SLR Photography Guide

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Video

More and more digital SLRs are now being built with a movie recording mode. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is one of the highest spec models offering full HD at 1920×1080p. After viewing a couple of dozen video’s taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark 11, I can honestly say it rivals the quality of high end movie recording equipment. But don’t take my word for it, check out some of the links below and see for yourself.

The EOScars

EOScars offers some of the highest quality video’s I’ve seen, taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark 11. They scour the latest movies posted on the web and publish only those where it is clear the filmaker has put in the effort to create a complete package. View the sample below then visit http://theeoscars.com/5dblog/ to enjoy many others.

Images Of Karijini National Park from Michael Fletcher on Vimeo.

Reverie

Reverie is a sample EOS 5D Mark 11 video by photographer Vincent Laforet. It’s a beautiful short video about one mans dream. You can see Reverie at Canon Digital Learning Center Sample Video or watch how they produced the EOS 5D Mark 11 video at: Behind the scenes with Vincent.

Flickr Group – Canon 5D MK 11 Videos

One of our favorite hangouts now has a group for videographers who shoot with a Canon 5D Mark 11. It’s a relatively new group that already boasts 360 members. It’s also a great place to discuss video techniques, or for beginners to help each other out. For more information, head on over to: http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon5dii-videos/

Nature / Wildlife video

Visit http://www.vimeo.com/1858950 and you’ll see a bird watching video taken with 5D Mark II + Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 IS L
Lens + 2x Teleconverter, effectively providing for an 800mm focal
length with f/5.6 aperture @ISO 3200. This is a good video to show the 5D Mark 11 capabilities in extreme ISO and teleconverter settings. Notice the video is still of very high quality.

Canon 5D Mark II Underwater Video Review

To really test the capabilities of Canon 5D Mark 11, Berkley White took it to the depths of the ocean to video sharks and dolphins in Monterey. Watch the video at: http://www.backscatter.com/5d2/

When I first heard about the Canon 5D Mark 11 video capabilities, my intitial reaction was similar to many others, ‘Why would I want video capabilities, I’m a photographer?’. Now that I think about it, I do often take both my Digital SLR camera and Sony video camera, on trips away. Therefore, it does make sense to only carry one piece of equipment that does the job of two.

Digital Camera photographer of the year 2009 now open

Enteries are now open for one of the World’s biggest photography competitions, Digital Camera Photographer Of The Year 2009. Prize money is totalling 10 000 pounds and categories include:

This is Britain | World in motion | Man-made | Planet earth | Destination everywhere | Fashion | Landscapes | People and portraits | Black and white | Digital vision

Photographers can submit 5 entries per category, with the competition closing on 30th September 2009. This has changed from pervious years, where each category had their own closing date.

There is a maximum size of 2MB per photograph, which should be uploaded in jpg format. You also need to submit a name for the photograph, description and camera equipment details including settings such as ISO, Exposure, Aperture, Focal length etc.

One of the most frequently asked questions concerns image editing. Here is the official reponse for photographers to consider when preparing their submissions:

‘You should use image enhancement and digital darkroom techniques to
optimise an entry into the competition, such as touching up a portrait,
building a panorama or creating an HDR image from multiple exposures.
Adding or removing significant elements of a composition is discouraged
in all but the Creative Vision category. Where appropriate, original
files may be requested if a photograph reaches the shortlist of
photographs selected by the independent panel of judges.’

To enter this photography competition, register at: http://poty2009.dcmag.co.uk/3913562626721204406/how-to-enter.html