Canon EOS 7D Mark II (G) User manual

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Ever since high-denition video recording capability
was introduced in the groundbreaking Canon EOS 5D
Mark II, still and video photographers alike have been
exploring the exciting capabilities of EOS HD video.
This QuickGuide is written to help all photographers,
from beginners to advanced, to produce high-quality
videos with the least amount of unnecessary effort.
General Tips
1. Make sure you have ample battery power. Live
View and movie recording draw more power than
still photography. A fully-charged battery with a
back-up or two will avoid your camera running
out of power during a video shoot.
2. Make sure you are using a memory card that has
a continuous read/write speed of 8MB/second or
faster. We recommend CompactFlash cards that
have an Ultra DMA (UDMA) specication or SD
Cards that have a Class 6 specication or higher.
3. Keep in mind EOS DSLRs allow a maximum
video le size of 4GB. Larger memory card
capacities will allow you to store more les, but
each video le will have a maximum size of 4GB.
4. You will need a powerful computer for smooth
playback of HD video les. Minimum Mac
or Windows requirements include a Core 2
Duo processor that is 2.6GHz or faster and a
minimum 2GB of RAM. Also make sure you have
ample hard drive space available. A 15-minute
HD video with sound could require at least 5GB
of storage space, not including out-takes.
5. Avoid shooting in direct sunlight and high
temperatures. Video recording generates more
heat than still photography. Prolonged recording
at high temperatures can degrade image quality
and may cause your camera to temporarily shut
down to prevent over-heating. If a thermometer
icon appears on the LCD display you should shut
off the camera for a few minutes to allow it to cool
down before you resume video recording.
How to Start and Stop Recording
EOS-1D Mark IV
1. In the second Set-up Menu select Live View/
Movie Function Set Screen. Set your choice to
Movie.
2. Press the Set Button to activate Live View.
3. Press the Flash Exposure Lock (FEL) Button
on the rear of the camera to start recording. A red
icon will appear on the rear LCD monitor. Press
FEL again to stop.
EOS 5D Mark II
1. In the second Set-up Menu select Live View/
Movie Function Set Screen, then select
Stills+Movie.
2. Press the Set Button. The Screen Setting
options will appear. Select Movie Display, then
press the Set Button again.
3. Press the Live View Button (to the left of the
viewnder) to display the Live View image.
4. Press the Set Button to start shooting a movie.
To stop shooting the movie, press the Set Button
again. A red icon will appear on the rear LCD
monitor. While shooting a movie, you can take
a still photo at any time by pressing the shutter
button.
EOS 7D
1. Set the Live View/Movie
Switch on the back of the
camera to Movie (the red
video camera icon). The rear
LCD monitor will display Live
View.
2. Press the Start/Stop
Button to begin recording.
A red icon will appear on the
rear LCD monitor. Press the Start/Stop Button again
to stop.
EOS Rebel T1i and T2i
1. Turn the Exposure Mode Dial to the Movie
Camera icon. The monitor will display Live View.
2. Press the Live View/Movie Button on the back
of the camera to begin recording. A red icon will
appear on the LCD monitor. Press the Live View/
Movie Button again to stop.
Movie Recording Size Options
EOS DSLRs offer a choice of recording sizes:
• 1920 x 1080 (Full HD—the default)
• 1280 x 720 (HD)
• 640 x 480 (SD)
• 640 x 480 Crop (Rebel T2i/EOS 550D only)
Recording size selections are available on your
camera's Movie Shooting Menu. In general, Full HD
is best for larger HD displays such as televisions and
SD is best for videos intended for the Internet. If in
doubt, choose Full HD. You will have a full-resolution
le and you can always downconvert to SD later.
QuickGuide to EOS
DSLR Video Recording

456
Movie Recording Size Options (continued)
In Movie Crop mode (Rebel T2i/EOS 550D only)
you can achieve 7x magnication when shooting SD
video for a signicantly increased telephoto effect.
This mode crops the image directly from the sensor at
640x480 resolution, providing good image quality and
a highly magnied view of distant subjects. It’s best to
mount the camera on a tripod to avoid a shaky image.
Frame Rate Options
The following frame rates are available on all video-
capable EOS DSLRs (except the Rebel T1i, which
offers either 20 fps at 1080 HD or 30 fps at SD and
720 HD):
• 24 fps (23.98 actual) – This provides a more
“lm-like” effect, however, rapid motion will not
be as smooth as with 30 fps.
• 25 fps – This is the standard rate for video
broadcast in Europe and other PAL standard
countries. Your camera's Video System menu
must be set to PAL.
• 30 fps (29.97 actual) – This is the standard
rate for video broadcast in the U.S and other
NTSC standard countries.
• 50 fps – This is the standard frame rate for
720p HD video broadcast in Europe and other
PAL standard countries.
• 60 fps (59.94 actual) – This faster rate gives
motion a very smooth look and can be easily
edited down to 30 fps for playback on DVDs or
on the web.
In general, North American users should choose
either 30 fps or 60 fps for smooth results and easy
transition to the most popular playback methods.
Picture Styles and White Balance
Video recording will apply whatever Picture Style and
white balance settings your camera is set to. Raw
mode is not available. For optimum quality you should
therefore adjust the white balance to the prevailing
light source and adjust the Picture Style to your
subject or preference.
Exposure Options
Automatic Exposure with Auto-ISO
All EOS DSLRs with movie mode allow automatic
exposure with AE Lock and AE Compensation. The
EOS 5D Mark II with rmware version 2.0.4 also
provides Av/Tv functionality. Keep in mind, however,
that normal variations in scene and subject brightness
can cause undesirable exposure uctuations during
recording. Many pros prefer full Manual Exposure
because exposure will stay consistent, even when the
camera moves or the light changes.
Manual Exposure with Auto-ISO
This option provides a xed shutter speed and
aperture while allowing the ISO to move up or down
in response to changing light levels. Keep in mind,
however, that similar to automatic exposure with auto-
ISO, you lose control over how the camera responds
to changes in subject brightness. Also note that higher
ISOs lead to higher signal noise.
Manual Exposure with Fixed ISO
In this mode the exposure is “locked in.” This is ideal
for when light levels are consistent, less so when they
are not. Manual exposure gives you the added benet
of being able to used a xed shutter speed, which
should be approximately twice the frame rate. For
example, if your frame rate is 30 fps, an ideal shutter
speed would be 1/60 second. You can then set your
aperture accordingly. If this requires an aperture
smaller than what is available on your lens or if you
prefer to use a larger aperture for a more shallow
depth-of-eld, place a neutral density (ND) lter over
the lens. Depending on how dark a lter you choose
you can reduce incoming light by up to four stops.
Focusing Options
Although EOS DSLRs
with HD video allow
autofocus, the focusing
speed will be slower
than if you were doing
still photography with the
optical viewnder. Also
note that although it is
possible to autofocus
during video recording, AI Servo AF is not available.
Many pros therefore prefer to pre-focus before
shooting and to focus manually if necessary during
shooting. Remember to set the focus switch on your
lens to "MF" when focusing manually.
Sound Options
All EOS DSLRS with HD video have a built-in
microphone that will allow you to record sound
simultaneous with video. This includes an automatic
gain feature that attempts to amplify all sounds it
hears to the same level. (The EOS 5D Mark II with
rmware v. 2.0.4 allows you adjust audio levels
manually.) You should therefore avoid autofocusing
or handling the controls while recording because the
microphone will pick up the noise and amplify it. It’s
also a good idea to be as close to the sound source
as possible and to avoid areas that have a lot of
unwanted background noise.
All EOS DSLRs except the Rebel T1i have a
stereo audio jack that allows you to attach an external
microphone. You also have the option of using a
separate digital audio recorder and adding audio
during editing.