How good does the EOS 7D works with manual focus during shots??

Will the EOS T2i give me the exact same video quality??...

the 7d has great manual forcus, but its capabilities are mostly in the lense...a great lense with great AF and fast aperature, will give you great abilities....

the t2i is nowhere near as good as a 7d, if that were the case it wouldnt be 1000 dollars less....

however i believe other than the really wide angle of the 5dmark2 the 7d is better....i think 7d is the "all around performer"

hope this helps

You really think so?... but I've seen some footage comparison and isn't a big difference, shouldn't i go for the T2i and get 2 good lenses, instead of going for the 7D and only one lens?...my budget is low btw....

Corey...sorry but "good" is a very relative term when comparing those cameras. The image sensor is virtually the same and if you look at side by side tests, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference in footage.

What the 7D offers is a pro-level build quality which will handle the elements and rough treatment better. It also has much finer control over the parameters (bells and whistles) making it a true pro-level camera. It also uses compact flash which I think is considered more robust.
Another thing that makes the 7D so cool is the full HD out the HDMI port during record.

So that's what the extra $1K gets you, but the images you can obtain are darn near identical.

I'm exceedingly happy with the results I'm getting out of the T2i and that extra $1K went towards my lens collection.

i dont like to cut corners, but theres a few things other than what you mentioned....the 7d is an all around performer...and is rock solid...

no doubt and I'd love to have one. BUT image quality is virtually identical. If you're on a budget...no question the T2i will get the job done.

My buddy's 5D in well lit shots doesn't look all that different from the T2i BUT when there's any question of light...I bow to the 5D. The 7D and T2i just don't compete. (he borrows my lenses though! HaHa!)

the focussing has nothing to do with the body, all to do with the lens.. unfortunately even sometimes the top end expensive lenses are built with photographers in mind and whats important to them (super sharpness for example) isnt always high on the list for us (like a silky smooth focus ring)..

Just realised how EXTREMELY noisy my 17-55 2.8 is yesterday when editing an indoor scene where the IS was switched on, I was shooting dual sound but actually I liked the sound from the camera when the IS was off, would have been nice to have had the option to use it..

Manus, I think it's a fair question, particularly for those that don't have an HD monitor, since good manual focus is achieved with a good focussing screen. The focussing screen is on the BODY, not the LENS.

Unlike many pro cameras you can't change the focus screen on the 7D - one of the major drawbacks with this camera.

It is true that the shallow depth of field due to the larger sensor is a benefit to some, if not all. One can safely use the high ISOs. However, one of the reasons that is not often mentioned, is the relatively smaller size of the DSLRs like 7D. If you are filming in a small room, temple, cockpit etc, you may notice that fitting large video cameras into such places may be tough, if not outright impossible.

There are number of issues. For example, in a DLSR (I shoot with a 1D Mark IV), most often you are shooting in RAW. So I use the neutral picture style. While filming, if you are not going to do colour grading etc later, it is better to shift to a standard or other picture styles. There is option to start filming by the flick of a button. However, you need to press a couple of buttons to change the picture styles.

The other problem is the amount of money you need to invest. After spending 5k USD for a Mark IV, I realise for filming safely another 10K USD can be gobbled up by audio, fluid head and other accessories. A zacuto z finder is 400 USD plus i.e nearly 25% the cost of a 7D. Better to pick up good lenses, accessories etc that will last for a long time. It will take time for the technology to mature. However, this seems exciting and promising.

Most disadvantages of HD on DSLRs due to hybrid nature of cams
 

I've written up a new blog in which I am pondering about the fact that most real issues (aliasing, line-skipping) we have with video on DSLRs is purely because of the fact that they are hybrid cameras that should stills along with video.

HD video with DSLRs – The good, the bad and the ugly.Part 1: the bad & the ugly | Nino Film - Blog - Nino Leitner

Would love to get your thoughts on that!

I'll be writing up a follow-up on that shortly, dealing with the potential benefits this hybrid nature of the cameras could give us ...