Psychological impact of 7D ? at DVinfo.net

Kevin Lewis · October 29th, 2009, 01:47 PM

I wonder if there is a Psychological impact on the client when you show up to film with something that looks like a standard camera. I can't help but wonder if they second guess about the amount of money they are spending when the videographer shows up with something that they perceive as a camera. I plan on purchaing the 7d and the thought crossed my mind.

Chris Barcellos · October 29th, 2009, 01:58 PM

Get it all tricked out with a cheap monitor, cheap rails, cheep follow focus,and matte box

Andy Wilkinson · October 29th, 2009, 02:16 PM

Kevin, this is exactly the point (post #5) I brought up in this thread about a GH1 or 7D versus my normal corporate rig (Sony EX3). It's certainly a factor one needs to be aware of!

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasoni...roduction.html

Brian Boyko · October 29th, 2009, 03:57 PM

I don't know about how a client would percieve it, but I do know most people who see my 7D assume it's a still and often act accordingly, with goofy fake smiles.

Matthew Overstreet · October 29th, 2009, 04:33 PM

If I were someone who didn't know a thing about video and I hired someone to shoot video for me and they showed up with a DSLR ... I'd have to wonder if the person I hired knows what he's doing.

Either deck that thing out, or have a good long conversation with your client(s) before you show up.

Alex Payne · October 29th, 2009, 05:05 PM

even my video friends are skeptical when I show up with my canon 7d. i have to explain to them "no, no, this one's different."

Perrone Ford · October 29th, 2009, 05:18 PM

Just stick one of these on it and everything will be copasetic...

THALES ANGENIEUX cinema/digital cinema > 35 mm > optimo 24 - 290

Warren Kawamoto · October 29th, 2009, 05:30 PM

If I were the person hiring a videographer, I know that the videographer knows his video camera very well. With the 7D, however, some videographers will not know the 7D well enough to overcome unforeseen technical issues that may come up during a real shoot.

Matthew Overstreet · October 30th, 2009, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Just stick one of these on it and everything will be copasetic...

THALES ANGENIEUX cinema/digital cinema > 35 mm > optimo 24 - 290

MSRP: $63,280.00... lol

Perrone Ford · October 30th, 2009, 11:23 AM

That'll show 'em! LOL!

Mugurel Dragusin · October 30th, 2009, 12:11 PM

No, I don't agree with this, well, yes, I know you don't agree either, but I also don't agree with indulging and spice up the rig just for this purpose.

Your client doesn't hire you to show off your gear but to produce whatever needs to be produced at high quality.

I believe that being confident in yourself/team and gear will show in the final product and that very final product will help the client change/dissipate his preconceptions (if any) as well. Technology advances to the point where these principles simply don't stand anymore.

Jon Carlson · October 30th, 2009, 12:15 PM

Yes, there's a psychological aspect involved when working with paying clients.

After years of shooting with a large, shoulder-mounted DV camera, our company upgraded to the Sony EX-1. Even though the images it produces are incredible, there are people who don't think it looks "serious" enough compared to the older-style, piece-of-crap camera.

If you throw rails, follow-focus and a mattebox on the 7D, you should be business. I'm planning to toss mine in the kit as a B-camera when shooting with the EX-1, but even so I want to grab some accessories to make it look more professional.

Brian Luce · October 30th, 2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Carlson

Yes, there's a psychological aspect involved when working with paying clients.

After years of shooting with a large, shoulder-mounted DV camera, our company upgraded to the Sony EX-1. Even though the images it produces are incredible, there are people who don't think it looks "serious" enough compared to the older-style, piece-of-crap camera.

If you throw rails, follow-focus and a mattebox on the 7D, you should be business. I'm planning to toss mine in the kit as a B-camera when shooting with the EX-1, but even so I want to grab some accessories to make it look more professional.

I agree. Pimp your 7d.

John C. Plunkett · October 30th, 2009, 07:32 PM

There are two sides to this discussion. The impact it has on clients an the impact it has on the general public. I can't discount the psychological impact the camera has on clients as I've had a client turn down an entire project of mine because they didn't like the look of the camera I used on the shoot. Not the footage, the physical look of the camera. It was a Panasonic DVX100. They said it looked like something I got at Best Buy and that my predecessor used a professional camera to shoot their last ad. That "professional" camera was a JVC GY-DV500. So I ended up having to go back an reshoot the whole thing with that camera. The footage looked terrible because I wasn't familiar with it's layout and latitude, but of course they approved the spot.

On the flip side, I recently tried to take our HVX/M2 Encore rig out to an outdoor festival to get some shots for a long-form video my company is producing. I couldn't get a decent crown shot to save my life because anyone who saw the monstrosity I was humping around immediately sought shelter from it. I can understand people being a little leery about being on camera, but the way people were dodging me that day you'd think I was carrying around a shotgun. Tonight I used the 7D for the first time on a shoot and while I got the footage I wanted from it, the actors didn't respond to it any differently than previous cameras I'd used. Actually, they were more impressed with the portable LCD monitor I hooked up to it. That made me laugh.

It's a slippery slope when talking about how the camera will be received on shoots, but that's even more of a reason to keep a standard video camera around. While it's easy to say I would never allow a client to dictate to me what camera I use, I would like to continue working in the video business.

David Chapman · October 30th, 2009, 08:54 PM

I agree that some people like being impressed with large cameras and a ton of equipment—merely because that's what they are used to. Some people don't care at all as long as the end result is great.

With the 7D, you can easily snap a few RAW or large JPGs and transmit them to a nearby laptop to show clients the lighting and composition. This helps if you only have a small LCD (8" or less) to view. I've also found the 7D to be much easier to manipulate for interior interviews—compared to my cumbersome JVC HD-100 with matte box, rails, and follow focus.

If you are worried about clients thinking you have a tiny camera (ha), then get some black poster board and build out a fake enclosure. Better yet, buy some broken Sony body and "hide" your 7D inside the pieces so no one will ever know you are shooting with a DSLR.

Canon 5D MKII ENG Camera rig in detail

October 29th, 2009, 01:47 PM	#1
Kevin Lewis Major Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Philadelphia, pa Posts: 705	Psychological impact of 7D ? I wonder if there is a Psychological impact on the client when you show up to film with something that looks like a standard camera. I can't help but wonder if they second guess about the amount of money they are spending when the videographer shows up with something that they perceive as a camera. I plan on purchaing the 7d and the thought crossed my mind.

October 29th, 2009, 01:58 PM	#2
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Get it all tricked out with a cheap monitor, cheap rails, cheep follow focus,and matte box __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

October 29th, 2009, 02:16 PM	#3
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Kevin, this is exactly the point (post #5) I brought up in this thread about a GH1 or 7D versus my normal corporate rig (Sony EX3). It's certainly a factor one needs to be aware of! http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasoni...roduction.html __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

October 29th, 2009, 03:57 PM	#4
Brian Boyko Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 773	I don't know about how a client would percieve it, but I do know most people who see my 7D assume it's a still and often act accordingly, with goofy fake smiles. __________________ Equip: Panny GH1, Canon HG20, Juicedlink, AT897, Sennh. EW/GW100, Zoom H2, Vegas 8.1

October 29th, 2009, 05:18 PM	#7
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Just stick one of these on it and everything will be copasetic... THALES ANGENIEUX cinema/digital cinema > 35 mm > optimo 24 - 290 __________________ 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.

October 29th, 2009, 04:33 PM	#5
Matthew Overstreet Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Whitman, Massachusetts Posts: 168	If I were someone who didn't know a thing about video and I hired someone to shoot video for me and they showed up with a DSLR ... I'd have to wonder if the person I hired knows what he's doing. Either deck that thing out, or have a good long conversation with your client(s) before you show up. __________________ Late December. A feature film by Matthew Overstreet & Christopher J. Adams.

October 29th, 2009, 05:05 PM	#6
Alex Payne Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: new york Posts: 94	even my video friends are skeptical when I show up with my canon 7d. i have to explain to them "no, no, this one's different."

October 29th, 2009, 05:30 PM	#8
Warren Kawamoto Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 1,435	If I were the person hiring a videographer, I know that the videographer knows his video camera very well. With the 7D, however, some videographers will not know the 7D well enough to overcome unforeseen technical issues that may come up during a real shoot.

October 30th, 2009, 11:23 AM	#10
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	That'll show 'em! LOL! __________________ 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.

October 30th, 2009, 12:11 PM	#11
Mugurel Dragusin Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Philippines Posts: 253	No, I don't agree with this, well, yes, I know you don't agree either, but I also don't agree with indulging and spice up the rig just for this purpose. Your client doesn't hire you to show off your gear but to produce whatever needs to be produced at high quality. I believe that being confident in yourself/team and gear will show in the final product and that very final product will help the client change/dissipate his preconceptions (if any) as well. Technology advances to the point where these principles simply don't stand anymore. __________________ Lost signature, if you find it, please return it to me, thank you.

October 30th, 2009, 12:15 PM	#12
Jon Carlson Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Reading, PA USA Posts: 61	Yes, there's a psychological aspect involved when working with paying clients. After years of shooting with a large, shoulder-mounted DV camera, our company upgraded to the Sony EX-1. Even though the images it produces are incredible, there are people who don't think it looks "serious" enough compared to the older-style, piece-of-crap camera. If you throw rails, follow-focus and a mattebox on the 7D, you should be business. I'm planning to toss mine in the kit as a B-camera when shooting with the EX-1, but even so I want to grab some accessories to make it look more professional.

October 30th, 2009, 07:32 PM	#14
John C. Plunkett Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Illinois Posts: 130	There are two sides to this discussion. The impact it has on clients an the impact it has on the general public. I can't discount the psychological impact the camera has on clients as I've had a client turn down an entire project of mine because they didn't like the look of the camera I used on the shoot. Not the footage, the physical look of the camera. It was a Panasonic DVX100. They said it looked like something I got at Best Buy and that my predecessor used a professional camera to shoot their last ad. That "professional" camera was a JVC GY-DV500. So I ended up having to go back an reshoot the whole thing with that camera. The footage looked terrible because I wasn't familiar with it's layout and latitude, but of course they approved the spot. On the flip side, I recently tried to take our HVX/M2 Encore rig out to an outdoor festival to get some shots for a long-form video my company is producing. I couldn't get a decent crown shot to save my life because anyone who saw the monstrosity I was humping around immediately sought shelter from it. I can understand people being a little leery about being on camera, but the way people were dodging me that day you'd think I was carrying around a shotgun. Tonight I used the 7D for the first time on a shoot and while I got the footage I wanted from it, the actors didn't respond to it any differently than previous cameras I'd used. Actually, they were more impressed with the portable LCD monitor I hooked up to it. That made me laugh. It's a slippery slope when talking about how the camera will be received on shoots, but that's even more of a reason to keep a standard video camera around. While it's easy to say I would never allow a client to dictate to me what camera I use, I would like to continue working in the video business.

October 30th, 2009, 08:54 PM	#15
David Chapman Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 346	I agree that some people like being impressed with large cameras and a ton of equipment—merely because that's what they are used to. Some people don't care at all as long as the end result is great. With the 7D, you can easily snap a few RAW or large JPGs and transmit them to a nearby laptop to show clients the lighting and composition. This helps if you only have a small LCD (8" or less) to view. I've also found the 7D to be much easier to manipulate for interior interviews—compared to my cumbersome JVC HD-100 with matte box, rails, and follow focus. If you are worried about clients thinking you have a tiny camera (ha), then get some black poster board and build out a fake enclosure. Better yet, buy some broken Sony body and "hide" your 7D inside the pieces so no one will ever know you are shooting with a DSLR. Canon 5D MKII ENG Camera rig in detail __________________ David Chapman www.davechapfilms.com