Hi everyone,

I'm sure i'm not the only one in the wedding business looking for the DSLR look in their wedding video. I bought the sony FX1000 in april and i love the camera, i've switched it from my 3 yrs old FX1 so it's almost the same camera. I don't really have the budget to invest in a 5dmk2 but with the lower price of the 7d , i'm really interested in maybe switching to the dslr world. My question is, since I've always been a solo wedding videographer, is it a possibility to shoot a whole wedding day with a canon 7d?

I would buy a rode mic, extra batteries, battery grip, merlin steadicam (or similar), and maybe a rig for dslr.

Is it a good choice to switch to dslr? I need to mention i would sell my FX1000 to buy the new gear too so I would only have the 7d as a shooting camera.

Has anyone shot a wedding day with only a 5dmk2 (or similar camera) and had good result in every situations?

What would be essential with the camera to replace a real HDV camcorder?
(batteries, audio inputs, mics, eye cup, etc)

Thanks for your suggestions everyone!

Jean-Francois
Creafilm studio

I can't recommend using a DSLR for sole coverage of an event like a wedding. I love my 5Ds and use them for everything I can, but if I need to shoot a memorial service or some other uncontrolled, one-time-only event, I reach for the EX1. The 5D excels at controlled action, but its focus and sound limitations make it a difficult choice for event work.

A 7D would make a great 2nd-unit camera, though.

How would you even make it through a ceremony with a 12 minute limit before you have to power down the camera?
I've shot a lot of weddings, and have wanted to use something like the 7d, but it would have to be a 2nd or 3rd camera. I have a letus extreme, but would never use it as the main rig for a wedding.
Bruce Yarock
Yarock Video and Photo (http://www.yarockvideo.com)

Powering down and back up should be no problem...as long as it isn't when there is a never-to-be-repeated moment...and there are often many at weddings...so it could often be a problem! :)

There are many, many problems working in a gun-n-run environment, or news reporting, or weddings etc., when a DSLR is your ONLY equipment for capturing important video footage.

The advice of Bruce and Daniel mirrors my own. The DSLR would be OK if used as a back-up or second camera to use in certain conditions such as for taking some off-the-cuff short video clips in between stills shots when your main FX1000 happens to be still in the bag. But for the main wedding ceremony, stick with the camcorder.

If you really want the DSLR look for an event like that you would want two cameras (or more) with large memory cards. You would have one operator stop/start their recording after six minutes, and then shoot everything to the 12-minute limit to ensure that nothing is missed. Use external audio, so there are never any audio gaps. And then you need a strategy for ensuring adequate focus...

A single DSLR just wouldn't cut it for longer, critical, live events.