General 7D Vs. 5D for filmaking, please sove my doubts

7D Vs. 5D for filmaking, please sove my doubts

  • 5D

    Votes: 7 46.7%

  • 7D

    Votes: 8 53.3%
  • Total voters
    15
tarr

tarr

Active member
This is probably an over argumented topic, but please, I am a little bit confused: which one is better in order to make videos? I've logn known that the 5D only shoots at 3o fps, while the 7D can shoot ay 24, 25 and other speeds... I also know that the bigger frame of the 5D is more a damage than a plus when shooting videos...
Which one should I choose for filmaking?
 
5D can shoot at 24 and 25, but can't shoot at 60. 5D has better low-light ability/is a little less noisy, and can get shallower depth of field for the same field of view, if you like that. But the crop sensor of 7D is sometimes useful -- basically makes your lenses longer.

Answer: no clear answer. Just depends what your immediate shooting needs are. Better to have them both. Or possibly MkIII instead...
 
tarr said:
This is probably an over argumented topic, but please, I am a little bit confused: which one is better in order to make videos? I've logn known that the 5D only shoots at 3o fps, while the 7D can shoot ay 24, 25 and other speeds... I also know that the bigger frame of the 5D is more a damage than a plus when shooting videos...
Which one should I choose for filmaking?
Click to expand...


For purely filmmaking...the 7D seems like a waste of extra money over the T2i ($649 with kit lens. $499 without), T3i and 60D (articulating LCD screens help get shots that would be hard with 7D or T2i), because the quality is pretty much identical. I'd put that extra money towards lenses or go with the 5D for the much improved low light and no crop on the lenses. 7D seems like the camera you want to go with if you're big time into photography as well, but the T2i/T3i/60D are great photo cameras as well.

Another good choice is the Sony Nex-5N. Better quality than the 5D MKII, better low light and the rare 60p at 1080p. Plus, it's like $699 with a kit lens and $599 without it. T2i/T3i is a great choice for filmmaking if you hack it (very easy btw). 7D seems like the odd priced camera for film making. Costs a lot more than a T2i with not real video upgrade and definitely a downgrade from a Nex-5N at a higher price.
 
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7D does have a better sensor than the t2i and t3i so you are on the right track with the 5D vs 7D. They both have a weatherproof body and built better than any lesser model. I have the 7D but would rather have a 5D with awesome glass of course - but thats a little out of my price range at the moment.

As mentioned the 5D's main difference is full frame capture, so a 50mm lens is really 50mm (no 1.6x crop factor). This allows for better glass and better low light sensitivity. That glass also comes at a huge price difference over APS-C lenses (for the 7d and lesser models). APS-C lenses are MUUUCHHH less and there is a pretty good selection out there. Canon L series lenses will work on both.

That being said you should consider the 60D - the same sensor as the 7D with better ergonomics, like the LCD folds out. You may also want to check out the Panasonic GH2.
 
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MadHMC150 said:
7D does have a better sensor than the t2i and t3i so you are on the right track with the 5D vs 7D. They both have a weatherproof body and built better than any lesser model. I have the 7D but would rather have a 5D with awesome glass of course - but thats a little out of my price range at the moment.
Click to expand...

From what I know, the 5D2 is NOT a weatherproof body...
 
(I think it has weather sealing, just not as good as in the 7D, which again is not as good as on the 1D bodies; IIRC from a link to usa.canon.com that I found on the canonrumors forums, and which I can't seem to find right now)

edit: here:
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_5d_mark_ii#Features
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_7d#Features
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_60d?selectedName=Features

5D2: "High performance with 3.9 fps continuous shooting, new shutter with a durability of 150,000 cycles and improved weather-resistant body."
7D: "Magnesium body with shutter durability up to 150,000 cycles and exclusive dust and weather resistance."
60D: no mention

still, it's true that the weather sealing in the 7D is better than on the 5D2
 
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I would opt for the 60D over the 7D just on price alone if you are going that route. The only exception would be if you're looking for HD out while you record. I couldn't justify the price difference for that option alone. The 5D2 is starting to look like a bargain but no ability to do 60fps is a hinder for me. The 5D3 looks perfect but it is extremely pricey in comparison to the rest of the crowd.
 
pigbat said:
I would opt for the 60D over the 7D just on price alone if you are going that route. The only exception would be if you're looking for HD out while you record. I couldn't justify the price difference for that option alone. The 5D2 is starting to look like a bargain but no ability to do 60fps is a hinder for me. The 5D3 looks perfect but it is extremely pricey in comparison to the rest of the crowd.
Click to expand...


Pick up a used 5d Mark II for about $1800 and get a t2i/t3i for about $500-$600. Total comes out to $2500 , which is $1000 less than a 5d Mark III. Having two cameras can really be hekpful as well, this might be the option I might go too.
 
the ONLY real major benefit of the 5D to me is the full frame sensor. and that can be a good or a bad thing depending on who you are and what youre doing.

the ONLY real major benefit of the 7D to me is the fact that it sends out an HD image via HDMI while recording.

vision_filmz makes an interesting point about two cameras. if budget is an issue, a pair of 60Ds might be a way to go. ive had FAR more calls (thus FAR more INVOICES) in the last 15 years for a two-camera shoot than i've had for a single bad-assical cinema camera

as a side note: im generally a fan of the GH2 myself over the canons for a variety of reasons

im not going to vote. because its too subjective. "horses for courses" if you will...
 
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^^... And a full frame sensor means a lot. BETTER ISO handling, more use of L-series lenses, etc. Full Frame isn't just a different sensor. A lot is benefitted from a FF.
 
NormanBates said:
no: it's exactly the same sensor
Click to expand...

Ah, I was thinking image processors...

NormanBates said:
(I think it has weather sealing, just not as good as in the 7D, which again is not as good as on the 1D bodies; IIRC from a link to usa.canon.com that I found on the canonrumors forums, and which I can't seem to find right now)

edit: here:
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_5d_mark_ii#Features
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_7d#Features
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_60d?selectedName=Features

5D2: "High performance with 3.9 fps continuous shooting, new shutter with a durability of 150,000 cycles and improved weather-resistant body."
7D: "Magnesium body with shutter durability up to 150,000 cycles and exclusive dust and weather resistance."
60D: no mention

still, it's true that the weather sealing in the 7D is better than on the 5D2
Click to expand...

Yep, both the 5D and 7D feel similar when it comes to a weather resistant body.. 7D being newer I guess got a little better, wasn't aware of that. T(x)i series definitely feels like consumer cameras in comparison.

Either way its all about needs and glass. I would buy the 60D if I didn't shoot pictures as a hobby.. 7D since I do..


The t3i has some nice upgrades I wasn't aware of though... pretty cool comparison website: http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-T3i-vs-Canon_EOS_7D
 
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I ended up getting the 7D because of the HDMI out and the greater DOF of the smaller sensor, was afraid of coming out of focus only to find out in post. More frame rates on the 7D.(unless the firmaware has been upgraded) And its much cheaper. I got it over the T-i cameras because I wanted to be able to take awesome pictures, and it does. Durability was somthing I was looking for too, even though I treat my equipment like a newborn child. (unless the firmaware has been upgraded). To me the consumer versions feel cheap and small, the controls on th 7d are awesome too very inuitive. I basically really really really like the 7D.
 
T3i and 7D take virtually the same quality pictures, but the 7D is a much faster camera capable of high frame rates and I believe the image buffer is much larger allowing more photo's before hang time.

T3i and T2i are basically the same, except the T3i has a sensor crop video mode which samples the centre 1920x1080 pixels of the sensor giving an effective telephoto mode.

The 7D is built like a tank, whereas the T3i is not.

The 5DII is built better than the T3i but not quite as weather proof as a 7D.

The 7D has HD monitoring out while recording video. The 5DII and T3i do not.

The 7D and T3i can shoot 1080 at 30p/25p/24p and 720 at 60p/50p while the 5DII can only shoot 1080 at 30p/25p/24p without a 720p overcrank mode.

The 5DII is much better in low light than the T3i and 7D.

The 5DII sensor is huge (full frame, no crop factor), making a shallower depth of field possible when compared to the T3i or 7D. Wider angle shots are also possible due to this sensor size difference.

The 7D and T3i can both take EF-S lenses, whereas the 5DII can not.
 
for stills, there's no contest among the APS-C cameras: of the canon DSLRs that shoot video, only the 7D and the 5D2 have AF microadjustment, and if you're going to use the AF on fast primes you absolutely need that (anything else is just gambling that your lens and body will have assembly errors that exactly compensate each other) http://www.similaar.com/foto/tuten/510.html
 
Unless you either need sealing from elements or pro level autofocus, then just a waste of money. x2 550D's for the price of a 7D and exactly the same video quality.

You need a monitor of reasonable size (and price point) to actually *benefit from the 1080i output.

Regarding 5dmk2 and it's "water resistant" body unfortunately most retailers label it as something it's not. There are a few dark stories of failing 5dmk2's among the nature photography community.
 
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The big benefit of a full-frame sensor is the extra light sensitivity. Shooters are misled into believing that higher apertures are the answer to the bokeh-look. Although this isn't untrue, they fail to hear how difficult it is to maintain a good focus on moving subjects when shooting at such high apertures. Then you get a lot of questionable product involving subjects frequently coming in and out of focus. With extra light sensitivity and better ISO performance, shooters can set apertures to more manageable settings. They'll still get the desirable bokeh-look, clean imagery (even at higher ISO's), and will have extra room for their subjects to move around in without having to worry about them repeatedly falling out of focus.
 
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