How to get a JPG Image from a Canon 5D2/7D/60D/550D/600D MOV movie file

I recently needed to get a still JPG/JPEG image from a movie that I had shot on the Canon 5D2. However the process for getting a still image from a MOV file is the same if you have the Canon 7D/60D/Canon 550D/Canon 600D DSLR cameras that shoot video.

Using the Canon Zoombrowser software if you open the MOV video file and start to play it you will see a button called Save As Still Image which will save out the JPG image of the movie at that point. This gives a better result than just trying a screen capture as it will use the frame from within the MOV file. You can also move the movie frame by frame to get the best pose or avoid unwanted blurring from movement. Shooting at a faster frame rate would reduce movement anyway but my video was shot in low light at 1/30 sec.
 I would recommend saving at the highest quality setting which strangely isn't the default within the software.

Canon 600D or Canon 550D - Which camera is better? Digital Video Zoom/Video Crop Mode comparison

A question being asked is - which camera is better the Canon 550D or Canon 600D. Both are similar prices and similar spec. Both cameras have Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 pixels at 24, 25, and 30 frames per second. And 720p or VGA video at 50 and 60 fps.

One key difference that I've found between them is the video crop mode. This is something that was introduced on the Canon 550D with the 640x480/50fps video mode, sadly a feature missing from the groundbreaking first HD DSLR the Canon 5D Mark II. The Canon 600D now calls this Digital Video Zoom.

On the Canon 550D the video crop mode allows you to zoom up to 7x on the centre of the image but only in the 640x480 and not in HD 1080p mode. The Canon 600D extends this to allow you to zoom anywhere between 3x and 10x on the 1080p and still keeping full HD quality.

This fantastic zoom facility makes this an idea camera for birdwatching videos as it allows you to capture details from a huge distance giving a whopping 4500mm equivalent lens just using a normal 70-200 zoom.

Canon 550D HD 1080p Video Samples

This is a video I shot on the Canon 550D SLR camera. Converted to AVI using Cineform and then edited in Windows MovieMaker before uploading to YouTube

Tanglefoot Appalachian Dancers at Rochester Sweeps festival 2010

Canon 550D / T2i DSLR Video review - Video crop mode

I received my new Canon 550D from Warehouse Express three days ago and had a brief chance to test it over the weekend. The video is much more streamlined and integrated into the camera than on the Canon 5D2 but from an initial test I saw something that I've not seen in any of the Canon 5D movies - NOISE! Admittedly the camera is was on Auto ISO mode so the ISO had crept up to 3200.

The inclusion of different frame rates (now available on Canon 5DII with latest firmware) and the ability to shoot at 720p at 50/60fps (NOT available on Canon 5DII with latest firmware) is very useful and will allow slow motion effect video.

One feature that doesn't seem to have had much press but looks to me like it could be a very handy option for some uses of the camera is the VGA crop mode. This takes a centre portion of the image and crops it to 640x480 for producing the video rather than using the whole image and "binning" some pixels. The effect is to give an additional 7x zoom.

Click to view Canon 550D/T2i video example of VGA crop mode

Effectively this means that if you are shooting with the 70-200 f2.8 IS lens you are being given a massive boost to the zoom for shooting video. On the Canon 550D/T2i the lens has a crop factor of 1.6 so the effective focal length is 320mm already. With the crop mode in operation the effect will be to make the focal length the equivalent of 2240mm!!!

Imagine how useful this could be for wildlife or motorsports photographers/videographers or for paparazzi shooting from a long distance. I'll shortly add some clips showing how this works

Canon 550D Cashback deals - Spring 2010 offers

Canon are offering a cash back promotion on the Canon 550D camera to get a cash back of £50 along with the Canon 500D and 50D.

This brings the best UK prices down to under £600 now which is barely above the price from Hong Kong on Ebay and without the additional customs duty. I've taken the plunge and my Canon 550D is due for delivery this week so watch this space for a review of the video functions.

http://www.canon.co.uk/eosspringcashback/

Canon 550D compared to Canon 500D for video

The recently released Canon 550D has a number of very important differences to the previous Canon 500D SLR for use for video work.

The main differences are the frame rates that it supports and that the Canon 550D now allows the use of an external microphone. The Canon 550D can shoot video at full HD 1080p at the same frame rates as the rest of the Canon lineup - whereas the Canon 500D could only shoot 1080p video at 20 frames per second. This was quite a limiting factor for the camera.

Overall despite the quite large price difference between the Canon 550D and 500D I would recommend the 550D as the preferred option for video work as it overcomes the crippled feature set of the Canon 500D.

New Canon DSLR Camera with full HD video - Canon 550D

Canon have released another DSLR camera with HD video. The Canon 550D builds on the features of the previous Canon cameras with video but at a much lower price point.

The Canon 550D uses an 18 megapixel APS-C size sensor and includes many of the video features from the Canon 7D which will make it a very interesting camera to use. Being able to shoot 24/25fps and 50/60fps as well will be a great creative boost especially as these variations are yet to come to the Canon 5D mark2.

Some of the key advantages of the Canon 550D over the 500D for shooting video are:

• External microphone can be added (not on 500D)
• Full HD at all frame rates (Canon 500D was limited to 20fps)
• Full manual control of exposure
• 1080p at up to 30fps
• 720p at 50/60fps
• Digic 4 processor 

Canon say "The EOS 550D combines exceptional still shooting with the ability to shoot Full HD (1080p) video. To satisfy your creativity the EOS 550D features full manual control and selectable frame rates. You can also shoot high speed 50/60fps movies at 720P for when the action is really fast. An HDMI connection allows High Definition playback of footage and images on any HDTV. Also with compatible TVs playback can be controlled using the TV’s remote control."