60D Monitor Output

[Xian Messerschmidt]

The 7D only outputs 480p while recording as well. This has been confirmed by numerous people including Philip Bloom.

[Ted Ramasola]

Nope.

Because I have confirmed it.

It retains resolution even while recording. Nothing changes in my HDTV and onboard HDMI monitor except a RED dot coming on and the center square disappearing and this While shooting a resolution chart.

Have YOU confirmed this yourself?

and also- Because i have also read Philips later blogs on this issue and he said it retains resolution. -but its merely academic since I do my own tech tests.

[Xian Messerschmidt]

I don't own a 7D but, judging from Google search results, there is a lot of argument as to what's being output via HDMI while recording.

[Ted Ramasola]

Yeah, thats true about the internet, you need to filter and do a lot of confirmation and reconfirmation.
Philip's blog also burned me on getting the zeiss softar filter which is kinda pricey, as a solution against moire, I have been using the caprock filter and it can be effective, so I tried what he said and it absolutely doesnt work, you can see my post rebutting the softar's effectiveness on that particular topic on his blog.

I'm not saying that most of his information is wrong, I have also picked up a lot there, but in this one it it was not right.

I have learned to filter information from those whom you think gives their conclusions after doing their own analytical and systematic tests since that is also how i confirm information.

Guy for instance went through the process of reconfirmation and found his initial observations incorrect, we can also learn a lot in these forums.

[Peter Weisberg]

Originally Posted by Ted Ramasola

Peter,

Let me just say it this way, If I were to purchase a DSLR today, assuming I havent one yet, and I'm looking at both 7D and 60D in a store, I'd pick up the 7D. -even if in the corner of my eye is a 5D, and if I can only pick ONE. Thats what I'd do.

AND Then, if in the next week I'd have more money I might come back and get a 5D, if my cash is not enough for the new offerings coming soon, like an af100 and so on.

Thats how i would "probably" think.

Now that articulating screen might seem ok for some, but having worked with the 7D extensively, heres my conclusions; that while using a magnified finder on it to be able to focus through its LCD is ok in some instances, its not enough, so I had to use an external hi res LCD via HDMI.

A sample scenario is when the cam is on a track or dolly, which i do often, it would be difficult to pull focus since your recording while doing the track, and you would need to check it on an external monitor, even if you marked your focus. This is one instance the diminished resolution while recording on the 60D is really a negative thing.

That is exactly why i am leaning more towards the 7d, but at the same time i'm really conflicted because no matter what I buy now I'm sure in a few years/a year i am going to upgrade and the question that really comes down to it is how will the 60d hold its value compared to the 7d. I think the 7d is going to retain it very well but i'm not sure about the 60d. The articulating screen, the sdhc memory, and the manual audio are Huge perks to getting the 60d, but I also think having a 1080p output monitor is really important, especially if i want to undertake any serious focus pulling which is why I am inclined to lean more towards the 7d unless there was some other method to with the 60d.

If canon released a firmware for manual audio on the 7d i'm almost positive i would buy one instead.

[Ted Ramasola]

For serious work, even if you can control audio in the camera, you'd still rather do it with separate recorder.

I use the Zoom h4n.

I only use the audio of the camera as a guide track. For Not too serious work, then it doesnt matter if it is auto or not.

[Ted Ramasola]

Let me add, that on one big project, I didn't bring my audio recorder since the spec didn't call for on site audio.
BUT there was this native music performers that I needed to record so I just held the camera near them , recorded their performance and found the music quite acceptable.

See here at 2:10, you can hear that the on board 7D audio is certainly acceptable. NO external mics! - I assume it will have same to slightly better results on the 60D.
link;
Costabella By Ted Ramasola On ExposureRoom

[Peter Weisberg]

Originally Posted by Ted Ramasola

For serious work, even if you can control audio in the camera, you'd still rather do it with separate recorder.

I use the Zoom h4n.

I only use the audio of the camera as a guide track. For Not too serious work, then it doesnt matter if it is auto or not.

well see the thing is i have the zoom h4n and i love it. i was actually thinking about running a 3.5mm jack from the camera to the h4n. that way audio can be handled primarily from the boom operator but levels will be constant in the camera. that way i can sink sound if i have to but its already in sync so there is really no reason to. the beauty of this way is that the audio doesn't really need to be adjusted from the camera, it just needs to be constant. Whatever adjustments can be handled in the zoom and instantly recorded straight to the camera. and 3.5 mm jacks are really cheap, i'm sure i could find a long heavy duty one for a very reasonable price.

is there any chance of the 60d being able to have a firmware hack to allow 1080p output while recording. or perhaps a 7d crack or firmware update that will give it manual audio. i need one of these solutions!

[Ted Ramasola]

The cable you use from the zoom to camera need to be attenuated. I had my 2 cables custom made by my techie cousin. I guess you can have it long.

Tremel wasnt able to finish the 7D hack though. I doubt the 60 can be updated for full HD out while recording since it only has ONE digic processor.

I also think that as a stills camera, the single digit models of canon has a higher resale value than the double digits.

So if you would get a DSLR and in the near future decide to sell it cuz a new camera comes along (this is a certainty) the 7D would fetch better than the cheaper 60D.

I say this cuz I truly think, that just like the 35 adapters, DSLRs is a phase we are passing through much quicker than the era of adapters.

I can say that with certainty since I have made and used successfully 3 lens adapters, one for mid format lens and now use a DSLR.

[Peter Weisberg]

wasn't there a firmware hack for the 5d that gave it full 1080 output. i'm pretty sure thats only one digic chip as well. though you are probably right, the chances are far more likely the 7d gets manual audio. but seriously having a articulating screen and 1080 out with sdhc would be a dream! i just wish that they had given the 7d an articulating screen which iknow goes against all things photo, but the fact that you can use it in the exact same way as well as cover the screen actually can make it better for protection... what am i rambling about, it doesn't matter anyways. now to decide if it makes sense to wait for the release of the next gen cameras or buy something now. i don't really have a project to shoot right now, but i have been stockpiling old manual lenses and i am just inkling to give them a proper test and just film a bunch of footage. i'm really hoping the next gen of dslr's will have less aliasing.