Had to shoot video of the Chrysler/Ghia concept car as it entered the spectator area of the Concours d'Elegance at the Lodge in Pebble Beach to illustrate the noise that this car puts out. It was nearly deafening and the amount of power generated had us wondering about its gas mileage, probably not a huge concern back in 1955. You'll need to turn your speaks way up to appreciate the sound.
Video shot with a Canon T2i and uploaded wirelessly in HD via Eye-Fi X2 Pro and Mifi card
The wedding photographer in the following video has a little difficulty backing up down the aisle to capture the bride & groom. Knowing the cost of the gear around his neck...ouch! Perhaps the videographer should have warned him.
Thank you! Adobe releases the full version of Lightroom 3
Tonight I discovered that the full version of Lightroom 3 was released and I purchased the $99.00 upgrade without thinking twice. If you've ever read my earlier posts on the matter, I was not happy with how any of the Lightroom 2x versions handled noise reduction on CR2 RAW files of the Canon 7D. Since LR3 beta 2 was released, I have been using it exclusively.
Canon 7D shooting video and capturing still on Eye-Fi wifi memory card
I wanted to test the video capabilities of the Canon 7D while shooting using the Canon WFT-E5 wifi grip with Eye-Fi card attached to the usb port. In the video sequence below, I shot high speed stills as the pitcher released the ball. There is a considerable gap in the video where the videos were being captured but that is to be expected. Nevertheless, being able to switch back and forth in an action setting is a handy feature to have.
Below are the stills of the pitcher taken during the video.
I experimented with several settings and can confirm that RAW CR2 files can be saved to the CF memory card while the .jpgs are saved on the SD Eye-Fi card. Video is saved to whichever device is set for playback. Hence, if you are using the selective upload function you will set playback to the SD card which is less than optimal for saving videos. If you want to save video to one device but .jpg & RAW stills to another, my tests indicate that all formats must be saved to both memory cards simultaneously.
So why even bother with an Eye-Fi card if the WFT-E5 is attached to the camera? For one, I can stream stills and perhaps video to Flickr or other photo sharing sites while out in the field assuming I have an internet connection, for my test, I was using a Sprint Mifi card. In addition, it opens up some interesting possibilities for using remote capture from a web browser such as my cell phone. Lastly, I never needed to have a laptop with me which would have been a pre-requisite for wifi transfer via the WFT-E5.
Please feel free to comment and ask questions, there are so many possibilities for a set-up such as this. Let me know how you'd like to use it and I'll let you know whether it seems feasible without going through the initial expense.
I am using the old Eye-Fi Pro memory card which has considerably slower throughput speed than the current models. I would imagine the new Eye-Fi X2 cards to perform even better.
I'm more interested in the Lightroom 3 portion of this video which profiles lens correction & distortion correction functionality coming to the full versions of LR3 and Camera Raw 6 when they become available.
Impressive feature set on both Adobe tools however.
While I anxiously await the launch of the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 with Image Stabilization, I have this video to humor you. This guy apparently cut out the back of his old manual focus Canon AE-1 and inserted a Canon PowerShot SD870 point & shoot camera. That in itself isn't too remarkable but it looks like he enabled many of the control buttons and obviously hacked the software. Not too useful but A+ for effort.
If I could only paint! This video displays amazing new painting tools in Photoshop CS5 that I look forward to trying out. The brush tool that simulates pressure sensitive bristles looks compelling for the digital artist.
Well, RED promised that it would be demonstrating a working RED EPIC camera at this year's NAB show, and it's now delivered. In case you're not up to speed on all things RED, the EPIC is a 5k camera, and can be used in a whole range of different configurations from a small handheld setup for video or still photos, to a fully-outfitted camera rig suitable for a feature film. Head on past the break for a pair of videos from the Scarlet User Podcast, and hit up the source link below for plenty more shots of the camera -- not to mention some accessories including the just-announced RED Station.
RED Epic at the National Association of Broadcasters Show 2010 - If you follow current HD video trends, the hot topics right now are RED & DSLR (particularly Canon) video cameras. Unlike DSLR video cameras, the RED is primarily aimed at videographers and offers cinematic quality at a fraction of the price of many alternatives. The $5000 price point mentioned in the post should set off quite a frenzy amongst enthusiasts and steal some of the DSLR thunder.
Canon's full frame video/still camera, the 5D II is first DSLR to film and entire episode of a prime time television show. The final episode of "House" is reputed to have been shot entirely with the camera legitimizing what many others have already been saying about the camera, that it can handle the load of a full production. The news broke from a twitter message from the show's director Greg Yaitanes.
Although I don't own the 5D II and use the 7D, there are many similarities with the biggest difference being the smaller sensor on the 7D. Figured the event is newsworthy and a serious validation of the format. With video getting such a foothold in the DSLR world, I predict that ensuing generations will have much better handling characteristics. We might even see some new manual focus or hybrid lenses emerge that offer smoother manual focusing. Currently they are available new but only from third parties such as Zeiss. Many are converting older manual focus lenses from Nikon, Pentax, Minolta & Leica. Dedicated manual focus lenses offer a much smoother, dampened focusing experience that you can't currently get from auto-focus lenses.
The current video enabled DSLRs are nice but I am really looking forward to seeing how it evolves. While the video quality is current very good, I'm sure the bodies will be considered crude by future standards.
If you're like me and have either purchased or thinking of purchasing a Canon 7D, you're probably a serious amateur familiar with still photography but captivated by notion of HD video. Unfortunately much of the still photography hardware isn't suitable or adaptable for video. Of course this setup will likely be just as effective with the Canon 5D I & T1i or T2i or any other DSLR that shoots video and has a dedicated Really Right Stuff (RRS) L plate but I can't speak from experience regarding those models.
I owned a Bogen carbon fiber tripod with Kirk ball-head when I purchased my Canon 7D. With just a slight bit of research under my belt and I knew the tripod/ball-head combo just wouldn't work for video. The tripod would flex too much and a ball-head would not allow for a stable panning movement.
Even though I hadn't done a stitch of video, I knew that I did not want to carry around two sets of tripods so I sought out to find a hybrid alternative. Unfortunately, there wasn't much out there yet to satisfy my requirements. Dedicated video tripods have leg spreaders that won't allow placement on an uneven surface. Video heads can't be shifted into portrait position and are very expensive.
The alternative I've come up with is a compromise. Bogen (aka Manfrotto) made the 475 tripod with independently adjustable leg spreaders that allow use as a still camera tripod and they are fairly easy to find used. I wanted the fluid movement of a video head however which doesn't allow for portrait orientation.
Then I discovered that Really Right Stuff began altering their L plates for the Canon 7D so the Arca style plate at the base of the camera is squared so it can be used in a forward/rear orientated clamp typical with video heads. The L-plate allows for easy Portrait orientation. I then picked up an inexpensive used Bogen 3063 video head on eBay and mounted a Kirk Bogen/Manfrotto hex adapter clamp.
While the combination is far from perfect. It's heavy and definitely a compromise, far from ideal for either video or still photography. But, I did not have to spend a huge amount of money and now only carry one tripod in the trunk.
I hope the next person to read this is able to come up with an even better solution and would be happy to publish suggestions.
Probably not what you're expecting. Below is an amazing video of how a mask was created out of Adobe Photoshop CS4 boxes. Watch the whole video to see the stunning final mask result.
Brief video taken with my Canon 7D on a spectator boat as we traveled out to the break at the 2010 Mavericks Surf Contest. Unfortunately I had to put the camera down prematurely as I needed both hands to brace myself.
Our captain Dennis from the New Captain Pete had to time the swells to get us there safely. The video does not do justice to the size of the swells that day. While we were unscathed, my stomach was not, despite motion sickness pills. Neither were spectators down at the beach when a exceptionally large wave broke through the seawall and injured several people.
I had intended to do video throughout the competition as well but ended up only doing stills, apparently being seasick quelled my ambition. I'll be better prepared next year.
Here I have some of my Mavericks Surf Contest photos up and will be adding more shortly.
My son picked up this rather morbid song somewhere but it was fun hearing him sing it. I think he might have misunderstood the lyrics...or maybe it was us.
ever since the MKII revolution within our industry, we have been patiently awaiting what canon would follow up with. all of our traditional 3ccd video cameras were replaced with these DSLRs and a pile of lenses. not only did our imagery improve tenfold as we transitioned over, but our understanding and appreciation of optics did as well.
when the 7d was launched, with it’s improved auto focus, aps-c sized sensor, and 24P/60P options (all in a sub $2000 price point) we brought in six of those and they became our workhorse. some felt the crop was a drawback – we loved the opportunity to get in tighter with less light loss (as compared to a longer lens on the MKII). the aesthetic of 24P was certainly not easy for us to give up, and that alone was enough reason for us to bring in the 7d.
now it’s time for the 1d MKIV to launch and our first question, of course, was how will it stack up against the others?
mark was kind enough to put in some extra hours around our rather grueling holiday schedule and put together this comparison of the three different cameras. we looked at high iso performance, the crop factor, and rolling shutter.
practically speaking, the rolling shutter felt significantly reduced on the MKIV. if you pair that with the increased weight and the different form factor that the integrated battery grip provides, it almost feels like you could shoot handheld. it has never been our style to shoot completely hand held (we often use a monopod or shoulder rig) but for those who do shoot that way, it feels much more natural with this camera. being a pro series camera, it certainly has a super solid feel to it. as we all gave it a test, the consensus seemed to be that the form factor of the MKIV was very conducive to video.
being a pro series body means you also get features like super fast auto focus, many more AF points (45 points), and it can shoot up to 10 photos per second in burst mode. while that may not interest those out there who are looking mainly to this camera for video, it certainly piqued my interest as a way of incorporating a time lapse of stills with other video segments.
the camera is is also ‘weather resistant’ so you can get away with much more in tough outdoor conditions. with our shooting style, that certainly means a lot.
the MKIV certainly triumphed in low light, and it is crazy what these cameras are able to do, but in comparison to the others it wasn’t as striking of a difference as i was expecting from reading vincent laforet’s blog. at higher iso settings the MKIV certainly looks cleaner, but the MKII and 7d both perform so well that it is tough to be significantly better than that.
as for the crop factor, the 1.3 factor of the MKIV is right in between that of the MKII (full frame, 1.0) and the 7d (1.6). while it doesn’t sound like much, when you see them side by side you realize just how much of a difference that actually translates into. i am of the mind that a crop factor always has it ups and downs. as good as it is to get wider when you have a full frame sensor, getting in tighter is also great in many situations. as you get longer lenses, they are generally slower and heavier as well, so keeping small fast primes that get in super tight is quite the tool to have. the 1.3 crop factor of the MKIV feels like a great balance between the MKII and the 7d. i think many who weren’t happy with the 1.6 of the 7d will feel much more comfortable with the MKIV.
so what camera would we choose? depending on what country your in, the prices will vary, but here we are looking at about $2500 for the MKII, $1600 for the 7d, and $4900 for the MKIV.
is the MKIV twice as good as the MKII? currently, with no 24P on the MKII my answer would be absolutely yes. if and when the 24P firmware update happens, we would need to see if the rolling shutter was corrected (or potentially even worsened with a slower frame rate).
is the MKIV over three times as good as a 7d? for me, the answer would again be yes, but for many it may not be so straightforward. the form factor, the crop factor, as well as the weather resistance would all lead this to be my main camera (not to mention all of the awesome photo features). if i were a smaller studio starting out, i would probably look to the 7d first, as that camera offers an unbelievable value. a perfrect combination for many will likely be a MKIV as the workhorse with the MKII or the 7d rounding out the team as B,C, and D cameras.
we should, of course, never lose sight of the fact that this is just gear after all and being such, should always come secondary to our vision and approach. i hope we demonstrated with our JC + Esther film that it doesn’t have to take a ton of gear, cameras, or lenses – but simply the right gear, with the right understanding and vision.
thanks again to mark for putting this together. we have something else shot with the MKIV that we are hoping to debut in the coming weeks. amina and justin are also planning a follow up with some images to give you their take on the MKIV which, from what i here, will quickly become our main photo camera. any questions about the MKIV, please feel free to comment and we will do our best to keep up.
Here I go again, talking up my favorite tech gadget - the Eye-Fi wireless memory card. I'm crushed I can't use it in my Canon 7D (CF only). Looks like I'm going to have to find myself a new SD compatible camera that takes video now that I have a Mifi card.
Updated 3/5/2010 - The LCDVF comes with two metal mounts with adhesive back that attach directly to the camera. The loupe them attaches to them magnetically I'm finding that the second mount will likely come in handy since the adhesive is starting to get weak on the first one. If you leave the loupe attached for an extended period of time, gravity seems to take its toll and eventually pull the mount away from the camera. The good news...you know it will come off if you care to do so. I'll probably be more diligent about cleaning my LCD screen ahead of time when I apply the next mount.
Updated 2/18/2010 - I had a chance to really push the LCDVF over this past weekend while aboard a spectator boat at the Mavericks Surf Competition. I found that it was indispensable for stability, especially on such an unstable platform. Despite this, it still requires two hands and I had to stop shooting when the boat hit very big swells so I could hold on. Also, initially I did not use the included tether which was a mistake as the loupe got knocked off the camera at one point as you can see in this video of the boat ride out to the Mavericks break. I was able to retrieve it quickly but could have fallen overboard. The one thing I find myself missing is a protective case. The LCDVF doesn't fit into any of my camera bags very well without they eye-piece getting smashed.
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One of the most difficult skills to master when it comes to shooting video on a DSLR is how to stabilize the camera when hand-held because the LCD screen must be used rather than the viewfinder so it must be held away from your body which is awkward. When I acquired the Canon 7D, I explored several options that emerged for adding a LCD loupe to the camera so it could be used as an eye piece. By bringing the camera up against the face, it acts to stabilize the image and eliminate glare in the LCD.
There are several viable options on the market including the Hoodman HoodLoupe 3.0, Zacuto Z-Finder and a new entry from Estonia called the LCDVF. I opted for the latter because it was easily removable and relatively affordable. It attaches by way of magnets which seems unlikely but works well. A rectangular metal strip with an adhesive backing is attached to the outer edge of the camera LCD and the loupe is easily mounted by merely aligning it with the screen (see below).
Canon 7D and LCDVF detached - (see black metal strip around LCD)
Canon 7D and LCDVF loupe side view
Canon 7D and LCDVF loupe rear view
If you have one of the new DSLRs with video capability and plan on hand holding the camera, I highly recommend the LCDVF. The primary negative point with puts it at a disadvantage with regard to the Zacuto product is its lack of diopter adjustment so if you wear glasses it may not work well for you.
Let me know what questions you may have and I'll do my best to answer them.
Welcome! The numbers don't lie, by far the most popular items on my blog surround the Canon 7D. Since that appears to be what people are most interested in, since I don't know what questions you have, I encourage you to let me know what you'd like to hear about. I'm happy to explore an aspect of the camera I have not yet covered if there is interest. Have some insight you'd like to share? I'm open to guest posts.
