Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Motion (9.00)

The Canon 5D Mark II records all HD video using a 30p frame rate. There are no alternate frame rate modes or options on the camera. There is a 640 × 480 setting for recording standard definition video, however. We found the motion on the 5D Mark II to be very good. It was smooth, fluid, and had minimal artifacting throughout. Just as we saw on the previous video-DSLRs we’ve tested, the 5D Mark II produces a significant rolling shutter effect whenever a quick pan is performed with the camera. Of the video-capable DSLRs we’ve tested, only the Panasonic GH1 didn’t have this problem. Keep in mind the YouTube videos below have been heavily compressed during the upload process. Check out the HD links for higher resolution versions. Note: All our video testing on the 5D Mark II was done using a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.

Out of the DSLRs we’ve tested, the 5D Mark II had the best motion rendering overall. Its image had less artifacting than the Canon T1i and its recorded motion looked a bit smoother as well. The only big issue we noticed on the 5D Mark II was some choppiness, blur and image-doubling on the train as it passed around the front of the track during our testing. We tested the camera using a variety of shutter speed settings (the video above was taken with a 1/100 shutter speed) and noticed a similar effect even at faster shutter speeds. There was also a bit of streaking between the colors on the RGB pinwheel and a slight halo effect on the black and white pinwheel. Additionally, we were a bit disappointed the camera didn’t offer any alternate frame rates (like a 24p or 60p mode). Overall, however, the 5D Mark II captured motion very well. More on how CamcorderInfo tests motion.

The big problem with the Canon T1i is its use of an abnormal 20p frame rate. Most cameras and camcorders capture video at 24p, 30p, or 60i/60p frame rates, which means 20p is significantly lower than the rest of these rates. The resultant footage is quite choppy and isn’t very smooth. We can’t imagine anyone preferring the look of the T1i’s 20p frame rate, and the fact that the rate is so uncommon doesn’t bode well for editing software compatibility. The T1i does have a 30p option, but only when recording at 1280 × 720 resolution.

The Panasonic GH1 captured motion very well in some modes, while the camera had trouble in others. In its 1920 × 1080 Full HD mode, the GH1 uses a 24p frame rate (captured at 60i with the sensor output at 24p) to record video. The resultant footage wasn’t very smooth and there was plenty of image blur. In its lower resolution settings the camera can either record using a 60p frame rate (using AVCHD compression) or 30p (using MJPEG compression). The video recorded with these modes looked much smoother and there was far less blur and motion trails. There was, however, more artifacting when using some of the GH1’s lower resolution modes.

Canon offers three frame rates on its consumer HD camcorders: 60i, 30p, and 24p. The 30p and 24p modes are recorded at 60i and converted to the alternate rates inside the camcorder for output. It’s the HF S100’s 60i frame rate that sets it apart from the video-capable DSLRs however. None of the DSLRs offer 60i rates at Full HD (1920 × 1080), which mean none of them can capture the smooth, natural motion that is commonly captured by consumer HD camcorders (most HD camcorders record with a 60i frame rate). This is one of the biggest differences between camcorders and DSLRs that record video.

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Video Sharpness (10.59)

The 5D Mark II captured decently sharp video. In our testing, the camera measured 700 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) horizontal and 650 lw/ph vertical. This is very close to the results we measured on both the Canon T1i and Panasonic GH1. The Canon HF S100 had the best sharpness of this bunch, coming in with 800 lw/ph horizontal and 650 lw/ph vertical. When testing the vertical sharpness on the 5D Mark II we noticed its image had similar aliasing and blur to the Canon HF S100. All this data is taken from testing the cameras and camcorder in their Full HD (1920 × 1080) modes. More on how CamcorderInfo tests video sharpness.

Low Light Sensitivity (4.96)

Compared to the competition, the Canon 5D Mark II performed quite well in our low light sensitivity test. The camera needed 13 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This is better than both the Canon T1i and Panasonic GH1, which needed 26 lux and 17 lux respectively. It is also slightly better than the Canon HF S100 camcorder did with this test (needed 16 lux). Note: All our video testing on the 5D Mark II was done using a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.

A lot of factors make up a camera’s low light sensitivity. The quality and size of the image sensor is one aspect, but the aperture settings of the lens is another big component. Since all the video-capable DSLRs offer removable lenses, it would definitely be possible to achieve better low light sensitivity by using a faster lens (or vice versa). We tested the Canon 5D Mark II in Program mode with ISO set to auto. The settings chosen by the camera were as follows: 1/60 of a second shutter speed, f/4 aperture, 6400 ISO. Using the camera’s 12800 high sensitivity setting boosted its low light sensitivity even farther, but the resultant image had quite a bit of noise.

The low light sensitivity of various models are often different when using alternate frame rates. The table above lists the measured sensitivities for each recording mode available on the cameras and camcorder we tested.