Many of today’s DSLRs have an HD video function, which can be an added bonus in capturing important moments in your life, or just a fun feature to play around with. Here is a quick, very basic tutorial on how to operate the video function on the Canon 5D Mark ii. (Don't forget to check out the Canon 5D Mark iii, too. It has been on sale here, up to $700 off.)
Once you have powered on, set your camera to Manual mode.
You can either set your lens to Auto or Manual focus. I like to set mine to Manual, as it gives me more control over how my video looks.
Video takes up a lot of space on your compact flash, so I prefer to format my card before I shoot any video. Make sure anything important on your card is saved, though, as formatting the card deletes everything on it. To format your card, press the Menu button on the back of the camera, scroll over to and select the first wrench icon, then select Format, and follow the prompts. 
Now, scroll over to and select the second wrench icon. Select Live View/Movie func. set. 
Select LV func. setting 
Select Stills + movie 
Select Movie display 
Grid Display: OFF 
Silent Shoot: Mode 1 
Metering Timer: 1 minute 
AF Mode: Live Mode 
Movie rec. size: 1920X1080 (24) 
Press the Live View button to frame up your shot 
To zoom in, press the magnifying button 
To start and stop recording, press the button at the center of the dial 
And there you have it!
Have you used your HD Video before?
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