Re: DSLR v Camcorder

What all are you considering when you say "equipment needed to shoot decent video" on the 7D? I just got the 5D for full time video! Unless you're doing "run and gun" hand held video, the 7D will be better out of the box than any camera you could rent up to the Red One.... (my opinion anyway).

Pros: The depth of field, low light performance, quality of image and both focal lengths (both wide and long) cannot be matched by any camcorder you would rent. Far and away better.

Cons: Difficult to shoot hand held well. Even with an IS lens if you move around a lot it will shake with out a steady cam unit. Pulling focus takes some practice... but is doable (depending on how shallow you're going to be). You'll have to take audio separately if you want professional audio. The on cam mic is basically reference audio and picks up a lot of internal camera noise and the camera only allows for a mini jack for audio, which is rubbish for true pro audio... (however in most pro environments I would be taking audio separately anyway, you'll just have to match it in post rather than connecting it in cam via xlr connections.) The codec can be difficult to work with unless you have CS5, but you can download something as simple as mpeg stream clip for free to convert the video to something more workable.

In my opinion, since you already have the 7D and know how to work the camera and are comfortable with lens (and have a wide array), you will get far and away much better quality without spending money on a lesser camera. Instead of renting a camcorder, use that money on the right audio setup for what you're doing, and just use a tripod (or you can even build a stead cam by using a mono pod type contraption with weight on the bottom, indy guys do it all the time.)

Indy filmmakers left and right are dumping their expensive video setups to switch TO the DSLR's.