Canon 7D settings and audio hardware

Hi everyone

I will be doing a shoot in the next 2 weeks that will require me to use my Canon 7D for the full shoot,including b-roll and interviews.Now i've used the 7D before for mainly b-roll,where primary audio did'nt really play a role,however it will now.

Has anybody shot broadcast inserts or documentaries using the 7D,what audio options did you go with,clapper board,external recorder,etc or a lapel and short rifle mic

The 7D takes a small audio jack,should i use a lapel or 416 with XLR to small jack conversion?Also how does the 7D handle audio control in situations like wind,since you cant control the audio,is this a problem?

Im interested to know any settings anybody has used for broadcast.We will probably use GoProHD for the underwater sequence if we cannot get the 7D housed in time,so any Gopro tips for shooting in relatively green waters of depths of between 10-18 meters would help.

I have read the other threads in the forum on HDSLR but im looking for what settings people are using for video and what audio hardware too.

Thanks

I've just heard from Steve that the GoPro is not an option for low light conditions

I would suggest using a audio recorder and just use the 7D audio for sync.

I also agree your go-pros are not going to be much use in low light.

Travy

Unless you are willing to use hack firmware (Magic Lantern) to get good audio control on the 7D, I 2nd using an external audio recorder and sync. If you are shooting an interview and don't mind having a mic visible, a lapel/lavalier mic hooked into a recorder is a good solution. Shotgun mic to recorder is also a good option but depends on your budget and also location. Not a good idea in a noisy place

Gopros are great for shallow work in good light, and so long as there is good light, it's good way to shoot C cam shots. They're using them for 2-3 sec shots in quite a few prime time productions.

Rather than rely upon the audio from any DSLR, why not invest in a Zoom H4n or even the Zoom H1 which will produce far superior audio. You can then either sync the audio to the video yourself or use an app like Plural Eyes to do it for you. These audio tools are not very expensive to purchase. I have them all and, especially with the H4n, think highly of them. There are also other similar audio recorders that many like, Tascam and others that I have not used.

If you do wind up using the GoPro, switch out the GoPro's housing for either the Sartek or Eye of Mine housing which will enable superior focus, but as others have stated, it really is not the best cam to use for critical use on a project.

Steve

Ps Beachtec also has the DXA-SLR for audio capture with DSLRs. I have one but have not tried to use it yet for testing and review.

Steve

Can you please explain how the Eye of Mine or Sartek housings enable "superior focus" vs just changing out the dome for flat ports on the existing GoPro housings?

There are a bunch of polycarbonate and even acrylic lenses now available for the gopro housings. Unless one needs to go say pass 120ft, in which case those Eye of Mine housings are tested to 200ft. However I suspect that the Gopro can go pass that by more than a few feet. The Sartek glass port is probably more resistant to scratching, the bane of all polycarbonate ports. But then again a bit of polish and work and those scratches can be removed.

A GOPRO actually captures better audio than a 7D!

I use a Tascam DR-100 for audio capture which I've found to be marginally better than the Zoom's. I don't even bother with plural eyes for sync I just make sure that I start and stop the 7D and audio capture within a couple of seconds of each other and as long as you have long(ish) clips like you'd get for interviews it is easy to sync in post.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Simon

Drew,

Unless they have made some changes to it since the Go Pro first came out, I found that while their housing topside was just fine, underwater, even at shallow depths the image was very, very soft and appeared out of focus. When I put the Go Pro into either the Sartek or Eye of Mine housings, there was a great deal more clarity to the image. I have tried switching the domes and ports, just switching the different manufacturers housings. Why this is so, I am not an engineer and can not say but the difference is very noticeable.

Steve

Simon, sent you a PM

FYI for everyone.

The Gopro dome can't focus underwater because of the virtual image is too close to the lens. The camera is has a fixed focus lens. It's been discussed before:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37243

In the last year, smarter people have come up with ways around this issue with flat ports. Eye of Mine and Sartek went the route of replacing the housings. Other companies went with replacing the housing lens. Just google/bing "gopro flat lens replacement"

I personally went with lens replacement because

1. It's absolutely a waste of polycarbonate to throw out the old housing just to change the lens. I use the 3D housing and my old Hero housings are still there for other use. Be green!

2. I wouldn't use the gopro past 100ft anyhow.

3. Cost: A new housing is $100 and up. Lens replacement: $20-40.

I got the Eye of Mine for my GoPro to use underwater and I use the original for topside. It's nice having both housings and it certainly reduces on the wear and tear on the lens of the underwater housing. I've actually been leaving my GoPro underwater as a remote camera with some very interesting results, but I digress this is a thread about 7D audio!! LOL

Cheers, Simon

Thanks for the input,i will be shooting the annual squid spawning in Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape.They lay their eggs on the reef bed in the bay area,so the water is green and abit murky.i will shoot the 7D for b-roll and ITV's.The gopro will probably not work in this situation as we wont be able to source any of the extra hardware needed for it to work effectively in this short space of time.

As a last resort i can use a A1U for underwater sequence,not ideal but will it work,i know it compressed HDV.

Hand clap or clapperboard for sync... lol

Dean

Chokka run! In those conditions, unless you get some decent viz, you are going to have some noise with the A1. I suggest you rent the 7D housing.

And to think that just a few years ago, the A1-U along with the HC-1, FX-1 and Z1-U were the cutting edge for camcorders. The first widely used HDV camcorders so superior to the SD cams that cam before them. Even tho JVC had released and HDV cam a year prior, no one bought the thing for any number of reasons. How far we have come.

Steve

I wish they had a 7D housing to rent here but they dont.Visual Impact rentals in the city have a small HDV housed in a silverfish housing or a 5D2 in an ikelite with a 17-40 lens.

The 5D2 would be perfect but they looking for 1ooo pounds sterling for a weeks rental which is out of budget .

The housing rental on its own is affordable except i have a 7D,not a 5D2

By the way,if anyone has done the chokka run,i would appreciate some insight into what to expect,so that i can prepare myself.thx