50D owner- upgrade to 7D or small camcorder?

Sorry to post a question without doing lots of research first, but I'm on a very tight schedule before making a purchase. Hoping that my most favourite Canon forum members might be able to help me out? :o Puhhhleeeaaasee?

Summed up in the title:
I have the 50D. Thinking of selling it to justify upgrade. (Possible slight problem in getting my money back on my 50D, as I'd be selling in Australia, with a US warranty, so essentially no warranty) I am happy with the 50D and apart from the video functionality, I am not aware of anything else that I would otherwise want to rush out and buy the 7D for.

I also have a point and shoot Ixus, that I currently use for video clips.

I am considering upgrading to the 7D for the dual video capability, rather than carrying around two cameras.

Other option is to go for a dedicated camcorder (thinking of something in the US$300 range).

Is the quality of video the same/better with the 7D compared to something like the Canon Legria FS200? Am I correct in assuming that with the 7D, my main advantage (in addition to carrying only one camera) is I can use all of my lenses to shoot video too. Is that correct?

Is there any advantage of buying a camcorder like the one I mentioned, over the 7D?

Thanks and sorry for the dumb questions!!

just got the 7d and I'm impressed with the video. For my needs very good.

It depends on the type of video you are doing. Ive got a 5d mkii and the video is gorgeous, but focusing is a pain when you are moving the camera or trying to zoom. Also IS lenses generate a lot of noise that gets picked up by the mic. Neither of those things would be a problem with a camcorder. Also the 7d body weighs 1.8lbs. add a nice lens and you are back to the weight of a vhs camcorder. Dslrs are not the most ergonomic things to shoot hand held video with.

I guess what I'm saying is the 7D will shoot beautiful video, but you shouldn't think of it as a substitute for a camcorder. Substitute for a Red...yeah probably. If you are shooting a lot of camcorder material(kids, vacations, etc) and less artsy video (shorts, music videos, etc) you might want to opt for the camcorder.

If you want a 7D, the video is a nice "feature". If you want to shoot video, get a video camera.

7D for better focus and iso handling.

rral22 wrote in post #8952379
If you want a 7D, the video is a nice "feature". If you want to shoot video, get a video camera.

I totally agree with this statement. While the quality of he 7D video is better than a camcorder, operating it is a PITA. You should always use a tripod, continuous focus does not really exist, etc. A camcorder will serve you better.

The 7D Af system is a huge improvement over the 50D and if you shoot lots of sports or Birds in Flight, you will love it. Just don't make the upgrade for the video as the primary reason.

If I wanted video, I'd buy a video camera, not an SLR with video.

But I can see some practical applications for it... such as "reporters with cameras", who are now replacing the staff photographers at a lot of traditional media. Those folks often need to get clips for websites, as well as some still shots to illustrate the stories they are writing for print. And, since most of them aren't really trained as photojournalists or videographers, they need a fairly simple to use camera, preferably a single one that can do both.

OK thanks for all getting back to me so quickly! I feel like I'm leaning towards the handycam... but will I be able to achieve a nice effect with depth of field with a handycam (soft background)? I saw this on a pro's website just recently - thus my inspiration to try and shoot video like him - I know he was using a mucho expensive camera and obviously quality lenses. Am I barking up the wrong tree to think I have any hope of producing that sort of thing? http://www.j-studios.com.au …lleries/fusion/​index.html There's a link to his work if anyone's interested. Very nice (and inspiring) montage of a day in the life of a family. I'd love to be able to film small details as he was able to, for example zooming in on the kids' feet.

keenasmustard wrote in post #8952508
OK thanks for all getting back to me so quickly! I feel like I'm leaning towards the handycam... but will I be able to achieve a nice effect with depth of field with a handycam (soft background)? I saw this on a pro's website just recently - thus my inspiration to try and shoot video like him - I know he was using a mucho expensive camera and obviously quality lenses. Am I barking up the wrong tree to think I have any hope of producing that sort of thing? http://www.j-studios.com.au …lleries/fusion/​index.html There's a link to his work if anyone's interested. Very nice (and inspiring) montage of a day in the life of a family. I'd love to be able to film small details as he was able to, for example zooming in on the kids' feet.

With a camcorder, you WON'T be able to get the shallow depth of field shots, unless you spend another 700$ for a 35mm adapter then use your photo lenses on it.
For casual video filming (or journalism, documentary), a camcorder is preferable to a 7D.
In your case, you seems to lean toward a more artistic style, then you should go for the 7D; now the focus may be a pain, but for still shots, it manageable.
Thus, if you want to deal with DOF, a follow focus is very handy.

keenasmustard wrote in post #8952508
Other option is to go for a dedicated camcorder (thinking of something in the US$300 range).

300$? such a camcorder could not even be compared to the 7D.

my advice, either go for the 7D
OR
get a camcorder rig in order to get the quality you want to achieve. (ex.: HV40+Letus35+Canon lens).
It should come down to the same price
The camcorder option will give you much more flexibility for audio while the 7D is pretty limited on that aspect.
Also, you'll be able to shoot past the 12 mins length limit of the 7D (without overheating :rolleyes

Looking at your gear, you have some beautiful lenses to shoot video with.
So either choice, you should be satisfied.

(canon) DSLR video is pretty interesting, but you really have to think carefully about what you're going to film.

Any situation where you need long periods recorded (eg. speaches/concerts/wedd​ings) then It'll make life difficult if it's your only camera.
Any situation where there's fast moving action (eg. sports/wildlife) then the slow AF is going to be tricky too.

What the 5d2/7d are really good at is stuff like movies. Shorter scenes that are carefully planned out and can be re-shot. You'll LOVE the depth of field and awesome colours and sharpness... you'll get a much more cinematic look in that sense compared to a consumer camcorder.

Thanks guys for all of your answers. Once again, you have helped me out immensely and have given me lots to think about! Happy shooting.

I just got a 50D and would never even consider a camera body with video because of the video. As good as it may be on the 7D I boubt that it can keep up with the Canon Vixia HFxxx series in terms of price/performance. The HD video out of my 1yr old $525 HF100 (SDHD Flash only) is so good under all coniditions I cannot fathom how people spend thousands on Professional style video cameras.
Besides, while I am shooting photos my wife is shooting the video. Gotta have two cameras anyway.

mshill wrote in post #8955304
I just got a 50D and would never even consider a camera body with video because of the video. As good as it may be on the 7D I boubt that it can keep up with the Canon Vixia HFxxx series in terms of price/performance. The HD video out of my 1yr old $525 HF100 (SDHD Flash only) is so good under all coniditions I cannot fathom how people spend thousands on Professional style video cameras.
Besides, while I am shooting photos my wife is shooting the video. Gotta have two cameras anyway.

You are right, except that the Vixia series (or any other handycam) isn't suited for the type of video he is seeking to achieve due to lack of shallow dof, non-interchangeable lenses, cra*py low-light capability..
hence that is why wedding videographers are turning toward 5D2 & 7D for their better quality at lower price.

Thanks for the recommendation on the Vixia series mshill. I'll definitely check them out if that's the route I decide to take.

Zephyrize: I've been cogitating your idea re the camcorder rig and I'll also check out the suggestions you've made. It sounds as though maybe I could get something like the Vixia and then later on get the Letus35 as you've suggested. I almost wish I hadn't seen this guy's fabulous work now, with shallow DOF! I'm just totally in love with the effect and of course it's going to cost me an arm and a leg to reproduce it! ~sigh~

Excuse my ignorance on the subject of the Letus35 type setup... but from what I read, I'd be able to attach my 50mm prime lens. I would assume that the physical size of bigger lenses would exclude them from being used, but hypothetically speaking, could you attach a zoom lens and simply not use the zoom function of the lens? Also, say I do attach my 50mm, I also presume that the camera could then use its digital zoom on top of the 50mm? If I do decide to look at a rig such as this, is there a specific are in this forum I should be looking, or should I seek out a video forum?

Everyone else: It certainly sounds like the 7D is an absolute pearler, but I'm hearing you on the fact that I will be sacrificing the practicality of use (recording time, comfort to hold, difficulty in focusing etc) to shoot video and that using a dedicated video camera seems to be a better bet. That on top of having to go through the sacrilegious hassle of selling a 50D that's not even a year old, is kind of leaning me away from the 7D.

keenasmustard wrote in post #8958794
Excuse my ignorance on the subject of the Letus35 type setup... but from what I read, I'd be able to attach my 50mm prime lens. I would assume that the physical size of bigger lenses would exclude them from being used, but hypothetically speaking, could you attach a zoom lens and simply not use the zoom function of the lens? Also, say I do attach my 50mm, I also presume that the camera could then use its digital zoom on top of the 50mm? If I do decide to look at a rig such as this, is there a specific are in this forum I should be looking, or should I seek out a video forum?

You will be able to attach whatever lens you want (as long as you by the Letus with the right lens mount, Canon, in your case).
You won't use the camcorder's digital zoom because you don't control anything from the camera anymore.
The principle of a 35 mm adapter is that it has a focusing screen where the lens project the image on it. Your camcorder simply 'film' whatever that appears on that focus screen. So basically, a Letus (or any other 35mm adapter) just allows you to use photographic lenses for their ability to reproduce shallow DOF.
You can see a perfect example of the Letus35 quality : http://www.vimeo.com/2​540724
(of course, other less expensive 35mm adapter won't necessarily give you the same results)

Here, you can have a more in-depth read about 35mm adapters : http://dvxuser.com/V6/​showthread.php?t=98071

some last concerns you might want to be aware of:
Last time I checked (and I may be wrong), no adapters will allow you to use the EOS-EF lenses electronic controls for apertures.
That means you'll have to shoot wide open with every one of your lens.
Keep in mind that the use of an adapter cuts about 1 to 2 stops of light, so shooting in low light is good-luck-my-friend; since most handycams do not have such high sensitivity as the DSLRs.

hope this helps