7D Handheld

[Bill Binder]

Originally Posted by Michael Simons

I've been shooting with the GL1 handheld for years. For the ceremony I've had the Canon A1 on a tripod and shoot BRoll handheld. Otherwise, the entire day is pretty much handheld and I'm doing 90 weddings a year for the last 10 years.

Yeah but dude the GL1 has a completely different form factor than a DLSR. It's apples and oranges. Just try hand holding a DSLR without any sort of support or shoulder rig, you'll produce the same crap everyone else does without the support.

[Andy Wilkinson]

This was all hand held, no support. I'll let you and others decide if it's cr£p!

YouTube - Cambridge in December (Canon 7D)

If you've a good technique it's perfectly possible to get reasonable stuff with a naked 7D, i.e. without a fancy rig/tripod etc. but only with IS on a lens and not going too long (this was my 17-55 F2.8 IS EF-S).

Sure, I agree, whenever I can I use tripods/monopods etc. as that's the best way...but in the centre of Cambridge that will attract unwanted attention (as bitter experience has taught me many times!) so it was not an option for this kind of stuff.

[Cody Dulock]

Andy, if that was all handheld, my hats off to you sir! It looked as if you used a slider or did a zoom in post, unless that was handheld too... then once again, great job! Either way, if you shoot weddings or events where you are shooting 10+ hours a day and trying to breathe out every time you want to get a super steady hand held shot you will kill yourself! A monopod with IS is not as bad, but for my shooting style I have decided to use different tools and techniques. If you don't use IS handheld, you will have the biggest mess of jello cam that cannot be fixed easily if at all.

[Michael Simons]

Originally Posted by Bill Binder

Yeah but dude the GL1 has a completely different form factor than a DLSR. It's apples and oranges. Just try hand holding a DSLR without any sort of support or shoulder rig, you'll produce the same crap everyone else does without the support.

Thanks Bill. Here is a sample of my very first time using the 7D. I used a Glidecam and Handheld. Now, for the record..I was just practicing. I was using the 7D as a 3rd camera. It was strapped around my neck/shoulder and I would use it after I got my main shot with my GL1 or A1 which was on a tripod for the ceremony. There was absolutely no room to move during the ceremony. My back was up against a wall and a HUGE flower arrangement was to my left as I operated 3 camera's on a rainy day. I only had one lens: 24-105mm f4. I received the camera on a Thursday and this was shot on Saturday:

Canon 7D Test Footage on Vimeo

The focus is really difficult with this camera as are the glidecam movements. I pretty much shot this the same style I would shoot with a conventional video camera...so it is messy.

[Andy Wilkinson]

Here's another example from me of what's possible with the Canon 7D and the Canon 17-55mm F2.8 IS AF USM .....if YOU HAVE TO do it handheld run and gun/with no rig etc. Some FCP Smoothcam and slow crops in post - as some of you will notice. Lots of moire/aliasing too, especially on the 1080p version on my big monitors because of the mostly wide shots and the challenging subject matter (bricks, cobbles, roof tiles etc.), but by the time it's been through Compressor and then the 720p/Vimeo conversion that's much less objectionable - well almost.

King's Lynn "Quickie" (Canon 7D - HD Video) on Vimeo

As my blurb on the Vimeo page states, this was a totally unplanned quick "grab and go" type film in the 45 minutes I suddenly found myself with last Friday morning. Next visit I'll take more more time (and gear!) and I will aim to get the variety of shots I now want to build on it. I think it's worth posting, as it is, so you can see what someone can do with just a hand held 7D with an IS lens (that's not too long in focal length).

[Philip Hinkle]

I'll jump in here. I shot portions of my first wedding with a 7D on Saturday. Overall I was pleased with my footage. For a camera rig all I used was a SteddiePod from Barbertech and a pair of strong reading glasses for focus assist. The SteddiePod has a nice fluid head on top so I was able to use the little legs when needed and that head to get great solid prep shots and pretty amazing first dance footage too. I was NOT using a Canon IS lens but instead one of the retro Helios 58mm lenses. Using a monopod/tripod makes this very doable. I would not want to shoot much completely handheld without an IS lens but with a basic monopod with a good head and some reading glasses it did pretty well. I am hoping to incorporate more of these retro lenses into my arsenal so a monopod/tripod will be necessary. I followed Ray Roman along on a wedding in FL in January and except for the few times he setup a slider shot or did a little steadycam shooting all his shooting was off a monopod or tripod with no fancy Zacuto eyepieces or other attachments. All the prep footage of people was shot off a standard monopod with a nice head on it. I wrote an article for EventDV magazine about his shooting day. I do cover some of how he handles the full day with an all DSLR setup.

EventDV.net: The Event Videographer's Resource

I didn't shoot the whole ceremony with it and am not ready to go there yet. I shot preps and main dances with it and a few eye-candy setup shots at the reception site. It was an Indian wedding with lots of traditions so there woulda been lots of content and memory cards. I would have needed way more memory cards than I had to cover that whole day with the 7D.

[Alan Halfhill]

I have shot handheld with my 7D by pulling the camera strap against my neck and stretching it out. This technique works on my 10-22 and my 24-105 lenses. The IS in the 24-105 is wonderful. Makes a big difference. Also I have shot handheld using the same technique with my 70-200 f4 IS at 200 with good results. I have a very old shoulder brace witch still works well but don't always have time to put it on or have it with me.

Since trading back in the 17-55 f2.8 for the 24-105, I have not as much ailising as I did. I don't know why but I am happy.

Alan

[Mike Butler]

After looking at all the various solutions from Redrock, Zacuto, Bushhawk, Gini Rig, etc. I finally decided to try another approach with handheld 7D shooting. I went and unearthed my old Vanguard shoulder pod that I had bought years ago to combat the nose-heavy feel of my old XL1 (and didn't use for that). Slight modifications included adding a Barska pistol grip to the front end (which has a 1/4-20 thread on the bottom to take a monopod), and a bracket on the back to hang the Frezzi battery and wireless mic receiver.

I still don't plan on going out on a shoot without a tripod any time soon.

[James Strange]

Originally Posted by Alan Halfhill

I have shot handheld with my 7D by pulling the camera strap against my neck and stretching it out. This technique works on my 10-22 and my 24-105 lenses. The IS in the 24-105 is wonderful. Makes a big difference. Also I have shot handheld using the same technique with my 70-200 f4 IS at 200 with good results. I have a very old shoulder brace witch still works well but don't always have time to put it on or have it with me.

Since trading back in the 17-55 f2.8 for the 24-105, I have not as much ailising as I did. I don't know why but I am happy.

Alan

Alan, why did you trade the 17-55 f2.8 for the 24-105? its the 24-105 f2.8 all the way too?

I only as I I've got the 17-55, thinks its great at the wide end, but I do miss not having a long zoom (I;m used to the 20x on the Z5)

Cheers

James