Canon Plugin-E1 For Final Cut Pro Now Available!!

Happy Day!!

In case you missed it, Canon has finally released the much-anticipated EOS movie plug in for Final Cut Pro! This plug in simplifies the logging and transfer process for all HDDSLR filmmakers editing in FCP by doing the following:

* Lets you convert your H.264 clips to all manner of Pro Res directly in FCP 7, or to Pro Res422 or Pro Res 422 HQ in FCP 6.0.6 (so no more Compressor or MPEG Streamclip step)

* Creates timecode based on the camera's internal date & time stamp


* Lets you mark in and out points on your H.264 clips before transfer, so you can cut out all the crap before converting (like what you can do in-camera, only this way is much easier)

* Lets you burn a .dmg of your CF card (great for archiving the raw footage files onto a DVD or external hard drive)


Download the free plug in here.

Go here if you want to know how to use it. (Canon's own how-to page)


Check out Philip Bloom's blog about it here. He links to a few other useful resources, like how to make it work for Rebel T2i/550D users.

Watch Your Exposure When Shooting!!

That's right...this ain't your momma's video camera!

If you're used to shooting stills on a DSLR, then you'll know how vital it is to use that exposure meter within your viewfinder. Even with the 7D's LiveView feature for still shooting, what you see in the 3" LCD is NOT what you're shot is going to look like when you load it onto your computer's display.

The same goes for shooting video on the 7D. When setting your aperture & ISO, don't rely on the viewfinder for a good, balanced image. Use the meter! Keep your exposure somewhere within -1 to +1, or as close to center as possible. Trust me, you're going to look at your screen and want to crank open the iris or increase your ISO. You will regret it in post...trust me, I learned that the hard way!

The day after my 7D arrived (and after having shot maybe 3 minutes of footage with it) I was invited to tag along with a friend who was photographing a wedding. I got permission to bring my 7D and shoot some footage. We were outdoors, and there was still snow on the ground. The building where the wedding took place was a large granite temple...snow + granite = blazingly bright! Things looked great in my viewfinder, but in my haste and inexperience, I failed to consult the ever-vital light meter. When I got home and plugged the camera to my TV to preview the shots, I was blown away - not by how great they were, but by how BRIGHT they were! Lesson learned!

There are a lot of great forums on this topic, my favorite are from DVinfo.net. I recommend signing up for a free users account there, and ask your questions. You'll be answered by some of the best minds in the world of 7D filmmaking.

7D vs. Rebel T2i: Can't Decide Which To Buy?

Welcome to the club! And mind you, this is a big club with members from all over the globe, each from a different background in media, with varying levels of expertise and knowledge.We're all asking ourselves: Do I spend $1,600 on a great HDSLR that has proven itself in the trenches, or do I spend half that amount on a new model, with the same video specs as it's bigger brother, but that few people have used yet, and then put that extra $800 towards a really good lens or stabilizer?

I was ready to buy my 7D when the Canon's announcement of the EOS 550D/Rebel T2i was made, and at that time there weren't any T2i users to learn from. All I knew was that, on paper, the video specs looked almost identical to those of the 7D. Oh yeah, and it was half the price.

This sparked what my wife refers to as the "psycho" phase in my HDSLR research. I spent HOURS every day hunting for opinions, specs, side-by-side comparisons, everything I could find that would help me decide on one camera or the other. And I found it. Lots of it. All over the web are forums and blogs and videos from people who are out using their HDSLR's right now, shooting amazing (and sometimes less than amazing) footage, and sharing it all with people like me. All that research led me to 2 conclusions: First, the 7D was the way for me to go, and I would not be disappointed. Secondly, there ought to be a place where people after can go to get the same info I found, without having to filter through a lot of unnecesary reading along the way. Hence the birth of this blog, and the 7D that is in the mail as we speak!

Before you decide one way or the other, there are some things you must decide:

1. First and foremost, look in your bank account. Can you afford to go for the more expensive camera and still be able to purchase at least one to two good lenses? Because as all the forums will tell you, there's no point to getting a DSLR if you're just going to use cheap crap lenses with it. (check the links section above for some really great articles about this).

2. What exactly will you be using this camera for? Do you plan to shoot both video and photos? Video only? Will you be shooting primarily outdoors? Indoors? Both? Will it be a cash cow for you (meaning, do you plan on using it for professional gigs, or just your own personal projects)? If so, what kinds of jobs will you be doing? Be as specific as possible here, and know that there are a number of video applications for which the HDSLR line are not well suited.

3. Do you already own an HDSLR for video (like the 5D MarkII, or the 1D MarkIV) and are looking for a good B-cam?

4. What is your budget for other gear, like support, lenses, and audio gear?

There are a lot more questions you could ask yourself, but these are the most important. Once you've got that figured out, click here and read this excellent comparison of the two cameras by Ron Risman of CameraTown.

Once you decide which to get, come back here and let us know your reasons! Good luck!