Well it isnt actually possible to do those techiniques with a monopod(at least not smoothly).But Its definitely a cool technique for those who work with tripods. But for me personally i wouldnt able to utilize that technique since i dislike using tripods.

What does the monopod do for you or do better than a tripod? Why do people like monos?

Well i love the portability of monpods as opposed to tripods. There are certain places such as museums that wont allow you to bring a tripod in but will allow the use of monopods. I also find i can work much faster with monopods.The speed at which i can "put together" and "breakdown" the monopod is really helpful when trying to shoot on the go. Just my personal preference though...

wouldnt work very well if someone was using a ball head

Heard today that George is a Canon dealer, so his prices come direct from Canon.
He's trying to get a quote on a big list of new equipment for his business and the upcoming "graduation" season, and my 5D Mark II is in as part of this quote along with the 24-70mm f/2.8L lens...so once he gets that quote, I'll know how much it will cost me.

^^ lucky and jealous lol

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Re...cro-978333.html


please please please buy the setup on the left. it looks like the dude has the mic mounted in his fro! plus, he gave his "video" camera handlebars

That is funny looking!

Its also a funny thing you mention that one, one of the guys who does video for our local newspaper online, mentioned taking some video with the Canon 5D Mark II and used that very setup...check it...

http://tannerherriott.com/?p=782

Only thing I don't like is the video guy knocks the stills that the 5D Mark II takes in his text...WTF?

So did I read this article you posted right, that setup is configurable to the 3 types you showed in that picture?
I could see using the other 2, but that handlebar one is just too weird and funny looking, agree with you!

What is this setup accomplish? Looks manageable. I'd have to play with these in person to give any real opinion.



This sounds nice...

he does? where?

4th paragraph...whoops, I misread it...he's knocking himself...ha, sorry. Thought he was saying it captures audio as poorly as it captures stills, which didn't make sense, I will be a better blog reader from now on. He was saying the audio is as bad as he is with stills...

5D Mark II Firmware update Rumors:

http://www.canonrumors.com/2009/04/5d-mark...irmware-update/

Man, I've been waiting and searching for the 5D Mark II Kit now for weeks, missed a golden window a few weeks back, waiting on a "hook up" that has now failed me...sure wished I knew when these things would come back in stock!

at least you won't get grey market now

They accidentally let their contract lapse with Canon, so they are sending off the paperwork to renew it, and I don't want to wait for whatever time that would take, to order through them and get their discounted prices, unless I haven't found one online by then, they're going to let me know when they can order again, and I could possibly still get one through them. But right now I'm tired of waiting, so I'll keep my eye open online. I don't have much choice right now as no one has them online. So either way, I'm still waiting.

I think I've changed my mind and decided to just get the kit instead of a body and a lens, however, if everyone online continues to be out of these, I might have to just get the body and pick a lens.

A local camera shop here in OKC has the kit and body, at the same prices as everyone else, but I'd have to pay tax, I thought about asking them to discount the camera in such a way that I pay $3499 out the door...to compete with the online retailers out of state. Worth a try I guess.

Maybe offer to pay cash, I know a shop I go to will sometimes give a slight discount for cash sales.

Well it was going to be cash, not credit, well my bank card, the money is in the bank, not throwing it on an actual credit card, but it is my band card, which is visa...?

plastic != cash

when you pay cash, they can record the sale price at whatever (reasonable) value they want. when you put it on a card, there is a paper trail.

I don't think this retailer would do it because cash was offered, its either they deal with my situation or not...

even if you use your debit card, don't they still get nailed for the 3% Visa charge?

From Planet5D & Canon Rumors

Ok, so I ordered my 5D Mark II, should be here Wed, body only.
I got tired of waiting of a kit to come in stock, and besides I think I want the 24-70mm f/2.8 L anyway.
I might add the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens for $114, so I'll have a couple of decent lenses to begin with.

I'm very excited. Glad to join the Canon DSLR family.

the 50 1.8 sounds like a decent deal..BUT once you touch it and pick it up. You will say YUCK..it feels like a mattel toy. The optics are decent its just way way to crappy and cheap of a build plus a pretty inaccurate AF motor in it. Had 2 and the 2nd one I didnt even use on the camera before i returned it...I thought my 1DIII was gonna just swallow it or the thing just break in half mounted on a huge body

So for the $114 bucks, you don't think its worth having around? Guess I could save a bit more and step up to the f/1.4? You think the 24-70 f/2.8 is a good start? I know you're big on your Sigmas, but we'll discuss those when I'm ready for my next set of lenses...

personally i dont think the 50 1.8 is worth opening the box..LOL
the 1.4 is better but its still laking..micro USM, build is better but not great and most of them are not sharp till about f2
Id look at the Sigma 50 1.4 pretty much all the reviews put it ahead of the canon 1.4 Except The-Digital-Picture.com
Personally I think that site is good for something to read and see how things are but not to take serious..Site is BEYOND canon fanboy..he never says anything good unless its a canon. I wouldnt ever go by the reviews there.

I kind of felt the Canon fanboy overflowing there...but its got good specs etc...
I'll check out the Sigma 50 1.4, thanks.

or you could go with a nice contax zeiss 50 1.4 if you dont mind manual focus. Im actually picking one up later this week. I had one a while back and realized how much i missed it. One of the sharpest lenses i ever used. This is the old planar T Version not the new ZE.

Unfamiliar with that brand, but do I want a fully manual lens? Not sure.

well if your really excited about using the video function it would only benefit you to get used to using manual focus. Not to mention with a manual lens that you get to manually control aperature.

This is true. So on the Canon AF lenses, when you turn them off auto and put on manual, can you then control manually control your aperature, or does it have to be a fully manual lens, like the one you suggested?

PS. I am excited about the video...will be using it maybe half the time.

The auto focus switch on the lens controls just that...focus. Doesn't have anything to do with setting the aperture. The aperture you will always control with the body.

focus != aperture

On canon lenses and any other AF/MF lens you cant manually control the aperature when shooting video. However with a Fully manual focus lens you can override this shortcoming.

yes I realize this, I was just trying to figure out if the AF/MF combo lenses would allow me to manually control my aperature like a fully manual lens would, in VIDEO mode on the 5D Mark II, Rehype answered my question.



I understand that as well, see above.

Ah, I forgot you're the video guy.

So all the people who are complaining about the video mode of the 5D Mark II, because they don't have control over the aperature, why don't they just use a manual lens and be over that issue? They can't use the auto focus anyway with their AF lenses in video mode, so why not slap a MF lens on there and have what they want, control over the aperature?



Not quite, but its 1/2 the reason I bought the camera. I do intend to use the video a lot.
I would like to create some nice videos and get my artistic side going...but I'm so new I'm neither the video or photo guy yet...hahaha. Just a guy.

Well thats not entirely true you can use AF in video mode but its very slow and clumsy so most stay away from it. Id just assume most consumers are ignorant of alternative options... but any google search can provide excellent workarounds.

Ok, well I have seen some "workarounds" such as taping part of the camera etc...but I'm not going to all that mess. So if I just bought a fully manual lens, that has the same IQ as some of the newer AF/MF lenses, if there is such a thing, and then I can control my aperature, I would have full albeit manual control of my focus and aperature? No workarounds, just manual control?

I forget, do you have this camera? I thought the AF was not available in video mode? Mine will be here Wed, so I have yet touch one of these bad boys.

If you buy a fully manual lens you can control aperature so you can control your depth of field for creative purposes.

Yep i have the camera. AF is available but once again its is very slow to lock focus and in real life use i find it be very clumsy. I can manual focus much faster.

Ok, thanks. I can't wait to play with mine, of course right now I don't have a lens, trying to decide on what to buy as my first lens...

Is this a workaround like you were mentioning?
http://www.vimeo.com/2471679

Yep thats one of them. But its much easier to pick up a manual focus lens IMO

Like the Zeiss and M42? (someone mentioned the same in the comments of that video)



Tell me something about these? Do you have to buy lens adapters for each brand? Expensive?
Someone commented that Zeiss have no aperature rings...what does that mean? No control?
I think maybe there are older versions and newer "made for Canon" versions?

I think I see what might be an aperature ring here?

So The-Digital-Picture.com is Canon's version of Ken Rockwell's site and Nikon?

Thats the ZE version so you dont need an adapter. If you buy a legacy contax zeiss lens you can buy a contax to eos adapter or a haoda confirmation adapter. All for significantly cheaper than the zeiss ZE lens.

Do they still make/sell these new? Or would I have to be searching used equipment?
You'll have to explain these a little better, as remember I'm new to all this stuff.

You can get new Zeiss stuff, but it is $$$ (and REALLY nice for what it is). That being said I would personally not even look new an old used version of the 50 1.4 will probably get you 98% of what the new one will (new ones have new coatings I think?) and will cost less than half most likely. Another lens that might be worth looking into is the Pentax SMC Takumar 50 1.4 which is an M42 lens and has a pretty good reputation (I've used a few and their nice, plus they generally were less than $100 last time I looked).

I totally agree with you wfournier. The old zeiss lens is one of the sharpest 50mm to date. I honestly can say i have yet to use a 50mm that was sharper. The later models of the lens (AE and MM versions) both have the multicoating for sharpness and better flare control. The pentax SMC Takumur is also a fantastic lens for the price however the only problem is it hits the mirror on a 5d or 5D2 at infinity focus. However on crop bodies and 1D bodies its not an issue. However i did have thechance to test the Contax zeiss 50 1.7 and i had no issues whatsoever.

Thanks Rehype & wfournier! Do you mind sharing some links to these lenses that will work with the 5D Mark II, so I can get familiar with what I'm looking for?
Rehype, do you have any sample footage you've shot on the 5D Mark II with this lens you like?
I'm going to search for some online as well.

You would have to buy it on the used market such as keh.com, potn or fred miranda. Or you could always try fleabay. They demand for them has gone up so you might spend anywhere between 200-300.

The ones i can tell you off hand from what ive heard from other photogs are most of the contax zeiss lenses work fine on the 5D.Some olympus and some nikkor lenses work fine with an adapter as well.

The footage i have hasnt been edited but when i do ill be sure to send you a link.

So then what should I search for? You've thrown a lot of stuff at me here...give me a specific lens and adapter and I'll do some searches. What is the price difference in the used lens + adapter vs. new lens with no adapter needed? What do I use for search criteria to distinguish the old from the new lens?