Magic Lantern is an open platform for developing enhancements to the amazing Canon 5D Mark II and 550D/T2i digital SLRs. These cameras are "game changing" for independent film makers:
It allows the use of a wide range of lenses (anything that can be adapted to the EF mount).
The 5D's 35mm full-frame sensor is larger than the RED ONE's sensor, Super 35 film. It is approximately the size of VistaVision. This means shallower native depth-of-field than anything on the market, except for the Phantom 65.
The dynamic range and latitude are close to the capabilities of high-end HD cameras.
The low-light performance is currently unrivaled, even by the RED ONE.
But, the software in video mode has limitations, even after the recent 1.1.0 upgrade from Canon that fixed the most glaring manual exposure "bug".
That's where Magic Lantern comes in -- it turns your 5D Mark II into a 5D Mark Free. We've written extensions and widgets that fix many of the annoyances in working with the 5D Mark II on a film or video set. Our first set of fixes are targeted at the audio limitations of the camera, but there are some video enhancements included, too:
On-screen audio meters
Manual gain control with no AGC
Zebra stripes (video peaking)
Custom Cropmarks for 16:9, 2.35:1, 4:3 and any other format
Control of focus and bracketing
Beyond those features, however, is the ability to write your own extensions or to commission new ones. Within some limitations, we can fix many of the Canon firmware problems and plan to write widgets to address the requirements of the film users of this amazing camera.
My 5D arrived this morning but I haven't had much of a chance to use it yet (except for a quick check and firing off 60 or so frames checking settings).
What I'd like to know is if anyone has any tips or tricks when using the 5D that I don't have to find out the long way (ok I'm impatient :rolleyes:)
I was shooting with evaulative metering this morning without over/under exposing and I noticed some highlights were totally blown out, so it appears to be like the 20D in that respect and I may be underexposing quite a lot...
Does anyone have any tips, comments or suggestions?
(especially concerning wedding and portrait photography - I have a couple of weddings coming up soon, as a guest not a pro!)
It allows the use of a wide range of lenses (anything that can be adapted to the EF mount).
The 5D's 35mm full-frame sensor is larger than the RED ONE's sensor, Super 35 film. It is approximately the size of VistaVision. This means shallower native depth-of-field than anything on the market, except for the Phantom 65.
The dynamic range and latitude are close to the capabilities of high-end HD cameras.
The low-light performance is currently unrivaled, even by the RED ONE.
But, the software in video mode has limitations, even after the recent 1.1.0 upgrade from Canon that fixed the most glaring manual exposure "bug".
That's where Magic Lantern comes in -- it turns your 5D Mark II into a 5D Mark Free. We've written extensions and widgets that fix many of the annoyances in working with the 5D Mark II on a film or video set. Our first set of fixes are targeted at the audio limitations of the camera, but there are some video enhancements included, too:
On-screen audio meters
Manual gain control with no AGC
Zebra stripes (video peaking)
Custom Cropmarks for 16:9, 2.35:1, 4:3 and any other format
Control of focus and bracketing
Beyond those features, however, is the ability to write your own extensions or to commission new ones. Within some limitations, we can fix many of the Canon firmware problems and plan to write widgets to address the requirements of the film users of this amazing camera.
My 5D arrived this morning but I haven't had much of a chance to use it yet (except for a quick check and firing off 60 or so frames checking settings).
What I'd like to know is if anyone has any tips or tricks when using the 5D that I don't have to find out the long way (ok I'm impatient :rolleyes:)
I was shooting with evaulative metering this morning without over/under exposing and I noticed some highlights were totally blown out, so it appears to be like the 20D in that respect and I may be underexposing quite a lot...
Does anyone have any tips, comments or suggestions?
(especially concerning wedding and portrait photography - I have a couple of weddings coming up soon, as a guest not a pro!)
