HDMI to SDI/HD-SDI conversion for Canon 5D Mark II video output during recording

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2010Operating forum

16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.

The Canon 5D Mark II outputs different video formats depending on mode: 1080i at 60fps during preview and playback, but switches to 486i during recording, which causes many HDMI-to-SDI converters to lose signal or experience delays
Blackmagic converters work with the 5D Mark II but experience brief signal dropout and delay of several seconds when the camera switches into record mode as the converter relocks to the new signal format
AJA HDMI-to-SDI converters have compatibility issues with the 5D Mark II during recording mode
The Convergent Design converter may be a viable option for this conversion task
Using an HDMI-to-DVI adapter with a Marshall 8.4-inch HD-SDI monitor provides better image quality than composite SD output and eliminates some converter complications
The 5D Mark II composite SD output quality is insufficient for reliable focus pulling on a monitor and requires use of camera focus assist features
Some operators successfully use the SD composite output with steadicam work without requiring conversion, relying on camera focus assist and framing confirmation rather than precise focus monitoring

Datavideo converters showed good quality output during 1080i mode but the thread does not confirm their performance during the problematic 486i recording mode
The discussion involves mixed experiences and unresolved technical challenges rather than definitive solutions
Testing of some proposed converters was promised but results were not reported in the thread
The Decimator 2 converter mentioned cannot accept HDMI input and only works in the opposite direction
Observations about focus pulling and monitor usability are influenced by individual workflow preferences and may not apply universally