Video Cam equivalent in quality to Canon 7D

[Adam Gardner]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy a video camera with an equivalent quality (HD) to the Canon 7D. I really like the colour representation & focusing options available on the 7D.... It also seems to have a pretty high framerate (making slow motion shots look really good).

However I already have a DSLR (Sony A200) so I don't need picture options.

A secondary optional bonus is that a waterproof case was available for it (I dive) & it would need to be waterproof to about 20 meters (66ft).

However, this isn't my main concern as I could get a dedicated dive cam for this.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Adam

[Wayne Reimer]

Sony VG-10 will give you a large sensor, shallow depth of field look like your Canon. Lens interchangeability is also there, and you can adapt your canon lenses to work on the VG-10 very easily.
Uderwater housings are not a huge market for these types of systems, so I suspect you're going to pay a pretty price for U/W capability

[Chris Hurd]

Does the VG-10 offer 720p60? That's one of Adam's requirements.

[Adam Gardner]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies... here's some more info that may help....


For my waterproof cam I am looking at the Tachyon XC HD or Tachyon Micro

My budget is about $1000-$1500 but I can always look at second hand.

I like the slow motion effects & I understand that even with something like twixtor & after effects, I still need 60fps (is this the same as 60i & 60p? - I thought the 60i was 60 interlaced & 60p was 60progressive ... as in lines?) ... Also, what's the effect of i or p on slowing footage with a program like twixtor?

If I could get away with a 30fps HD I'd be laughing.

Other stuff would be general day time (croatia music festival) and a few shots at night (of the artists / stage).... Most I'd be doing is sticking in on Vimeo / Youtube in HD.

Perhaps that explanation widens my choice (and improves the budget slightly)?

Adam

[John Wiley]

Adam, I think you'll find almost any current HD camcorder from a major manufacturer (Panasonic, Sony, Canon) will give you superior image quality to the 7D, speaking objectively.

See, the 7D has a very soft image plagued with aliasing (fasle detail). Most HD camcorders will offer a sharper, cleaner image. What those camcorders won't give you though is the amazing aesthetic that comes from the large sensor DSLR cameras - wider dynamic range, nice DOF effects, good low-light perfromance, and great colours. Though technically flawed, the HDSLR such as the 7D produce a very pleasing image. Its akin to a great baker who never learned how to ice a cake. It's a badly decorated cake, but it tastes amazing!

If you're after the overall aesthetic of the 7D, well unfortunately it just doesn't exist in the camcorder world - hence why the DSLR's are so popular for video.

However if "equivalent in quality to Canon 7D" means you're after a camera that gives you equally sharp images as the 7D, then as I said just about any modern HD camcorder will do. I'd suggest you check out the Panasonic TM900 - very sharp images and a 1080p60 mode which will work great for slo-mo.

For underwater work, Sony has a one-size-fits-most splash housing for their cameras that is suitable for surface work and snorekelling, but for any serious scuba-diving you'll be looking at a dedicated dive housing from one of the 3rd party manufacturers - many of which can be customised to any camcorder you choose to buy.

[Wayne Reimer]

I didn't see that requirement in the original post. I was suggesting the VG-10 since it offers many of the same things the Canon does ( Large sensor, shallow DOF) without the limitations of 12 min. clip times, plus better ergonomics for video.

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

Does the VG-10 offer 720p60? That's one of Adam's requirements.

[Adam Gardner]

Hi all,

I was completely wrong with the 210fps ... the footage below was shot at 60fps & editing in post with twixtor. This is exactly what I'm aiming for.

Basically I just want a great looking (footage), sharp (image quality, not brand) camera that can slow stuff down with reasonably quality with Twixtor in After Effects.

This video is a great example - shot with a canon t2i

SLOWBOARDING on Vimeo

Any camera that could approach this would be absolutely fine.

[Dale Guthormsen]

Adam,

60 i is really 60 half frames, odd lines then even lines per second. 60 P is 60 full frame shots per second.

some software such as Vegas will interpolate the half frames to make it 60 progresive. this is not as good as progressive frames out of the camera to be certain, but it is still pretty darn good. you can then change your rate of play to make it a little slower. then on top of that set a velocity envelope that will interpolate full frames to make it slower yet or recuce frames to make it faster. Other softwares simply duplicate the frames which is ok to a point.

that is where twixtor comes to play; However, you are going to have to buy after effects (400 to 800 dollars) and then Twixtor for another three hundered to 600 dollars. Of course there is then the learning curve and after effects has a huge learning curve. of course the curve for twixtor too!

If you make this jump, I very much want to hear how you make out with it. Twixtor can do some amazing things.

Have you down loaded trials of these and tried them?

You can download the twixtor manual and check out the specifications you want to know about.


I wait to hear how you make out on this!!

As for the camera, go to B&H and look at all the models available, slick on specifications and see if they give you what you need.