Ex1r or 7d

N

nj_

New member
I’m sitting here on a 10k budget for a new cam and am tossing up between the Sony-Ex1r or the Canon 7d.
My main goal is to shoot documentary,landscapes,nature,advertisements,promos and I want a moveable cam easy to take around.
With my selected budget what would you recommend? I was pretty set to get the EX1 until the DSLR range took it to another level.
 
Probably the EX1r. The 7D's recording time limit will get in the way on documentaries. It's aliasing and moire problems will get in the way on landscapes and nature. It might do ok for adverts and promos. It is also more mobile than the EX1r, but then again the EX1r is more versatile.
 
Buy an EX1 and a 35mm adapter (but go high end adapter, not el cheapo). The aliasing and moire problems are a no no for unpredictable scenarios. Yes, you can get beautiful looking docs, if they end up being a compilation of nice shots, but if you want to go human drama, guerrila like, the possibility of doing quick zooms and reframes, fast focus and good capture of those its now or never moments, a Video cam, in this case, an EX1 wins hands down.

EDIT- OR Buy an EX1r and a Canon 550D+ a 50 1.4 and probably a 16-35 2.8 for those Beauty 35mm esque shots. It should be inside your budget.
 
Sounds good, was looking for some kind of support for the ex1r and found a neck brace that rests on the chest...anyone recommend what to add to the ex1r, what cards recommended?
 
I shot a feature with the EX1 and adaptor. It gets the job done but it is not anywhere easy to take around. If you want to have an easy to take around solution, go with the EX1 without adaptor. If you want the movie look and narrow depth of field then it's very simple: The EX1 + Adaptor is not suitable for anything without tripod and be aware you will need to take your time to carry it and set it up (not to mention the extra lights you'll need to light the scene). The DSLR is the only lightweight solution for a movie look but then only if you have a way to solve the audio issue. In final analysis I would recommend the bare EX1 for what you are doing.
 
new video cameras from canon :-)..I personally EX1R and 5D Mark II, but not canon does not look bad on paper yet :-)
 
If you don't mind what is actually only slightly better than SD resolution, and don't mind that your video will look surprisingly much worse if broadcast - get a 7D. Otherwise, get an EX1 - add a great adapter like RR M2. You might get your film refused on many networks with 7D. It's a great tool for Vimeo videos of your daughter and/or pets, or for one-off "dirty-fuzzy" effects as sought by the tiny number of broadcats people who have used it (SNL, Tonight show intro - uh... That's it). A huge percentage of Discovery and other non-fiction networks is hot on Ex1/3. Less than 0.05% on any DSLR.

DSLR is a con game - it loosk OK on the web in very limited situations (so peopel get excited) , terrible on HDTV, terrible in many other circumstances (try shooting a city street at f11)
 
I actually hate the ergonomics of the EX-1 and have never used the EX-1r but I heard they improved them. In any case, some kind of solution for holding the damn thing is a must.
 
Robert Ruffo said:
If you don't mind what is actually only slightly better than SD resolution, and don't mind that your video will look surprisingly much worse if broadcast - get a 7D. Otherwise, get an EX1 - add a great adapter like RR M2. You might get your film refused on many networks with 7D. It's a great tool for Vimeo videos of your daughter and/or pets, or for one-off "dirty-fuzzy" effects as sought by the tiny number of broadcats people who have used it (SNL, Tonight show intro - uh... That's it). A huge percentage of Discovery and other non-fiction networks is hot on Ex1/3. Less than 0.05% on any DSLR.

DSLR is a con game - it loosk OK on the web in very limited situations (so peopel get excited) , terrible on HDTV, terrible in many other circumstances (try shooting a city street at f11)
Click to expand...

The whole last episode of this season's House MD was shot on 5D Mark II's. Even 24 is using 5D's for their Car Chases. These reports are everywhere. I suggest listening to Pro Video Coalition's NAB podcast with the TV Series 24 DP.
 
For $10,000, as SPZ said, get an EX1r and 550d for selected shots. But for documentary shooting, I definitely would not go without electronic zoom, XLR, manual audio gain, zebras, histogram, long record times, etc, etc.
 
SPZ said:
The whole last episode of this season's House MD was shot on 5D Mark II's. Even 24 is using 5D's for their Car Chases. These reports are everywhere. I suggest listening to Pro Video Coalition's NAB podcast with the TV Series 24 DP.
Click to expand...

T2i ≠ 5D Mark II.

People need to be reminded of this simple fact. There's a reason why people are using one and not the other.
 
DSLRs are a pain - depends what you are doing

Adapters are a double pain (avoid IMO)

I would get a EX1 and Whatever DSLR you can afford on top, start with a 50 1.4 for the look on the DSLR and then get a wide lens for it - use that as a b cam

The EX1 misses the look and the wide - its not so bad at the long end

The DSLR route is a cash hole - you need a rig, sound recorder, primes, monitor - making it work properly you then start needing heaps of spare batteries, loads of leads and drown in a world of little bits

ps I own 5d 7d and Ex1

======

The cost of a funtioning DSLR is way higher than an EX1 IMO - when I say functioning I mean to use in a way you can just use the EX1
My DSLR kit..
5d
Complex Rig
FF
SmallHD - 4 batts
6 batts for the camera
sound recorder - just brokin my tascam so will get a Sound Devices
24-105
70-200
50 1.4
14 2.8
Heaps of cards

My EX1 Kit
EX1
Microphone
Cheapo shoulder rig
2 Batts
2 Cards


S
 
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Events- EX1r
Anything else - 5D

Many docs produced on old arri 16mm double systems- I think Pennebaker and Maysles would have loved the 5D in their day.
 
Robert Ruffo said:
If you don't mind what is actually only slightly better than SD resolution, and don't mind that your video will look surprisingly much worse if broadcast - get a 7D. Otherwise, get an EX1 - add a great adapter like RR M2. You might get your film refused on many networks with 7D. It's a great tool for Vimeo videos of your daughter and/or pets, or for one-off "dirty-fuzzy" effects as sought by the tiny number of broadcats people who have used it (SNL, Tonight show intro - uh... That's it). A huge percentage of Discovery and other non-fiction networks is hot on Ex1/3. Less than 0.05% on any DSLR.

DSLR is a con game - it loosk OK on the web in very limited situations (so peopel get excited) , terrible on HDTV, terrible in many other circumstances (try shooting a city street at f11)
Click to expand...

LOL....wow....I don't even know where to begin with this....

….but anyways to tht OP, I have a 7D and its great and all but I think you might want an EX for documentaries. It’s better suited for that purpose. Personally though…I would get both EX and a cheap 550D. You’d cover all ends there.
 
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I've agreed with a lot of what Robert's said before, but I think that last post is going quite a bit too far. I've seen Philip Bloom's stuff projected on a reasonably large screen and -- when shot properly for a DSLR -- it can look stunningly good. Thing is, you have to know how to shoot for a DSLR.

But yes, there are some shots that just aren't going to work well. Although I will say this -- shooting that city street at f/11 is going to look better than shooting it at f/5.6! At least at f/11 you'll get some softening of the image due to diffraction, which will minimize some of the outrageous aliasing that you'd get at f/5.6.

For doc work, I'd definitely suggest the EX over the 7D. But yeah, Ian says get both, and I agree. Use the 550D for what it excels at (shallow DOF for stuff like interviews) and use the EX for the main workhorse camera.
 
One's a Video Camera and the other is a Digital Stills Camera with Video tagged on.

Sorry but the only 2 advantages it seems with the Video Option on the Stills Cameras are Price and Portability.
 
If you can wait 9 months, you could get an AF100, which looks to have everything the EX1R has, and everything the 7D has (except stills).
 
I have both. Different tools for different purposes. The DSLR has a learning curve for focusing. I don't see how you can use it reliably without a finder or monitor. Also needs a tad more color correction than I usually give to my EX-1 footage.

The form factor has a lot going for it as long as you don't strap on a ton of crap and expect to walk around with it, then you might as well lug around an EX-1. But for light, mobile operations the 7d is very nice. I brought mine to NAB to shoot some bits. Entire kit including double system audio fit in knapsack except for tripod. There's no way I would have brought the EX-1 for this type of shooting.

But if I want the absolute control offered by a full-featured ("real") video cam, I use my EX-1. Get both if you can afford it.

Also, don't get sucked into all this "there's a new camera coming" sensationalism. I'm not implying that Barry is being sensational, it's just there's a lot of talk this week about what might turn up in dealers in 5-6 months from now. Buy what you need now. There will always be something new around the corner and you can't wait forever.

Good luck spending your money!
 
Barry_Green said:
If you can wait 9 months, you could get an AF100, which looks to have everything the EX1R has, and everything the 7D has (except stills).
Click to expand...

If that is not an early mockup and they stick to that design......thats one ugly looking brick.

Impressive features though.
 
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