Single-Serving Photo

So you guys know that the Canon EOS-5D Mark II can shoot video, right? It seems like video is the latest “must-have” feature for DSLRs, and although I remain skeptical of its utility when it comes to the core function of a DSLR (to make photographs, last I checked), it turns out that there is something to be said for it.

As you read here not too long ago, the season finale of the hit Fox show “House” (which I watch religiously) was shot entirely with 5D Mark II cameras, proving that although it may not be as convenient or feature-rich as a purpose-built digital cinema camera, it gets the job done.

You don’t need to be a technology Nostradamus to see into a future where tools of even the most complex trades trickle down to the masses. Already, software capable of advanced video and music production are within the grasp of any Joe (or Jane) Q. Public. The 5D Mark II is just another example of the ever-increasing accessibility of truly capable media creation tools.

Lest you doubt my words, watch this short film from Philip Bloom called “Sofia’s People.” Shot entirely handheld with the 5D Mark II and a Nikon-mount Zeiss 50mm f/1.4. According to Bloom, there was no post-production other than massaging the frame rate (no image modification at all).

When I say that the 5D Mark II’s video is absurd, I mean absurdly awesome.

View Sofia’s People on Vimeo to see more of Philip Bloom’s work, participate in discussion, etc.

The Internet is all a-flutter about this announcement Greg Yaitanes made via Twitter that the House, M.D. season finale (airing next month on FOX) was shot entirely with a Canon EOS-5D Mark II. This makes the 5D Mark II the first video-capable digital SLR camera to ever have been used to film a “prime time” television episode.

Yaitanes, who is a co-executive producer and director of House, M.D., said that they chose the 5D Mark II because they wanted to be able to fit the camera into “tight spaces,” they used mostly Canon prime lenses as well as the 24-70 and 70-200 zooms, and that no brackets or stabilization tools were used. I can’t wait to see how the episode looks!

The video was recorded onto large CF cards (Yaitanes said “18gb,” but I think he meant 16 GB), which afforded only 22 minutes of shooting before tossing in a new card.

You can read PetaPixel’s summary of the Q&A that has taken place so far via Twitter for more luscious details, and read engadget’s coverage as well as Gizmodo’s coverage. If you ladies and gents who are technology-inclined don’t already check out those two blogs on a regular basis, you may want to add them to your news reader of choice.

Well, here it is, folks. As reported by Digital Photography Review, Rob Galbraith DPI, Engadget, and undoubtedly more, Canon has officially released the EOS-1D Mark IV, the latest digital SLR in their 1-series (“pro”) line.

I find it somewhat amusing that they chose to throw on the EF 50mm f/1.4 for their promo shoot; a lens that, for me, spontaneously stopped auto-focusing after only a couple years of use and that exhibits pretty significant vignetting. Nevertheless, the EOS-1D Mark IV is a fairly intense camera body, with its 10 frame per second burst mode, and ISO settings up to 102,400. You should be able to lay your hands on one here in the States for a mere $4,999.

Personally, I don’t think I’ll be purchasing a 1D Mark IV, if only because it has an APS-H sensor with a 1.3x crop factor and I am utterly spoiled by my 5D’s full-frame sensor. It is worth noting, also, that for the $4,999 that a brand new 1D Mark IV is going to cost you, you can pretty readily find a pre-owned 1Ds Mark III, which is 21 megapixels of full-frame goodness.

If there is anything in the world I like more than slow motion, it’s… I have no idea, I love slow motion so much. I am completely addicted to that Discovery Channel show Time Warp and I frequently search for slow motion on YouTube and just watch everything that comes up (anything from Brainiacs is usually awesome).

For your daily dose of photography-related slow motion, I bring you a video of the Canon 5D shutter shot at 2,000 frames per second using (allegedly) a Phantom HD high speed camera.