3 Camera's One Decision

[dbl.ceo]

Ok here's the deal
the numbers and what not on all the sites mean absolutely nothing to me so i'm tossing up between

Canon E0S 550D, 60D and 7D

I need it mostly for video stuff and can't afford shelling out extra and i've seen the DSLR"s provide pretty good video for what i need to do.

Any advice or pointers is worth getting the 7d or is the 60d ok

Cheers in advanced

 

[acearchie]

Ok here's the deal
the numbers and what not on all the sites mean absolutely nothing to me so i'm tossing up between

Canon E0S 550D, 60D and 7D

I need it mostly for video stuff and can't afford shelling out extra and i've seen the DSLR"s provide pretty good video for what i need to do.

Any advice or pointers is worth getting the 7d or is the 60d ok

Cheers in advanced

Not to be rude but if you don't know what the numbers mean and therefore the difference between the three models then I would recommend getting the 550d being the cheapest model.

Across the three models the video modes are all very similar with (I think) the video processors being the same in the 550d and 7d.

The only real difference between them is in their respective photos modes although with video you may get better ISO performance out of the two more expensive models.

Do you realise that there will be no autofocus in video mode? This will make filming very hard and whilst the shallow depth of field and good low light footage is a huge plus it actually is very hard to film with DSLRs due to the focus control, ergonomics of the device in a video position and poor sound recording quality.

What exactly are you planning on using the camera for?

 

[xStep]

The 7D is an all weather camera. So if you are going to be in damp or raining conditions, or dusty locations, then the 7D is the right choice out of the three.

The 60D has a swivel LCD screen. That could be handy under certain conditions. EDIT: The 60D also has the ability to control the audio gain level while the other two do not.

As far as performance goes, as I understand it, the 7D and 550D are identical, or nearly so. The 60D is newer so perhaps Canon has tweaked that one to give better results, but really, by how much.

For video, DSLRs are know to have technical limitations; aliasing, moire, rolling shutter, potential over heating. And the Canons I believe have a 12 minute recording limit each time you press that record button. You may want to look at the new Panasonic DMC-GH2 that further minimizes these problems.

Search for reviews and sample video online. Oh, these guys, DigitalRev dot com, have a 9 minute video comparing the three cameras you mention.

 

[handsome pete]

Ok here's the deal
the numbers and what not on all the sites mean absolutely nothing to me so i'm tossing up between

Canon E0S 550D, 60D and 7D

I need it mostly for video stuff and can't afford shelling out extra and i've seen the DSLR"s provide pretty good video for what i need to do.

Any advice or pointers is worth getting the 7d or is the 60d ok

Cheers in advanced

What exactly do you need to do with it? Are you aware of the limitations with shooting video on DSLRs? I highly recommend doing some more research on it. I find that far too many people see really well shot stuff from DSLRs posted online, then think "oooh, that looks great! I should just get a DSLR instead of a dedicated video camera." Then they have no idea of the limitations and associated costs.

Having said that, I own the 7D and I love it. I prefer the metal body over the other 2. It also has advantages for taking stills. However, if neither of those are important and you're strictly looking for video, the the added cost probably isn't worth it. All 3 models are identical video wise. The 60D does have the swivel LCD, which is a great advantage over the other 2.