Can the 5D or 7D eliminate the need for a traditoinal video camera?

[mark-mvs]

Hi gang, so I'm getting ready to purchase a new main camera soon. I work alone but use two cameras. Anyway, as some of you may remember I had narrowed it down to the Panasonic HMC150, the Canon Canon XH-A1s or the Canon XF300.

Last night I was having dinner with a photographer friend of mine and she was telling me that she just shot a wedding with a videographer who did the entire wedding using only a 5D (or maybe a 7D.) I know a lot of videographers that use one of these cameras in addition to their main video camera but I'd never known anyone to use a 5D or 7D as their only camera for a wedding. I guess I never considered that as an option because I know there's some video camera functionality that the 5D and 7D don't have (as of yet.)

On the flip side, I've heard rumors that the next generation of traditional video cameras will have sensors as large as the 5D & 7D  and so will be able to produce as least as good of a picture (and shallow depth of focus) while having all the functionality of a stand alone video camera.''

What do you guys think?

Thanks
Mark

[DavidPartington]

Just running out the door now to shot a wedding today.   Taking my 5D2 with me for the first time (still shooting the HMCs for most of it) - so I'll report back once I have real experience!

[mark-mvs]

Great Dave! Thanks, I'll look forward to your report. Also I'll be interested to hear if you found it difficult to learn the mechanics of operating the 5D2. I'm sure it is completely different than operating a regular video camera.... right? I'm off to shoot a wedding today as well at a resort on a lake... should be fun (as long as I don't fall in the water!)

Mark

[DavidPartington]

Well, quite a few observations to make in how they are used, what the footage looks like (we did some specific comparisons), what they are good for and what they are not so good for.

But, tonight I'm pretty much ready for some sleep while the computer chews on ingesting 134GB of footage from today (including almost 32GB from the 5D).   Hopefully I will have something worthwhile saying tomorrow

[mark-mvs]

Thanks Dave, I look forward to those observations and your input. I'm fried at the moment myself, shot a wedding for 10 hours yesterday. They wanted a lot of things to be shot (263 gigs worth!) I think I'm going to need to get a Drobo hard drive system soon. So far the HMC150 is on the top of my list in terms of quality, price and no tape. (Unless I fall in love with the 5D, but as I mentioned before, I'd never considered it a contender for the main video camera in a 1 videographer 2 camera system like mine.

[BillGrant]

Mark,
There are volumes of information on this out there, so I encourage you to search. I will add this point. I use the 5D as my primary camera for everything but the ceremony because of the 12 minute limit. If there were no such limit, I would without a doubt use it for everything. No question. The biggest video studios in the country, Ray Roman Films, Cinema Cake, Pennylane, Still-Motion, etc. are using only DSLRs. They also have a serious crew to help them and command upwards of $10k per wedding. That said, I think that the people that stand by the "it's not a real video camera" stance are going to be left behind by those that embrace the new tech and learn to utilize it. It is VERY difficult as I've said in the past, but the advantages far outweigh the difficulty.
Bill

[DavidPartington]

Well, it was a very interesting day yesterday.  We ran the Canon 5D mark II along side the Panasonic HMCs and the results were.... err.... night and day different.  I have LOTS of thoughts on this matter and I'm trying to figure out how to articulate them in the best way possible.

The problem is that there are so many things to mention, both positive and negative I'm not sure if this is the right place to do it.   I started typing in my thoughts (comparing the two) and I got to three pages pretty quickly.   Maybe I'll submit it to Hank as an article instead.   I'll see if I can condense it a little first.   Pictures are worth a thousand words, and I really think that pictures are needed here to illustrate both positive and negatives.

[kwshaw1]

It would be rash to consider jumping to a DSLR as your primary video camera without any experience shooting with one, and I don't know anyone locally who uses DSLRs exclusively without a traditional video cam also. And yes, Sony is about to release a small video camera with a large sensor and interchangeable lenses for $2K, but the specs show it having poor low-light response so there's skepticism about it for weddings. Most wedding videographers are still making money using standard video cameras and few couples will pay extra for the hassles of shooting with a DSLR, so factor your clientele and long-range business model into your decision. 

[HankCastello]

I have given David "Author" status and instructions on logging in and creating his article. Now just waiting for what promises to be an interesting article.

BTW, we will give Author status to any of you who would like to write an article or tutorial.  Just hit the "Contact Us" button from this website.

[DavidPartington]

Thanks Hank.  Sorry for the wait guys - I've been seriously busy over the last couple of days and need to get the photos sorted (especially the flash banding sequence).   Will get this ASAP.

[mark-mvs]

Looking forward to it, Dave... and then maybe you can tell me what "Flash Banding" is ?

[BillGrant]

Kevin,
No one's going to pay more just because you own ANYTHING. I don't care if you shoot weddings on a RED. But. They will pay if your work looks different than your competition. If most videographers are using traditional cameras it makes perfect business sense NOT to use traditional video cameras. Now, that being said, you're a MORON if you go into an event without absolute 100% confidence in your equipment and ability with that equipment, so use caution. I shot with the 5D for about a year before it became my primary camera. Now, I am getting the comments from vendors, media, brides, etc. that my work looks so much better than what they're used to seeing. On top of that, when I go into a reception, I'm no longer worried about the lighting conditions because I know I have the best camera in THE WORLD for low light shooting. I would not trust my business to a T2i, I might trust it with a 7D as a second camera, but I'm banking on the 5D to take my quality and consitency over the top. There it is. Hard to use, expensive, but worth it.
Bill

[HankCastello]

I would not trust my business to a T2i, I might trust it with a 7D

I recently read in one of the photo or video mags, that the T2i was the same electronics as the 7D, just a cheaper, lighter case.  If that's true, what does a case have to do with trusting the camera?  If it isn't true, what's the real scoop on the T2i vs 7D?

[BillGrant]

The quality of the body has alot to do with the longevity and the dependability of the camera. Also, the ISO's are not as adjustable and high and a few little things like that. Mainly, I need a body I know I can count on, and I don't trust a consumer build on a body. Just like the Canon HV20, I would never use it for something critical because it just wasn't built to be used on a very regular professional basis.
Bill

[DavidPartington]

Looking forward to it, Dave... and then maybe you can tell me what "Flash Banding" is ?

Looks like it made it to the front page already.  Please forgive a couple of typos here and there, but I'm not sure how to get access to edit it and I'm waiting on Hank.

Anyway, there are a couple of pictures that demonstrate the flash banding in a single flash situation.  Imagine how nasty this could get with multiple flashes going off one after the other.