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Originally posted by PedroSouto

Hey. I whant to know what's the best camera for filming? Canon 7D or Canon 5D MkII?
I have no money to buy any professional video camera and I'm hear about this two cameras. Thank you.

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Almost everything you should know and want to know about real life experience with a DSLR is at http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog. I also suggest doing a search for DSLR threads at http://www.cinematography.com.

But in general, as with any camera choice, you need to know what your FINAL delivery specs will be and what your post-production work-flow will be. Keep in mind that the Canon 5D and 7D were NOT designed for moviemaking. For that reason, it takes quite a bit of additional gear and money to make, what is a stills camera, into something semi-suitable for narrative moviemaking.

Research the full specs of all cameras before going ahead with the investment, but know that the 5D has a full-sized sensor and the 7D does not. There are important ramifications/results you'll get from either choice so you should research those fully prior to spending the several thousand dollars on a camera body and the full compliment of lenses you'll need.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

The 5D is a better camera. So comparing the two, it just depends on what you can afford. Brian's right about lenses too. It's not a question of which camera will produce a better image (the 5D is the king here), it's about budget. Full frame lenses will cost a lot more than smaller lenses. Better body will cost more than lower model.

They're both great cameras. Just make sure you understand the different financial investments required for each.

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http://vimeo.com/corax

Thank you both for the prompt replies. I really apreciate the help provided, got a lot of info I needed.

Cheers

A lot of noise has been made recently about the season finale of House, M.D. (American TV series), which was shot entirely on 5D. You can do some googling and will easily find an interview with the DP, talking about challenges and benefits of shifting his standard 35-mm film workflow over to the all-digital 5D.

Now, obviously, a successful drama such as House, M.D. has a sizeable budget that can afford to deal with the challenges of shooting on a DSLR. However, the principal point is that the image quality that came out of that 5D could be made adequate enough for a HD broadcast TV show.

The main thing to have in mind here is, digital camera technology has reached a point where the basic raw image quality that comes out of them meets the minimum threshold required for HD broadcast quality standards. However, this did NOT eliminate the requirements for all other equipment surrounding the camera (Lights, grip, sound). While sound technology has also advanced to a similar point, where the standard threshold can be met with relatively inexpensive equipment, the same can't really be said for lights and grip. A good fluid head tripod will still cost a lot of money, just as it did forty years ago. Same with HMI, blondes, redheads, fresnels, etc.

In other words, when acquiring (or renting) the necessary gear for a shoot, the total price reduction that you are now getting because you no longer need to spend $30,000 for a camera (instead, you can get 5D for $2,5k) cannot be ignored; however all the rest of it will still cost the same, and the savings on a camera will represent a rather small component of the entire budget.

However, the fact that a camera with such a great image quality can be had for $2.5k (plus the cost of some prime lenses) is great news for amateurs, hobbyists and independents. Such people love acquiring their own gear (rather than renting), and they also tend to be resourceful with DIY (Do-it-yourself) projects, building their own lighting gear, bounce boards, flags, barn doors, cookie sheets, dollies, cranes, C-stands, etc.

Essentially, there are some really good choices out there today.