Best 7D biginning kits
 

Coming from Z5(great camera),I am planning to get a 7D (for creative shoots and 3 camera) I need opinions before I decide to get this camera, about the best kits for people like me,that are going to experiment with this new format !!

Thanks.....Franklin

It would probably help if you could offer some ideas on what you are planning to shoot? Nature, interviews, scenics, night time urban scenery?

I'd skip the kit lens. Even though you can get good deals, I'd just skip it. I did, regretted it at first, now I don't. One of the beauties of this camera is the lens choices. Why bother with those slow a*s things?

Hey ! this 7D will be for weddings, just to do (if BRIDE pay good $$$) SDE or nice trailers days after the wedding !
90 % of my weddings are during the night...

thanks...Franklin

You better have a heck of a machine if you want SDE from the 7D!

But other than that...

If you've got time I'd do prime lenses:

1. 18 or 20mm F2.8 or faster
2. 24mm F2.0
3. 50mm F1.4
4. 85mm F1.8

That should take you from wide, indoor or scenic shots, all the way to 1 or 2 shots of the Bride & Groom. Anything lens longer than this, and it's going to be a bear to hand hold and be steady.

If you don't have a lot of time then find the fastest zoom you can from about 20 or 24mm out to maybe 80-100, and call it a day.

if you want just one lens, then get the Canon EFS 17-55mm 2.8 IS lens. It is as sharp as any L lens according to Canon. Also the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 is nice as well.

Daniel Weber

That's a pricey lens isn't it? If the OP is a video guy, should sharpness be a priority? This question comes up in many shapes here, it's a point worth repeating though. A DSLR person naturally thinks about sharpness as a priority. Is it a legit priority in our context of video?

The 17-55 EF-S is about $800, depending on the promo from Canon at B&H Photo. It's really the only wide-mid zoom I could recommend for this camera and still be able to go handheld. If you get the kit, you could sell the lens on Ebay? I sold mine with my 40D body. It's worth more than you pay for it, especially if you use a discount coupon at Best Buy like I did!

I can only see a price of $ 990.00 at B&H, that's with a coupon for $70.00. Where did you get it for 800 ?

This may be just a little different, but for weddings I have the 5D Mark II... and if you are shooting at night 90% of the time you should think about taking another look at the 5D over the 7D.

Here is my setup currently (I probably need to revise it)...
5D with the 24-105mm F4 IS lens for hand held stuff... I would prefer a faster lens with IS though, but hopefully I can upgrade soon!

The 70-200 F2.8 is really nice for lock off shots during the ceremony and if you plan on doing any shoulder mount or hand held with it, get the IS version. The F4 version is sharper, but the 2.8 is faster and the lighting during the ceremony is usually sub-par at best.

For the glidecam get your self a really wide lens like a 24mm F2.8 or faster (if you are using the 7D the 17-35 would be good or the tokina 11-16). You will not need IS with your stabilizer as it will make the images shift instead of being really smooth like you would want. Using a wide lens will make focusing a million times easier for this.

I usually use my redrock gear as well (follow focus, whips, and rails). Focus can become quite cumbersome and the follow focus takes the shakes out of the shot and the whip makes the focusing even smoother.

In addition to that I slap a bogen tripod quick release adapter on my slider, glidecam, and tripod.

If you could get a nice wide zoom and a nice telephoto zoom that would cut down on the amount of gear you need to tote around. I have an array of prime lenses and really only use one. With the hustle and bustle of weddings, the less lenses the better if you can get away with it. A macro lens is nice though for those ring shots.