Focusing while shooting video w/ the 7D

messplay

messplay

Active member
im having some trouble focusing on subjects while shooting video. if im doing close ups of flowers or any DOF experiments, is it possible with my Canon EF-S 18-135mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS lens?

it's the only one i have at the moment...

what certain functions or modes do i need to have it on when shooting? i press the AF-ON button but that doesnt do much...
 
Pulling focus is VERY hard with a DSLR because the DOF is tiny. Practice more, buy a follow focus.
 
do i need to be in AF mode or MF mode on my lens in order to pull it the way i want...and anything additional on the camera itself or do i have too big of a lens?
 
somebody correct me if im wrong because i dont know much about 7d's but i dont think you can use auto focus when shooting video so you would have to use MF and get REALLY good at pulling focus.
 
lol

First of all, there is NO autofocus on DSLRs when shooting video.

Second, you know how turning the focus ring moves the focus? Pulling focus means your hand manually turns the ring to keep moving subjects in focus. On professional film sets, there is often one person working the camera, and another person is hired JUST to pull focus. Yes, it is very difficult. A follow focus system (which is practically mandatory for pulling focus) makes this process slightly easier. Still, it takes years and years to get good at it.
 
right, i wasnt using the AF, but i am getting the jist of pulling everything now after playing with it a bit but yeah it is pretttty tough.

j/w how much is a follow focus system?
 
i was just looking around online and saw some for like $50 ... ? is that low, normal, or high?

what do you guys recommend and where would be my best bet to look online, my local camera store is mmmm allllright but not the BEST
 
They usually range from $300 - $1,000+. then you need a rail system/baseplate in order to mount it to your camera.

DFocus makes a surprisingly good one for $150.
 
damnnnnnn i tihnk i'll hold off on that for a while, next major investment is a new lens or two.

definitely going to be picking up some filters in the near future

neutral grey a must i heard, what about a UV or circular polarizing?

the Digital ones by Promaster are pretty expensive though, what's the difference between those and the "essential" lenses

thanks for the help Landis
 
Lenses are the first and most essential thing you should spend your money on. Start with a fast prime (1.4), then get a wide, and telephoto. Cover all three bases, then fill in the gaps as you see fit.

As for filters, I wish this could be sticky'd: UV filters are only good for protecting your lens I realize they technically filter UV rays, but a Polarizing filter produces a stronger effect, and has other benefits as well, so you might as well just buy a good Polarizer instead. ND filters are a staple, as they darken the image without any chromatic effect.

Some good brands to look for are Heliopan and B+W. Stay away from the Kirkland signature or amazon essential shit or whatever.

Also, never ever ever buy "kits." The accessories in those things are always absolute garbage.
 
Couldn't agree more.
Camera bodies will change every few years, lenses are your best investment and will last you decades (if you wish).
Also, if you don't have one, put a tripod up on the top of the list. Unless you want to shoot handheld all the time, it's pretty difficult to get a steady shot without one. If you like that style, great, but definitely get a tripod for the times when you don't want a jumpy shot.
As for filters, an ND filter is a MUST. It's damn near impossible to shoot outside in the day with an sort of DOF without one. A great investment is a Vari ND or Fader ND. These allow you to adjust the ND filter while on the camera, giving you multiple stops. Other filters typically just save you 2 stops or 4 stops, the Vari or Fader options allow you to rotate the ND while on the lens from 1-8 stops I believe. Great piece of kit.

 
Takes years of practice and knowing how to judge distance to really understand it thoroughly. I do assistant camera jobs every now and then, it's though, it takes lots of practice. Every lens is different, gotta learn your lens. The more you practice, it will eventually become second nature. A good focus puller can pull focus by eye sight and markers only, without the help of a monitor. It's different with digital lenses tough. They aren't made for video, so your focus ring typically has a very tight focus. Older manual focus lenses are more forgiving when it comes to focusing. Typically you have more room to work with, but not much. Also with the small dslr lcds, it's hit or miss a lot of the time. There's no special trick or anything, it's all skill and practice, like anything else.

 
I have the EOS 550D (t2i) and if it's anything like that then there is manual and auto focus when recording video - however it's quite noisy and takes some time so if you're looking to pull focus cleanly then use manual focus and just practice.
 
lol, I'm surprised nobody has said this to you yet, but i've seen you make 3 7D help threads already and achieving depth of field is something you should already know how to do before purchasing a camera of such caliber as the 7D. I knew this day would come when inexperienced people purchase cameras that they can't handle. I will give you some advice though...instead of saying "yeah, i heard neutral density (not grey) filters are good and maybe a polarizer." Do some research and learn WHY they are good and what they are used for rather than going on what you hear.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top