Anyone choose a 60D over the 7D? at DVinfo.net

Hank Ebert · November 10th, 2010, 02:32 PM

I am trying to decide between the 60D and 7D. For those of you who have purchased the 60D, what was the selling point for you?

Thanks in advance.

Jon Shohet · November 10th, 2010, 04:35 PM

The manual audio gain and swivel LCD made it a no-brainer decision as far as I'm concerned.
That said, while the body build quality is fine, I find the responsiveness and layout of the buttons a little disappointing coming from previous xxD models, and the lack of a dedicated movie mode switch is a bit of a nuisance.
If you are going to use the camera mostly in types of production where you will be using a field monitor and dual system audio anyway, the 7D is probably a better choice - but in that case I would personally skip the crop sensors altogether and go for the 5D.

Brian Tori · November 10th, 2010, 04:54 PM

sorry wrong thread

Sam Kanter · November 10th, 2010, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hank Ebert

I am trying to decide between the 60D and 7D. For those of you who have purchased the 60D, what was the selling point for you?

Thanks in advance.

Articulating LCD is huge advantage for video, although I keep it in fixed position when needing loupe for critical focus. Manual audio is crucial - much quieter than AGC. The 60D is lighter and cheaper than 7D - a superior camera for video.

For stills it's pretty close to 7D, unless you shoot sports exclusively.

Perrone Ford · November 10th, 2010, 11:51 PM

Are you guys really doing production sound to a DSLR? That's amazing. I rarely even do that on the EX1.

Alan Halfhill · November 11th, 2010, 12:39 AM

I sold my 7D and bought a 60D for the very reasons already stated. Swivel LCD with Hoodloupe 3.0 Mounted. No need for expensive external monitor. Manual audio with my JuicedLink Mixer (works best with a mixer). Sounds wonderful. Histrogram in video mode before and after shot. LOCKING mode dial. SD cards (I have 16, 16gig cards. Bought for my JVC HM-100) and can put them directly in to my MacBook Pro.

Tom Hardwick · November 11th, 2010, 03:06 AM

I'm in the market so reading the above replies is just the sort of info I need. Coming from the camcorder side of things I'd think that the twisting, turning, swivelling screen is the knockout punch, even if all other aspects were diluted. It sounds as if they aren't, so it sounds as if the 60D wins. Just wish there was a full-frame version though, the 60FFD.

tom.

Robert Rozak · November 11th, 2010, 11:02 AM

Regarding audio (only) ...

The way to improve signal-to-noise performance is to throttle back the noisy amps in the camera, and replace that noisy gain with clean gain from the juicedLink low-noise preamps. This is simple to do if your camera has manual control. If it does not have manual control to override the Automatic Gain Control (AGC), then you will need to use an AGC Disable technique.

The 7D will require you to use an AGC Disable technique, since it does not have manual control of audio. It works well, such as the AGC Disable feature on the juicedLink DT454, but you are going to have to sacrifice one of your recording channels, to get 1 clean channel for recording.

The 60D has manual control, so there is no need to use an AGC Disable technique. You will get 2 clean tracks for recording.

So, in terms of just audio concerns, I prefer the 60D. The 60D is capable of high quality audio recording of 2 tracks without the need for AGC Disable. The juicedLink DT454 adds the low-noise preamp, headphones, and meters (visible while recording), and XLR inputs. There is no need to use an external recording device which will require you to sync in post.

IMHO ...

-R

Ed Kishel · November 11th, 2010, 12:16 PM

The flip LCD, AGC kill, and lighter weight was crucial for me- I chose the 60D. It think it also takes still photos- I wouldn't know I just use it for video.

Sam Kanter · November 11th, 2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Halfhill

I sold my 7D and bought a 60D for the very reasons already stated. Swivel LCD with Hoodloupe 3.0 Mounted.

Do you mount hoodloupe while swiveling?

Alan Halfhill · November 11th, 2010, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Kanter

Do you mount hoodloupe while swiveling?

I bought a Hoodloupe holder for video camera LCDs. It is neoprene with velcro with a hole in it for the loupe. I bought it on Amazon for $10. Loupe cost $75. So whole thing is $85. Multi hundreds of dollars saved on no monitor needed and mounting system.

Sam Kanter · November 12th, 2010, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Sam Kanter :
>>>Do you mount hoodloupe while swiveling?
>>I bought a Hoodloupe holder for video camera LCDs. It is neoprene with velcro with a hole in it for the loupe. I bought it on Amazon for $10. Loupe cost $75. So whole thing is $85. Multi hundreds of dollars saved on no monitor needed and mounting system.

Could you point me to that?

Thanks...

Sam Kanter · November 12th, 2010, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Halfhill

I bought a Hoodloupe holder for video camera LCDs. It is neoprene with velcro with a hole in it for the loupe. I bought it on Amazon for $10. Loupe cost $75. So whole thing is $85. Multi hundreds of dollars saved on no monitor needed and mounting system.

Is it this?

Hoodman Camcorder Mount Strap for HoodLoupe Glare Free LCD Viewing Loupe (3-in) (HCAM4)

It seems a ripoff for 18 bucks - but does it work? Does it put too much weight on LCD hinge, endangering it's functionality?

Edward Mendoza · November 13th, 2010, 02:35 AM

I had been looking for some time at making the jump to the HD-DSLR's for my professional video work, especially because of all the great things I had been hearing about their imagery and cost compared to the more expensive and arguably less-superior-in-terms-of-image-quality video cameras I had been accustomed to for so many years. So I decided to start doing some digging and see if this could really be a major asset for my work. Coincidentally, Canon was about to realease their "much-anticipated" 60D at the same time I began looking.

After doing a lot of research in regards to the video quality of both the 7D and the 60D (I didn't bother looking at the 5D Mark II despite the full-frame sensor simply because, at the moment, it is out of my price range), it appeared that if there WAS a difference between the two, it was slight. They both still produced beautiful images regardless. According to most, the main beef of the 60D compared to the 7D was the body and its less-than-rugged build. For being such a pricey camera, it seemed to take a step backward in that regard, even though it added some much-desired features like the manual audio control and swiveling LCD monitor. There was also concern about the 60D downconverting the video's Live View image to SD when in record mode, which made it very difficult to get a proper focus, while the 7D maintained its HD image.

These reasons still didn't seem that crucial in keeping me from saving several hundred dollars in buying the 60D. So I checked one out for myself at the local Best Buy. Bare in mind, as far as still cameras were concerned, I've only had a Rebel 35mm prior to this, so needless to say when I saw and picked up the 60D, I was pretty blown away. It still felt rugged to me and was certainly much larger than any other still camera I had ever held (again, I'm not a photographer, so this is my first venture into this realm--I've got nothing to compare it to).

I watched many posted videos of the two cameras, and it still appeared they both produced beautiful, but comparable results. I felt that there was nothing worth paying several hundred dollars more for the 7D; it seemed I could get what I needed from the 60D. And with the money I saved, I could outfit the camera with an XLR adapter, shotgun mike, shoulder mount, and perhaps a follow-focus set.

Several weeks and one 60D later, I certainly still stand by my choice, but I'd like to point out a couple of things for anybody looking at the 60D. If you're going to use it for video, especially run-and-gun, the downconverting feature WILL definitely be an issue. I found it nearly impossible to get any kind of focus at certain times, specifically in brighter conditions. Why have an HDMI output if it doesn't output HD?!? Also, you WILL have to be shelling out a few to several hundred more dollars in order to outfit it as a proper video camera; there's no other way around it. This is NOT a video camera. Afterwards, the video imagery is definitely worth it, though, in terms of your ability to control depth-of-field with different lenses. Sorry so long....

Peter Weisberg · November 13th, 2010, 09:25 AM

if you had to do it again i guess the question would be, pay the extra for a 7d and just use a mounted external monitor for monitoring or make due with the 60d screen. Because if i am correct you can't use the built in lcd and the hdmi out at the same time on either camera correct?

November 10th, 2010, 02:32 PM	#1
Hank Ebert New Boot Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Salem, VA Posts: 17	Anyone choose a 60D over the 7D? I am trying to decide between the 60D and 7D. For those of you who have purchased the 60D, what was the selling point for you? Thanks in advance.

November 10th, 2010, 11:51 PM	#5
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Are you guys really doing production sound to a DSLR? That's amazing. I rarely even do that on the EX1. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

November 11th, 2010, 11:02 AM	#8
Robert Rozak Sponsor: JuicedLink Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Palo Alto, CA Posts: 47	Regarding audio (only) ... The way to improve signal-to-noise performance is to throttle back the noisy amps in the camera, and replace that noisy gain with clean gain from the juicedLink low-noise preamps. This is simple to do if your camera has manual control. If it does not have manual control to override the Automatic Gain Control (AGC), then you will need to use an AGC Disable technique. The 7D will require you to use an AGC Disable technique, since it does not have manual control of audio. It works well, such as the AGC Disable feature on the juicedLink DT454, but you are going to have to sacrifice one of your recording channels, to get 1 clean channel for recording. The 60D has manual control, so there is no need to use an AGC Disable technique. You will get 2 clean tracks for recording. So, in terms of just audio concerns, I prefer the 60D. The 60D is capable of high quality audio recording of 2 tracks without the need for AGC Disable. The juicedLink DT454 adds the low-noise preamp, headphones, and meters (visible while recording), and XLR inputs. There is no need to use an external recording device which will require you to sync in post. IMHO ... -R __________________ - Promotion: Win a Canon T3i !!! Drawing Oct 3, 2011 - President of juicedLink ... DVinfo sponsor

November 10th, 2010, 04:35 PM	#2
Jon Shohet Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 277	The manual audio gain and swivel LCD made it a no-brainer decision as far as I'm concerned. That said, while the body build quality is fine, I find the responsiveness and layout of the buttons a little disappointing coming from previous xxD models, and the lack of a dedicated movie mode switch is a bit of a nuisance. If you are going to use the camera mostly in types of production where you will be using a field monitor and dual system audio anyway, the 7D is probably a better choice - but in that case I would personally skip the crop sensors altogether and go for the 5D.

November 10th, 2010, 04:54 PM	#3
Brian Tori Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 408	sorry wrong thread

November 11th, 2010, 12:39 AM	#6
Alan Halfhill Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Sequim, WA Posts: 127	I sold my 7D and bought a 60D for the very reasons already stated. Swivel LCD with Hoodloupe 3.0 Mounted. No need for expensive external monitor. Manual audio with my JuicedLink Mixer (works best with a mixer). Sounds wonderful. Histrogram in video mode before and after shot. LOCKING mode dial. SD cards (I have 16, 16gig cards. Bought for my JVC HM-100) and can put them directly in to my MacBook Pro.

November 11th, 2010, 03:06 AM	#7
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I'm in the market so reading the above replies is just the sort of info I need. Coming from the camcorder side of things I'd think that the twisting, turning, swivelling screen is the knockout punch, even if all other aspects were diluted. It sounds as if they aren't, so it sounds as if the 60D wins. Just wish there was a full-frame version though, the 60FFD. tom.

November 11th, 2010, 12:16 PM	#9
Ed Kishel Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 80	The flip LCD, AGC kill, and lighter weight was crucial for me- I chose the 60D. It think it also takes still photos- I wouldn't know I just use it for video.

November 12th, 2010, 05:30 PM	#12
Sam Kanter Major Player Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: New York Posts: 205	Originally Posted by Sam Kanter : >>>Do you mount hoodloupe while swiveling? >>I bought a Hoodloupe holder for video camera LCDs. It is neoprene with velcro with a hole in it for the loupe. I bought it on Amazon for $10. Loupe cost $75. So whole thing is $85. Multi hundreds of dollars saved on no monitor needed and mounting system. Could you point me to that? Thanks...

November 13th, 2010, 02:35 AM	#14
Edward Mendoza Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Antonio TX Posts: 157	I had been looking for some time at making the jump to the HD-DSLR's for my professional video work, especially because of all the great things I had been hearing about their imagery and cost compared to the more expensive and arguably less-superior-in-terms-of-image-quality video cameras I had been accustomed to for so many years. So I decided to start doing some digging and see if this could really be a major asset for my work. Coincidentally, Canon was about to realease their "much-anticipated" 60D at the same time I began looking. After doing a lot of research in regards to the video quality of both the 7D and the 60D (I didn't bother looking at the 5D Mark II despite the full-frame sensor simply because, at the moment, it is out of my price range), it appeared that if there WAS a difference between the two, it was slight. They both still produced beautiful images regardless. According to most, the main beef of the 60D compared to the 7D was the body and its less-than-rugged build. For being such a pricey camera, it seemed to take a step backward in that regard, even though it added some much-desired features like the manual audio control and swiveling LCD monitor. There was also concern about the 60D downconverting the video's Live View image to SD when in record mode, which made it very difficult to get a proper focus, while the 7D maintained its HD image. These reasons still didn't seem that crucial in keeping me from saving several hundred dollars in buying the 60D. So I checked one out for myself at the local Best Buy. Bare in mind, as far as still cameras were concerned, I've only had a Rebel 35mm prior to this, so needless to say when I saw and picked up the 60D, I was pretty blown away. It still felt rugged to me and was certainly much larger than any other still camera I had ever held (again, I'm not a photographer, so this is my first venture into this realm--I've got nothing to compare it to). I watched many posted videos of the two cameras, and it still appeared they both produced beautiful, but comparable results. I felt that there was nothing worth paying several hundred dollars more for the 7D; it seemed I could get what I needed from the 60D. And with the money I saved, I could outfit the camera with an XLR adapter, shotgun mike, shoulder mount, and perhaps a follow-focus set. Several weeks and one 60D later, I certainly still stand by my choice, but I'd like to point out a couple of things for anybody looking at the 60D. If you're going to use it for video, especially run-and-gun, the downconverting feature WILL definitely be an issue. I found it nearly impossible to get any kind of focus at certain times, specifically in brighter conditions. Why have an HDMI output if it doesn't output HD?!? Also, you WILL have to be shelling out a few to several hundred more dollars in order to outfit it as a proper video camera; there's no other way around it. This is NOT a video camera. Afterwards, the video imagery is definitely worth it, though, in terms of your ability to control depth-of-field with different lenses. Sorry so long....

November 13th, 2010, 09:25 AM	#15
Peter Weisberg Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Oak Park, Michigan Posts: 43	if you had to do it again i guess the question would be, pay the extra for a 7d and just use a mounted external monitor for monitoring or make due with the 60d screen. Because if i am correct you can't use the built in lcd and the hdmi out at the same time on either camera correct?