dSLR Dad

After releasing firmware 1.1.0, Canon has published more information regarding the manual video exposure of the EOS 5D Mark II dSLR Camera:

Once installed, EOS 5D Mark II users will be able to utilize the ‘M’ mode setting to manually set shutter speed, lens aperture, and ISO when in Movie Mode. Previously, regardless of where the Mode Dial was physically set, video recording was always in the Program AE setting with no practical method to manually set a pre-determined exposure value. We’ll explain the procedure to manually set exposure during video recording in a moment — the important thing here is to note that users now have a choice during video recording, once firmware version 1.1.0 is installed: they can continue to let the camera set exposure completely automatically, as it has up to now, or they can manually set exposure themselves.

What this firmware does NOT do, at least at this time, is add or change features like the camera’s 30 frames per second framing rate, its fully automatic audio gain control, or add in-camera time code capability.

Canon has received many such requests for these features and capabilities from EOS 5D Mark II users, and these have indeed been conveyed to our engineers in Japan. For now, however, the only new feature we can speak of is perhaps the most important and fundamental one — the ability to manually control video exposure.

If you want to manually adjust your exposure while shooting HD video, the procedure is:

1. Live View/Movie function settings: Be sure your LV (Live View) settings are set to “Stills + Movie”. Then, press the SET button as indicated on the Menu screen to drill one more step down, and set your Screen Settings to “Movie Display”.
   This last point is vital: If your Screen Settings are anywhere but “Movie Display” you will not be able to manually adjust exposure.
2. Turn the Mode Dial on top of the camera to “M” (Manual exposure mode), as you would to manually adjust exposure during a still image.
3. Press the Live View button (to the left of the viewfinder) to activate Live View. This is always a requirement before movie shooting is possible, and this firmware update doesn’t change that.
4. If you want to see the camera’s analog metering scale to use as a guide for setting manual exposure, press the INFO button until it appears at the bottom of the LCD monitor. Now, as you make exposure adjustments, you’ll see the indicator on the scale change as lighting and settings change. Of course, users are also free to use a separate hand-held meter or other methods to determine proper shutter speeds, apertures, and ISO settings.
5. Turn the Main Dial (near the shutter button) to adjust shutter speeds, over a range of 1/30th thru 1/4000th of a second. Turn the rear Quick Control Dial to adjust the aperture setting, through the entire range available on the lens you’re currently using. And press the ISO button (top of camera) and turn the Main Dial to vary ISO, or set Automatic ISO operation.

You can can find more information about the EOS 5D Mark II’s Manual Video Exposure at Canon’s Digital Learning Center.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 8:00 AM and is filed under Canon dSLR Cameras. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.