Best Settings to Record Videos With Canon 5D Mark IV

The Canon 5D Mark IV is celebrated for its versatility and powerful video capabilities, making it a popular choice among professional videographers and content creators. With features like 4K recording, Dual Pixel Autofocus, and customizable controls, the Canon 5D Mark IV allows users to produce high-quality footage suited for various settings, from cinematic projects to documentary-style filming. This guide will walk you through the essential video settings, tips, and tricks to help you maximize the 5D Mark IV’s potential. By following these steps, you’ll gain full control over exposure, focus, and white balance, ensuring professional results with every shot.

How Canon 5D Mark IV’s Video Resolutions and Frame Rates Work

The Canon 5D Mark IV offers multiple resolution and frame rate options, allowing you to tailor video quality to different types of content.

For standard recording, 4K resolution (3840×2160) at 30 fps provides stunning detail, ideal for high-quality projects or post-production work that requires cropping. If you’re aiming for smooth action scenes, Full HD (1920×1080) at 60 fps can handle quick movements gracefully. For even more dramatic slow motion, the HD setting at 120 fps captures fine details in sports or fast-paced events.

NTSC vs. PAL: Optimizing for Region and Slow Motion

The Canon 5D Mark IV allows you to choose between NTSC and PAL formats. NTSC (used in North America and parts of Asia) offers 59.94 fps (commonly referred to as 60 fps), while PAL (used in Europe and other regions) provides 50 fps. Shooting in NTSC and conforming footage down to 24 fps can create smooth, slightly slower motion, often preferred in cinematic projects. Super slow motion is achievable by enabling High Frame Rate in Movie Recording Quality settings, which lets you shoot at 120 fps (119.9) at a resolution of 1280×720. Although this lowers the resolution, it allows you to capture incredibly detailed slow-motion footage for specific scenes.

Flicker Elimination for Consistent Lighting

Artificial lighting can sometimes cause flickering on video. To eliminate this, adjust the shutter speed slightly. If you’re filming at 50 fps and notice flicker, try raising or lowering the shutter speed incrementally (e.g., from 125 to 100 or 160) until flickering is reduced.

Let’s now take a look at the best settings for recording top-notch videos with your Canon 5D Mark IV.

1. Exposure Settings

Getting the right exposure on the Canon 5D Mark IV involves a combination of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture adjustments. These settings can vary greatly depending on the scene and available lighting.

Auto ISO with Range Limiting

Using Auto ISO is highly effective for fluctuating light conditions, but to prevent noise, set a minimum and maximum ISO range. A recommended range is ISO 100 to 3200. This range allows the camera to adjust ISO automatically without going beyond a noise threshold. For instance, if you’re filming outdoors with occasional cloud cover, the camera can adjust for slight changes in light without introducing excessive grain.

ISO Locking and Variable ND Filter

In consistent lighting, locking ISO at a specific level (e.g., ISO 400 for cloudy days) provides more control over exposure quality. Outdoors, where light levels can be overwhelming, a variable ND filter can help you maintain wider apertures by blocking excess light. For instance, shooting at an aperture of f/2.8 with a variable ND filter gives a pleasing depth of field even in bright sunlight, making the ND filter an essential tool for outdoor videography.

2. Focus and White Balance Settings

The Canon 5D Mark IV is equipped with several advanced focusing and white balance options, allowing users to achieve sharp focus and accurate color for any scene.

Dual Pixel Autofocus and Back Button Focus

For subjects that move within the frame, Dual Pixel Autofocus (DPAF) provides smooth, accurate focusing, perfect for tracking faces or moving objects. By assigning Back Button Focus to the AF-ON button, you can separate focusing from the shutter, giving you greater control over when and where the camera focuses. This feature is particularly helpful for documentary-style shooting, where subjects are frequently on the move.

Kelvin White Balance and Custom White Balance for Accurate Colors

Setting white balance to Kelvin mode allows for manual adjustment, typically ranging between 2800K for tungsten lighting to 7000K for daylight. This provides flexibility in various lighting conditions, especially when the lighting is mixed or inconsistent. Alternatively, you can use Custom White Balance by photographing a gray card under your scene’s lighting and setting it as the reference, which ensures accurate color reproduction for challenging light situations.

3. Custom Controls and Personalized Camera Settings

Personalizing the Canon 5D Mark IV’s settings to fit your style can save time and streamline the shooting process. Customizable controls and preset modes (C1, C2, and C3) allow you to create setups for specific scenarios.

Using C1, C2, and C3 for Quick Scene Adjustments

These custom settings slots can save different profiles, so you can switch quickly between them based on your needs. For instance, C1 might be set up for low-light scenarios with a high ISO limit, C2 for daylight with a specific white balance preset, and C3 for slow motion at 120 fps.

Focus Peaking Alternative and External Monitoring

While the Canon 5D Mark IV doesn’t offer native focus peaking, an external monitor like the Atomos Shogun can provide this feature, making it easier to achieve critical focus. An external monitor also enhances composition accuracy and offers a larger display for framing.

Bonus: Sound and Audio Recording for High-Quality Production

Good audio is essential for professional-looking videos, and the Canon 5D Mark IV’s built-in microphone has limitations in quality. Investing in an external microphone is ideal, especially for interviews or dialogue.

Manual Audio Levels and Headphone Monitoring

Setting audio levels manually helps prevent sound distortion and clipping, especially in loud environments. For real-time audio assessment, connect headphones to monitor the sound, allowing you to adjust audio levels instantly based on ambient noise.

Best Video Settings for Different Scenarios

Different scenarios require different setups. Here’s a quick reference to help:

Advanced Tips for Post-Production and Editing

After capturing footage, post-production adjustments can enhance video quality, especially for color grading and noise reduction.

Canon 5D Mark IV’s 4K MJPEG files are high-quality but large in size, so converting them into a more manageable format like ProRes can make editing smoother. For color grading, using Canon’s Log profiles with LUTs (Look-Up Tables) allows for professional-level color correction and style matching, particularly for cinematic videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

What frame rate should I use for social media?

For most social media platforms, 1080p at 30fps works well, balancing quality and upload speed.

How can I prevent overheating during long video shoots?

Avoid extended 4K recording sessions and shoot in intervals. Using an external fan or filming in cooler environments also helps.

What’s the best memory card for 4K video?

Look for UHS-I or UHS-II SD cards with high write speeds (at least 95 MB/s) to handle 4K MJPEG files effectively.

Can I live stream with the Canon 5D Mark IV?

Yes, but you’ll need an HDMI capture card and streaming software for seamless integration.

How can I achieve a cinematic look?

Use 24 fps at 4K, with a wide aperture (f/2.8 or lower), lower ISO, and color grade using Canon Log.