Got any Canon 7D video tips ?

[MeadsMan]

Hi,I am very impressed with the video on my 7D,I like using it,but can anyone advise on the best settings to use.Normally I just flick the switch over to video,and hit the start film button.But sure there is more to it,to get the best from the video function.I was also wondering,does the quality of the lens used matter as much ? I ask this as the 7D has a reputation for bringing out the worse in cheaply made lenses when shooting stills.

[Badllarma]

Ok here it goes
Set Picture profile to
Sharpness all the way down E.G. -4
Contrast all the way down E.G. -4
Saturation - 2

ISO to 160 or 320

Shutter Speed set to 1/50
Aperture to your liking

NOTE the picture profile gives a very flat image IT HAS TO BE GRADED TO GET THE BEST OUT OF IT!And make the resulting video image come alive

And one last thing nail it to a tripod

[MeadsMan]

Thanks Badllarma,I think I followed most of that,up till this bit;

NOTE the picture profile gives a very flat image IT HAS TO BE GRADED TO GET THE BEST OUT OF IT!And make the resulting video image come alive.

What do you mean by graded ?

[Badllarma]

Grading is short for colour grading, colour correction or Colour timing it's basically editing the colours of the video in your chosen editing package.

The settings
Sharpness all the way down E.G. -4
Contrast all the way down E.G. -4
Saturation - 2

give a VERY flat (low contrast image) the point being it retains as much colour information in the light and dark areas as possible the only problem is it does look flat!

And so needs work doing in post production (during the edit at our level) to take the vibrancy of the video you shot back to a great looking level.
It's like taking stills into Photoshop or lightroom and playing around with the colours brightness contrast etc to get the image just how you like it.

Hope that helps
In film work there are two grades
The first Grade gets everything looking the same eg Camera 1 and camera 2 shooting the same scene may have been setup slightly differently so in the edit the cuts stand out so both are graded to look the same.
The second grade is to achieve the final "look" of the production.

Of course profession colour grading goes way beyond what we will need, it can be used to alter compositions, transfer points of interest in scenes and do lots of other things as well.

hope that helps. Nothing to do with the 7D itself but in the edit.

[MeadsMan]

Thank you .

[MeadsMan]

Hi again,Like many I have limited free time,but with a little more investigation,and messing about,I found you can convert the 7D`s video files to AVI format in zoombrowser.Open the video files in zoombrowser,and click on edit,it gives an option to convert,it`s in there.This does seem to make things a little more compatable,you can run it through windows movie maker ect,and I put the new converted AVI file on a DVD,and can now whatch it on the T.V through my normal DVD player.I think you do lose a fair bit of quality,but it wont be as noticeable to people who have not seen the original`s,and is certainly acceptable in my eyes.Please post more info for the 7D`s video functions here if you have them.

[Dom Greves]

My tip would be to buy a very large memory stick and an extra battery or two - you'll need them!

[SouthwestSnapper]

My tip would be to buy some ND filters. I have an ND8 and a ND4 and sometimes have to use both together and a polariser..

You are stuck with using a 50th of a sec you see...so if you want that cinema shallow DOF and want to use F1.4, 2.8 etc to get the amazing film look then even at low ISO's you struggle to achieve this when the sun comes out..the answer is ND...just the same as on any decent video camera...just the EOS sadly doesn't have any built in..but then its not a video camera i guess...

i got a couple of cheap filters second hand on a generic internet auction site.wink wink!

[SouthwestSnapper]

Picture profile wise if you are just starting out then stick to neutral..however you are limiting the camera latitude and can find some superflat profiles on the internet, these make the image look horrible you then correct it post as said above...this is prob something for a latter date as grading is an art of its own...if you want an auto exposure for some reason then the only option is to use auto ISO..best avoided from the start really as it make footage look really amateur when bright or dark objects pass through frame and the camera tries to adjust!

[slimrbp]

Originally Posted by SouthwestSnapper

My tip would be to buy some ND filters. I have an ND8 and a ND4 and sometimes have to use both together and a polariser..

You are stuck with using a 50th of a sec you see...so if you want that cinema shallow DOF and want to use F1.4, 2.8 etc to get the amazing film look then even at low ISO's you struggle to achieve this when the sun comes out..the answer is ND...just the same as on any decent video camera...just the EOS sadly doesn't have any built in..but then its not a video camera i guess...

i got a couple of cheap filters second hand on a generic internet auction site.wink wink!

You are not limited to 1/50s on a 7D:

from Canon -

Video Shutter Speeds: The EOS 7D allows the user to set any shutter speed from 1/30th second (1/60th if set to 50fps or 60fps) thru 1/4000th second

Canon Digital Learning Center - Harnessing the Power of the EOS 7D’s Video System