Method to allow Longer Record times?

[Gang_Green]

I have read that the 5D/7D are the best small cameras for Low Light performace. That they are superior in low light to any current small HD video camera. ? Is this true?
I have read that the Canon 5D/7D allow only 30 minutes of record times. Is there a method to allow longer record times by hooking /wiring up an external device. i am hoping to take advantage of the cameras low light abilities and small size by using it as a hidden camera in a dark space. I want to be able to run a cable (HDMI, Firewire?) out and capture to a video village. This possible or reasonable to do?

 

[andrew00]

Canon cameras takes Compact Flash memory cards. These are formatted FAT32, FAT32 has a maximum file size of 4GB, which 5d/7d terms amounts to about 12 minutes of video.

They are good at low light for two reasons, firstly the sensors in these cameras are typically much bigger than camcorder sensors, which means they can take in more light. Secondly, they have ISO control which lets them boost the brightness digitally in lovely ways without introducing a horrible grainy image. It's not perfect, but again it's useful when compared to camcorders.

 

[ydgmdlu]

The 5D and 7D are the best-performing low-light HD video cameras currently on the market for under $3000. Beyond $3000, the best-performing low-light HD video cameras in the world are the newly announced Nikon D3S and the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. Both of these cameras can capture fairly low-noise video better than your eyes can see in the dark.

The 7D and 5D (and presumably also the 1D Mark IV) only record up to around 12 minutes of HD. 30 minutes is for SD. The time limit exists because of a European Union tax law, and because Canon is unwilling to make separate versions of the cameras for different parts of the world, we all have to pay for that law.

You can record to an external device (to avoid the time limit) like the NanoFlash, which is the most portable one on the market, AFAIK. But it's expensive.

 

[Mitch_Ives]

The 7D and 5D (and presumably also the 1D Mark IV) only record up to around 12 minutes of HD. 30 minutes is for SD. The time limit exists because of a European Union tax law, and because Canon is unwilling to make separate versions of the cameras for different parts of the world, we all have to pay for that law.

That appears to be the party line, but I suspect that isn't really it. If it was, they would do what Panasonic did with the HG-1 and make a US version that recorded longer.

I suspect that it's really a function of over-heating sensors, which is not a new phenomenon in the video cam world. JVC has experienced this. Even a few seconds of rest is enough to cool them down. People are reporting on the 5D that the camera starts acting different after it warms up... i.e. lower quality, color shifts, etc. To be fair, it's a small body and it has no air vents...