About To Purchase 7D For Music Video Purposes...HELP!

B

Bawes

Active member
Glad I found this forum. Lots of knowledge here.

I am definitely purchasing this camera off of Amazon within the next few weeks to start doing music videos and other music projects. I have been using a Panasonic GS500 for them so far, so I think it’s time for the upgrade. Lol

Anyway, should I purchase this cam body only or the one that comes with the lense? I was told that the lense is ok, but I can get better for the price.

As far as lenses, what are some recommended ones that I should use when it comes to making music videos? My budget isn’t big, but I don’t want bottom of the line stuff that I will have to upgrade later.

I plan to get the Glidecam 4000 Pro Stabilizer also because I have seen that in action and it helped.

Also, what side memory card do you all think is best that I should get?

Thank you for all of the help in advance also!
 
Welcome to DVXuser!

There are several packages with different lenses - the 18-55mm is quite useful.

To achieve a 'film look' - shallow DOF and low light capability, you should either get the 50mm 1.8 (only $100, gives great results but plastic and might not last a long time) or the 50mm 1.4 (4 times as much, better design, better performance but not as much bang for the buck).

Make sure you get some kind of stabilization for the camera. There are DIY options here or in the DIY section.

Good luck!
 
You'll be happy with this camera! I've had it for a few weeks now, and I'm in love. One of the directors at the production company I intern for uses DSLRs for his music videos.

I'm not sure about this, somebody please correct if I'm wrong, but I've gotten the impression that something like Zacuto's line of shooters would be better suited for a DSLR than glidecams, merlins, etc. I'm curious about this as well, so hopefully someone else will come along and speak on this.

For memory cards, get something fast. Get a few San Disk Extreme 16gb cards. If you have a laptop to dump footage on, that'd be great. Something you'll definitely need is an external hardrive.

Like DVXhutch said, a thrifty fifty is cheap, and a great lens. Good to start with. It's all I have right now, and it's good for now, but I'm trying to get a wider lens eventually.
 
If you're serious about shooting videos, please consider a manual focus lens from Nikon, or Contax Yashica with the appropriate adapter ring.

Why?

Silky smoothe manual focus.

A Manual Aperture Ring.

You're not tied down to a canon system. Imagine when that REALLY REALLY sick Nikon video SLR comes out, or that Panasonic GH-5 with raw 4k, or a Scarlet...

All of these should theoretically be able to use a nikon lens. Maybe only one of them could ever use a canon lens.

Furthermore, a decent, slightly older used set of nikon standard speed primes can be had for LESS THAN THE COST OF ONE Canon PRIME OR ZOOM.

But, if you must have an electronically controlled lens, I can't recommend the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC enough for use with the 7D. Just test it in the store before you buy it!:cheesy:
 
Dan_Kanes said:
If you're serious about shooting videos, please consider a manual focus lens from Nikon, or Contax Yashica with the appropriate adapter ring.

Why?

Silky smoothe manual focus.

A Manual Aperture Ring.

You're not tied down to a canon system. Imagine when that REALLY REALLY sick Nikon video SLR comes out, or that Panasonic GH-5 with raw 4k, or a Scarlet...

All of these should theoretically be able to use a nikon lens. Maybe only one of them could ever use a canon lens.

Furthermore, a decent, slightly older used set of nikon standard speed primes can be had for LESS THAN THE COST OF ONE Canon PRIME OR ZOOM.

But, if you must have an electronically controlled lens, I can't recommend the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC enough for use with the 7D. Just test it in the store before you buy it!:cheesy:
Click to expand...

All people new to DSLR cinema should take this as gospel. Fast primes! Repeat after me FAST MANUAL PRIMES! If you have to get a zoom, I like the Tokina 11-16 f2.8 since ultra wides are hard to come by on the 7D.
 
Reading all the comments now and soaking them in. lol Y'all are great.

Just checked out the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC. That looks like I will need to get that also.

I'm new to this stuff as far as lenses and all that. I say I am more hands on then reading. I'd rather ask, get suggestions, then read up on them. Kind of like I am doing now.

So realisticly, how many different lenses should I need for video direction? They will be mostly Hip-Hop and if other genre's came about them also.
 
Hip hop videos?

You need that peleng or Samyang 8mm son!

But, no seriously- that 8mm and the tokina 11-16 plus tamron 17-50 vc would be a killer starting set.
 
Dan_Kanes said:
If you're serious about shooting videos, please consider a manual focus lens from Nikon, or Contax Yashica with the appropriate adapter ring.

Why?

Silky smoothe manual focus.

A Manual Aperture Ring.

You're not tied down to a canon system. Imagine when that REALLY REALLY sick Nikon video SLR comes out, or that Panasonic GH-5 with raw 4k, or a Scarlet...

All of these should theoretically be able to use a nikon lens. Maybe only one of them could ever use a canon lens.

Furthermore, a decent, slightly older used set of nikon standard speed primes can be had for LESS THAN THE COST OF ONE Canon PRIME OR ZOOM.

But, if you must have an electronically controlled lens, I can't recommend the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC enough for use with the 7D. Just test it in the store before you buy it!:cheesy:
Click to expand...

Listen to this man.

Good glass is FOREVER:

picture.php


picture.php


Nikkor:
20mm f2.8
24mm f2.0
35mm f1.4
50mm f1.4
85mm f1.4
135mm f2.0

I've used these on th e 5d/7d and RED ONE with great results.
 
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That is funny-I don't know 1 still photographer that has any front lens caps, much less has them labeled and all inventoried. Video is a different game!
 
Just to add some more diversity to this lively conversation, it amazes me how a some people will trash the Kit Lens.

Here is my video that I shot only with the kit lens:

Am I saying that this is the best lens out there or the end all be all of lenses, nope, because it's not. Primes are amazing. Fast lens are great (roughly ~2.8 and lower). But what people who trash this lens aren't saying is the reality & value.

First off, if you're not shooting in low light, you don't really need that fast of a lens. Yes it helps to get a shallow depth of field, but theres other techniques to achieve this. This lens is a great variable lens, and I can not recommend a lens with Image Stabilizer (IS) enough! Which this lens has.

2nd - This lens with the kit is roughly 1/2 the street price. So lets say you get it and don't like it...ebay it, for a profit! 1st lesson of business, make a profit :D

I just received the Tokina lens (11-16mm) and will give a field report with that shortly. But now I can shoot from 11mm to 135mm with just a small gap not covered!

For those that have $2000-$4000 of cash lying around to build an arsonal of lense, then yes, don't buy this. But if you're like me, budgeting together a lens kit then I can't recommend this enough.


@jfeditor ----thanks for the heads up with the 50mm prime. I'm on the fence with this one. For only $100 it's fast. But is it worth saving up a bit more to get something better?

~Tim
http://timkayfilms.blogspot.com/
 
mcgeedigital said:
Listen to this man.

Good glass is FOREVER:

picture.php


picture.php


Nikkor:
20mm f2.8
24mm f2.0
35mm f1.4
50mm f1.4
85mm f1.4
135mm f2.0

I've used these on th e 5d/7d and RED ONE with great results.
Click to expand...


I have a similar array of lenses but there Canon FD's. Im going to try the adapter I found on ebay and see how they look, since I have some good fast ones, included the rare 24mm 1.4. I loved the way they looked in the letus35, so they should look even better on the 7D. as long as im not losing light from the letus, lol.

BTW, I just picked up the 7D tonight with the stock lens 28-135mm. I love this thing already.
 
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