The story of my transition from Nikon to Canon is long and boring. In short, the Nikon D700 I had was suppose to be my ‘photography’ tool, while my new Canon 7D and lenses would be my video gear as my Canon HV20 was now limiting my creative ability. Having just entered the world of motion photography, I was extremely impressed by the Canon 5DM2 and the videos I was seeing on Vimeo.
The Canon 7D was a fun toy and it got me use to the Canon body, but I quickly got tired of carrying a Canon 7D + lenses and gear AND a Nikon D700 for photography. Enter the Canon 1DM4 (*Applause everyone*)
I sold all my 7D and D700 equipment to buy myself a Canon 1DM4, the only one available in my area and at a discount price. With the extra cash I bought myself some nice L glass and so started my new adventure.
Going from Nikon cameras to Canon for photography is a bit tough at first, but you get used to it. From a photographer’s point of view, this camera is worth the extra money compared to the Canon 7D. I say this because I do a lot of photography at night without strobes. While fast glass is one way of dealing with this issue, a nice ISO setting with minimal noise is also pretty killer. Add to that the 10fps when doing sports photography or trying to capture those droplet shots we love and hate.
But how about the video?
Well, if I were looking at something for JUST video, I would stick with the Canon 7D. The reasons:
- High ISO
- I see very little difference in rolling shutter.
- While high ISO is nice, it’s not worth the extra money when you can get yourself a nice lighting setup or faster glass.
- The white balance setting on top allows you to easily use the Kelvin temperature to monitor white balance. There is a way to do it on the Canon 1DM4 but it’s a two step process which can become tiresome when shooting on the go.
- The white balance setting on top allows you to easily use the Kelvin temperature to monitor white balance. There is a way to do it on the 1DM4 but it’s a two step process which can become tiresome when shooting on the go.
- Being able to setup C1, C2 and C3 is a great way to go from photography to 24p to 60p.
- It’s cheaper! With the Canon 7D I felt that if I broke it I could work a couple of months and replace it (I’d still cry, but not for as long) whereas I doubt my wife would let me buy another Canon 1DM4 if it were to meet the pavement at a high speed. Price is important unless you’re making money. Even then, I could see Canon 1DM4 working in conjunction with several Canon 7D’s.
- Of course L glass is more expensive and you have to use L glass on your Canon 1DM4 even though it’s a crop sensor. While L glass is nice, I loved my Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens. It was THE lens for me and my short lived Canon 7D days.
For those of you who are still looking for reasons to go the way of the Canon 1DM4 here they are:
- High ISO with quality images makes it a wonderful tool to work with in dark situations. It is incredible.
- The larger body makes it easier to handle. You could of course get the battery grip for the Canon 7D making it larger and easier to handle though.
- Dual card slots so you don’t have to swap cards in the middle of a shoot.
- Auto-ISO that works very well as an auto exposure setting. I choose the shutter speed and aperture and the brains of the Canon 1DM4 dials in the ISO to maintain exposure and image quality. It’s smart!
- Did I mention the ISO?
Here is a video I shot over the course of the evening with the Canon 1DM4. I used the Sigma 24mm 1.8 lens the entire night. AWB was used because it wasn’t something I expected to get ‘perfect’ as I’m still just having fun. It hasn’t been graded. Edited in Premier Pro CS4. Compared to the 7D shots I have, I don’t see that much of a difference, but you be the judge.
Dirty Old Men from Jason McDonald on Vimeo.
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