We have a Canon 7D. We like the Canon 7D. It’s THE camera of 2011. It takes amazing photos. It’s being used by filmmakers for music videos, documentaries, short films – you name it. But shooting great HD video on the 7D (or 5D Mark 2 for that matter) requires a little knowledge, some accessories, and a spare battery or two. But, since, like us, you’re probably just keen to go out and just shoot a film today, we’ve compiled a list of 10 Tips for shooting video on the Canon 7D.
1. Indecent Exposure. If your exposure is off, you are stuck with it. Whilst the LCD display is very accurate for video, a light meter would be a lot safer. Think film-maker not videographer.
2. Go Manual. Use the 3 Presets and save 3 different settings depending on what you are shooting. If you’re shooting at night have some different ISO preset options. If you’re shooting slow-motion, have some faster shutter speeds as options.
3. ISO important. The Canon 7D shoots great video in low light and you can use the ISO to help you out. Stick to the numbers 320, 640, and 1250 as they have produced better results in tests. Try not to go above 1250 though unless you have to.
4. Focus in Camera Mode and then change to Video Mode. The Camera Mode has access to all of the 19 AF Points while Video Mode only has the Center-weight focus. Or focus manually instead, but you probably want to get hold of a Follow Focus for this.
5. Buy a Viewfinder. These make both focussing and just viewing the LCD screen during daylight hours so much easier. They range from the expensive Zacuto Z-Finder, to the good value LCDVF, to the cheap and cheerful Seagull.
6. Lenses. Image stabilised lenses help a lot. Prime lenses look great for video. As with photography get hold of the best lenses you can afford. Or steal.
7. Hands Off! Use a tripod, or a monopod. Or if you’re shooting handheld, set up a rig using parts from Red Rock Micro. We built a very, very simple rig but it makes a big difference. You need to get your hands off the camera. If you’ve got the money get this dream rig setup.
8. Fast Memory. Use the fastest and biggest memory cards you can find. And have at least 2 whenever you are shooting. We use 32GB Lexar UDMA Memory Cards which keep up with us very well.
9. Low battery. Shooting HD Video on the 7D eats battery for breakfast. And lunch. Always carry a fully charged spare. Or two.
10. Flatten the image. The 7D shoots compressed HD video using the H.264 Codec. To give yourself the most scope for grading the image afterwards, you need to “flatten the image” when you shoot. We followed these instructions and it works pretty well.
BONUS TIP: Sound. You’re going to need an off-camera set-up to record good sound. This H4N Zoom is excellent and affordable. You will then need to see sync in post, just like old times. PluralEyes software does it for you.
Got any tips of your own? Please share them in the comments. Now go shoot something.
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