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!

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.

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.

Brought to you by the makers of Searching For Sonny, ReelGuyz, and of course DSLRFilm. This year, the Lone Star Film Festival, here in Fort Worth TX, is being stormed by Andrew Disney and crew to showchase a collection of short films by emerging directors, both here in Fort Worth and elsewhere. If you’re in the area and haven’t heard of this yet, get out from under your rock and go! This event is sure to sell out!

Not only will there be some amazing shorts, but there will also be exclusive footage of Searching For Sonny and a hilarious introduction to film in Fort Worth, shot with none other than the 5D Mark II.

Be sure to watch the trailer below, and get your ass to downtown Fort Worth for the event of the year!

You, Me, and the Most Talented People I Know* from Andrew Disney on Vimeo.

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’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.

So far, the 1D Mark IV is leading the trend on Video DSLRs with high light sensitivity, rolling shutter correction and various frame rates. Yet it also costs way more than everything else for what you get with it. Not too conducive to independent filmmakers…

I have a feeling that will change come spring when Canon is scheduled to release the 1D’s bigger brother, the 1Ds Mark IV. Keeping up with it’s history, Canon will add it’s final 1D camera to the lineup and more than likely add it’s best features to that camera. Some specs on this camera have shown up, and if they are true, it will put the 5D Mark II out of business…

Here’s what is being talked about:

-32MP Full Frame Sensor (some people have also heard 38)
-Dual DIGIC IV processors (no word on DIGIC V yet)
-New Video Features (1080 60p? We hope.)
-ISO range 100-6400 (no word on boost yet)
-5fps still burst
-Same AF system as 1D4
-Same body as 1D4

It’s still pretty early on so a lot of those specs could change. However the sensor info comes from a very reliable source so that should remain. When more info is leaked, I’ll let you know!

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!

Now depending on what DSLR you are using, the card type may be different. Canon DSLRs use CF or CompactFlash cards. Panasonic and Nikon typically use SD cards. So the bit rate and price range will vary based on what you’re using. Call me bias if you’d like, but I’m a Canon guy, so I’ll mostly be talking CF cards. That just happens to be my experience level, so deal with it!

Now, my understanding about bitrates with DSLR video is that they average around 37 to 40 mb/s. That being said, a good way to go is getting your hands on a fast enough card to cover that bitrate. Having said that though, you can still use lower end CF cards, you just run the risk of possibly losing information in your image or even losing a few frames here or there. If you know the bitrate is going to be high (which it always will be with high end HD) then you might as well go with the faster cards.

The second thing to consider when looking for a good CF card is capacity. Cards out there run anywhere from 1GB to 64GB so you have a lot to work with. Canon’s 5D Mark II and 7D put a cap on the largest single clip that can be stored at roughly 4GB which is around 12 min of 1920×1080 video. If you’re making films, you more than likely won’t have a single, continuous 12 min shot. Unless of course you’re Martin Scorsese or Orsen Welles…

The best capacity size if you ask me is 32GB. That will put you in the ballpark of 90 minutes or so of Full HD video. Two of those guys will cover a day’s worth of shooting easy.

So here are a couple picks for some seriously great cards that will really deliver:

Lexar Professional Series UDMA 16 GB 300x CF Card
-Lexar cards in general are really well made and work great in the field. This one comes with a minimum write speed of 45mb/s, so it can actually write faster than that! Definitely worth the price.

SanDisk 32GB Extreme III CF Card
-So I know I said that you should get cards with a higher bitrate, but I’ve used this card many times before and performs fantastically! Goes to show that your bitrate doesn’t need to be exact, but it does need to be high enough to get good results.

Of course there are a ton of card options out there, but if you hunt for the one with a higher write rate, you can’t go wrong!

Canon DSLRs are like cocaine. Once you get a taste, you can help but snort that crap off the dashboard of your friend’s car every chance you get! (That one’s for you Charles…)

And of course, every time a new camera comes out, people have to get their grubby hands on it. And why not?

The first 1D Mark IV short was produced by none other than Vincent Laforet, the same guy who produced the first short on the 5D Mark II two years back. He has a propensity for being the first to test new cameras in a production atmosphere. His shorts might not always be the greatest content wise, but for the short notice he gets to make one (usually 12 to 24 hour notice) they come out pretty great. And he really puts the camera through the ringer!

Here are a few things to know about his short:

-All of the footage was shot using available or natural light. No artificial light was added to the film.
-Higher ISOs were used to test the camera’s ability. For the most part, 6400 was used fairly often. A handful of shots were higher, but weren’t really even needed.
-The “rolling shutter” or “jello effect” is significantly improved in the 1D Mark IV. So much so that they handheld quite a bit and were able to still have usable footage. The effect was really only apparent during extreme whip-pans.
-Although it hasn’t been scientifically tested, Vincent would be willing to wager that the 1D Mark IV has a 2 stop improvement with low light over the 5D Mark II.

So there you have it. Sounds incredible. Enjoy the short.

Nocturne - Vincent Laforet from ob1tux on Vimeo.