Comments on: RAW Video for 5D2 & 7D?

By: marksy

marksy — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:51:49 +0000

Get my 7D next week

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By: imran

imran — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:28:59 +0000

I recently bought 7d and I get to admire what we can have in our hands in terms of technology these days. But I can surly see the virtues of having uncompressed files for the post work. In film making, all things aside, just the size of DSLR itself is revolutionary translating your ability to shoot at spaces never thought possible before. The key still is how well it can be mixed with 35 mm stock and for that the files maleability in post as wel as PL mount adapter for serious lenses will truly makeit a genuine film making tool. And if red can do it then I believe Canon can too. And I think they soon will.

By: Jacobin Ve Lardina Saccun

Jacobin Ve Lardina Saccun — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:01:53 +0000

Batch processing?

By: NormanBates

NormanBates — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:33:39 +0000

assuming same bits per final pixel as in picture mode, just less pixels per frame and more frames per second, each 1080p frame takes 10 times less info than a 21MPix picture (5616×3744)/(1920×1080)

therefore, using dpreview numbers for the 5D2 as reference, 21MB of RAW data per 21MPix picture mean 2MB of RAW data per 1080p frame, so 62MB of RAW data per 1080p second at 30fps

that solves the first question: how much RAW video can I store in my memory card? with these linear calculations, just over 16 seconds per GB

and for the other question: is this camera even able to do this in theory? while writing RAW pictures on its buffer, the 5D2 is able to take 3.7fps; with the same 10x ratio as before, that means it would be able to take video in 1920×1080 resolution at up to 37fps, and in particular it should be able to take it at 30fps

what’s the problem? that buffer is too small for video: looking at the dpreview numbers, it looks like it is 256MB, able to write at more than 80MB/s

that would run out in 4 seconds

after that, even a really fast card will not be enough: after the buffer is full, on the 8 GB Lexar Pro 300x CF card they test in dpreview, they only manage 1.5 fps, so you could only get 15 fps 1080p video there: not enough

conclusion? attach a bigger, faster drive, and the 5D2 has the processing power and I/O performance to record RAW 1080p video at 30fps; I guess this, plus a firmware update, is what these rumors could come to

note 1: firmware update plus 600x superbig card is not enough, the file size limit of FAT32 would be a big pain

note 2: I don’t know which is the problem with 24p in the 5D2, so I don’t know if RAW should unlock this too

note 3: the only remaining thing is: how efficient is the row/column skipping process that these canon DSLRs follow when capturing video? if the whole sensor has to be read, and then most information is discarded, and there’s some performance inefficiencies in this, then my numbers about feasibility are useless

By: Reality Check

Reality Check — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:22:29 +0000

look at a random sample of bokeh photo’s, if the sample is truely random, it won’t include a high % of photo’s with the subject 1ft away from the camera and background at infinity. now look at the other photo’s (the majority), and ask yourself if your eyes were where the camera was, would you see the scene the same way it looks in the photo? sure not. and even if the subject is 1 ft from your eyes, the moment you try to check if the background is blurred or not your eyes automatically change it’s focus. so human eye blurs rarely compared to camera lenses and when it does the blurred background is out of your attention. doctor your own thinking befoe doctoring others eyes.

By: 50/50

50/50 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:00:03 +0000

I don’t know THAT much about high end video editing/workflow but I do have a technical photography and IT background, now regarding the cost of a computer that can handle a raw video worflow, to me it seems more or less similer to a high end photoshop work station with the simple addition a blackmagic or some other video board. Maybe it’s just me, but doing composites with multiple smart objects, multiple 21 megapixel files, all in 16 bit is very demanding as it is, so if you want to go video, just add another raid5 and a dedicated video board and your set.

I’d dare say that canon won’t want to make the 5d TOO strong in video, just because I expect them to want to force people into buying another product to do video at the higher end, how ever I’d say it would be a very smart move on thier part to make a video system based around the EF lenses as long as they find a way make them perform AF better in video and add some with seemles apertures.

As for the raw video thing, a cf card slot adapter to me, would likely not fully solve the issue of data throughput, the 5dII like anything canon make that isn’t 1 series, has costs cut to make it more affordable at the expense various things, one such area is the speed at which it writes via it’s cf card slot, it can be, when compared to 1 series with the same speed media, slower at writing files.

As for processing, from what I know, when ever your outputting a file at lower then the sensors native resolution it’s downsampeling from raw data of the sensor, either to sRAW, jpg or even the video files… and I suspect that to make it output some kind of raw video, after downsampeling, some dedicated hardware in the camera itself might need to be involved.

I still really hope they do improve the already impressive (all things considered) video of the 5dII and soon to be 7d by what ever means they can, but I suspect we’ll see a successor to the 5dII before they get raw video in it.

By: The eye doctor

The eye doctor — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:06:41 +0000

Try holding you finger up a foot away from your face and look carefully at it. Did you notice that the background is now out of focus. Our eyes are like a 8mm 1.0 Lens with amazing macro focus. Bokeh is very natural!

By: David

David — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:34:59 +0000

Yeah I don’t believe that. Even if it was true and not a rumor forum spread myth, that’s no reason to limit it for the rest of the world. They put Rebel on USA cameras so they can deliver cameras with slightly different firmware settings turned on too. But I still believe the tariff idea is a myth. Canon themselves blame it on the CF card’s fat32, not tariffs.

By: Mike V

Mike V — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:22:09 +0000

The recording length limit is intentional.

It’s to get around tariffs that apply to video cameras in Europe.

By: jay

jay — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:56:27 +0000

F this turns out to be true… it seems clear to me that it is a component that we be developed for the likely forthcoming APS-C video camera, but will also connect easily to the 7D, 5DII and other DRSL cameras with video.

That way they will be creating a line of low to high priced/speced cameras that all have a common RAW format (at an additional price).

It would kill off alot of RED business, I think.

Imagine a 5DII that could capture 2/4k RAW at 1-60fps. At a price of around $5k ($2500 for camera, same for the recording unit).

Speculation sure, but not that unlikely.

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:01:47 +0000

> Sticking a larger sensor in a camcorder wont give it the same look and control over DOF I get now.
???
Of course it will. Ok – when you have the 5DMkII, you can achieve an even smaller DOF…

I don’t know, if you ever filmed with one, but the handling of a camcorder is much better for filming than the one of a DSLR. Don’t get me wrong, I love the new video feature of DSLRs!

By: S Kumar

S Kumar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:21:35 +0000

Sounds like a logical next step. Processor and storage speeds keep increasing exponentially, so it doesn’t sound like a significant challenge in the near term. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it grow to 30 fps and beyond in a few years with even larger pixel counts. Nothing stopping Canon from putting immense high speed buffer storage in the cameras so that the traditional bottlenecks of processing and storage can be mitigated. Hard to predict the future but there may be add-on modules that can be bolted on like the battery grip to increase the processing and storage just like we bolt on servers to a rack today.
S Kumar

By: Ed

Ed — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:42:41 +0000

The RAW would likely find a use in professional cimematography where they can afford $$$$ computers, and often send digital files to outside companies to process.

Its of little practical use to ordinary photographers, but if you are making a motion picture and want to eliminate compression artifacts, then it would strike yet another blow into RED sales for certain applications. The 5D MK II is not a video camera, but for the price, it can do many things that don’t need a $100,000 plus setup.