The 5D Mark II gets 24p and other upgrades

Canon 5D Mark II with Redrock Micro's Cinema AccessoriesFinally responding to the escalating complaints from 5D Mark II users, today Canon released a firmware update that adds the coveted 24p cinema style frame rate (23.976fps) to the famed DSLR turned video camera. While they were at it Canon adjusted the previous 30fps to the industry standard drop frame (29.97fps), making it easier to sync with other footage and audio. And speaking of audio, this upgrade actually gives the user control of audio recording levels. Imagine that. With these enhancements the 5D Mark II camera system, already revered by indie filmmakers for it's versatile lens offerings that achieve the kind of shallow depth of field previously limited to high-end cinema video systems like the Red One or through the use of awkward adaptors like the P+S Technic, is rapidly becoming a viable cinema camera for a variety of production situations. To drive home the point, production designer and New Monarchy collaborator Justin Trask recently reported that the McDonalds commercial he was working on was being shot exclusively with a hand full of Canon 5D Mark IIs. Who would have predicted that on a major broadcast commercial production the least expensive piece of equipment would be the camera?

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