7D for documentary making

[David Chapman]

Jon, doesn't the aperture stay where you set it in Manual mode? I haven't used the remote timer, but the EOS software (connected to a laptop) runs the time lapse for me and my lens stays wide open the whole time.

[Jon Fairhurst]

David, there's no problem if you keep the aperture wide. The problem comes when you stop it down.

The camera opens the aperture between pictures so we can get a bright view, and so the autofocus can find the critical focus distance. The aperture is stopped down only when we snap the photo. That's why we have the DOF Preview button - to stop the lens down before snapping the photo.

Anyway, if you don't take measures to keep the lens from opening up between snaps, the lens will stop down slightly differently each time, and that can be seen as flicker.

Here's an example: I didn't untwist the lens on the shot with the white/light-blue plane and it flickers. The next day, I did the shot looking up at the propeller with the lens untwisted, and it's rock solid:

clouds on Vimeo

[Richard Gooderick]

12 minutes should be more than enough for a single shot. I don't think this is an issue.
As for sound, a Rode Stereomic mounted on top of my 5D gives perfectly usable sound most of the time. The extra hassle of using separate recorder, Magic Lantern etc probably isn't worthwhile - but it's a matter of personal preference.
A separate recorder would give you the option to capture sound separately from the picture. That could enhance your documentary.
If you are going to use a DSLR like the 7D or the 5D you could shoot most of your doc with a zoom with image stabliser such as the Canon 24 - 105 mm (which will get cropped of course if you use the 7D) together with a fast prime lens like the 50mm F2 you mention.
You will need something like a Fader ND so that you can shoot in bright light using sensible shutter speeds and apertures .
With a little practice you should be able to eyeball your exposure from the LCD.
A Spiderbrace, or something similar, will give you better stability and is very light.
If you have time to set your shots up you should be able to nail your focus using the x10 magnification on the camera. But you run the risk of shooting out of focus if you don't have a laptop to review your footage with.
You could maybe get by without the extra bulk and expense of a Loupe and use a cheap sunshade for the LCD. But a Loupe may save you ruined shots and a lot of heartache.
When you add in a charger and even possibly a laptop you are going to be carrying a considerable amount of weight.
If you are doing multiday backpacking trips you could be carrying 50lbs without the camera gear.
Only you can decide where your priorities like but a dry run over a weekend might sort out any questions about the total weight you will carry.
In the final analysis it depends on what kind of film you are trying to make and how much inconvenience you are prepared to tolerate.

[Lee Hughes]

Hi,

Thanks for all your replies again they have been loads of help..

I guess the overall opinion is to take a 7D for stills and time lapse and take a more handy camera to film stuff ..

:)

thanks

[Lee Hughes]

Right..

I think am gonna stick with the 7D and use that for time lapse etc and maybe get a Canon HV30 for more mobile stuff..

That's my general idea anyway :)

Man i hope I get sponsorship!!

[Liam Hall]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

David, there's no problem if you keep the aperture wide. The problem comes when you stop it down.

I've never had this problem with any camera I've shot timelapse with. Is this an issue with the 7D or are you leaving something in auto mode? Remember, everything should be in manual mode.

Here's a sequence of time lapse shots where I screwed up 3 shots by leaving the autofocus switched on causing flicker, well we all make mistakes...

A Bit of Time Lapse

[Dan Munk]

I've come to a similar conclusion. I have a travel based project that is not nearly as cool, but has similar needs. I like to travel as light as possible and was hoping that the 7d would be the one camera that I would need. After a month or so of working with it I'm still feeling iffy with being able to capture the footage I need. Unbelievable when I do manage get it right, however. For now I'm traveling with an S90 and HF-S100...

[David Chapman]

Hey Jon,

I see your flickering. Have you tried setting the auto focus to manual so the camera isn't trying to find a focus point frantically before each shutter release? I didn't end up with any flickering, but my auto focus was off.

My time lapse only varied depending on moving light sources in the frame (car lights) and the length of time between each shot (picture every 20 sec.). Philip Bloom's have been at 2 sec intervals.

[David Chapman]

Originally Posted by Liam Hall

I've never had this problem with any camera I've shot timelapse with. Is this an issue with the 7D or are you leaving something in auto mode? Remember, everything should be in manual mode.

Here's a sequence of time lapse shots where I screwed up 3 shots by leaving the autofocus switched on causing flicker, well we all make mistakes...

Hey Liam, great shots. What were your settings? This was the D300, right? I'm curious as to your exposure length and intervals set.

[Liam Hall]

Thanks David and yes that one was shot with a D300.

Usually, I knock off a time lapse when I'm shooting something else on my main camera and in an ideal world I'd choose a shutter speed that matches, in reality though I never have enough ND on the stills cam so if I'm shooting in daylight it's usually at a higher shutter speed than the video or film camera.

All settings are manual, WB, exposure, focus, everything. If it's a sunrise I underexpose by 2 stops then let it roll. If it's a sunset I expose to the right with minimal clipping and let it roll.

Intervals vary greatly usually depending on how wide the shot is and how much movement there is in it already. If I've got fast moving cars close to the lens, I can get a shot quicker than if I have slow moving cloud. For a typical wide shot I'd shoot 125 frames for 5 seconds of screen time (I'M in PAL land) at either 15 or 20 second intervals. But if I'm shooting at night the same wide shot could be 1 second exposes to get light trails with an interval of 10 seconds or less.

If you look at the other time lapse I've posted on Vimeo (now embedded below) the shot at 54 seconds was 1 frame every five seconds, with a 1/2 second exposure and the one that follows is one every 30 seconds with a 20 second exposure to flatten the water. Some people say the interval should be the same as the exposure time on long exposure, but I've never found that to be true. I guess experimentation is the key.

Another Bit of Time Lapse

[David Chapman]

Wow, that makes me want to go and do time lapse tonight.

Good thing my 09 Ram 1500 has that AC power plug in the front seat cause I have to setup my laptop to control the 7D by the EOS software. I haven't wanted to spend the $160 on the remote yet.

[Michael Dalton]

if by next year you mean 12 months from now, the 7d will probably not be it, there will be a flood of new camera and possibilities in the next 6 months on the lower end of the spectrum, also meaning lighter.

It's a perfect camera for that, and despite the weight, should do fine. I lugged an XL1, a GL2 and 7 batteries up Kilimanjaro. The kit for this is nothing. Batteries are small, and you can get a wide range of telephotos, so you are only lugging two lenses.

You need a good mic though, have not tried out the rode one made for DSLR's, but don't go cheap, you can forgive a bad picture, but you can forgive audio. You can always shoot 720p to maximize space.

I have yet to see how my 7d performs, I've just started testing it for broadcast purposes, and figuring out shooting modes. So far I'd say it is not good enough, but have a lot to learn to get it working right. So I'll reserve final judgement.

[Denny Lajeunesse]

Not bashing the 7D here, but if audio is a concern you could go with an Panasonic HMC40 which has built in mics. And can take stills, though not with a shallow depth of field. If you are micing then you can add an XLR adpater to it.

You can't beat the stills from a 7D though! (well maybe with a 5D).

My only issue for you is audio. If you don't mind the solutions to that mentioned in posts above I would go with the 7D. Otherwise you might want to bring a seperate video cam or something like what I mentioned.

[Lee Hughes]

thanks guys..

Am pretty set on the 7D now.. I have just got Philip booms 7D training dvd as well so don't wanna waste that.

Am not really interested in staying up to date with latest cameras as such am waiting till May because am in 3rd year uni and if I get the camera will probably fail..

I am planning to get a separate camera for more random moments and ease of use..

Thanks for the audio tips, I still need to do a lot of research..