About to purchase the Canon 7D

Hmm, thanks a lot Michael! Clears up a lot. I guess I was mucking up in my phrasing and understanding really. I did not think the actual lens changed haha...but I can see how it would appear that I did.

Good explanation,

Kegan
 
I have some more questions about lenses, but let's jump back to the Memory Card again. I think I'm going to go with this one:

SanDisk 32GB CF Extreme III CompactFlash Card 30MB/s 200X - SDCFX3-032G-P31

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=211969925&listingid=50517972

It's only $160 right now on Buy.com. But I seem to remember reading once that the max memory the 7D could take on a card was only 16gb. So a 32GB wouldn't work with it. Is that bullshi*? Or can I go ahead and purchase this?
 
Well, the 7D will only record in 4GB blocks due to the formatting of the card. In other words, after the camera records 4GB of footage, you have to press "START" for it to continue - its a forced file-break and a fairly major drawback of the camera.

Aside from that, I don't know of any other size limitations the camera has. I'm pretty sure I've filled up my 32GB card on more than one occasion and had no trouble doing so.
 
Michael Olsen said:
its a forced file-break and a fairly major drawback of the camera.
Click to expand...

It's a drawback, but not a major one, IMO. 12 minutes is longer than you get with most film magazines. And that's what using this camera reminds me of for the most part. I'm back to recording separate audio and syncing in post, big sensors and shallow DOF, and restricted shot length.

Reminds of the good ol' days! :)
 
Beeblebrox said:
It's a drawback, but not a major one, IMO. 12 minutes is longer than you get with most film magazines. And that's what using this camera reminds me of for the most part. I'm back to recording separate audio and syncing in post, big sensors and shallow DOF, and restricted shot length.

Reminds of the good ol' days! :)
Click to expand...

That only holds true for those of us old enough to REMEMBER the goold old days! For everyone else, it's "impossible" to use. :)
 
Beeblebrox said:
It's a drawback, but not a major one, IMO. 12 minutes is longer than you get with most film magazines. And that's what using this camera reminds me of for the most part. I'm back to recording separate audio and syncing in post, big sensors and shallow DOF, and restricted shot length.

Reminds of the good ol' days! :)
Click to expand...

It's interesting that you say that, and I agree. Having not experienced the good old days, the similarities did dawn on me - interchangeable lenses, the 12 min record time, audio sync, external filters only, etc.

As someone headed in the direction of digital cinematography (and hopefully a RED) I find it a great little camera to take the first step with.
 
Thanks, man. As for the lens, I'm starting to lean towards getting that Sigma lens with the 17-70mm focal length. The version of it that has image stabilization built in is only $449 and comes out in January. So I'll probably just wait for it.
 
Damn. I just showed that Sigma zoom lens to a DP friend of mine, and he immediately noticed the reason why it's only $449. It's because the f2.8 does not remain constant through the zoom. The longer your focal length gets, it drops down to almost a 4+ fs. :(

So I think that just canceled out my interest in getting this lens.

The only thing I'm seeing now that is a 2.8fs zoom lens with a focal length range I like, is that TAMRON SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC LD for Canon B005 that Hunter recommended. The only problem there is that, even on eBay, the lens costs over $500.

Here it is on Amazon for $649: http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-17-50m...ef=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1260937244&sr=8-2-fkmr0

So my question to you all is: Is there anything that has similar stats to this above Tamron, but is a more affordable lens?
 
If there is, I feel like an idiot. I just purchased the lens. I love it and can vouch for it - I looked forever for something with that range and focal length and could find nothing.

Maybe you will have better luck,

Kegan
 
I craigslisted a brand new Tamron 17-50 2.8 for $330. If you can do without the VC version good deals can be had. That gets you closer to your budget. It's a great starter lens.
 
Michael Olsen said:
Well, the 7D will only record in 4GB blocks due to the formatting of the card. In other words, after the camera records 4GB of footage, you have to press "START" for it to continue - its a forced file-break and a fairly major drawback of the camera.

Aside from that, I don't know of any other size limitations the camera has. I'm pretty sure I've filled up my 32GB card on more than one occasion and had no trouble doing so.
Click to expand...

In a world of larger memory cards I consider the 4 gig cards a blessing. I treat each card as a reel. I burn one full 4 gig card to a DVD to back it up. It's a blessing in disguise when it comes to post production media management. I may need a few more of them but CF cards are super cheap nowadays. I would much rather have a few 4 gig cards then one 32 gig card when it comes to media management.
 
I really wish the 7D used SD cards, SD cards seem smaller, cheaper, and more widely used in laptops etc...
 
jonE5 said:
...SD cards seem smaller, cheaper, and more widely used in laptops etc...
Click to expand...

They are, but they are generally slower. And most laptops cannot address SD cards beyond 2GB. I have to use an expresscard adapter in my high end Dell to read my EX1 SDHC cards. I just use a multicard adapter when I want to read CF cards. And it also reads memory stick, SDHC, and microSD. $35 well spent.
 
PerroneFord said:
They are, but they are generally slower. And most laptops cannot address SD cards beyond 2GB. I have to use an expresscard adapter in my high end Dell to read my EX1 SDHC cards. I just use a multicard adapter when I want to read CF cards. And it also reads memory stick, SDHC, and microSD. $35 well spent.
Click to expand...

and which brand of multireader is this?
 
I actually purchased a single prime as my first lens, it was the Sigma 30mm f1.4, and quite amazing. It has excellent low light capabilities, and covers some of the most common lengths that I need..

I'm eventually going to want to invest on something a lot wider, but depending on what you're doing, you can get the Sigma 30mm for around your budget, and it produces amazing images and video.
 
I just wanted to thank all you fine people for all the help and advice you provided me on this issue. I'm happy to report that I just returned from Samy's Camera in LA with a brand new Canon EOS 7D. For the lens, I ended up going with the Canon 50mm fs 1.8 lens for $110. I think I want to get better with the camera first before I begin experimenting with different focal lengths. So I'll start with this and then work my way up to a wide angle lens, once I See a good deal.

I always heard great things about this forum, and you all have convinced me that it's for real. So expect me to become an active participant on these boards in the days to come. (sooner than later, probably, because I'm sure I"m going to have a ton of questions. lol)
 
Darn! I'm jealous. I have to wait a few months to get my 7D, but congrats and welcome to the forums man! I *LOVE* that you are going to go get some experience with the camera. The 50mm is going to be great for shooting a lot of stuff. 1-shots with some background, or close 2-shots.

Good stuff!
 
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