7d max recording time

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dannyg1255

Active member
I understand that there is a 12 minute max recording time on the canon 5 and 7d . Iv heard that it might be because of some overheating issues as well as tax reason and it being considered as a camcorder if it was any longer, but i was just wondering if there might possibly be a firmware update to extend the max recording time in the future?
 
dannyg1255 said:
i was just wondering if there might possibly be a firmware update to extend the max recording time in the future?
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For a few major reasons, the answer is no.
 
you are spot on with 'it being considered a camcorder' (One of the reasons why they don;t record longer than that at least) In Canada, (I don;t know abotu the U.S./other countries) a camcorder records video longer than (I believe) 29 minutes, 56 seconds. If it records less than that, it is not a camcorder. CTV did not have the rights to film the olympic winter games this past winter. CBC had them. So, instead of not having coverage, CTV shot the olympics on Canon 7D's through this loophole.
 
12 minutes= 4 gig which is maximum size per file for all of the cards used. No stitching algorithm on camera and no real need for Canon to make there Still cameras more video like. We are buying them anyway.
 
yeeah,its filesystem limit,not tax limit, its not possible to get over 4GB ,maybe they could start to capture to new file immediately bit i doubt that it will happen in new firmwares.
So,if it will happen someday then footage will be split into 4GB files anyway cause thats fat32 filesystem maximum.
 
What Im saying is it POSSIBLE that a firmware update COULD change the file system to NTFS (I think thats what its called)? Or is that something that is too much for just a firmware update to do?
 
dannyg1255 said:
What Im saying is it POSSIBLE that a firmware update COULD change the file system to NTFS (I think thats what its called)? Or is that something that is too much for just a firmware update to do?
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No, it is not possible.

1) Canon cannot and/or will not do it.
2) A hacker couldn't possibly do it.

In order to do what is proposed, the firmware would have to be radically rewritten. It can't be done with a tweak. Since a file system defines how data are organized on a storage medium, the operating system would need to completely change the way that it reads and writes to disk. It's not something simple like hacking the graphics of the user interface or changing a variable to enable 24p or disable AGC.

I honestly don't know what the big deal with the time limit is. If it's a problem for you, then get a GH1. It's a better video camera than the 7D, and the image quality is similar. No camera is perfect. Pick your poison.

People who are used to shooting film don't complain about time limits. You practically can't find a film magazine that will give you more than 11 minutes.
 
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DavidFulde said:
you are spot on with 'it being considered a camcorder' (One of the reasons why they don;t record longer than that at least) In Canada, (I don;t know abotu the U.S./other countries) a camcorder records video longer than (I believe) 29 minutes, 56 seconds. If it records less than that, it is not a camcorder. CTV did not have the rights to film the olympic winter games this past winter. CBC had them. So, instead of not having coverage, CTV shot the olympics on Canon 7D's through this loophole.
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Are you talking about the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vanouver? That statement is completely untrue. CTV had full Host Broadcast rights, and used the LDK WorldCam HD camera line by Grass Valley and Hitachi's broadcast HD cameras. Can you imagine how the 7D would have performed broadcasting the Luge events? hahaha, it's all whip pans.
 
CDMI said:
Are you talking about the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vanouver? That statement is completely untrue. CTV had full Host Broadcast rights, and used the LDK WorldCam HD camera line by Grass Valley and Hitachi's broadcast HD cameras. Can you imagine how the 7D would have performed broadcasting the Luge events? hahaha, it's all whip pans.
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Thats what I was told by a canon representative. I may have gotten the station wrong, but I was told that there was a TV station that did not have the rights to film, so they used Canon cameras. I probably got the station wrong, but thats what I was told.

Dave
 
Hello everyone,

I am a new member here, and about to buy the 550D, my question is the recording time fixed for all resolution? 1080P and 720P?, because if it depends on the file size, it should be more than 12 minutes in the 720P?
 
MYassen said:
Hello everyone,

I am a new member here, and about to buy the 550D, my question is the recording time fixed for all resolution? 1080P and 720P?, because if it depends on the file size, it should be more than 12 minutes in the 720P?
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bwwd said:
im not sure,its double framerate so it should be about the same time.
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The time limit is entirely dependent on bit rate. Bit rate is how much data are being read/written per unit time. So when you multiply the bit rate by the total running time, you get the file size. Resolution has no part in the equation. Thus, a 480p file could be both larger and shorter than a 1080p file, as long as the bit rate is that much higher.

The 550D/T2i, just like the other Canon DSLRs, actually uses a variable bit rate. The bit rate varies with how much the image changes from frame to frame. Lots of frame-to-frame variation means that a clip is harder to compress, so a higher bit rate is required. On the other hand, if you're shooting a completely unchanging subject with a completely stationary camera, a very small bit rate is required. So if you point the camera at a blank wall, you can actually get 29 minutes and 59 seconds at 1080p.

The oft-repeated "12 minutes" is only an approximation, because the average bit rate for 1080p is intended to be around 48 megabits (NOT megabytes) per second. So 12 minutes is also listed on Canon's spec sheet. But Canon also says that the time limit is 14 minutes for 720p, so perhaps in this mode the camera targets a lower average bit rate. The bit rate for the 480p mode is much lower (since a high bit rate is not required for such a modest resolution), so the time limit is 29 minutes and 59 seconds.
 
As we talk about it...

Why the hell does Canon still use FAT32, and not something more advanced like EXT3?
Compatibility with other devices like DVD players with card-reader?
 
Nobody's talked about the 12 minute limit for quite a while...

Honestly, I can't see the need. If you need more than 12 minutes then:

1) you're shooting a wedding. Moreover, you're shooting the ceremony, probably from a tripod. FIxed. Or zooming occasionally. If you're doing this, then you don't need a 7D or 550D and you shouldn't use a 7D or 550D. Do you want the priest to be out of focus? Do you want everything to be out of focus? I think if the groom is out of focus when he says "I do" then the bride will be pissed. Use a video camera! Then, use a 7D or 550 as a wild camera to capture close-ups, etc, where you can start and stop it. If you want the "i do" in a closeup, then time it well.

2) You're shooting an event. Does a locked down droning speaker need to be artistic? Use a video camera. add a second cam as 550D for the art as above.

3) Actually I can't think of a third reason. I'm trying to up my post count to have more street cred.
 
steventimothy said:
3) Actually I can't think of a third reason. I'm trying to up my post count to have more street cred.
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You're missing the obvious one, which gets mentioned a lot here, from time to time. There are plenty of documentary shooters who consider the 12 minutes to be inconvenient for interviews (where the shallow DOF aesthetic really shines). Yes, of course they can just start and stop recording between questions, but they still complain about it.
 
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