> Are there any other specific accessories you’d consider "must-haves"? tbh the Canon LP-E6N Battery Pack beats cheap clones, but life's still disappointing. Skip SD; get the SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro CompactFlash for 4K—it's way more reliable imo.

Ok so, I remember my first 4K shoot with this body—I thought a 128GB card was enough, but that Motion JPEG codec is a total data hog! Basically, at 500Mbps, you run out of space so fast it's actually scary. > Skip SD; get the SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro CompactFlash for 4K—it's way more reliable imo. Respectfully, I'd consider another option for storage. You'll realy want the Lexar Professional 1066x 256GB CompactFlash Card for the higher capacity. Also, dont ignore the SD slot; the Sony TOUGH-G series SDXC UHS-II 128GB V90 is fantastic for redundancy even at high bitrates. Lesson learned: always over-spec your write speeds and capacity cuz those 4K files are massive!! You dont want to be deleting clips mid-shoot, trust me. gl!

For your situation, I'd suggest grabbing a real screen protector. I've tried cheap plastic films but they honestly suck—they bubble up and look terrible, you know? Get the Vello Screen Protector Ultra for Canon 5D Mark IV instead; its tempered glass and way more durable. Also, internal audio is pretty disappointing for 4K work, so you basically need the Rode VideoMic GO II Lightweight On-Camera Shotgun Microphone for decent sound on a budget. gl!

I've been digging through some data on the current accessory market for the 5D IV and it's honestly wild how much it's changed lately. I'm not 100% sure but I think the technical gap between the "big name" brands and the mid-tier third-party stuff is narrowing faster than people realize? IIRC, some bench tests showed that the controller chips in certain high-speed data cables are starting to match the industry leaders for stability. - Specialized tethering: You've basically got the choice between the "pro" brands that everyone uses on set vs. the newer players that are offering similar shielding and transfer speeds for way less.
- Remote triggers: There’s a huge debate about whether it’s better to use the official proprietary wireless systems or go with those multi-brand radio triggers that offer more cross-platform flexibility. Basically, you’re looking at a market where you often pay a huge premium for the logo and "guaranteed" compatibility. Tbh, it’s a bit of a toss-up if that peace of mind is worth the extra cost nowadays—it really depends on how much you trust the independent research!!!

Same setup here, love it

👆 this