Article Summary:

Canon’s long awaited firmware update for the 5D Mark II full frame SLR is due for release sometime later this month. The update adds frame rates of 24p and 25p and updates the 30p frame rate to 29.97 fps to match television production standards. In addition, audio capability has been increased, with the audio sampling increased to 48KHz, and a new manual levels control. A histogram display now facilitates exposure control during video capture. Aperture and Shutter Priority modes are now available when shooting video.

Sadly, this update does not bring the 5D Mark II parity with the manufacturer’s 7D and 1D Mark IV bodies, as the 720/60p frame rate is conspicuously absent. This is no doubt due to a limitation in the original hardware.The 5D Mark II helped spark a revolution in video acquisition using SLRs, and this firmware update represents an important step forward in harnessing that capability.