Tomorrow I will be taking delivery of my new Canon 5d MarkII digital SLR camera. This camera has been in development for a very long time and pre-orders for the camera after it’s announcement were staggering. Its is in VERY short supply around the world but I am lucky enough to be taking delivery of one of the first to make it into Canada. The camera shoots 22 megapixel full frame stills but this post doesn’t concern the still photo capabilities which will be covered in later posts once I have had a chance to test it out.
As well as taking still photos, the 5DMKII can also shoot 1080p HD video with its 35mm sensor allowing you to capture incredible quality video at a fraction of the cost of other camera systems that produce a similar “look”. With the 35mm sensor and ability to use Canon’s vast array of quality lenses, this camera is quickly breaking down the barrier between two industries. Look no further than Vincent Laforet’s website to view an incredible short film shot with the camera.
For a stills photographer such as myself it poses some interesting questions, until a couple of weeks ago I knew very very little about video production and what tools are needed to get the job done. I’m sure that I am not the only photographer going through this learning process right now so I’m going to keep track of what I am learning on my blog here. I should also point out that at this time I do not know if video will play a part in my business, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared! The question that I am primarily covering with this post is “What accessories are we going to need to shoot quality video productions with the Canon 5d Mark II?”
Initial tests from various photographers indicate that the video quality is excellent, but the sound quality from the on board microphone is poor, not only that but it also picks up noise from the camera mechanisms such as the IS, aperture and just simply touching the camera body. Not to worry though, the 5DMKII has a separate 3.5mm mic input so that you can attach a much higher quality external mic;
Sennheiser MKE 400: This microphone comes highly recommended from several sources. Features that are useful for us are the hot shoe mounting capability and also its relatively small size, easy to stash in your
existing camera bag. The casing is all metal so it should be rugged and it has the 3.5mm jack that is necessary to plug into the 5D. This type of Mic is known as a “Shotgun” style mic and is very directional. Another interesting feature is the rubber mounting points above the hotshoe which help to isolate noise from the camera. Also available for it is the MZW400 wind muff kit which fits on the mic for use outdoors to eliminate wind noise. The mic and the accessory wind muff can be yours for about $250 which seems like a decent deal to me and I will be ordering one soon to play with.
UPDATE: Now that people have taken delivery of their 5dMKIIs it seems there may be a problem with using the Sennheiser MKE400. I haven’t had a chance to play with one just yet but several people have reported 
hearing a considerable amount of hiss. This is somewhat strange, the mic itself works fine with many other video cameras so it would seem to be a compatibility issue with the MKII, perhaps something to do with the impedance? I’m not sure but you can find info on the problem on the Cinema 5D forum. Perhaps a workaround will be thought up soon and I will update this with new info as it becomes available.
In the meantime, several people have reported much greater success using the Rode VideoMic instead. Similar in design to the senheiser but powered by an onboard 9v battery. There is an interesting comparison video here on Vimeo.
Some microphones do not have a 3.5mm jack on them, instead they use a plug called an XLR. The XLR plug is generally used in professional audio applications so I can forsee a lot of people wanting to use XLR terminated mics for the 5D. To do this you will need some sort of converter and the perfect solution is manufactured by a company called BeachTek. The DXA-2s compact XLR adapter allows 2 XLR microphones to be plugged into it and the resultant signal is output through a stereo cable with a 3.5mm jack right into the 5dMKII. The small converter requires NO batteries and also has a further auxillary 3.5mm input so you could still attach a mic like the Senneheiser MKE400 to it and balance that with an XLR mic. This little box will allow you to record 2 audio inputs onto seperate audio tracks in the video so that they can be edited individually on your computer. I also have word from the guys at BeachTek that they are in the process of designing a NEW model specifically for the 5DMKII! This product will be called the DXA-5D and will include a headphone monitor output to allow you to check on your sound levels, as well as an LED level meter for both channels so that you can check input levels at a glance. The new product is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2009 and if you contact them via their website they will put you on a mailing list to keep you up to date on developments.
If you are looking for a good way to mount various audio devices to you DSLR then you should also check out my review of the IKAN Cheese Stick JR and 10″ Articulating Arm HERE. With these 2 products you can easily mount a shotgun mic or lavalier receiver to your camera, as well as LCD monitors.
In upcoming posts continuing on this topic I will be looking at more accessories that will be useful for the 5dMKII as I discover them!
UPDATE : Check out another cool accessory for the 5d – the Glidecam HD-2000
