7D vs. 5D Mark II - all about the glass

25ish or 35mm. Just about everything I work on our shoot, it's either of those two on the camera. That's me, though. I wonder what Dadoboy and the others think?

It's SUCH a good and flexible view. Outdoors its a natural for establishing shots. Let's you see where you're at without becoming attached to anything. Indoors it allows you to see the room without the ceiling (depending on the crop).

The thing I don't like about the 50 is that it's just too close to the human eye. Movies are generally about escapism. A view or perspective that is not our own. We go to great lengths to get viewers to suspend reality. So why use a lens that mirrors reality. Get wide, or get long. Of course, this excludes the documentary, which should probably live between 35 and 85. At least to my thinking.

I remember the DP for the movie "Ronin" speaking on this exact thing. About how Frankenheimer felt about the lenses.
 
A. These are unpaid volunteers

B. The focus puller is flying blind. There is not screen for him

C. I know most $M productions are shot on the open end of the lenses, but there is proper support for it. Not 3 guys (DP, Director, 1AC) walking behind the talent with a shoulder mount cam looking at a 5D LCD.

Still I ask: how much are you paying?

I don't use an ac. I pull focus on my own. Often while shoulder mounted with a 2.5" SD LCD as far as the 7D is concerned.

Practice beats all.
 
It's SUCH a good and flexible view. Outdoors its a natural for establishing shots. Let's you see where you're at without becoming attached to anything. Indoors it allows you to see the room without the ceiling (depending on the crop).

The thing I don't like about the 50 is that it's just too close to the human eye. Movies are generally about escapism. A view or perspective that is not our own. We go to great lengths to get viewers to suspend reality. So why use a lens that mirrors reality. Get wide, or get long. Of course, this excludes the documentary, which should probably live between 35 and 85. At least to my thinking.

I remember the DP for the movie "Ronin" speaking on this exact thing. About how Frankenheimer felt about the lenses.

agreed. 35 or 24 is where it's at. Although I'm
beginning to love shooting at 135 and 180.
 
Canon L primes look so much better than the L zooms....to me at least.

If you need to shoot handheld at telephoto though, the 70-200 2.8 IS is awesome! No need for stabilizers as long as you have a steady hand.
 
A 24-105L on a 5D II will have similar DOF to a 17-55 on a 7D when both lenses are wide open because the 5D II has a larger sensor, giving it about an extra stop of apparent DOF.

I stand corrected! Yeah I had forgotten about that. I still would get that 24-70 over the 24-105 though for the extra stop and overall image quality.
 
Thanks for sharing your knowledge guys!

So, if I were to mimic a 24mm - 35mm FOV, I'd still buy a lens that is between those measurements (i.e. 24mm, 28mm, 30mm, 35mm)? Especially cause the 7D is close to S35 sensor size? Right? lol, sorry if this has been adressed a BILLION times before!!!!
 
Of course, this excludes the documentary, which should probably live between 35 and 85. At least to my thinking.

Yep, that's me. Shooting docs :D.

You're still comparing Apples to Oranges, though.

We're all comparing apples and oranges here - full frame and crop sensor cameras are totally different. I completely agree with you here. All I'm saying is that focal length wise and DoF potential wise the best stabilized normal lens comparison is 17-55 vs 24-105. It's a very specific statement to make.

You lost me here. A traditional 85mm Video Close up? What are we talking about? Because, as far as I know a 50's a 50 and isn't my close-up lens when shooting motion picture. If it's a Cooke S4 set, for example, it's the 75 or 100mm. A 50's a 50 until you get to Full Frame, which is naturally larger.

When I shoot interviews with the 7D my 50 sigma gives me a close-up focal length (head w/limited headroom and tops of shoulders). I guess I'm looking for the traditional 85mm portraiture focal length.

I'll inquire: Why do you not choose to use anything wider than a 50mm which isn't wide at all on either camera?

I've had the sigma 50 f/1.4 lens in a different mount before and love it for portraits - for video this focal length gives me a perfect medium close-up for interviews. I'm shooting a doc project right now and could probably get by with just this lens and a few f/8 wide shots with the canon kit. Personally I'm saving up for the tokina 11-16 and then after that I'll pick up a fast 50-150 or 70-200 zoom. Unless I decide to splurge on a rails / shoulder mount combo first...
 
The thing I don't like about the 50 is that it's just too close to the human eye. Movies are generally about escapism. A view or perspective that is not our own. We go to great lengths to get viewers to suspend reality. So why use a lens that mirrors reality. Get wide, or get long. Of course, this excludes the documentary, which should probably live between 35 and 85. At least to my thinking.
You know, a 50mm lens on the 7D (or on 35mm motion picture film) gives a much narrower FOV than the human eye. A 35mm or 24mm (or 25mm) lens gives a FOV close to the human eye. Are you sure that you aren't undermining your own point here?
 
You know, a 50mm lens on the 7D (or on 35mm motion picture film) gives a much narrower FOV than the human eye. A 35mm or 24mm (or 25mm) lens gives a FOV close to the human eye. Are you sure that you aren't undermining your own point here?

My comment was in regards to full frame as that's all I've ever shot.
 
Gotcha. It wasn't clear in your post.

Yea, I forgot to make mention that I have been working with the 5D and not the 7D. But that bit of clarity is important so thanks for bringing it up.

Also even after ALL this time, and understanding the different layouts of how the negative get's used in film, I was not even processing that there was a crop factor versus full frame. So in that regard, a lens on the 7D bears much closer resemblance to a lens on a motion picture camera, than one on a 35mm stills camera.
 
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