Comments on: Regarding the Canon 7D

By: Pansottin

Pansottin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:35:21 +0000

For this crop sensor camera, what are your sugestions for wide/medium/long and macro, 4 prime lenses? Canon or any brand with Canon mount.
I don´t have any yet.

Thanks.
Regards

Pansottin

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:33:56 +0000

The HV20 is perfect for long interviews and weddings because it can record longer. The 5D/7D are better for short movies, music videos, art. Different animals.

Pansottin, about your question below:
Wide: any 24mm Canon (they don’t have good primes wider than 24). If wider is needed, Canon’s 17-40 or 10-22 zooms.
Medium: 28/2.8, 35/2, 35/1.4
Long: 50/1.4, 85/1.8, any L prime 135mm or longer.
Macro: 100/2.8

By: skeptical

skeptical — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:01:53 +0000

There is a rumor that Canon will be releasing a hybrid camera next year which is designed primarily as a video camera first…i.e. ergonomically more like a traditional camcorder but with 7D still photo capability. Sensor will be APC-S (which makes sense), full lens interchangeability…and, importantly, some new video-dedicated lenses (different AF/IS motors). No mention if it’s 2k (or even 4k) capable…but it wouldn’t be difficult to do. Price will be around $13k…so it’s aimed at the RED-faced people.

But,of course, this is all just a rumor…

By the way…as far as “Don’t toss your HV20 just yet”…much as I liked the HDV format, a side by side shoot and edit and view (52″Bravia) shows just how pathetic HDV is compared to the 5D2. You just have to be a much more disciplined cinematographer to get viewable results!

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:13:34 +0000

Nikon has no knowledge of video. So if you are into video, Canon will always create a better hybrid product. Panasonic has not been great either so far, but they have more chances than Nikon to get it right.

By: Myles

Myles — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:33:32 +0000

Thanks for you excellent blog.

I’m thinking of ordering a 7D – or hanging in there for the Nikon D700x. Undoubtedly a greater investment – but the D700x might have full frame + all the features 5dm2 users have been praying for. Any thoughts?

By: skeptical

skeptical — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:25:54 +0000

I’ve been using the Canon 5D2 for several months and love what it can do for video. Being a Nikon user (stills) and Sony (for video)for several decades required a leap of faith (after some comparitive testing, of course) to ditch those two and set up a new Canon system. Since I also require Underwater housings as well the excercise wasn’t cheap! Do I begrudge the extra features of the 7D…NO WAY! Can’t wait to buy one…it’ll complement the 5D2 nicely.

Well done Canon…they’ve broken the bullshit “drip feed the video technology” mentallity that Sony has been shoving down our throats for a long time (remember how quickly they pulled the HC1 off the market so as to sell more overprice A1’s).

As far as Scarlet is concerned…I gave up waiting ages ago. It was a good idea…but it’s now time for the grownups to take over.

By: Syarski

Syarski — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:51:14 +0000

This definitely is interesting to me to see how all of this is panning out. I am a newbie and just getting into film and video (I do music) and have just put together a cheap little hdr-sr11 rig with a dof adapter, rails, follow focus, etc. I would probably keep that and get one these 7ds and build a rig around that as well. I was looking at the scarlet but it might be not exactly what id want unless I spent more money on it. Where I could probably outfit a 7d for much less and at this point don’t need 3k etc. I’m pretty excited to be getting into this at such a great time when the technology is affordable for a great result.

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:02:43 +0000

Nobody edits these files as is (not even on a Mac). Even for the 5D you either use proxies or more correctly, you buy Cineform NeoSCENE. This is a given.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:55:17 +0000

I’m just worried about how its files will edit on a pc. SX1 files would preview at 6fps in sony vegas.
For home movies, continuous AF is a treat.

By: Michael C.

Michael C. — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:54:06 +0000

The 7D is currently THE killer. The GH1’s codec sucks, and you cannot buy this camera body-only in the U.S., so $1,500 for a flawed 4/3 camera or $1,900 for a proper APS-C, with triple difference in bitrate and proper frame rates — this is no brainer. I would rather prefer it in a camcorder form-factor. I will wait a little longer for CES 2010, sometime Canon will have to replace the stone-aged GL-2 with something less obsolete.