of seconds can pass before you can actually start recording a moment from a dead stop, so plan ahead.

DO bring plenty of CF Cards. You will get about 12 minutes of HD footage per 4GB of card space. I would recom-mend starting with at least 8GB cards.

DO bring a freshly charged battery and spare batteries if you have them. The battery on this camera drains re-markably fast when shooting video. Plan on maybe 30-45 minutes of recording before you should start sweating a battery change.

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