GH1 vs 7D vs 5D vs Vixia vs HVX200 Tests

[holyzoo]

I got the 7D this week and tackled some quick but lengthy tests in the studio. It's definitely not a scientific shoot out, and there are some flaws - flare etc. But it gives me a decent comparison of focal lengths, field of view, depth of field, zoom range, latitude, and resolution between the 5 cameras.

Everything was transcoded to ProResHQ, exported and compressed to 35Mbs H.264. My requirements for encoding was to be able to see the grain of the HVX200 without mud. So the integrity of the image is fairly preserved here. So when you see underwhelming 5D/7D footage. Hey that's what I'm seeing straight out of the camera. Likewise, when you see something that looks awesome, it doesn't get much better. Part of this is due to there not being much motion going on. I'm aiming to do more motion, codec, and low light tests as well.

I'd like to have the HMC, EX1/EX3, HPX2000, and Red to compare as well.

Thoughts? Questions?

Here are the tests:











-steev

[Luis Caffesse]

Fixed all your vimeo links - there is no need to include the full site address, just the vimeo ID#
Check this out: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=187739

Thanks for taking the time to do this and post it for everyone.

[holyzoo]

Thanks Luis!

[chrismagicc]

did you set the GH 1 to creative movie mode? and smooth setting?

[holyzoo]

It was in Creative Movie Mode, but not with smooth setting. I created my own which is Contrast -2, Sharpness 0, Saturation +1, Noise Reduction 0

[BrandonC]

The GH1 stays strong throughout, that moire test isn't pretty for Canon's cameras.

[holyzoo]

The GH1 stays strong throughout, that moire test isn't pretty for Canon's cameras.

Yeah, true. Although the shallow DOF of the 5D saves it to some degree.

I did further tests in low light and got more noise from the 7D than I expected. The GH1 does have pattern noise, but it's not as grainy as the 7D.

[wanderer63]

gh1 or 7d

Hi
I like the test, I have recently been looking at the GH1 and 7D as an upgrade to my Canon HG21 what are your thoughts?
Cheers
Paul

[holyzoo]

Hi
I like the test, I have recently been looking at the GH1 and 7D as an upgrade to my Canon HG21 what are your thoughts?
Cheers
Paul

Hey Paul, I think you'll find that the GH1's codec is inferior to your HG21. If you can work around that, you can expect awesome video with shallow DOF. The other consideration is if you are wanting the dual purpose of using a camera for photos. If so, the 7D is a way better camera, although much larger in physical size. If you're interested in a smaller size camera, with autofocus ability during video, the GH1 is the one to look at.

I have had a hard time deciding between all these camears, so I ended up with all of them. Right now the 7D has a lot going for it, however the 720p mode looks horrible with it's aliasing artificats - the GH1 looks way better in 720p.

As much as I love my 5DMkII, it makes me lean towards favoring the 7D. But the GH1 is a whole world of potential magic image making. If you can get your hands on both, that's the only way you'll really know which one you prefer. Either that or tons of internet research here on this site and vimeo and DVinfo.net... then use your gut instinct.

Lastly, you won't lose with either camera. It's an astounding time to be into video production.

-steev

[rundavids]

Hi, holyzoo. I'm wondering if you had done any tests on 1080p at 24fps on the cameras? Do you have any input or advice on which camera to purchase. Thanks!

[holyzoo]

Hi, holyzoo. I'm wondering if you had done any tests on 1080p at 24fps on the cameras? Do you have any input or advice on which camera to purchase. Thanks!

These tests were all in 24p, except for the Canon 5DMkII which only does 30p.

As for advise on which to purchase, it's a very tough decision.

The HVX200 is still in use as the main professional camcorder - it has no aliasing issues, the DVCPRO HD workflow is fast and easy, and it has professional audio, ND filters, etc. If I had a critical event video shoot, this is still the camera I'd take.

For creative cinema shoots, I'd take the 5D or 7D.

If I was needing to be stealth, run and gun, and wanted extreme angles without a bunch of gear, the GH1 wins.

[twocik23]

Great Job on the tests ! Don't worry we'll all soon have a red and won't have time for these test/discussions, we'll be criticizing each other on the footage we shot from the night before. zzzzz zz zzz zzz


The one thing I'm trying to figure out, how good is the color sampling... Yes these DSLRs shoot the HD frame size and look great on the internet, but they're compressed files. I know when shooting HVX to FS100 at DVCPRO HD it's about a gig a min vs shooting a DSLR (D90 was what I tested) .74 MB at sec / 44.4 MB a min.

Lets say when heavy CC is involved how do these (Canon D7 & GH1) DSLRs hold up ?

Have any test video of this, maybe even some composting tests ?


Last is the weird jello jumping line effect when panning fast or hand held, is this from a mirror inside bouncing around or ? I remember shooting my DVX100b on a tripod once and having something similar to this problem, which was caused from the OIS.


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