I've been wanting to go fullframe for quite a while and have waited till prices would drop on the 5D Mark 3. In addition to the other contender on the full frame front, the Nikon D800, I've also lurked over the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and the Sony FS100. I went with the Canon because of the fullframe, the look of the images, its lowlight ability and because I wanted a camera that shoots great stills as well as video.
I have an occasional photo-assignment and last year I borrowed a 5D Mark 2 and it made my photos -and me- look a lot better.
So I broke the piggybank and gave myself this huge present for my upcoming milestone birthday. I'll be able to make good use of it this year, with trips to London, Napels, Italy, Antwerpen, Florida and Honduras to look forward to!
I not only bought the Canon 5D Mark 3 but the kitlens, the 24-105 F4 L IS as well. I read great stuff about it and as an allround lens it should serve me well for photo-assignments as well as documentary filming.
I already own a bunch of aftermarket batteries for the Canon 5D that I bought to power my SmallHD monitor, I have a nice set of lenses, so I'm really trying to keep accessories to a minimum. Perhaps a flashlight or a CF card, but that's it... well, maybe a small microphone for the hotshoe, a batterygrip for those long video interviews... but that's really it... wait... the Atomos Ninja records the uncompressed HDMI signal ánd serves as a monitor as the same time, right... Sounds like a must have accessory. I swear that's the last of it!! (Is an SSD included..?)
Hey Jeroen
ReplyDeleteHavent checked your blog for a while.
Got myself a mk3 a few months ago,rigged it up with the zacuto evf, sound devices mixpre-D,Sennheiser MKH 60 up top,Senn ME66 powered for when i run and gun on camera hotshoe.
Just the Atomos ninja 2 to go.( then the SSD drive,s extra batteries ETC ETC.)
it never ends.
the cool thing with the ninja is it has 4ch audio
So the mixpre-D can go direct to ninja 2 aswell as the mk3.
The 5D 3 kills the bottom end. 250hz and below seem to vanish while recording.
whens the birthday.
mine's 26th april .the BIG 50 year 1.
greeting uit Den Haag
Soundmanneal.
April 27, Neal, the BIG 5-0. How do you find shooting with the 5D? Do you use some sort of support? What lenses? I was considering the Rode Videomic Pro for run n gun. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteAny finished stuff you made with the camera online?
good to hear from you again!
Jeroen
Hey jeroen
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday. :-)
support system I use the SM1 shoulder mount.
You have 1 somewhere.
Cheap and still the best solution for run and gun.
I have a couple of different rigs for the 5D.
Every system i have has been developed around the manfrotto mounting plate adapter.
I think you have some lying around at your place.
maybe i can send you some foto's.
Have 1 rig with the zacuto EVF mounted,with shoot 35 follow focus system.
another rig with just the follow focus and the zacuto Z finder pro attached on the 5D screen
I have the Sound-devices mixpre-d with a manfotto mounting adapter fixed on top so that any of the 2 rigs
can mount on top of that.
Everything is completely modular, based on the manfrotto plates. ( very cool system ).
Over audio.
I have had both the Rode videomics inc Pro version.Built in suspension mount IMO sucks.
They're Ok. not great. (handy for traveling)
for about the same you could pick up an occasion ME 66 sennheiser shotgun mic /rode sm3 cameramount set.
Marktplaats +/- 200euro.( nieuw 500/600 bucks)
its a bit longer but sound is a lot better, it has a longer reach aswell and has a hot signal which means you dont have to crank the gain up on the 5D as much as the NTG rode mics.
.
The ME 66 is also better than the rode NTG 1 NTG 2 mics. they are sensitive to handling noise have less reach.
I've had those aswell, all sold on.
The problem with the 5D audio is you cant run the level above 25/30% gain or the internal preamps start hissing at you.( not nice ).
I know you have the zoom H1 en H4n in your collection. But when you run and gun you dont want all the excess baggage with you.
Lens
Also have the 24-105L is. great most of the time.
sharp at F4.
canon 70-200L 2.8 allways shine's great lens.
for low light.
sigma ex50mm 1.4 great in the dark, nice bokeh, sucks in auto focus mode.sharp from F2 ( typical sigma QC ).
This lens is also 77mm filter thread so the ND filters fit all the lenses.the focus ring is huge aswell so focusing manual feels nice and smooth.
I am sure that nice set of old Carl zeiss Jene's of yours will shine on the 5D.
Just remember DOF is really shallow with the full frame sensor.
jeroen we should get together in the summer and go shoot somthing.
I should have the atomos ninja 2 by then.
thats my Birthday present to myself.
grz Soundmanneal
That's a small fortune sitting on that rig, Neal! And the Ninja is yet to come!! I have an AKG omnidirectional mic comparable to the ME66 I believe but it's phantom power only...
DeleteMaybe I'll just use my Zoom H1 after all... I've been trying out a couple of different configurations and I really like my old Varizoom LST shoulder support with the arm resting on my belly. Keeps the weight off my shoulder and allows me to focus with one hand without going off-balance. SmallHD DP4 EVF on the camera shoe and a little magic arm screwed into the side of the Manfrotto plate with the H1 attached to it(so cool, never used those threads before!) Got a shoot coming up tomorrow and will report on my findings!
Hey Jeroen
ReplyDeleteyou should set up the 5x 10x zoom funtion on the set buten in then middle of the data wheel on the back of the cam, Then you can zoom in with your right thumb instead of using your left hand fingers.
save's time and keeps your left hand free to focus the lens.
success Morgen.
Are you using magic lantern on the 5D????
ReplyDeleteI had alredy set the SET button for the zoom function- very handy indeed. I have not used ML for the Mark 3: have you? I noticed it's very hard to get focus right, even with the DP4, when shooting wide for an establishing shot. Does ML offer zoom function while shooting? That's what I need to confirm focus!! I was in a theater last night and wanted to pan from someone sitting next to me on the balcony to a shot of the podium and I could not determine focus on the podium. Very frustrating...
DeleteML has some magic zoom function. so you get a small block where you can see your focus. but i thick its annoying. I punsh in otherwise i try to do it by eye most of the time i am good.I also use the peaking function of ML.
DeleteI use the focus peaking funtion in magic lantern ,then i can tell roughly that i'll be in focus.
ReplyDeletethe wider the lens,the more difficult it gets as often most things look in focus.
I think there is a zoom funtion in ML, havn't used it really,
The zacuto EVF as a zoom funtion on the side.I find that works better for me.I also use the focus assist on the zacuto EVF aswell. While shooting I never feel 100% sure that I have nailed focus,but 90% of the time its bang on.
Hey Jeroen
ReplyDeleteuncompressed HDMI leaked and working nicely go download it.
grz