7D movie mode

Rooky007 · 15 May 2011 at 09:39

how do you get the 7D to autofocus in movie mode?

RIZZEE · 15 May 2011 at 10:33

There isn't a autofocus mode in any of the movie modes in the canon DSLRs. It's all manual focusing as far as i'm aware

Rojin · 15 May 2011 at 10:33

You can't, it's manual focus all the way. You can use the focus button to AF but it's not constant AF, it's a bit clunky as well.

An Exception · 15 May 2011 at 12:10

Rookies said:
how do you get the 7D to autofocus in movie mode?

Only some of the Nikon DSLR's have a full time auto focus (between Canon/Nikon), but even that isn't perfect, as it de-focuses to focus which is a little distracting in the video, but it's obviously better than no AF if your not a dab hand at manual focus.

Ksanti · 15 May 2011 at 12:33

If you want to make videos, learn to use manual focus. Only Sony have a properly viable alternative to manual focus in videos at the moment (continuous phase detection AF in movies due to their translucent mirror tech, means that the af sensor still gets light when the sensor does, in DSLRs the mirror has to go up for video ie no light to the viewfinder of af system, so the af has to be done by the image sensor by so called "Contrast detection AF", which isn't anywhere near as good as phase detection).

DampCat · 15 May 2011 at 12:55

To be honest, manual focus is the way forward anyway, you can get much more artsy results with it.

If you are just doing quick videos, nothign special, then you'll have to put up with it. If you're doing a big project and want to be very precise, you can pick up a follow-focus attachment by a company like RedRock, that allows you to mark specific focus alignments on the chinagraph ring... which is amazing if you have time to have four or five goes at each shot.

Anyways. Just practice. After a couple of hours you'll get used to focusing.

D.P. · 15 May 2011 at 14:40

DampCat said:
To be honest, manual focus is the way forward anyway, you can get much more artsy results with it.

If you are just doing quick videos, nothign special, then you'll have to put up with it. If you're doing a big project and want to be very precise, you can pick up a follow-focus attachment by a company like RedRock, that allows you to mark specific focus alignments on the chinagraph ring... which is amazing if you have time to have four or five goes at each shot.

Anyways. Just practice. After a couple of hours you'll get used to focusing.

This basically.

IMO, for video you either have 3 choices:

1) Just go out an buy a cheap HD camcorder, much more practical to use.

2) Buy a high end HD camera.

3) Or you need to go the whole hog and buy some good manual focusing lenses (Zeiss have some specially designed) with big focus ring, combine with some proper follow-focus mechanisms, should mount system and a focusing screen. Nikon also have a lot of good old lenses for manual focus work. Once you camera is set up for video work you wont really be using it for still photography.

Tysonator · 15 May 2011 at 22:02

Press the AF button while shooting and the DSLR will auto focus.
I would say the same as what has been mentioned in this thread. In that you need to manual use the focus ring to track moving objects. It does take some practice, so do not do it on the day you go shooting !