Help with 5D setup

J

Johnny Bueno

Active member
Hey all,

I will soon be purchasing two 5D Mark II's. I shoot both wedding photography and video and I really want the benefits of a full frame sensor. Now I fully understand that a DSLR is a completely different world than a video camera and that is what I need help with. I to this day have been using my HVX200a for video but am now selling it to pay towards the 5D's. That being said, what is the minimum additional equipment needed to shoot proper video on the 5D in terms of good audio and anything else that many of you might have experienced with the 5D. Lastly, as far as I can tell the 5D and the nikon D3 are the only full frame cameras in that price range but is the 5D the better choice or are there any other suggested camera options for the price? Thanks for any help.

Johnny
 
We shoot weddings and changed from video cameras (HMC) to DSLRs a while back.

Audio : Zoom H4n mounted on a T bar on the hot shoe that allows a wireless received to be mounted at the same time. Run a cable splitter from the Zoom H4n headphone socket to both headphones AND the Mic input on the 5D. Now the 5D is hearing what the Zoom is hearing (including both the Zoom's Stereo mic and also the wireless from the Groom / Celebrant). Use Plural Eyes to match them up in post then throw away the 5D audio. Done.

If you are shooting photos on the 5D2 as well, the same lenses should be Ok for video as long as they are f2.8 or better. Sometimes we do need the 1.4 primes but usually get away with the 24-70L and 70-200 f2.8 during ceremonies.

5D2 is currently the biggest bang for your money if you are looking for both photo and video.
 
Assuming you are aware of this, but if not: 12min recording limit & overheats (a lot). Now there's a million ways to shoot weddings, so... may or may not be of any difference to you

d3s is an mjpeg 720p camera. It could probably complete a Mk2 pretty good, assuming you're working with manual glass, or having a huge collection of electronics for both brands.
 
For a 5dmkII, your best bet for audio is an external recorder such as a zoom H4n. You can mount this on camera, but personally I prefer to carry it with me either in a pocket or a shoulderbag, along with the wireless recievers which I clip to my belt.

You'll also want a LCD viewfinder of some kind - perferable one that comes on and off easily - to block out sunlight so you can see the LCD screen outside.

You'll need either a monopod or a shouldermount if you plan on ever shooting wihtout a tripod. These cameras are very susceptible to micro-jitters due to the design (the hands grip it too close to the centre of gravity) so hand-held shooting is a big no-no.

Other than that, you'll obviously need lenses. As has already been suggested, the 24-70mm f/2.8 & 70-200mm f/2.8 combo is excellent and will get you by for 75-90% of your shots at weddings. Add one or two primes to that and you'll be covered for low light as well.
 
Thanks everyone everyone for the info. As for the overheating, no i did not know that which might be a problem for wedding videos. Either way I still need the 5D for photography and I guess down the road Ill get an actual video camera to record the wedding videos. Also when you say 12 min minimum recording I assume u mean per clip? or 12 min total to a card? Thanks again for the help.
 
Buy 24-105/4 IS. IS makes huge difference when you are shooting handheld and with this camera you will want to shot handheld a lot to get rid of the limitations of steadicams etc. I own 16-35/2.8 II and it's awesomet. IS isn't as needed addition below 35mm and most of the handheld shots don't need any stabilization work on post. I will get the 24-105/4 to complement the 16-35/2.8 II.

If you want to go with cheaper route you can get 28-135/3.5-5.6 IS for handheld stuff which costs a bit less than ½ of what 24-105/4 IS costs. It's not much softer than the 24-105 and it's sharp enough for video. Contrast and vignetting is bit worse in that, but shouldn't make much difference in video work. But since you are shooting both stills and video and want to really benefit from the FF sensor 24-105 is the answer.
 
Be careful with the 28-135/3.5-5.6 or other zoom lenses with the variable f-stop. I bought a tamron with a 3.5-5.6 and it works fine EXCEPT if you ever need to zoom during filming. Most of the time I don't need to zoom but for weddings you may need to. When you zoom and you're in that range the exposure changes during the shot which makes the video unusable. Now I purchased a Panasonic 370 which I usually use for live events while I use the 5d for narrative shoots.

Dave Miller
Mindlight Films / ViralFilmVideo.com
www.mindlight.com www.viralfilmvideo.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top