Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd. has announced the commencement of upgrading services that will enable Canon Log on the EOS 5D Mark IV, a camera with a reputation for high image quality and shooting performance even in the video production industry. The upgrading service will be available from end-June 2017. More details below. (Reported by: SNAPSHOT)

 

Upgrade will enable the EOS 5D Mark IV to support Canon Log, originally a Cinema EOS mainstay

On 19 April 2017, Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd. announced that the ASEAN region would commence services to upgrade the movie shooting function on the EOS 5D Mark IV to support Canon Log.

Users who wish to upgrade their cameras may do so for a fee, by bringing their cameras to appointed service centres. The service would be available from end-June 2017.

Prior to this, Canon Log had not been supported on EOS DSLR cameras other than the EOS-1D C. The upgrade for the EOS 5D Mark IV is therefore in response to strong demand from the professional video production industry.

 

The EOS 5D Mark IV, which is seen above with the compatible Directional Microphone DM-E1, has a good reputation as a video recording machine. Its key movie shooting features are as follows:
[Movie recording size] 4K: 4,096×2,160, Full HD: 1,920×1,080, HD: 1,280×720
[Frame rate] 4K: 30p/25p/24p, Full HD: 60p/30p/24p, HD: 120p/60p/30p
[ISO speed] 4K: 100 to 12800, Full HD: 100 to 25600

 

Canon has been supporting the video production industry for a long time. In the process, it developed its in-house gamma mode, Canon Log, which is highly acclaimed by the industry. While Canon Log outputs in 8-bit, resulting in a small volume of data that enables efficient workflow, it is also able to handle a wide dynamic range of approximately 800%, or 12 stops. This is what will be available on the EOS 5D Mark IV following the upgrade.

Canon Log on the EOS 5D Mark IV uses two Look Up Table (LUT) that convert and output a recorded image's gamma and colour space to other widely-used gammas so that they can be viewed on an external monitor—ideal for projects that involve team production and monitoring. In this sense, this upcoming upgrade is not merely just a Canon Log upgrade, but one that acknowledges the EOS 5D Mark IV  as a professional video camera that can be and is indeed used on production frontlines.

With the upgrade, the EOS 5D Mark IV will be newly equipped with the View Assist feature. This feature enables users to display Canon Log images, which tend to be low contrast, close to the way they would look after grading.

 

The EOS 5D Mark IV already features a powerful full-frame 30.2-megapixel image sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF which enables one-man focusing operation, and the ability to shoot high frame rate movies in Full HD 50p/60p in addition to 4K 25p/30p, all within a body size that is considered compact and lightweight for a DSLR camera. The upgrade, which will add support for Canon Log in line with actual practical needs, makes it one camera model that will be hotly sought after by the professional video production industry.

The upgrade will not cause any limitations to existing video recording features that do not use Canon Log. This, of course, also applies to the still image shooting functions.

 

The EOS 5D Mark IV is capable of shooting in full frame at a high image resolution of 30.2 megapixels and also boasts smooth, high-speed Live View AF thanks to Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which will not be affected by the latest upgrade. This means that Canon Log can be used with the camera’s excellent still and video recording features.

 

Matters to note regarding the Canon Log upgrade for EOS 5D Mark IV

Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd. would like to notify users of the following matters to note regarding the upgrade.

Key features that will be added with the upgrade
・Canon Log
→The upgrade will not add Canon Log 2 and Canon Log 3.
・View Assist
→This is a feature that makes it easy to verify gamma effects on the camera monitor when shooting. It will be added to the shooting menu.

Features that will be restricted when shooting with Canon Log
・Time lapse movies and HDR movies will not be available
・AE modes will become unavailable, and exposure settings will have to be set manually
・ ISO Auto mode will not be available (ISO speed will be fixed at ISO 400 if ISO Auto was set)
・Picture Style, Auto Lighting Optimizer and Highlight Tone Priority will be unavailable
・For 4K shooting, Peripheral illumination correction will be fixed at [Disable].

Other things to note when shooting with Canon Log
・When Canon Log is set, horizontal noise stripes may appear in movies depending on subject or shooting conditions. It is recommended to shoot a few test movies and check before the actual shooting. Note that noise may become more noticeable especially when you apply strong contrast during colour grading of the shot movie.

・Horizontal noise stripes tend to appear when the subject is dark and flat or [Peripheral illumin.] is set to [Enable]. This noise may also appear when ISO speed is relatively low, such as at ISO 400.

・When the noise is noticeable, it is recommended to set [Peripheral illumin.] to [Disable], shoot in brighter exposure, and perform brightness adjustment during colour grading. Also, noise may be decreased when you shoot at ISO speed lower than ISO 400 (even though the dynamic range will be narrowed).

The EOS 5D camera series has been a mainstay DSLR camera in the video production industry since the launch of the EOS 5D Mark II in 2008. Its fourth generation successor, the EOS 5D Mark IV, which has received much acclaim for its support for 4K, high image resolution and Dual Pixel CMOS AF, is set to pave the way for new forms of videographic expression not just in Hollywood, but also in the global movie production industry with is new support for Canon Log.

For more information on the upgrade, please refer to details from Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd.

 

Click here to learn more about movie shooting with the EOS 5D Mark IV:
Introduction to EOS Movie Shooting for EOS 5D Mark IV Users (Part 1)
Introduction to EOS Movie Shooting for EOS 5D Mark IV Users (Part 2)

 

 

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