DIGITAL SLR ESSENTIALS

Marcus explains the high resolution formats Canon uses for video recording

These days you’d have to go some to avoid 4K when you walk into a television showroom, but it’s a different case in the world of DSLRS and mirrorless cameras where Full HD video recording is still the norm. However, like winter, 4K is coming.

It’s fair to say that Canon is taking its time adopting this high-resolution format, with only three DSLRS in the current range capable of recording in 4K. That’s quite surprising when you consider that Canon was actually the first manufacturer to reveal a 4K-capable camera over five years ago, in the shape of the pro EOS-1D C, while the revolutionary 5D Mark II was the first DSLR on the market with Full HD capabilities.

One of the reasons the 5D Mark II had such an impact with filmmakers was that its full-frame sensor gave a ‘cinematic’ look to Full HD movies. Until then, ‘proper’ video cameras traditionally had smaller imaging sensors which didn’t have the same scope for creating a shallow depth of field. If you wanted that big-sensor look, you’d have to fork out for it. By comparison, the 5D Mark II was a bargain and smaller, with wider array of lenses than pro video cameras.

But now 4K is trickling down, from the EOS-1D X Mark II to the EOS 5D Mark IV. There are in fact a number of different 4K resolution options, but Canon has adopted DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) rather than the more familiar UHD (Ultrahigh-definition). DCI 4K is a standard in the film industry, giving slightly more vertical resolution. The rest of the EOS DSLR line max out at Full HD resolution, but offer HD and SD formats too. If you’ve got the memory card space to accommodate it, I’d always recommend shooting in the highest resolution available, as you can ‘downsample’ this to a lower resolution in software.