5D MARK II FIRMWARE UPDATE: SURPRISE! 60P

So we all knew that a firmware update for the 5D Mark II was eminent…

With all of the new DSLR technology coming, it was only logical that Canon would upgrade their most popular camera. But I don’t think anyone expected to get this…

CANON 5D MARK II.  24P & 60P!  COMING 2010!

If you think you are going to shit your pants, now would be the time to do so.

Also!

DSLRFILM will be undergoing some changes over the next couple weeks. Bigger and better changes that will only make all of you that have been waiting happier and happier! We will be starting our Production Stories from DSLR filmmakers in the near future, and keep an eye out for tutorials. We’re beginning a hands-on approach to bringing the best tips for production scenarios. Get ready for your face to melt!

36 STAIRS: LUCASFILM AND THE 5D MARK II

Two phenomenal Industrial Light & Magic artists have combined to their efforts to make one of the coolest looking short films I’ve seen in a long time! Hailed by acclaimed filmmaker Grzegorz Jonkajtys, director of “Ark” (Official Selecton - Cannes Film Festival) and co-written/produced by Philip Koch, the short takes place in a “polluted, megalopolis world where humans utterly depend on bio-mechanical alteration to withstand the deteriorating climate.”

The cinematography they achieved with the 5D Mark II is mind-blowing and it gets me all jazzed up that people in Hollywood are finally realizing what an amazing tool this camera is! You can see some of their behind the scenes photos from the set here!

The film has wrapped production and is now in post, but they’re in need of extra funding to finish off the film in time for Cannes Film Festival. If you like what you see and feel like lending a helping hand, visit their site here.

And well, at the very least, you should watch this trailer:

36stairs trailer from grzegorz jonkajtys on Vimeo.

DEAD SEASON: ZOMBIES AND THE 7D

Makers of “Dead Season,” a new independent zombie flick currently in production, have snagged up the rights to it being the “first film shot on the Canon 7D.” Although the movie in still in the early stages of production, it appears to be shaping up well.

Up to this point, the camera of choice has always been the 5D Mark II for serious film productions, yet I believe we will start seeing more and more productions utilizing the 7D’s wider frame rate capabilities. Despite the smaller sensor, the 7D still turns out an amazing image and I’d say the real test to measure it’s performance is to see it on the big screen. Hopefully more movies like this will do that for us.

“Dead Season” has put out a selection of first week dailies to give us a taste of what they’ve achieved. Check it out below!

Dead Season Week 1 Selects from enzosauce on Vimeo.

A FEW THINGS FROM HERE AND THERE

Wow, it’s been a while…
Things have been pretty slow in the DSLR world, so we here at DSLRFilm are spending time getting in contact with various production teams currently using DSLRs and asking for their stories. We are working on incorporating Production Tips for the Pre-Production to Post-Production process of shooting a film on DSLRs. This is something we’ve wanted to do for a while, and now we have the opportunity. Are you shooting a film with a DSLR? Tell us about it! We will let the world know! You can contact me directly at: petermarshfilms@gmail.com. Free marketing is a nice added bonus.

Now to other news.

Canon released the firmware update for the 7D finally. The firmware is now up to 1.1.0. If you own a 7D and haven’t updated yet, you can do so here!
With this update: “Corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible.”

In 1D Mark IV news, Canon has reported overwhelming orders for the new camera and have ramped up their manufacturing to meet the demand. As of right now, the word on shipping is December 9, 2009. That means if you’ve pre-ordered a 1D Mark IV, there’s a good chance you’ll get it in time for Christmas. Booyah! Best Christmas present ever!

RED EPIC-X HAS AN EPIC PRICE TAG

RED’s line of “DSMC” cameras have been talked about for what feels like an eternity now, with little to say about an actual release date. A new and impressive list of specs was released, as well as a $28,000 price tag, and GUESS WHAT? Still no release date…

With that point, when they finally do release it, who is really going to be able to afford it? Other than Hollywood studios and rich kids that is… Hell I bet even the rental price will be massive.

All of that aside, I have to admit that this camera is gonna kick some ass! The variable frame rates alone entice me enough. Here’s a little teaser for you:

* New MYSTERIUM-X 5K sensor
* 5K (2:1) at 1-100fps
* 4K (2:1) at 1-125fps
* Quad HD at 1-120fps
* 3K (2:1) at 1-160fps
* 2K (2:1) at 1-250fps
* 1080P (scaled from full frame) at 1-60fps
* Increased Dynamic Range, reduced noise
* Time Lapse, Frame Ramping
* REDCODE 250
* ISO 200-8000
* New FLUT Color Science
* Completely Modular System, each Module individually upgradeable
* Independent Stills and Motion Modes (both record full resolution REDCODE RAW)
* Touchscreen LCD control option
* Interchangeable Lens mounts including focus and iris control of electronic RED, Canon and Nikon lenses (along with Zoom data)
* LDS and /i Data enabled PL Mount
* Multiple Recording Media Options (Compact Flash, 1.8″ SSD, RED Drives, RED RAM)

The SCARLET, which is the one said to be most cost effective, has a lot of the same features but no real word on how much that will be. The thought is that it is more along the lines of current DSLRs.

SHANE HURLBUT CREATES 5D MARK II CONTEST

I know what you’re thinking… Who the F is Shane Hurlbut?

If you don’t know Shane by now, then you need to look him up immediately! Shane Hurlbut, cinematographer and photographer alike, Director of Photography on Terminator Salvation, has created a contest on his blog. This contest is amazing, seriously!

Shane and crew recently shot a Navy Seal film project using three distinct cameras; an Arri 235, a Sony 950, and of course the Canon 5D Mark II. The Arri is the only one that’s actually film (so we know how that looks), but the Sony has a much higher color depth than the 5D Mark II. Shane’s whole purpose of the contest is to see if you can tell which shots the Canon 5D Mark II were used on. And believe me, it’s really hard!

See for yourself at Hurlbut Visuals

Make a comment on his blog to enter into the contest!

THE RUMOR MILL: CANON WORKING ON DSLR BASED VIDEO CAMERA

CRAZY NEWS IN THE CANON WORLD! COMING 2010!

Canon is rumored to be currently developing a new video camera with integrated DSLR functions that we’ve grown to love. Functions that will apparently blow the need for DSLRs out of the water…

The camera will be modeled after the current XL H1 and will include an EOS mount for interchangeable lenses. Two lenses are being developed specifically for the camera, one starting at 16mm and a tele-zoom starting at 70mm. Of course the EOS mount will allow you to use any EF or EF-S lenses that you’ve been getting for your DSLR.

The best part is the sensor and frame rates though! It will hold an APS-C sensor, that of the 7D basically, that will be able to capture 120hz or full frames a sec. It will be somewhere around a 12.1 MP sensor. The projected frame rates will be 24/25/30 & 60p in 1080p as well as 60p in 720p.

Like it’s DSLR counterparts, the images will be captured to a single CF card slot in a video format of MPEG-4 at 56mb/s. There is also rumor of work being done on a raw video format at 12mb/sec that will require an external IO module with uncompressed SDI out and USB 3.

As far as other video aspects in the camera go, I’m sure it will have a lot of the functions the XL H1 currently has. Price range will more than likely be in the $8000s. All other info has yet to leak, but when it does, I’ll let you know!

SNL USING CANON 7D & 5D MARK II FOR INTROS

Alexander Buono, Director Of Photography for SNL has recently been turned to Canon’s 7D and 5D Mark II after watching various sample videos online. Philip Bloom is hailed as one of the main contributors to his recent stab at DSLR cinematography.

Most recently, Alex shot new titles sequences as well as bits and pieces of studio sketches on the 7D and 5D Mark II. One fantastic example is “Bladdivan.”

After using the two cameras in a production atmosphere, Alex said he was extremely impressed and even gave some feedback to Canon on what he would like to see improved upon. Personally, I think this is the kind of stuff that needs to happen to make DSLR cinematography a creditable and legitimate tool for filmmakers. Let’s just hope this doesn’t jack up the price on these guys, right?

THE RUMOR MILL: OCTOBER 20TH - CANON 1D MARK IV

IT’S COMING…

This time from a very reliable source!

It looks certain that Canon will introduce a new camera on Tuesday Oct. 20th. Most likely it will be the 1D Mk IV, with very high ISO. Probably as high as ISO 102,400. The camera will have an APS-H (1.3x Crop) sensor.

I have no information on resolution, fps or movie options yet.

My feelings are that Canon has responded to the Nikon D3s that is supposed to be released in the next week. The D3s will also have super high ISO at 102,400. But! The Nikon D3s will NOT have 1080p video! Only 720p. Looks like Nikon really isn’t trying to compete there.

Another smaller rumor is that Canon will announce a 1Ds Mark IV in the spring that will be a projected 32MP camera. Not only that, but these two cameras have been lined up to be the LAST of Canon’s 1D line. To me that means that things are only going to get better!

TIME FOR THE BEST AND WORST DSLR FILM TRAILERS!

VOLUME I:

A HANDFUL OF THE BEST AND WORST DSLR FILM TRAILERS.

This has been a long time coming…

Over the last few months, I’ve been watching a shit ton of DSLR videos out there, and it really saddens me to say that 90% of them have been awful. Just really awful…

BUT! Some of them were fantastic! And more and more people are now realizing that DSLRs can produce amazing films! All you need first is a damn good story. THAT’S IMPORTANT!

Watch my picks for some of the best and worst DSLR film trailers after the jump.