1Dmk4 for video

Yergi

Rediculous question, i know.

Why would someone buy a Mk4 for video, the 5dmk2 will shoot 1080 with a FF sensor..... blah blah blah.

Well I shoot sports and I love the feel of a integrated grip camera. 5D will not do for sports, and i just dont like a 1.6x crop camera. I cannot afford to have 2 modern camera's, so i need to buy for my money making jobs first, sports. I do fine right now with the 1Dmk2, but am looking towards the future.

Here are my questions:
Has anyone shot video seriously with it?
Will it actually auto-focus while shooting as claimed by the salesman at the local camera experts that have the best "Showcase" in town?

Thanks in advance.

JimKarczewski

Yeah, it will autofocus while shooting.. BUT, BIG BUT, your screen (and subsequent video) will brighten up (camera has to open the lens up to let light in if you are shooting stopped down), focus, then continue. It's NOT a video camera. Doesn't have continuous AF.. Well, it does.. if you do the continuous focusing..

I'll be using the 1D4 for a video this weekend along side the 5DII. I'll get a sample online for you to see when it's finished..

ziggy53

If you need a camcorder, get a camcorder. A video-capable dSLR is a poor substitute.

The video section in any dSLR will not replace a camcorder for most people. The 1D MKIV is mostly suited to "indie" style video productions, which are very much like a Hollywood production with short takes and lots of capture and editing, external microphones and large aperture prime lenses.

In "indie" film production you will be exposed to the terms:

Rack focus
Pull focus
Focus tracking/follow focus

If that sounds like a lot of work it is.

I have a 5D MKII and, as much as I love the video capture quality of the 5D MKII, my 10 year old 3-chip DV camcorder beats the dSLR for general utility and long-format work any day. Late last year I also added a high-end consumer/prosumer 1080i60 HD camcorder, the Canon Vixia HF S11. This camcorder will also do 1080p30 and 1080p24. It has excellent AF and built-in stabilization. It can do long format video and record for hours at a time, while the 5D MKII will record 12 minutes at maximum quality. (I think that the 1D MKIV is similarly limited in record times.) Long format is vital for events like wedding work.

If you want to replace the 1D MKII with the 1D MKIV for sports applications and general photography, that makes a lot of sense. The 1D MKIV is excellent in those applications. You can use the same camera for some "indie" video but for general video I think that a refurbished Canon Vixia HF S10 (the model prior to the one that I own, but very similar) is much more satisfying.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_10051_249401_-1

Yergi

Ziggy, good thoughts.

However i own a large, high quality camcorder. good for long format work. I am looking for something a little more dramatic, with short DOF. I do you tube type work that is going to look a lot better on a DSLR.

Here is an example.

I am not "fully versed" in rackng focus on a hand held camera, but i do broadcast work and i am fine with a manual focus camera on my shoulder or in a studio configuration.

In the above example the OOF stuff just sucks because it is all in, or all out. (a side effect of the .5x that i own and am using on this shoot) I want to be able to rack it.

I am mainly looking for feedback on the 1D vs 5D vs 7D discussion.

Keep 'em comming!

JimKarczewski

1d4 was the same as my 5DII, once I figured out how to turn on liveview! The only difference being the cropped (1.3) vs full frame. Other than that.. no difference than the 5DII and I'd assume the 7D.

Yergi

Thanks Jim, i appreciate the follow up. I am still a ways away, but i am jonesing for the 4.