Issues with my new 7D (grain and noise in video)

[Steve Crow]

Every scene requires custom settings so I can’t give you one that will work for all situations. Some basic tips:

Keep your ISO as low as possible and for Canon try to use multiples of 160 (so 160 or 320 or 480….etc etc)

Be careful not to overexpose any part of the image, once a part of the image reaches pure white it can never be recovered – technically photographers call this “protecting the highlights” – you can look at the histogram and make sure that there is nothing at the far far right of the graph. I typically try to underexpose my image by a small amount.

Look online and you can find the Philip Bloom recommended settings for shooting video with a Canon – they are very easy to use. Basically you are turning the sharpness and contrast down within the camera (you can bring those qualities back up in post and it will be a better result than what the camera by itself does)

The lens is so important in the final look captured by your camera. I am not familiar with the zoom lens you mentioned but I suspect it’s not a constant aperture so you will notice the image darken as you zoom in, and a darker image like that is also going to give you a greater chance for noise in the shadow areas.

When you can, stick with lenses that are always at a constant, single aperture, ideally 2.8 or lower but if it’s a 4.0 aperture, no worries.

I tend to shoot almost everything with a 50mm prime lens and I just use my feet to get closer to a subject if I need to, first I had the 1.8 version from Canon and then I bought the 1.4. The 1.8 is around $100 and is a great great deal. The 1.4 at closer to $320 is even better if you can afford it. For a zoom I’d recommend the 24-70mm from Canon as a fantastic starting point.

Steve Crow

[Matty Films]

Yes, very true, thank you for the tips and lenses to check out. I will also check out what Philip Bloom has and such. I appreciate your help.