All 5D Mark IV clips are straight out of camera with no editing or sharpening
Post updated January 2018: Since its release, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has received an unprecedented amount of bashing and vitriol. All with regards to video and to a point, I can see why. Canon set the bar so high with the 5D Mark II's 1080p video quality, expectations were even higher when the Mark III came out.
The 5D Mark III, as far as I was concerned, produced very soft video (and stills to a point). However, I don't remember it receiving the same amount of "disappointment" from commenters and reviewers.
So, prior to the 5D Mark IV being announced, many people, including myself, were incredibly excited to see what specs it would have. After all, it had been a long 4 year wait for this release. We knew it would have 4K but what about everything else?
5D Mark IV 4K Video is lacking in...
Well, when the specs were released, the moaning started. I myself was initially disappointed with the lack of:
Then there was the MJPEG codec with its huge file sizes at 500mbps.
However, after using the camera in the "real world", I love this camera more and more.
The stills are superb with still image quality on a par, if not better, than the Mark II which I love. Not so much on the Mark III though, and the 4K/1080 video quality is stunning.
The MJPEG video codec and huge, individual frames actually produce very good 8mp stills. These effectively give you an 8mp camera shooting at 30fps.
(Click to enlarge, quality reduced for web)
I learned to focus manually in the 80's so peaking I can manage without. Plus the incredibly accurate DPAF (Dual Pixel Auto Focus) using the rear touch screen takes care of that. Zebras are nice but if you learn how to expose properly, even using the histogram overlay, again...no problem.
The file sizes are a pain to edit and store. However, after comparing with the Panasonic GH4 4K output to Pro Res (via the Atomos Ninja Flame), they are no different at all. Size-wise or for editing.
Proxy Editing
I have eliminated the choppy playback and review in Sony Vegas Pro by using the Proxy Editing feature. Saves having to transcode the footage, only takes minutes to do and means playback is super-smooth for editing.
Check out the new post:
All in all, this camera is a beast and yes, for many, the lack of features mentioned above can be disappointing. But, in the right hands it will produce super sharp, stunning video and excellent stills.
Having looked at, reviewed and studied many other camera reviews online, it seems that no matter what gets released these days, there will be hating, bashing, whinging and moaning about what it "doesn’t" have. Some of these people, after checking their own YouTube channels and websites, have nothing to do with the imaging industry whatsoever!
I may get called a "Canon Fan-Boy" for this post but to be honest, I don't care. Many purchases I have made over the years (Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Go Pro) have all needed "workarounds"...it's just the way it is.
I know I can go out and earn a living with this camera. After all, I have never had a bride ask to see my camera specs before!
My advice? Work out what you need from a camera, buy it, learn to use it and go out and create amazing stills and video with what it has. There will always be "something better" around the corner. Be happy...imaging is fun!