From Cinema5d
It isn’t perfect by a long shot, but we’re making very swift progress this holiday weekend. I found the VRAM and was able to write a small task that monitors the audio levels at 30 Hz and draws a very simple level meter on the top of the screen. It is calibrated with 5 dB tick marks, but the ballistics are bad and it isn’t synced with the redraw period (causing it to flicker), but we’re running real code doing real work on the camera!
I promise you this is the most boring 45 second video you will ever see, but it provides a glimpse of the promise of what we can do with this camera.
EDIT: I found the calibration table for the audio device as well as some bugs in my drawing code. I’ve added calibrated 5 dB tick marks (-40 on the left to 0 dB on the right) and wrote some simplistic ballistics for the peak with a few second delay. The video is a new one to reflect the changes.
LONDON, UK, 27th May 2009: Canon announced today it will release a firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II allowing users to manually control exposure when shooting video. The new firmware will be available for download from 2 June 2009 on Canon Europe’s support web site.
Following the launch of the EOS 5D Mark II in September 2008, Canon’s Research and Development team has listened closely to customer feedback to develop additions to the camera’s movie recording functionality.
Allowing EOS 5D Mark II owners to achieve even more stunning video results with the camera, the firmware update will include the following manual controls when shooting video:
Full aperture selection
ISO speed: Auto, 100 – 6400 and H1
Shutter speed: 1/30th – 1/4000th second
The EOS 5D Mark II integrates full HD movie capability into a high-end 21.1 Megapixel camera; opening a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists and news photographers. Since its launch the camera has proved its appeal to professionals working in diverse fields, from studio and wedding to nature and travel. Now, following customer feedback, Canon has improved functionality for professional video users, further unleashing the potential of the EOS 5D Mark II for cinematographers and photographers alike.