7D vs 5D?

[Todd Terry]

I won’t make a recommendation between the two cameras, just point one thing out… a larger sensor doesn’t necessarily only give you a shallower depth of field. Rather, it gives you a more controllable depth of field. That is, you can have a DoF that’s deep or shallow, it just depends on your lighting, lens choice, and f-stop. But the larger sensor lets you get a shallower depth of field when you want it. It doesn’t always automatically saddle you with super-shallow DoFs. It’s pretty much the same situation that 35mm SLR still shooters (back in the pre-DSLR days) and 35mm cinematographers have been used to for about 100 years now.

T2

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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Rick Wise]

There are two issues to keep in mind in choosing between the 5D and the 7D: field of view, and depth of field.

Field of view: go to the excellent lens comparison page by Abel Cine Tech, https://abelcine.com/fov/. You can see that the 7D has a field of view close to that of a 35mm motion picture camera framed 16:9. (I suggest you set the lens choice to 25mm for a clear comparison.) The 5D has a substantially wider field of view at the same 25mm lens that the 35mm film camera or the 7D.

To match the field of view of a 35mm film camera shooting with a focal length of 25mm, on the 5D you would need a 36.2mm focal length lens.

Which leads us to the second issue: depth of field. If you are matching field of view, then on the 5D you will need to shoot with a longer lens than on the 7D. And the longer the lens, given the same distance from the subject and same f/stop, the more shallow the depth of field.

If you are shooting in tight spaces, then you may find you like the larger field of view of the 5D.

The depth of field of a 25mm lens is identical regardless of format. If you put a 25mm lens on an 8mm camera or on a 65mm camera, the depth of field at a given distance and at a give f/stop is identical. The field of view, however, is vastly different.

From your description of how you would be shooting, it sounds like the 5D will work better for you than the 7D. (Assuming the cost difference is no obstacle….)

Rick Wise
director of photography
San Francisco Bay Area
part-time instructor lighting/camera
Academy of Art University/Film and Video (grad school)
https://www.RickWiseDP.com

[Clay Couch]

I would have went with 7D or 5D a few months back, but they do not get upgrades like the prosumer right below 7D. Its generally about the glass anyway. The 60D articulating screen is very nice, but NOT for what many would consider the plus. I like it to protect my screen when I am not using it. Sure you can get screen guards, but as with Iphone I hate some plastic garbage covering up the beauty that is my screen. Plus internal updates hardware wise were latest and greatest. I do more video than I do stills is another reason.

When 7d/5d get their upgrades, I will probably step up to 5D, until then I am happier than a pig in mud with my 60D. I also love my Sigma 2.8 70-200.

“We’ll fix it in post” I love to hear that.

[Clay Couch]

I was linking this site in another thread about 60D vs 7D and it will get you thinking when you look at this comparison.

60D vs 5D

75 vs 72, 3 points worth 1800 bucks? You decide.

[Brent Dunn]

5D will give you more color detail and less video noise when cranking up your ISO. 7D has more control over video settings and allow you to shoot 720p at 60fps.

The 60D has the same guts as the 7D, with the plus of a flip out screen.

Personally, I would only purchase a DSLR for a B-camera. If you have the budget, I would recommend the Panasonic AF-100 or Sony NEX FS-100U.
These are Video Cameras with the advantage of using your DSLR lenses. Much better camera images with not issues of Rolling Shutters, banding,& jello effects you get with the DSLR.

Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.net

Sony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut Studio

HP i7 Quad laptop
Adobe CS-5 Production Suite