Top 10 Canon 7D Accessories for Videography

Shooting weddings & corporate videos with the Canon 7D has been one of the best aspects of running a video production company. Our Wedding division has booked over 35 weddings for 2010 and we’re steadily filling up the calendar for 2011 and even 2012. Last fall I made the decision to adopt DLR technology that others told me would be a bad move. I was hearing it from all angles. “Don’t buy that camera, wait until the bugs are fixed”.. “I would never adopt new technology like that.” Good thing I didn’t listen to those guys. We’re slowly seeing an increase of clients that specifically request our company because of the look and feel we can deliver.

Below you’ll find a list of some of the Top 10 canon 7D accessories we have found useful for our company. This is no way is supposed to be a comprehensive list. Just some of the new tools we’re using. We’re also not paid to advertise for these companies.

First, you’ll need the actual camera body itself. The prices are dropping and you can probably pick one up for about $1500-$1600

Top 10 Canon 7D Accessories for Videography

1. You’re going to need some lenses. Start with one of the most popular lens. The 17-55mm 2.8 IS. Even though it’s not an L series lens we like the fact it has image stabilization. Most EOS L series lenses don’t have IS until you step up to the telephotos.

2. Another great lens is the 70-200 L f4 IS or the 70-200 L 2.8. Obviously the 2.8 is more expensive however the f4 has served us just fine. Unless your using it in doors you can get away with the 4 instead of the 2.8.

3. Once you have all your lenses and body, you’ll need to be able to mount it on a tripod. Red Rock Micro offers a number of DSLR rig kits. You can even build your own. You’ll need a base plate with rods. We’ve had good luck with our set up.

4. Your rig is not complete because you’ll need some sort of focus assist. A good place to start would be a follow focus system. Again, Red Rock Micro offers a great option if you’re looking to save some money. Their follow focus version 2 is great and reasonable priced for the quality and build of it.

5. You’ll still need more focus assistance while shooting with the Canon 7D because of the small screen. You can either go with a Zacuto viewfinder or you can go for a full blown LCD. We suggest both given your shooting conditions. The viewfinder for the 7D is very good and the magnification helps greatly.

6. If you want to do it right, go with an LCD. Marshall offers a great option. The Marshall V LCD651ST is one of the best HD LCDs on the market and as of today’s pricing they just lowered it from $1,695 to $1,394.95. Can’t beat that!

7. Almost done. Your rig is just about there. Once you have all this sweet gear you’ll need media to record to. We suggest getting at least 16GB CF cards with a minimum of 60mb/s. You’ll Probably need about 4-8 of these bad boys.

8. You’ll need a professional source of audio because the canon 7D has auto levels which means it’s not that great for audio and will clip everything. Get a H4n zoom recorder for all your audio needs it comes with two XLR inputs for wire/wireless mics.

9. Speaking of wireless mics you’ll need a pair of Sennheiser mics. I suggest getting two because you never know when you could need both.

10. You’ll need reference audio as well. We suggest the Rode video mic with a 3.5m mini plug for the Canon 7D. It records fantastic audio which is great for reference and if you’re lucky you might be able to use if for some natural audio in your project.. that’s if the auto levels don’t ruin it first.

11. I know this is a top 10 list. However, you’ll probably need some other basics such as additional batteries, cables, cards, headphones, on-board lighting and such. Stay tuned for an updated list.

This is just a handful of useful pieces of equipment we use. Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions.

New Canon EOS 7D HD Footage

Some new HD footage from the Canon EOS 7D.
Lenses used
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS
Watch on Youtube!

Canon EOS 7D Footage from Ben McElroy on Vimeo.

Canon EOS 7D Sample Footage

Canon has finally unveiled the new Canon EOS 7D. This is one of the most anticipated Digital SLRs of 2009. Features include the ability to record HD video in 1920×1080 24p. On the photo side of things, it’s packing a whopping 18 megapixels.

Read our full blog post on this camera by clicking here.

Below you’ll find some sample footage we quickly through together from the Canon EOS 7D.
Click here to see the youtube version

Click on the video below to watch the Canon EOS 7D handle 60fps. We tagged along on a soccer shoot to get some great images.
Click here to see the youtube version

Canon 7D

The New Canon EOS 7D is in! This is one of the most anticipated Digital SLRs of 2009. Yesterday the good folks down at Hunts Photo and Video delivered the news that ours had arrived.

The EOS 7D is the newest high-end Digital SLR from Canon. This camera is packing an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor and uses dual DIGIC 4 image processors to provide pristine photos. The 7D also includes high-definition video! It can capture HD in a variety of frame rates and resolutions.

We’re excited to embrace where the video business is going. No longer are we stuck with tediously fiddling with focus and edge to edge sharpness with cumbersome 35mm adapters. We also don’t have the light loss we once had with those extra plates of glass in front of the camera. The 7D is going to obliterate traditional 35mm adapters. It’s a very powerful tool any video production company or freelancer should consider if they want to capture cinematic videos.

Couple reasons why this technology is going to be a game changer when it comes to high definition videography.

1. Before the release of this camera the only other comparable camera offering HD video in an SLR was the Canon EOS 5D. This camera was a great success and lots of indie filmmaker bought them up and ebay’d their 35mm adapters. The only thing it lacked was 24p and 60p, plus a few other body/menu issues that were updated in the 7D.

2. Price is another big factor. The Canon EOS 7D is priced at $1699 (body only). The kit with a EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens, hood, filter and spare battery for $1999. The HD quality this camera puts out is comparable to cameras in the price range of ten to thirty thousand dollars.

3. Finally, up until this point achieving narrow depth of field in video has been very hard to accomplish. One would have to invest two to four thousand dollars to get a 35mm adapter. Now it’s conveniently packaged into a small DSLR body. It is just amazing where technology has come!

New Features of the Canon 7D

• 18 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors for high image quality and speed.
• ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12,800) for shooting from bright to dim light.
• 8.0 fps continuous shooting up to 126 Large/JPEGs with UDMA CF card and 15 RAW.
• Advanced movie mode with manual exposure control and selectable frame rates: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD): 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 1280 x 720 (HD): 60p (59.94) / 50p, 640 x 480 (SD): 60p (59.94) / 50p.
• Intelligent Viewfinder with 100% field of view, wide viewing angle of 29.4°, high magnification of 1.0, intelligent viewfinder with glass pentaprism and an overlaid LCD display in viewfinder supports various shooting styles.
• New 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors in center at f/2.8 and f/5.6 and AF area selection modes to match various shooting situations.
• iFCL Metering with 63 zone dual-layer metering sensor that utilizes AF and color information for optimizing exposure and image quality.
• Magnesium body with shutter durability up to 150,000 cycles and exclusive dust and weather resistance.

Check back when we have some samples to show.