Hacking the 7D: IN the literal sense

[Kholi]

I'm thinking that this thing is so freakin cheap, the difference I get back from selling the MKii I may put into having someone rip the mirror out of my 7D and fabricating a PL mount. Of course, I would like to still be able to use my SLR glass, so this is where I pose a question to those of you who know more about how the focal flange distances etc work, namely:

If I were to get my camera sawed and chopped to fit a PL mount, do you think it's possible to still be able to use Nikon, Canon, etc etc glass?

I still have my trusty Nikon D70s for photos and the iPhone (LOL) so not being able to take photos anymore won't be an issue. What else am I overlooking that I lose whenn taking the mirror out?

[Nik Manning]

I can't really help you there but I am in LA area if you need a backup 7D for some testing. :) I already posted on how maybe this thing should be put in a larger housing. Now I am thinking if this think can be hacked like the andromeda or something. If we could enable HDMI out we would really be talking about a camera worth 10k easy.

Take a $1600 camera gut it and turn it into a $15k camera with, better audio, uncompressed out, PL Mount, Audio monitoring. hmm sounds very nice.

[plasmasmp]

(EDIT: LOL, did not read above post)
Pirata and I were talking about that the other day because we really want to use Lomo's and other PL and OCT lenses on the 7D. The only thing I want to use the camera for is shooting video, so the mirror has no purpose to me. I'm thinking one step beyond this as well. Why not rehouse the entire camera into something with a more suitable format for shooting video. Add 48V XLR inputs directly wired into the cam and controlled by a version of Hudon's Magic lantern. At the same time, rewire the I/O with a headphone jack and a BNC connector for composite output. At the same time it would be nice to record straight to a USB hard drive, and have an onboard removable (bus powered) drive, but I believe Hudson hasn't cracked that capability yet.

Just ideas, but I think there is a market for something like this.

[pix2pixels]

If we think in the line of th Andromeda project, a good hack would be to add a VAT5 network socket, end the RAW data to a laptop to be processed as it's one with SI1920 mini....

[xbourque]

Just ideas, but I think there is a market for something like this.

Today, maybe. In 6-12 months (maybe less)... Canon, Panny, Sony or Red will beat you to it.

-X

[Martti Ekstrand]

I bet Illya Friedman is already looking into this idea.
How 'bout ripping a 7D or GH1 totally apart and stick the sensor where the gate is in a Arri IIC. Violá! A digital film camera with a rotating mirror reflex viewfinder and a awesome retro look :)

[Rakesh Jacob]

Focal Flange Distances:
Canon EF 44mm
PL Mount 52mm
OCT-19 61mm
35mm Motion is bigger than APS-C, so the image circle from PL and OCT lenses should be big enough.

Based on all that, there should be no reason to have the 7D "sawed and chopped" to adapt those lenses. But that's just a guess based on the little I know.

[Kholi]

I bet Illya Friedman is already looking into this idea.
How 'bout ripping a 7D or GH1 totally apart and stick the sensor where the gate is in a Arri IIC. Violá! A digital film camera with a rotating mirror reflex viewfinder and a awesome retro look :)

All I gotta say is keep your eye out for future Hot Rod Announcements. Yikes. That man Illya Friedman is a BE-SAT.

(Be-Sat- n. - A purposeful misspelling and mispronunciation of the word "beast", an animal, monster, etc. )

[Rakesh Jacob]

I'm glad you defined Be-Sat, cause that was about to drive me crazy trying to figure what kinda hip new slanguage thing I'm not privy too.

[kurth]

are you guys kidding ?? - an arri llc weighs about 40 lbs ! leave good enough alone !

[Jean Dodge]

I think the idea behind merging a 7D sensor and a reflex camera like an arri 3 would be so that you could have an optical finder. The current difficulty of using these DSLRs for professional cinematography is that you can't judge critical focus while recording. It's a serious issue when shooting for hire - knowing if you got the shot or not is worth whatever you have to trade off to get it. If in this case it was weight, that's not a bad trade. An Arri 2C or III has a large motor that can transport 400 feet of film at 120 fps.... which is overkill considering all you would need it to do is spin the mirror shutter. But you would need a crystal controlled motor of some sort to set up a reflex unit, and then you would need a way to reliably sync the two elements - an open shutter and the CMOS sensor's electronic "firing" - Sound like a job for NOT the home workshop to me.

The Red One was built to be a professional unit but still it lacks reflex optics. But you can use a full HD resolution external monitor as a viewfinder... The canon DSLRs are an amazingly good sensor trapped behind an amateur ergonomic and technical puzzle of "cripple factors."

But yes, most of this is idle speculation and "leaving well enough alone" is the most likely course of action unless it proves easy to adapt PL mount lenses to the 7D. Cinema lenses have much better follow focus attributes, and zooms have power controls, etc. If this is the world you are used to, making video with still camera lenses is a throwback, and you naturally long for the control and ease that has been hard fought to wrest from manufacturers.

[hunter richards]

Dont forget that the 2c is louder than a machine gun.

[hunter richards]

By the way have you guys seen this? This guy did in fact hack a PL mount on a canon camera. The easier way though to get cinema lenses on would be to just rent lenses from panavision as the FFD is long enough to fit a PV/EOS adapter with full infinity focus.

[Ian-T]

Dang man....all I see is a lens.


Oh...ok.......I see the camera now.

[J Davis]

@Kholi, so glad you started this thread. I've been thinking the same thing - damn mirror.
But I know its useless. The shelf life on vDSLR's this year is very short.
How much work are you gonna put into it only to have the GH2 pop up? or the 7Dm2? or the HMC-GH-whatever?


http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/attachment.php?attachmentid=12582&d=1252198387
By the way have you guys seen this? This guy did in fact hack a PL mount on a canon camera.
The easier way though to get cinema lenses on would be to just rent lenses from panavision as the FFD is long
enough to fit a PV/EOS adapter with full infinity focus.

I remember that one ... that's Pawel's 50D isn't it?
What I love about it is the articulated EVF thingamajig

[hunter richards]

Yep- I think he dremmeled the heck out of it.

[Kholi]

I hope Illya doesn't get mad at me but Hot Rod has an awesome solution and you won't believe what you have to do to your camera. I'm backing it 100 percent all the way and can't wait to get a gander at it.

Hot Rod's gonna be making a lot of people happy in the future if they keep at the frontline like this.

[Pirata]

I hope Illya doesn't get mad at me but Hot Rod has an awesome solution and you won't believe what you have to do to your camera. I'm backing it 100 percent all the way and can't wait to get a gander at it.

Hot Rod's gonna be making a lot of people happy in the future if they keep at the frontline like this.

hot damn, that's what I'm waiting to hear. I just want to mount some damn LOMO anamorphics on the thing and forget finding an ISCORAMA. Does it happen to be that PLC link that's password protected on the Hot Rod site?

[teddybear]

By the way have you guys seen this? This guy did in fact hack a PL mount on a canon camera. The easier way though to get cinema lenses on would be to just rent lenses from panavision as the FFD is long enough to fit a PV/EOS adapter with full infinity focus.

Hunter,

Doesnt the mirror go up when in video mode? Meaning the VF is out dark when shooting video with this cam? Or did the guy disable the mirror in some way?

Ted

[plasmasmp]

I hope Illya doesn't get mad at me but Hot Rod has an awesome solution and you won't believe what you have to do to your camera. I'm backing it 100 percent all the way and can't wait to get a gander at it.

Hot Rod's gonna be making a lot of people happy in the future if they keep at the frontline like this.

That is fantastic news! It's so easy to get ahold of great PL lenses for good prices. Can't wait!

[Rakesh Jacob]

Hunter,

Doesnt the mirror go up when in video mode? Meaning the VF is out dark when shooting video with this cam? Or did the guy disable the mirror in some way?

Ted

Somebody asked about the angle c adapter on another thread, basically either the mirror goes up for live view/video blocking the view finder OR the sensor is blocked and no video. Disabling the mirror, not sure in what way you mean but same issues.
(Sorry I know my name's not Hunter)

[Martti Ekstrand]

are you guys kidding ?? - an arri llc weighs about 40 lbs ! leave good enough alone !

Of course I was joking. Geebuz! I didn't think that anybody would take such a jest seriously.

[teddybear]

Thats ok Johnny,

thats what I meant. The pic Hunter posted showed the angled C finder thing, I was wondering wether the shooter composes the shot and focus through the VF then looks at the LCD live view when the recording starts.

Ted

[hunter richards]

Hunter,

Doesnt the mirror go up when in video mode? Meaning the VF is out dark when shooting video with this cam? Or did the guy disable the mirror in some way?

Ted

Yes- I think he was just using it for timelapse. The angle finder wont work for video.

[teddybear]

Thanks for clearing that Hunter.

[Jean Dodge]

I just stopped by my local camera shop today and looked at the 50D chassis, which is the same basic frame the 7D is built on. There's about 13mm from the flange of the mount to the first obstacle inside the camera. Behind that is the mirror-to-sensor area, which if anything protruded into would mean you would have to disable the mirror.

The soviet-era Russian cine lens mount seems the most promising route to me - you can only rent Panavison lenses, but you can buy Lomo lenses - not cheap, but inexpensive by cinema standards for what you can sometimes get if you look hard.

[Kholi]

I only plan on renting for jobs thar can afford it. That and anamorphic.

[pix2pixels]

The soviet-era Russian cine lens mount seems the most promising route to me - you can only rent Panavison lenses, but you can buy Lomo lenses - not cheap, but inexpensive by cinema standards for what you can sometimes get if you look hard.

I have few LOMO lenses and some of the wides unfortunately don't clear the mirror.
50mm and up seem to be OK. No problems with the GH1 though.

Haven't seen an OCT-19..18 > EOS adapter yet, but it's possible to be manufactured.

[fates]

Haven't seen an OCT-19..18 > EOS adapter yet, but it's possible to be manufactured.

So is there no chance on clearing the 5D housing with the OCT-19/18 mount... if the mirror was ripped out? And they wouldn't cover the FF sensor anyway right?

[Jean Dodge]

pix3pixels, when you said

"I have few LOMO lenses and some of the wides unfortunately don't clear the mirror.
50mm and up seem to be OK."

That's what I assumed would be the case with fitting OCT-19 mount lenses to the 7D, but some of a cake is better than no cake at all. Also, there are retrofocus lens designs to be considered. If I can fit an F 3.8 20mm Vivitar onto my 5D mk2 (and I can) there ought to be a way to work up a decent set of cine primes that would work with the 7D, once someone qualified puts their minf to making an OCT19 to Canon lens mount adapter.

It is very likely that the set would be missing the wide end, but still camera designs would fill out one's kit.