Introduction to the Canon 5D Mark II/50D, Vol. 2: Advanced Topics

by Blue Crane Digital

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002CSCRZO
• Item model number: zBC122
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,877 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 11, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Introduction to the Canon 5D Mark II / 50D, vol. 2:  Advanced Topics Training DVD
Take great pictures with your Canon 5D Mark II or 50D!  Push your creativity to the limits; create photographic images that up until now have existed only in your imagination.  This guide takes you through Canon’s advanced features and explains what they are, how they work, and how they can perform in real-world situations.

Discover the settings that have the most impact on your shooting

Custom Settings:
The 5D and the 50D are endlessly configurable.  Blue Crane goes into detail about the settings that can have the most impact on your shooting.  They also address the topics of live view and the 5D’s video capabilities.

Canon Speedlights and Commander Mode:
Blue Crane discusses choices and settings you can use to control pop-up Speedlites, external flash units, and natural lighting. 

Color properties and settings: 
You will learn how to control color properties, and how to build new picture styles for your camera.  In the color management section, it addresses the issue of maintaining authentic color throughout the digital image workflow, from choosing a color space, through post processing on a computer monitor, all the way to the printed output.

Learn how to maintain authentic color with your portfolio of pictures

The Canon 5D and 50D are known for their limitless flexibility.  Blue Crane takes these marvelous cameras into the real world and ties their settings and configurations to the subject, the physical environment, and the equipment you are carrying.  By the time you finish watching this presentation, you will have the know-how that allows you to concentrate on the most important task of all - capturing the image you want, the way you see it.

Format:  NTSC video, All Regions
Running time: 96 minutes

Product Description

Take great pictures with your Canon 5D Mark II or 50D Push your creativity to the limits; create photographic images that up until now have existed only in your imagination This guide takes you through Canon’s advanced features, and explains what they are, how they work, and how they can perform in real-world situations. Custom Functions: The 5D and the 50D are endlessly configurable. We go into detail about the settings that can have the most impact on your shooting. We also address the topics of Live View, and the 5D’s video capabilities. Canon Speedlites and flash photography: We discuss choices and settings you can use to control pop-up Speedlites, external flash units, and natural lighting. Color properties and settings: You will learn how to control color properties, and how to build new Picture Styles for your camera. In our color management section, we address the issue of maintaining authentic color throughout the digital image workflow, from choosing a color space, through post processing on a computer monitor, all the way to the printed output. The Canon 5D and 50D are known for their limitless flexibility. We take these marvelous cameras into the real world and tie their settings and configurations to the subject, the physical environment, and the equipment you are carrying. By the time you finish watching this presentation, you will have the know-how that allows you to concentrate on the most important task of all: capturing the image you want, the way you see it. Format: NTSC video, All Regions. Running time: 96 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Limited in specific 5D mk II/50D content, August 13, 2010

By 

E. Fisher (Somewhere, Outthere) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Introduction to the Canon 5D Mark II/50D, Vol. 2: Advanced Topics (Camera)

First let me start by saying I wanted to give this 3 1/2 stars as it is a solid video with lots of good information. I have both this volume and the first for the 5D Mk.II and I thought the first video was a really good introduction to the basic controls of the camera and how the controls affected different aspects of one's images. The 5D has a lot of menu choices though and the more advanced features simply wouldn't fit in the first video as well.

I assumed, logically, that the advanced features of the camera would be explained more in depth in this second video and that the video would take its time covering these options for the duration of the entire video. Essentially I expected both volumes to serve as a video version of a camera specific user's guide. What the second volume is in reality is 50% exploration of some of the 5D and 50D camera advanced settings and 50% discussion of non-camera specific photography/lighting/and image processing topics. One section of the video, for example, spends a good deal of time covering color profile settings in image processing software and the importance of managing color for a consistent image across different mediums. Another spends a lot of time demonstrating the use of gels on a flash or a light box to create different lighting effects. It seemed like about half of the video was a variety of non-camera specific topics such as this, and the sections that did deal specifically with specific camera settings were often glanced over quite quickly (though not all). There is still a good bit of content in the custom functions that were never looked at.

Now, as I said, the content is good content but covering color profiles as much as they did, as an example, was not what I expected in this video. If I wanted to learn that, I'd have gotten a book or video on that topic. If I'd wanted to learn lighting techniques, I'd have gotten a book or video on that topic. If I'd wanted an overview on processing raw, etc. etc. I don't mind them taking a minute or two to explain one of these topics generally to provide context for an explanation of one of the camera's settings or features, but a 15 to 20 minute digression on color management seemed inappropriate for a video that I felt should have focused specifically on advanced topics specific to the 5D and 50D. If you're looking for a video to get acquainted with your 5D or 50D, then by all means get the first volume of this set specific to your camera. If you're looking for a good and deep exploration of the advanced features of your camera that goes beyond the first video, then be aware that this second volume might leave you, like it did me, a bit disappointed and wanting more content specific to your camera and less depth of coverage of non-camera specific photography and image processing concepts.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Really... dissapointing!!, January 7, 2011

By 

Pablo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to the Canon 5D Mark II/50D, Vol. 2: Advanced Topics (Camera)

Generally, it's a disappointing instructional video. Much of the time we see the close-up shot of a host who speaks quite fast and in a flat manner, showing he doesn't understand the subject he is reading about off camera. No pauses to stress the importance of some information, it's really confusing and the information is even better explained in Canon's Instruction Manual. There is only one section where a professional photo technician talks knowledgeably about color and printing, making the subject very understandable, and he is the responsible for the two stars I gave to this video.

Almost all topics included in this video are not "advanced" at all. But, even though, you could've made a better product by including professional photographers as instructors. Not readers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, April 21, 2010

By 

Brenda L. Hall - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Introduction to the Canon 5D Mark II/50D, Vol. 2: Advanced Topics (Camera)

Being able to watch the instruction with my camera in hand has been a big help to me in learning my way thru the camera menu. Not only does this DVD show you where to make the changes it also shows why you want to use certain settings.