Buying a 5D – but what lenses should I get for video?

[Aleksander Ødegård]

Hi, Bob.
Given the fact that I´ve only been in the business for about 1 1/2 years, I really hope my/your colleagues in Australia know better than me 😉

I´ve actually never edited h.264 on the final cut-setup they have at NRK (norwegian broadcast corporation) as they only use pdw700/530 (IMX 625/50 50mb/s, in-camera down scaling from 422hd to sd), and sometimes ex3/xf305 on smaller productions.
On the other hand, editing h.264 is working beautifully on my fcp-setup when transcoding with mpeg streamclip, and recently the log and transfer plug-in.

Getting back to topic: I would still recommend starting out with a simple 3-lens kit consisting of a wide angle zoom, about a 50mm prime and a mid-range zoom. This lens kit should give you a large enough variety of focal lengths for most “average” situations. If you have the cash (and need), adding the 70-200mm f2.8 L IS would get you even closer.
It´s important tho, to think ahead when buying lenses with the regard of what gear you will be using to add neutral density. The canon 24-70mm will probably not work that well with an matte box because you would have to slide it back and forth on the rods as you change your focal length (the 24-70mm changes its physical seize while adjusting focal length). But that´s another discussion..

Aleksander Ødegård
http://www.fortfilm.com

[Bob Dix]

Hi Aleksander,

I understand where you are coming from, we have a large choice of lens for film Canons, but, we travelled light with the 5d Mark II into Tibet, China, Egypt ,New Zealand and Lord Howe Island recently and the EF 28-135mm F/3.5 IS hand held, was the work horse. I agree the 70-200mm EF IS would have been an advantage at certain times because of, according to Canon , it’s horizontal stablization, hand held. Ie.,fast horizontal panning was causing some pixel movement ?)

But, it is Claus from Denmark who wanted a bit of info re video lens for this camera.We have been with Canon equipoment for over 25 years and I can get a bit biased. I have videoed to North Cape ?your country using a Panasonic 3 CCD, great voyage.

I used a Hasselblad ( Now worth the price of a small car)for 15 years made near you in Goteborg, Sweden

Freelance Imaging & Video
AUSTRALIA

[Bob Dix]

I agree stunning Vimeo video clip.

Freelance Imaging & Video
AUSTRALIA

[Claus Frederiksen]

Don´t use the H.264 file for edit – It was was not made for that purpose. Takes to much procession power and its´no god for browsing in the viewer. Go for Pro Ress – much better and actually intended for editing in HD…!

Kind regards from Denmark,

Claus Frederiksen
http://www.frederiksenproductions.dk

[Morten Raarup]

Hej Claus

You will also need a 70-200 f2.8 (IS is nice) I use 24-70 most of the time, but 70 mm is often to small to clouse ups. I also have 35 mm. and 85 primelense f. 1.4 but is slow to change lenses if you also uses a followfocus. And the 70-200 so to heavy its needs extra support.

Morten Raarup
On Off Line
Copenhagen, Denmark

Sony PDW-F800, AVID Symphony Nitris, FCP 7

[Keith Pratt]

Claus Frederiksen: “I have access to used/old Canon lenses from press photographer, as I want my iris to be manual.”

They’re not FD lenses are they? The advice is to steer clear of FD lenses with EOS bodies as they necessitate use of an optical adaptor.

Bob Dix: “As this camera runs at 38.5 MB/s you will need a SanDisk or equivalent CF card at 45-60MB/s UDMA for 1080P for smooth running.”

You’re mixing up MB/s and Mb/s (megabytes and megabits). Canon video runs at around 40Mb/s, which is 5MB/s.

Claus Frederiksen: ““House” and “24”in the US, is entirely shot with that camera”

It’s being used for a lot of music videos and fair bit of commercials work, but House was a one-episode test and as far as I’m aware it’s only the background plates for car shots that have been shot on DSLRs for 24. The issues with aliasing, mushiness and infrastructural limitations have stopped this generation of DSLRs from properly making it to primetime.

[Bob Dix]

Hi Keith,

You are right of course•
1920 x 1080 (16:9) up to 12 mins (Quicktime 1080p H.264; 38.6 Mbits/sec)
• 640 x 480 (4:3) up to 24 mins (Quicktime 480p H.264; 17.3 Mbits/sec)
• Max file size 4 GB
• Quicktime MOV format (H.264 video, PCM sound)
• 30 fps
We did try a slower card SanDisk Ultra II and the camera objected

and your advice to Claus is correct too, and the old lens are not stablized.

Freelance Imaging & Video
AUSTRALIA

[Tony Davies patrick]

There are no set lenses that you ‘must’ use for video; any lenses in the Canon line-up, or in fact almost any lens (with an adapter) from Nikon, Pentax, Contax, Leica etc will do – it all depends on what your subject is.

Fast lenses are in vogue for the 5D Mark II when used in video mode, and although I do own a rack of extreme-fast lenses from Canon and Nikon they are not always needed.

For filming subjects at extreme low light-levels and when you require narrow depth of field, a lens such as the 24mm f/1.4, or 50mm f/1.2 or 200mm f/1.8 might be the best optics to use; but if you are filming landscapes in that same low light- you will need to stop those same lenses down to smaller aperture in the f/5.6-f/11 region to maintain a decent DOF – so a 24mm f/3.5; 50mm f/2 or 200mm f/4 will work just as well – plus the fact that they will be less in weight and price.

If you have plenty of time on your hands, then a prime fixed aperture lens often the tools for the job, but if you are constantly changing angles and subjects within a short time frame, then zoom lenses are the best option.

I prefer fast zooms, and have found for most video subjects f/2.8 is a good maximum aperture – so 17-35mm, 16-35mm, 24-70mm, 28-70mm, 70-200mm, 80-200mm f/2.8 lenses work very well for both stills and video. If you are mainly working in decent light and require medium-small apertures fro more DOF, then the slower zoom lenses will work just as well.

For run-and-gun situations or when you are constantly being faced with fast-changing subjects at short or long ranges when it is impossible to change lenses, the all-in-one quality zooms such as Canon 28-300mm L or 35-350mm L can be your saviour.

A lot has been discussed about using IS lenses for video, and it certainly does help in some situations, but I’ve found that using IS on a Canon XL2 or XL-H1 video camera fitted with 20X lenses compared to a 5D fitted with EOS IS lenses does not relate to the same type of filming or results.

Most of the time I turn off the IS mode on all my lenses when shooting video with a 5D and much prefer to either use a tripod or steadycam with the IS turned off.

The vital thing that stumps most photographers who use the 5D in video mode is camera-shake. I often use a specially adapted Hasselblad magnifying eye-piece clipped to the live-view screen of the 5D and this does help a lot for both manual focus and to maintain good framing; but I also use a special shoulder & waist brace to keep everything rock-steady when I am filming without a tripod.

Without a doubt, one of the most important extra items that I use for filming handheld with the 5D over uneven terrain is my steadicam. Match a 5D Mark II + steadicam + wide angle zoom lens, and you will be amazed at how smooth your video footage can be.

So try to understand how to use your 5D Mark II in video mode first, and above all learn how to keep it steady, and then choose the lenses which fit your subject matter.

GlobetrotterWorld
https://www.NIKON.me.uk
https://www.CanonLens.co.uk

[Claus Frederiksen]

Tony, Keith, Bob – brilliant answers. Thank you!!

I´ve been shooting for commercials and television for almost 20 years on video and 16mm. And I don´t want/don´t like stabilized lenses. I try to use a good tripod/head and/or a high quality rig for handheld, instead ;-). Unless I want that “shaky look” from doing handheld without stabilizing lenses etc.

Again, absolutely brilliant answers. Very useful for a guy like me, who are about to enter the DSLR world, in a country where DSLR shooting is very limited. Good to get the facts right about “House” etc. Gives a better perspective, when looking for the right gear.

Most of my shooting with the 5D, will be the kind of stuff where we have plenty of time. But because of your advise, I will get a all-in-one quality zoom lens as well.

Merry Christmas… 🙂

Kind regards from Denmark,

Claus Frederiksen
http://www.frederiksenproductions.dk

[Claus Frederiksen]

Morten,

Fremragende – tak. Må jeg komme forbi en dag jeg er i Kbh? 🙂

Brillant – Can come and see? The next time I´m in Copenhagen?

Kind regards from Denmark,

Claus Frederiksen
http://www.frederiksenproductions.dk