One of the most frustrating issues with HDSLR’s such as the Canon 7D and 550D (T2i) is the lack of manual audio controls and XLR inputs found on mid range cameras like the Sony HVR A1 and Canon XH A1. Although many HDSLR’s have an external audio input these are fairly limited in their use. The Canon 7D doesn’t have manual gain controls which means audio can vary significantly in level even when using an external microphone. To some degree this can be dealt with in post production but it’s far from ideal. If you are looking for a suitable microphone to use on the hot shoe mount connected to the camera audio input then I’d recommend something like the Rode VideoMic (mono or stereo versions available) or Audio Technica ATR25 (only around £35!). If however, you require a more serious solution perhaps to use with a 48v phantom powered shotgun microphone then you need to purchase a separate audio recorder.
There are quite a few options on the market, the most popular seems to be the Zoom H4N. Why? Well, because everyone is using it and Philip Bloom likes it so it must be good! Ok, to be fair, there is a reason why it is so popular (and all the gear he recommends is very good stuff). It’s reasonably priced and offers a built in XY microphone and XLR inputs that can provide 48v phantom power that would allow you to use something like the Sennheiser MKH series or Beyerdynamic shotgun mics. The build quality is decent but don’t expect any miracles in the audio quality area (not that it’s bad!). There is a reason why recorders such as the Nagra VI costing over £4000 are used on major productions rather than the budget H4N!
So, what are your other options if you don’t have £250 to spend on an audio recorder? Well, there are lots to choose from but the cheapest one I’ve found with 48v phantom power is the M-Audio Microtrack II. It costs about £118 (I managed to find a refurb unit for £90!), less than half the cost of the Zoom H4N. You could buy one of these and a Rode NTG-1 or NTG-2 for the price of the H4N! How does it compare? Well, the good thing is, it’s lighter and more compact and records in all the same audio formats as the Zoom (various sample rates and bit depths and both .wav and .mp3). The bad points? I’m not sure the build quality is quite as good, it doesn’t feel as solid and, it doesn’t have XLR inputs but that isn’t a problem here! So how does it supply phantom power? Well, via balanced ¼ jack to XLR cables not supplied. These aren’t too expensive to buy fortunately (no more than the cost of regular XLR cables). The M-Audio doesn’t have a built in microphone but is supplied with one that plugs into a socket on the top. In a direct comparison with the Zoom I preferred the sound of the H4N build in mic but not by much, there is perhaps a little less noise and I prefered the stereo imagining of the XY configuration rather than the slightly spaced capsules on the Microtrack microphone. Audio via the XLR cables when connected to a shotgun mic was very similar. I couldn’t really tell the difference between the two. One problem I had with both is battery life. It’s fine for general use but with 48v phantom power on neither lasted very long! I found it best to use a shotgun mic with it’s own power supply in order to maximize the recorder battery life. The M-Audio battery is build in but the zoom uses regular AA batteries which is a better for long days of recording as you can take a good supply with you! The Microtrack II is charged using it’s adaptor or from a computer using a regular USB cable. This means you could power it on location using one of those portable battery packs with a USB connection. I haven’t yet figured out an easy way to mount the Mictotrack II onto the camera hotshoe. It was really designed for this as the Zoom was however I’m sure there is a way!
So, the Zoom H4N isn’t the only recorder option and I encourage anyone to consider their options before making the purchase. There are many portable recorders to choose from on the market and it really pays to do your research before making the purchase!
On the 2nd of March 2010 Canon announced the details of the firmware update coming soon to the Canon 5D mkII. The update has significant benefits for those who use the video side. Thankfully 30 frames per second is no more! Canon have added 24, 25 and 30p (23.97, 25 and 29.97 frame per second) which means full PAL and NTSC compatibility but sadly 50p and 60p have not been included. At the moment the 7d still remains the choice for anyone wanting to do nice smooth slow motion work (watch out for aliasing problems when shooting 720p on this camera!)
This update includes two further features that will be of huge benefit. The addition of manual audio gain control and a histogram. On the Canon 7D the histogram can’t be viewed in the video mode. You need to switch to stills live view mode in order to see the histogram before shooting. My current understanding is that the histogram on the 5D mkII will be viewable in the video live view mode which will be very useful. Currently all the Canon HDSLR cameras feature auto gain control which isn’t ideal. The firmware update will allow manual gain at 48khz rather than the previous 44khz.
These are going to be some life changing updates for Canon 5D users. Lets just hope that manual gain gets added to the 7D at some point soon!
Since the release of the Canon 5d mkII the digital SLR has become a popular choice for filmakers and videographers around the world. We have since seen the release of the Canon 7d and now the new 550d opening up the high definition DSLR to both the professional and serious amateur end of the market. If you are a new user of one of these cameras or a filmaker/director requiring the 35mm film look for your next project then please get in touch!
In association with Greg Brand and Toby Bennet we can offer a variety of film and video services (including audio). Our equipment list includes:
Cameras: Canon 7d, Canon 5d mkII
Lenses: Canon 24-70 f2.8 L, Tamron 17-50 f2.8, Olympus 50mm f.18 and 35mm f2.8 (with adaptor) and Canon 55-250 IS. A selection of additional lenses can be locally sourced including the Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS, 50mm f1.2 and 85mm f1.2 L.
So, if you are looking for people to film your next project using the Canon 7D or 5D mkII for the amazing film look then please send me an email. We are also available for tuition and can help you to get the best possible from these cameras. Although we are closest to Brighton we can also travel to London and surrounding areas.
New video is now up on vimeo and can be viewed below!
This was recorded, filmed and edited by me using my mobile recording setup featuring the Focusrite Liquid 56, Focusrite Octopre LE and Macbook pro running Logic Pro 9. For the video I used my Canon 7D with Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens and the wide cutaway shot comes from the JVC HD30. It was hard work getting all this gear on the train and underground on my own!
Can be viewed in HD by clicking on the title which will link direct to Vimeo.
I was at the broadcast video expo in London this week and came across some interesting and cheap shoulder mount options that work well with DSLR’s. I tested my Canon 7D on their cheapest option costing a mere £49. It doesn’t look all that impressive and many people would be able to build one like this for less money but, for those of use that can’t be bothered (or don’t have the skills!) then I feel this is a very reasonably priced alternative! I had the chance to try out various other setups that include rails and follow focus systems (Such as Zacuto and Redrock). Many of these rigs are very impressive but they also cost a lot of money. There is still a big gap in the market for affordable solutions and this product slots in nicely on the budget end. It offers a cheap aternative to the entry level Zacuto rig which is priced out of reach of the amateur user. In the video below you can view a few sample shots taken at the stand using my Canon 7D with Tamron 17-50 f2.8. With the exception of one wide angle shot all are at the 50mm end. This lens has no IS and I find hard to keep stable at 50mm without some form of support.
The Focusrite Liquid Mix is a fantastic external box offering a large selection of compressors and eq’s for use within you digital audio workstation. It’s a popular alternative to the UAD card and, for the price offers, many more emulations of classic equipment. Some of my favorites include the 1176 compressor, Avalon VT737, LA-2A and Focusrite RED 7 emulations. The biggest problem for me when I first bought the liquid mix two years ago was the strange, and very hard to remember, naming system used! As you can see from the screen capture below left the only units with their actual names are those that were made by Focusrite. I found this very hard to deal with but fortunately someone has come up with a very easy solution. Please click here to go to a thread on gearslutz where you can download snapshots that allow you to open the required unit using the load button on the top right hand side of the liquid mix plugin window. This will allow you to see a full list of compressors and eq’s with their actual name. Take a look at the image below to the right to see the list of proper names.
I hope this information is useful to other Liquid Mix users as it’s made my life much easier!
