Gary S. Chapman, A Humanitarian Photographer for NGO's and Non-profits
A year from now I bet we won’t have to piece together rigs like this to be able to shoot video easily with the Canon 5D2, but for now this seems to be working fine. I used a Hoodman loupe with their rubber bands to attach it to the LCD and mounted an Olympus LS-10 on top of a Bogen adapter to be able to gather better audio. Let me know if you have any questions.
Looks ugly as hell, but very creative and probably very practical. Good job
Jeroen…you are so right….ugly…ugly. That is why I know someone is going to get it right within a year and we won’t have to resort to this.
you MUST send this in to Canon, or at least to @philipbloom. great job! would love to see what comes from the filming.
The two Olympus recorders are close to your model. Where did you get the windscreens (or did you make them yourself)?
Correction: The two Olympus recorders we have for the SOP are close to your model…
Wow! This is beautiful and horrifying at the same time.
Bangart…exactly my feelings!!!
Doesn’t have to be pretty to do the job.
Seems rather bulky for a stereo mic (I presume it’s stereo.)
So is the sound recorded on the Olympus recorder?
How about the video file, is that recorded in the camera or the Olympus?
If recorded to a separate file, how do you sync the audio to video?
It is not a mic…it is a recorder. I decided to go this route so that I can also use it to acquire nat sound and interviews when not filming. I even have a cute dead cat now to go over the mics.
I sync the sound in Final Cut with a program suggested in this blog: http://philipbloom.co.uk/2009/05/23/how-to-record-sound-with-the-canon-5dmk2/#more-3281
The next Pakistan trip will be the true test.
Gary,
Please tell me what you go through to merge a separate video and voice track .
Bill
Bill, try this tutorial: http://philipbloom.co.uk/2009/07/26/tutorial-on-syncing-sound-with-the-5dmk2-and-pluraleyes-for-fcp/
Hi Gary, was wondering how you found the stability of the footage. I’ve found mine to be terribly shaky (too much coffee?) and so I’ve resorted to taking my tripod around almost everywhere, which is a shame, a big, cumbersome shame.
Also, and for what it’s worth, I checked out the Philip Bloom article above. He suggested a possibility which has worked well for me thus far, which is a Rode Mic. Quite cheap too (about $130 or so).
Yes, I have heard the Rode is good but I prefer being able to record apart from the camera. Sorry for the delay in responding. I just got back from Pakistan again. As far as stability…you really have to be careful for sure.
How did you mount the mic? Looks attached to the hot shoe? I have been looking for generic hot shoe adapters for other uses…
I used a Bogen micro ball head to mount the recorder on the camera. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/272777-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_482LCD_482LCD_Micro_Ball_Head.html
I’ve been using the Rode video mike in combination with the MagicLantern Firmware hack ( http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki ) which allows me to manually control the volume levels and monitor my sound input via headphones all directly through the 5Dii – I’m really a still photographer but the results seem pretty good.
Thanks for the input Martin. Learning all of this is one exciting roller coaster ride.
I’m using the Sennheiser MKE-400.
For those wondering about this, a big issue with using mics with the 5DII (or the 7D for that matter) is the auto gain control. All I can say is ‘yikes’.. It sucks.
A separate recorder is the way to go. And a clapper!
Nice post.. thanks for it!
Thanks for looking Sean…I read your blog all the time.
Hey Gary. Some time has passed since you first showed us this set up. Would you still recommend the Olympus LS-10?
Here is what I think now. The LS-10 has produced some nice audio. Is it the most professional or even the best choice? No, it is nowt the most professional, but I think it is the best choice for me right now, mainly because of the size. I have to travel light and be as inconspicuous as I can be. I would prefer to take the Zoom H4N http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QWBM62/ref=asc_df_B001QWBM621041123?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=googlecom09c9-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B001QWBM62
But, the zoom is a lot bigger. I am not an audio pro…yet…so I might change my mind later!.
Here a suggestion for a mike, which seems to be perfect for filming with a DSLR because of its size and quality. I am using it for filming with my Sony DV camera. It’s called Tiny mike, the company name is “ambient”.(www.ambient.de) It comes with a hotshoe and a windshield already. The mike is a mono shotgun. Although a bit pricy really worth it imo.
Best regards Ronald
Ronald…thanks for adding your advice about a mic to the blog!
gary
Does video taken this way well well to NGO’s and other purchasers?
Seems like Video has limited uses, unlike still photography.
Jason…It seems everyone wants “a little bit of video” now on every assignment. Fortunately, many of my recent trips have been with a videographer and I can concentrate on stills. BTW, he uses Canon 5D2′s for his video.