Advice for Lenses and Gear for the 5D for commercial production purposes.

[Jared Cicon]

Phil, After sleeping on it I think I agree and see where you are going with the 5D/7D argument. I also remember just a few months back I had to rent a Sony EX-1 so I could shoot at 60FPS for slo-mo purposes. The 7D would have saved me $300.00. I am definitely leaning now towards the 7D, especially since it could serve as a quality back-up at a later date if/when I decide to purchase a 5D. In other words, all of the peripherals (lenses/gear) are compatible, so purchasing another ‘D’ body later makes good sense. I have just two more important questions I hope you can help me with.

1. AUDIO: What audio recorder would you suggest I purchase since I will now for sure be capturing audio separately, and how do I insure that I don’t forget to start the sound recorder (on small crew jobs or jobs I shoot myself) every time I start recording video. Is there some sort of sync capability between the 7D and a recorder so both can start simultaneously? Also, if I end up with a few hundred clips of video to sort out. Is there a way to re-sync the sound that won’t present a nightmare in post?

2. DOF: How much better is the DOF with the 5D compared to the 7D. And….compared to the mini-dv tape based system I use now (Sony HDRFX-1), will the 7D still blow away the DOF I have been able to get by using long focal lengths and a wide open aperture?

Thanks for your help Phil.
Jared

[Phil Balsdon]

Re Audio:
I already owned a ZoomH4. The newer H4n seems to be everyones favourite. It’s light good quality sound etc. If I want it on camera I attach to the flash bracket with a Manfrotto ball mount. Always roll the sound before the camera (this is standard film shooting procedure). I use the DSLR slate app in my phone as back to any problems that I might have using PluralEyes in Final Cut Pro in post (not that I’ve had any).
Audio can be fed from the Line Out of the H4 with a cable and pad to the 7D audio in. If the sound recordist has the Zoom I use a Sennheiser radio mike to link the sound wirelessly with the receiver mounted on the camera or you can use a mike on the camera to record a guide track. (I already owned all this kit prior to buying the 7D).

Re lenses / depth of field:
I worked a lot of feature films and commercials as a steadicam operator, B camera op and second unit DoP. Mostly we shot at around f4. I figured that as the 7D is around the same size format it was fine. I’m not a fan of eyes in focus, nose and ears in soft focus. If I was cynical I’d accuse some people of claiming that if you don’t have a 5D your not good enough purely based on this depth of field argument. Until the 5D, super 35mm film format size was about as good as you could get until IMAX, 70mm etc. I actually think the audio, low light sensitivity and minimal better image quality of the 5D are more important factors.

The difference between your Sony and the 7D will be significant, I’ve really only tested it against my JVC HD111 (1/3 inch CCDs) and there’s no comparison. The 7D also seems have this better subtle tonal range thing about it when compared to other video formats.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Michael Sacci]

This is the $2400 lens
https://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/professional_cameras/ef_lens_lineup/lens_telezoom_pro/ef_70_200mm_f_2_8l_is_ii_usm

vs the less expensive
https://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/professional_cameras/ef_lens_lineup/lens_telezoom_pro/ef_70_200mm_f_2_8l_is_usm

The more expensive lens has a better IS and has the tripod mount on the lens as standard.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/680103-USA/Canon_2751B002_EF_70_200mm_f_2_8L_IS.html

If I had the money I would get the IS II lens but if I didn’t I wouldn’t regret getting the $1900 one either.

[Jared Cicon]

Hey Michael,
Thanks for contributing to my education of this brave new DSLR world. I am going to try and swing the 70/200 with the tripod feature. Though 95% of my live action footage is ‘still’, I know one day I will shoot a pan and kick myself in the pants for not getting the best lens possible. Great info. Thanks again.

Any thoughts on that HANDY SLR? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDiVaV1wTDw)
Jared

[Jared Cicon]

Hey Phil,
Thanks for all the well thought out and reasoned information. What a great service the CC. I wish I knew more so I could contribute in kind. I have just about made my decision. It looks like the 5D will be the route I will take. I wish though that I would be able to see the full field of view from my 14mm that I found two years ago, and I wish the 7D had better sound. But notwithstanding those two shortcomings I am getting so much more value for the money. Again, appreciate all the advice.

When you post that footage with that lens you were talking about earlier in the thread, I’d love to see it. Send me a link. My email is ciconsr@yahoo.com. You can check out my reel at https://www.jaredciconfilms.com.
Jared

[Richard Van den boogaard]

Hi Jared,

There are a couple of reasons why you should consider buying multiple camera bodies:
– It allows for double angles while shooting (kinda busy to handle, but doable)
– 7D has 1.6 crop factor, effectively extending reach with existing glass (e.g. 70-200 becomes sth like a 100-300).
– 7D has 50/60 fps: always nice to include a couple of slo-mo shots
– If one of the bodies breaks, you won’t be without
– Buying two Canon bodies makes you eligible for Canons CPS (Canon Professional Services) program, which gives you priority support with repairs.

As stated here above, camera bodies are cheap; but shooting with DSLRs is not, considering all the extra stuff you need. Nonetheless, no other video cameras can beat their image quality and versatility.

Good luck.

Richard

Richard van den Boogaard
cameraman / editor / video marketing consultant

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W: http://www.brandedchannels.com

[Jared Cicon]

Hey Richard,
Between yourself, Phil, Michael and the rest of you pros, I have been given as much advice as a guy could hope for. My first purchase will be the 7D and relative kit. In a few months time I will add the 5D body. Can’t thank you all enough.
Jared