is 7D the right choice for my work?
 

I have a xh a1 currently but i have recently stumbled across the 7D and after reading endless great things about this camera, well... im wanting one now!

my question is:
im thinking my options are

A)keep my A1 and buy one of these to work along side
B)sell my A1 and buy a 7D and use the extra money for lenses and stuff like that
C)dont buy a 7D at all

and fyi, i mainly film action sports, like motocross, wakesurfing, etc... stuff like that

your input is deeply appreciated, thanks in advance guys

I have a Canon HG20 and a 7D.

The 7D - in fact, any VDSLR - is best used in situations where you have complete control of the moment, and have a lot of time to adjust the shot in order to get it exactly right - as well as a lot of time in post for audio syncing, and have the ability to retake the shot if possible.

Action sports are probably NOT your best bet for the 7D. You'll probably be better off using the XH-A1 for those kinds of things.

As a supplementary cam, however, the 7D is great for creating sports narratives with interviews with trainers, etc., and if you've already got an XH-A1 rolling, shooting 720p60 and slowing down to 30p (TV) or 24p (film) is great for slow motion shots.

If it's a choice between the two - keep the XH-A1. I still consider my HG20 my "main cam" despite the fact that the 7D is "better" and "more expensive," because it just works, without having to worry about things.

Here are some things you'll have to worry about with the 7D that you won't with your XH-A1:

1) 12 minute shot limit.
2) Overheating
3) No quick autofocus. (Manual focus is quicker and more accurate)
4) No shoulder-shooting without a brace of some kind.
5) No eyeloupe.
6) Short depth of field (horrible for moving objects.)

It's an amazing, amazing camera but people who own Rolls Royces typically have a BMW or something that they know they can take to the store to pick up milk.

A.J.

I shoot primarily action sports as well. Surfing, kiting, waterskiing,etc. I have an Sony EX1 as a primary camera and a Canon HV30 with a surf housing. I had been planning to get a 35mm adapter but was watching the DSLR thing evolve. I finally decided to invest in a 7D rig and forget the adapter.

I am looking at the 7D as a second cam (or should I say partner cam) to my EX1. There is certainly a lot to learn if you were weened on consumer and then prosumer cams on your way up the ladder. I have had so much fun this past week starting to work with the 7D. Learning a ton about lenses and looking forward to having the ability to gain even more control over what is framed on the screen.

Would I attempt to go and shoot an all day sporting event with just the 7D? Not at this point. Will I carry the 7D on my next trip along with the EX1? Most definitely.

If I did not buy the 7D I would be buying a 35mm adapter. Lens choice and DOF options are two things I feel are a natural progression in my work.

Upgrading my still photo kit from the iPhone 3Gs to the 7D is another huge bonus for me. So often when working and I am looking at a sunset or wildlife or a new city, I would love to capture a real still not just a frame grab.

Another option I was considering was going for one of the really inexpensive 35mm adapters and a couple of cheaper primes so I could get a feel for the experience without breaking the piggy bank.

Hopefully the overheating icon that pops up in the camera is not a serious issue and will be easy enough to work around. Waiting to hear if Canon has a response on this. This has been the biggest factor in my conclusion that the 7D will not replace my EX1 for a majority of conditions and work that I do.

Hope my experience gives you a little insight.

Dasher

The 7D will give your films a wildly different 'look', you'll be able to work much more happily in low light but the VDSLR is no filmmaking tool, it's just a great capture tool in some situations. The 7D's ergonomics are designed around still capture and your A1 has been designed to take and make movies, conduct interviews, film high and low with it's far more versatile v'finders, have longer zooms and avoid the CMOS wobble.

If you're a filmmaker, don't sell the A1. If you want to pad out Youtube with great looking short clips, you'll love the 7D. As Charles says, the camcorder will do it all, the 7D just adds icing to the cake. You can't swap the two cameras in that last sentence.

tom.

For your line of work, the best option would have to be "A" as the first and wisest choice, or possibly "C" to save money and future headaches due to important missed footage; but definitely do not choose "B".

I feel that the 7D would be great to have as a second camera but not so great as a only camera

I have an XH A1 and I'm keeping it, but just ordered a 7D. For most of what I do the 7D probably would work, but I want to ease into it. If you do sports, the slomo capability would be nice, but there does seem to be that heating issue which would limit the amount you'd use it in that mode. I've wanted slomo on occasion and a limitation is not a factor because I'd never shoot more than a minute or two at the most at 60 fps. Everything else would be 1080P/24.

The biggest things to think about, for me, are the heating, which appears to be there but not as bad as some feared initially...the tapeless workflow...and double system sound. I can probably deal fine with the heating, and shooting double system sound doesn't bother me because I grew up that way in the film days and planned on getting a Tascam DR-100 for the voice-overs I do anyway (I have a first generation M-Audio Microtrack which has good quality but is a pain to use and its internal non-replaceable battery is worthless).

I want to see how big a hassle going tapeless would be, and this is the main reason I'll ease into things. Everything I shoot will have to be off loaded, backed up to an additional drive, and probably I'll burn files to DVDs or eventually Blu-ray discs for storage because I don't trust hard drives for long term storage of original footage.

Also, I ordered the camera, just last night, from a reputable dealer with a good return policy (in this case Adorama; I usually buy from B&H but didn't want to be charged until they actually ship, which is Adorama's policy). I decided last night I'd learned all I can from the boards and need to see it for myself to see if I can work with it. To me, working with an HDSLR is closer to working with film that it is traditional video, ie., a hassle but probably worth it for the image quality. It would be nice if we had local camera stores as we did in the past where you could walk in and check out a display model without having to order the camera just to see it. But those days are gone unless you live in New York, Chicago, etc.

Nicely put Bill

Your comment about having a local store to try gear is so true. I have a great old school photography store a few miles from home. I have been in often to buy filters and cam support stuff but little did I know I would buy my next camera from them. It gave me the opportunity to walk in a couple of weeks early and put a deposit on the 7D. When it came in I got to go right in and pick up. Great feeling to have a local store in the neighborhood to support.

That being said I have a gig in NYC this weekend and I am excited to get in the doors of mecca. It has been years since I did a walk through B&H

All the best

I'm pretty sure I'll never make it to Mars before I die, but I would like to visit B&H some day. Every trip in that direction has always been on business and there was never time.

We still have two camera stores here, that I know about, and they have taken orders for the 7D, which went out the door the day they came in. Neither store will have any display units, so you can't just go in and check out the camera, stick in a card, shoot something, etc. Calumet in Chicago has cameras out that you can fondle, and I was in Chicago last week but the 7D wasn't. You would think that the manufacturers would require their dealers to have display units, but I guess they don't.

I went into one of our stores last year to see if they had a lens I wanted. They didn't but had another I might have wanted, but the guy had to unpack it and all just so I could see it. He acted really offended when I didn't buy it and he had to wrap it back up and put it in the box. Retailers should know that people need to see and hold things and try them out.

Never say never, Bill. :)

Brian:
Thanks very much for your insight, i really found the con list useful!

Charles:
Very good points and im glad you can relate, question though, what impact would a 35mm lens have on your footage? Im still learning about lenses and theres just so much that i cant ever figure out which one is right for me. im thinking about doing the same as you and just bringing a 7D along for the ride to capture shots that i will be in control of

Bill:
I think i can relate to everything you said the best, i also really want and need the 60fps feature and i will not be using it for more than a minute or 2 either. camera noise doesnt bother me considering the stuff i shoot does not need sound anyways, and if it does, i will just swap and use my A1. Thanks a lot for your input, i think i am going to buy one



My next big question is... lenses?
what sort of lenses will i need to capture a wakesurfer behind a boat? (approximatley 3-5 meters from where i would be)

thanks guys for the fast and helpful responses

For that purpose it seems to me the kit lens might be pretty good. It has IS which you would want for handheld shooting, and the zoom range is good for those distances.

A.J

Two things in particular I hope to accomplish with having access to these lenses.

Shooting better footage in low light and more control over depth of field. One lens I am getting is a 50mm 1.4 With this lens I should be able to get less noise when shooting night time or dimly lit situations.

I believe I have developed a pretty good eye for framing shots and picking out what I want to present on screen. With the ability to have a shallower depth of field (DOF) with in that rectangular frame you can further decide what will be in focus and what will be blurred out in THE BOKEH ZONE. This adds the ability to pick and choose what peoples eyes will naturally gravitate towards. This to me offers a whole other world of creativity.

With my EX1 I can get pretty decent shallow depth of field but one really needs to zoom in and get some distance between objects. With the 7d and 1.4 and 2.8 lens this shallow DOF becomes more dramatic and as well as more challenging to capture.

But the REAL reason is that EVERYBODY'S doing and I wanna be cool too.