Convergence
I’m waiting, with much anticipation, the arrival of a new Canon 5D Mark II — a 21.1 megapixel still/video hybrid that photographer Vincent Laforet calls a “game changer.” It is, as the video above, shot by SmugMug CEO Don MacAskill, clearly proves.
If you haven’t seen Laforet’s stunning short film, Reverie, you owe it to yourself to do so. The video, shot entirely in 1080p high definition video on a preduction 5D MKII is incredible. The fact that Vincent had never attempted a video project before makes it even more of an accomplishment.
I’ve been shooting video for a number of years now. Amy and I produced a 30-minute documentary (above) on Floyd’s famous Friday Night Jamboree in 2003. It was shot in standard definition DV with two Canon XL1s cameras and you can tell the difference between it and the high quality of HD.
The video above was shot with a Sony Z1U HD videocam that shoots in 1080i. We’ve since upgraded to a Sony V1U that shoots 24p in 1080 and we’re working on a number of other projects, including a high-definition update to the Jamboree film. Adding the Canon 5D MKII to our arsenal seems a logical step because it allows me to use all my existing Canon lenses and adds a lowlight capability previously available only on videocams costing $100,000 or more. The 5D MKII has an extendable ISO capability of 25,600. Images show in incredibly low light are low in noise and feature extreme detail.
Jeff Snyder at Adorama was kind enough to put me on a high-priority waiting list for the new camera and an email yesterday said the camera is on its way. With luck I’ll have it next week.
User reports will be posted as soon as I have it in hand and put it through its paces.