7D maximum sustained recording length?

[Jeff Kellam]

Does anyone know if the 7D does continuous recording till memory full and spans 4GB clips? Or does it do the 5DII thing and need to be manually restarted after each 4GB clip?

I am also wondering what people think about the possible indoor/low light ability of the 7D when set to F8 so as to get a maximum DOF shot. Will the low light ability be good at apertures suitable for general large DOF work?

Im hoping the 7D may be suitable for a tripod mounted stationary B-camera for video shoots. It's going to need to shoot for an hour unattended to be suitable. I know the 5DII wouldn't fit the bill for long form recording, but is the 7D closer?

Thanks

[Bill Pryor]

No. You get 12 minutes at a shot. Better stick with tape on a regular video camera for what you're after. Shooting at f8 is gonna take a lot of light for any camera; you'd have to probably crank the gain up.

[Phil Hover]

the gh1 is a better option for long recording.

[Michael Murie]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

No. You get 12 minutes at a shot. Better stick with tape on a regular video camera for what you're after. Shooting at f8 is gonna take a lot of light for any camera; you'd have to probably crank the gain up.

I think you get 4GB. That works out to be about 12 minutes, but it will change depending on what you are shooting.

It's not a hard and fast time limit, but a memory size limitation; that's why you get almost twice as much if you shoot in SD.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kellam

I know the 5DII wouldn't fit the bill for long form recording, but is the 7D closer?

There won't be any difference between them in this regard. The 4GB cap in both cameras is a file-size limitation and not a time-based limitation (although the reason it is there is supposedly due to an imposed time-based limitation; it still operates as a file-size limitation). In SD recording, you'll get a maximum of 29 minutes 59 seconds per clip. In HD recording, you'll get *approximately* twelve minutes per clip. Might be a tad longer or shorter based on what the camera is pointed at and what kind of motion is going on, due to the way the AVC-based encoding works.

[Jeff Kellam]

Thanks all.

It's a bummer that they are still imposing the arbitrary cutoff at the (FAT32) max file size. Since tapeless video cameras all continue recording past 4GB and spanning clips, maybe there is some other technical reason. Or maybe Canon just dosen't believe DSLR video is intended for that type of use.

Phil - I thought about the GH1 and GF1 and the specs seem pretty good. Even the 720P GF1 would be great for me on B-cam. I mainly wanted Canon because I already have Canon DSLRs and a ton of L-glass.

At this point Canon DSLR video is still way too specialized use for me.

[Jean-Philippe Archibald]

This is related to an european law that impose an additionnal tax on video camera. This law define a video camera as a device that can record over 30 minutes of video. (about what the 5D can do in SD)

[Brian Boyko]

Originally Posted by Jean-Philippe Archibald

This is related to an european law that impose an additionnal tax on video camera. This law define a video camera as a device that can record over 30 minutes of video. (about what the 5D can do in SD)

What I'm wondering is if Canon can come out with an OPTIONAL firmware upgrade that would allow more than 4GB of recording, but charge for it, to cover the increase in tax.

[Jeff Kellam]

Originally Posted by Brian Boyko

What I'm wondering is if Canon can come out with an OPTIONAL firmware upgrade that would allow more than 4GB of recording, but charge for it, to cover the increase in tax.

Since the 7D is not made in Europe and is being sold in the USA, Im not sure what European taxes would have to do with it.

[Christopher Lovenguth]

Originally Posted by Jean-Philippe Archibald

This is related to an european law that impose an additionnal tax on video camera. This law define a video camera as a device that can record over 30 minutes of video. (about what the 5D can do in SD)

I don't understand why this idea keeps getting posted for a reason. It makes no sense. A company isn't going to care if you have to pay more taxes or not for their product because they know if you want it bad enough, you'll still buy it. Plus what is the incentive for them by this restriction?

I get really miffed at how on the internet people believe if something is posted enough, it becomes a fact.

[Tim Dashwood]

I'm afraid it is fact, and that's why it continues to be posted.

European Tax law applies 4.9% import duty on camcorders made outside of the EU, and they classify a camcorder as any digital camera that records 30 minutes or more of video at 800x600 pixels or higher and a frame rate of 23 or higher. The end consumer is not directly paying these duties as they are applied during import, but the cost is passed on to the consumer via the retail price. That would mean the SRP on the 7D would be about 66 Euros more (about $93USD) if this camera recorded even one second more of video. This may not seem like much but in this highly competitive market an extra 4.9% is a consideration for camera manufacturers.

However, Canon could have done what JVC did and release a long-recording-time variant for a higher price to cover the duty.
A European duty on digital recording devices that have an "external digital input port" caused JVC to release almost identical variant "01" models of it HD100, 110, 200 and 250 camcorders. For example the HD100E and HD101E are identical in all respects except that the HD100E cannot record signals input into the firewire port. The HD100E was released at a price comparable to North America's HD100U and the HD101E was priced higher to cover the import duty.

[Christopher Lovenguth]

Where is it "fact" that this is what Canon did? You right about the article, but again it's taking something and then turning it in to "fact" as a reason for the actions of a company. That is called a false argument actually.

Canon is a worldwide company and do you really think it would make what will be hundreds of millions of dollars over the lifespan of this product decision based on a EU tax? Really?

The 4G is a hardware limitation and not an arbitrary one. Canon was not thinking of this as a video camera, it is a still camera in their mindset with video option.

[Michael Murie]

Though I agree with your first sentence, you're doing the same thing with your counter argument about the size of the company and total sales.

The real questions:

1) In HD does it stop at 4GB?
If yes:
2) In SD resolution, does it stop at 4GB, or at 29 minutes and 59 seconds (as Chris suggests above.)?

If in SD it stops at 4GB, then I think you're right; it's just a file size limitation. But if it stops at 29 minutes 59 seconds, then I think we can possibly infer that the tax issue did play a part in the time limitation.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Christopher Lovenguth

Where is it "fact" that this is what Canon did?

It's been confirmed for me verbally by Canon USA.

[Jim Babcock]

I wonder if the current 4 gig limit will go away when the replacement for SDHC chips, the SDXC, arrives early next year. They supposedly bust out of the 4 gig internal and 32 gig external limit and allow for chips that will start with 64 gigs and eventually go to 2 TB! I've read that the next chips are backwards compatible but who knows what that means?

BTW, on the 5DMkII what happens when you get to 12 minutes? Can you hit stop and immediately start filming again or do you have to wait until the sensor "cools off?" it makes a BIG difference for event videographers as events don't necessarily limit themselves to 12 minutes.