An In-Depth Look at the Video Features of the Canon 5D Mark IV

Just three days ago, the new Canon 5D Mark IV dropped, and while it's a great stills camera, all of the talk has been about what it can and can't do in the video department. This video takes a much closer look at many of those features in the Mark IV, going through menu functions and showing examples. I've included a list of the topics covered along with their time in the video within the article below.

First off, if you've been out camping all weekend and haven't been brought up to speed, go have a look at Vanessa Joy's review video, which covers most of the notable components of the 5D Mark IV.

Here is a list of topics discussed in the above video on video features of the Canon 5D Mark IV:

  • :00 - Introduction
  • :55 - Sensor and processor
  • 1:21 - Resolution and frame rates
  • 1:47 - ISO sensitivity
  • 2:20 - Touch LCD and controls
  • 3:15 - Autofocus systems (Movie Servo, AF Method, Touch Focus, AF Speed, etc.)
  • 8:50 - 4K codecs, frame rates, field of view, crop factor
  • 10:15 - Full HD codecs, frame rates, formats
  • 11:02 - 4K frame grab
  • 12:22 - Built-in wifi functionality
  • 12:45 - Recording media
  • 13:17 - Time-lapse functions
  • 13:53 - HDR movie shooting
  • 14:32 - Build quality

Whether or not you're interested in this camera, there are some cool features to be found here. The 5D has come a long way from the original Mark II, where we had to trick the exposure lock just to set our aperture for movie shooting. For more detailed information, check out the Canon DLC article on video features of the 5D Mark IV.

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Mike Wilkinson is an award-winning video director with his company Wilkinson Visual, currently based out of Lexington, Kentucky. Mike has been working in production for over 10 years as a shooter, editor, and producer. His passion lies in outdoor adventures, documentary filmmaking, photography, and locally-sourced food and beer.

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12 Comments

1.74 x crop on all 4K footage. Good luck with that Canon.

And mjpeg codec😀

Seriously, what were they thinking!? Nothing like pulling out your trusty 41.76 - 121.8mm lens!

They were probably thinking something along these lines: http://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/3726-why-the-5d-mk-iv-s-sens...

Yeah I've seen it. Funny. Still don't see the crop as a big deal. I'll continue to frame shots and get shallow depth of field with a variety of lenses, lighting setups and camera positioning... just like before. For the price, it's still the best and most comfortable stills & video camera in my opinion. Tool isn't EXACTLY what you wanted? Get creative and make it work or choose a different tool.

Any semi-serious videographer would consider the crop factor a major issue.
You may not, but most would.

I guess I'm not serious enough ha ha. Really though... don't the big, hot-shot videographers only shoot Red or ARRI? The Vast majority of my paid work is not shot in 4k and won't need to be anytime soon. The 4k will be great for passion projects or the occasional paid project. If I need to suddenly shoot a feature film maybe I'll rent something the "serious" shooters use. Right now 4k ain't the edge that is paying the bills.

It'll be an amazing stills camera and a cute video camera in situations requiring nothing more than 1080p.

Could you tell us which 4K camera is your go to before the Sony that wasn't an super 35mm sized image?? You are making it out like its the standard to have a full frame 35mm sensor that does 4k, but really just the Sonys are doing it.

Once again using a DSLR not really designed for video as a video camera, because no one makes a purpose built thing call a video camera...

Since this camera was designed for photographers, just think about removing the 4k completely and reduce the cost for photographers. That's what they should have done verses creating the situation they have now. I'm moving on to a non-Canon solution for 4k, they have left us no choice.