Canon 7D questions...

LasVegasIRA

LasVegasIRA

I should start by saying that I'm new to the whole DSLR world.

A pawn shop by my house has 7D for sale for $1000 that I'm interested in buying. But while looking through the viewfinder, it appears a little cloudy. I tried it with two different lenses, but get the same result. The camera had no power so I couldn't turn it on to see what the LCD looked like.

My question is, is the cloudiness normal in a viewfinder? I've only ever used video cameras and never had to use a viewfinder like the one on this camera. If it's not normal, is it a red flag to not buy the camera? Should I get my hands on a charged battery to look at the LCD screen?

Any help is appreciated?
 
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No, no it's not, and it can be due to a number of things, from moisture, that might go away with time, to fungus, that can spread to your gear, lenses, and bags, it's a bitch to clean, and can ruin thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

I wouldn't do it.
 
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Was the cloud in the eyepiece or farther in the image?

Eyepiece, that's 99% of the time condensation. You can wipe it off with a towel/shirt/etc. Otherwise, it's something else. Look at the mirror when the lens is off, is it cloudy? Also, look through the lenses apart from the camera, can you see through it ok?

Finally, do you know anyone with a 7D you can bum a lens, memory card and battery off of?You could then snap some pics in the store and see what it looks like.

But yeah, without further tests I'd stay away. The photo store here charges a couple hundred to really clean the camera. You can find a used 7D in great shape for $1300 pretty easy.
 
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Do you want it for video? If so, it's a poor choice, the Rebels have the same image and more features and are a lot cheaper. 7d is a very good still cam though.
The one you're looking at seems like a especially bad one.
 
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The t2i and t3i have features better suited to video. First off you can turn off AGC on the t3i and you can install Magic Lantern on the T2i. The sensor on 7D and rebels is identical though better connected to the processor on the 7D though that only makes a difference in photo shooting.
The 7D has a far better and tougher body though and uses CF. I'd say better buy 2 rebels than 1 7D;)
 
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Feutus Lapdance said:
And compared to the 5D...?
Click to expand...

The rebels do actually have one fundamental advantage over the 5D in that their sensor size is closer to the frame size of 35mm film (cine cameras expose a 'vertical' frame remember). Some may find the flip out screen on the T3i handy but I'm guessing anyone who is in the 5D market probably would be happier with a proper monitor.
Originally the 5D was short of some crucial video settings but pretty sure that has all been resolved.
 
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Rewind for a second...

The video from all the Canon APS-C sensors is the same, but the 7D has the major advantage of full resolution from the HDMI out. Even my 5D doesn't have that. That may not sound like much, but it's the difference between being able to pull focus with a $300 monitor vs a $900 monitor.

The APS-C sensor is closer to 35mm motion picture film, but the larger sensor of the 5D gives 5D footage a different look (which some people like and some don't) plus it kills the 7D/t2i/t3i/60D in low light.
Cost is a very good reason to go for the r2i/t3i etc... but there ARE some advantages to the more expensive cameras. I want a 7D for my second camera just because I don't want to deal with multiple card types and 7D/5D both use CF while the others use SDHC.
 
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As Gonzo alludes, the 5d sensor allows for certain things, like very wide shots. That's huge right there. 5d is also the only one that accepts the moire/aliasing filter, so you can way better footage. For a lot of people, the moire/aliasing issues of the Canon is a dealbreaker.
 
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brianluce said:
As Gonzo alludes, the 5d sensor allows for certain things, like very wide shots. That's huge right there. 5d is also the only one that accepts the moire/aliasing filter, so you can way better footage. For a lot of people, the moire/aliasing issues of the Canon is a dealbreaker.
Click to expand...

I think those Mosaic filters are finally about to come off back order. trying to decide whether to get one or not with some of my bonus money from work next month.
 
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was thinking about the monitor/hdmi outs but not all that up on them to comment
Don't get me wrong, I'd take a 5d over a 550 anyday I just listed the one thing that is the rebel's favour. I just don't think the rebels are as far behind their more expensive stablemates as some people like to make out. If they ever get Magic Lantern to work on a 7D then that will really change things.
Getting wide shots out of a crop sensor is always going to be an issue but on the other hand the full frame can make focussing a challenge if you have to open up your glass.
It's horses for courses really but don't write off the rebels especially as in certain circumstances they may well be better suited to the job.

Anyone know enough about the technical specifics of CF over SD to comment if they are better suited for video? Just because they are better for photo (burst speed) they are not necessarily the best for video (sustained speed) Do 5D and 7Ds ever suffer from dropped frames or recording dropouts??

I think the T3i is the 650D btw
 
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I haven't uploaded it anywhere, but shooting some pick up shots the other night ran into the best and worst of the 5D.

Nashville skyline shot at sunset, beautiful colors, but fighting moire from the windows on the skyscrapers and aliasing from telephone lines on the street. Finally got a usable shot. (The worst).

Street scene near printer's Alley at night with nothing but ambient light from cars and streetlights, freaking gorgeous (the best).

Pluses and minuses to every tool.
 
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I just saw this short that was shot with a 7D. Anyone have an idea of how much of this was done with just ambient light? Should I expect that a T2i should have similar qualities under similar shooting conditions?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPHAyyayUE
 
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I went back with a borrowed battery and card to test the 7D. I don't know if the cloudiness was just moisture that dried, or if they cleaned the thing (which I think is more likely,) but the viewfinder was perfectly clear. The footage I shot and the photos I took were great as well.

The EF lens worked perfectly and all features seemed to be functional. So, since I've been wanting a DSLR for shooting both video footage and still frames, I put 20% down to put it on layaway, and I'll pick it up in two weeks when I get my tax refund. Best $1000 I've spent in a while... :yes:
 
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BTW, I have a few FD lenses I was going to use with the 7D via an EOS to FD adapter with the glass. But from what I heard, the lenses end up longer because of the adapter. e.g. a 50mm ends up closer to a 100mm lens.

Does anyone know if the change is consistantly doubled? In other words, will my 28mm lens be close to a 56mm, etc...?
 
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LasVegasIRA said:
BTW, I have a few FD lenses I was going to use with the 7D via an EOS to FD adapter with the glass. But from what I heard, the lenses end up longer because of the adapter. e.g. a 50mm ends up closer to a 100mm lens.

Does anyone know if the change is consistantly doubled? In other words, will my 28mm lens be close to a 56mm, etc...?
Click to expand...

Using FD lenses on an EF camera is just a plain bad idea. If you want a lens that can focus to infinity (i.e. usable for more than just macro shots), not only will the glass adapters increase the focal length but they'll also lose you light and reduce the overall quality of the image. I would avoid FD lenses completely on a 7D - there's plenty of other fantastic vintage glass out there.
 
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I already have the lenses from my old Canon film camera as well as the adapter, so I no reason why I shouldn't at least try...

And I've seen footage taken on a 7D with FD lenses, and it looks amazing. The drawbacks I've seen are the focal length difference, and you lose sharpness on the lowest F-stop setting. But, if you change the F-stop, you can incredibly sharp images.
 
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