Help needed setting 7D aperture and shutter speed for video

How would I know if the 7D's exposure system is completely wrong?

I am assuming it is the meter, as the 7D can take nice still pictures outside and in daylight. Just in Flash mode with the Bowens when the meter says F8, I really need F13 to stop it being bleached out. At F13 it looks properly exposed.

However in Video mode despite being a lot of light, say 2 x 250 watt modelling lights full up; the meter says something like F2.8 @ ISO 160 and a shutter speed of 1/50. Without the modelling lamps full up the video is really very dark.

lannes wrote in post #14850009
Just checked my 7d, when you have set the apeture, shutter speed and iso in manual mode, these are set in video mode, then while in video mode the metering bar will change as the scene brightness changes and this is reflected on the LCD if you have exposure simulation turned on.

It allows you change all the settings while in live view mode

When I save these to C1, and then select C1 in video mode, the settings are returned to those I have set.

Are you saving them to C2 via the menu path camera user setting/register/mode dial/ok

I have Exposure simulation on
I used user setting/register to save them
JUst went back and they were as I saved them to C2 - feel like I'm going mad, as last time when the video started to record the shutter speed changed from 1/50 to 1/60?

Just as a frame of reference, check out Brian_R's recent post in the Digital Video forum titled "DIY Light Kit". His setup uses eight (!) T5 fluorescent lights and his posted exposure is 1/60s, 100 ISO, f/2.8.

When you say "when the video started...", is the shutter speed correct when you change the dial from whatever to C3, but then switches to 1/50 when you press the Record button? Just trying to get all the facts straight.

itzcryptic wrote in post #14849969
I believe what you are complaining about is a limitation of a DSLR camera. If the light is going to the sensor, the camera can't use it to focus.

Partially -
but mainly things like in Live Mode AF the square goes green to confirm it's focused, or turns red if it can't focus.
But in AF Quick, the screen goes blank [has to ref the mirror], but then comes back to show a red square 'where it focused'. a] you don't /can't see the focus happen b] looks like it didn't focus [re Live Mode AF]
Then to mix it up further. If you put the dial on Video, before you start recording you have one type of focus confirmation i.e. goes red, but once recording starts say using QuickAF, if you try to refocus, then it reverts to LiveAF and you get a different colour i.e. 'green' to confirm focus!

If you insist on using Quick View AF in video mode, to quote Goldmember, "Then there's no pleasing you!"

stsva wrote in post #14850052
I think the main issue is that you're trying to establish your settings independently of actual shooting conditions. It's fine to have a custom set of settings as a baseline, but you need to adjust for the light when you're shooting. As pointed out in macroimage's excellent explanation above, you need to adjust settings as needed. Because you'll probably want to keep the optimum shutter speed for a smooth looking video, that means adjusting f-stop and/or ISO. You can adjust these "on the fly" while recording, but the video will register the change in exposure, so it's probably better to adjust before you start. You don't need to leave C1/C2 to change them, but they won't be saved after that particular shooting session.

Hi I appreciate that but say I want to do portraits in one of my rooms. Nothing will change, we can blank out the ambient light as it by accident just happens to have those blackout heat retaining linings. I have my Bowens. It's this repeatability I want to get.
So if I want ISO 160, and good depth of field say F11 then I should be able to use the meter to adjust the light power. Ok it's a bit mixed up on my scenario as the L308S only has shutter priority. But I can set ISO 160 and ss 1/50 and turn up the lamp power unil it matches. My problem is when I got this right and plug it in the 7D its over exposed - so 1/2 rhe reason for a light meter is wasted. Or just remember when the meter says F8 I must set F13 on the 7D!

Sounds like you should dump the light meter and use your camera's metering system to get set up. Also, are you set to record for PAL or NTSC compatibility? I think PAL is the 1/50 sec. one, whereas NTSC is the 1/60 second one. Check your menu video settings to make sure which one is selected.

Submariner wrote in post #14850252
...feel like I'm going mad, as last time when the video started to record the shutter speed changed from 1/50 to 1/60?

I've already told you that with the video quality setting you've chosen, the shortest possible shutter speed is 1/60 s. Check the camera's manual - the range is listed there as 1/60 - 1/4000 s.

But you can still set 1/50 s, since that will be used if you interrupt video recording to take a still photo.

By the way, the focus indication is completely consistent. Cameras using contrast focus would show a frame where focus is established, and normally makes the frame green when focus is confirmed and red if that's impossible. Canon cameras using phase detect AF have since that became available always confirmed focus by flashing the square red and otherwise kept it dark.
But I agree that if you don't have any prior experience from them, it may be bewildering.

Snafoo wrote in post #14850278
Just as a frame of reference, check out Brian_R's recent post in the Digital Video forum titled "DIY Light Kit". His setup uses eight (!) T5 fluorescent lights and his posted exposure is 1/60s, 100 ISO, f/2.8.

When you say "when the video started...", is the shutter speed correct when you change the dial from whatever to C3, but then switches to 1/50 when you press the Record button? Just trying to get all the facts straight.

Maybe I need more light or will have to raise the ISO - which I was hoping to avoid.

I assume it is because if you check the info screen it's set at 1/50

stsva wrote in post #14851481
Sounds like you should dump the light meter and use your camera's metering system to get set up. Also, are you set to record for PAL or NTSC compatibility? I think PAL is the 1/50 sec. one, whereas NTSC is the 1/60 second one. Check your menu video settings to make sure which one is selected.

Thanks its on PAL, which should be 1/48th so we have to use 1/50. [as there is no 1/48th on the 7D.

apersson850 wrote in post #14851647
I've already told you that with the video quality setting you've chosen, the shortest possible shutter speed is 1/60 s. Check the camera's manual - the range is listed there as 1/60 - 1/4000 s.

But you can still set 1/50 s, since that will be used if you interrupt video recording to take a still photo.

By the way, the focus indication is completely consistent. Cameras using contrast focus would show a frame where focus is established, and normally makes the frame green when focus is confirmed and red if that's impossible. Canon cameras using phase detect AF have since that became available always confirmed focus by flashing the square red and otherwise kept it dark.
But I agree that if you don't have any prior experience from them, it may be bewildering.

Hi
A bit confused as my manual says on Page 153:-
• 24 / 25 / 26: 1/4000 sec. - 1/30 sec.
I'm using PAL 1080/24p
Interesting History, I was just comparing it to the Sony A77 when you get perfect focus it goes green. (in all scenarios so far less confusing)

Yes, read on and you'll see that at 1280 your shortest is 1/60. At 1920 you can set 1/30.

Oops, now I see a mistake here. Submariner uses 1080 (that is 1920 by 1080), not 1280. Sorry.

Sony has no legacy here.

apersson850 wrote in post #14854036
Yes, read on and you'll see that at 1080 your shortest is 1/60. At 1920 you can set 1/30.

Now you've got me totally confused. My 7D shoots at 1920x1080 - not 1920 or 1080. Oh, and it quite happily shoots 1920x1080 24fps with a shutter speed of 1/30.

Perhaps you can give us a page reference to the bit in the manual to which you refer?

Sorry, a typo, although a confusing one.
I was referring to the 1280 mode, which uses 50 or 60 frames/s, thus can't go below 1/60 s shutter speed.

But I've now realized that this user seems to use 24 frames/s, so that's something else. According to the table on page 161 in the user's manual (the edition for firmware 2), there is no 24 frames/s with HD resolution, only with Full HD. It removes my objection, or so I think. I hardly ever use my 7D for video, so I think I should shut up until I've tested a bit more myself.

I see now that Submariner stated that he uses 1080. I call that 1920, the other 1280, but got confused by the 1080 and thought it was 1280.

apersson850 wrote in post #14856089
I see now that Submariner stated that he uses 1080. I call that 1920, the other 1280, but got confused by the 1080 and thought it was 1280.

Ah! Yes, I find it confusing that videographers always quote the vertical resolution. I suppose it comes from the days when TV images were defined by the number of lines.