Canon 70D Hands on Experiance

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Does anyone here have a 70D?... and if so what is your verdict?... I am thinking about moving from Nikon (D5100) to the 70D mainly for its video features. I am increasingly getting in to making films, and find my current Nikon very frustrating to use. It is very fiddly getting any sort of manual exposure control, though there are workarounds to gain some control, so the full manual of the 70D is very appealing. I'm also very interested in its focusing features, which looks amazing, and wonder just how good they are in day-to-day use.

I also want a great still camera, and feel this will beat my current SLR by a fair margin.

My other thought was a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (keeping the Nikon for stills) but think it may cost a lot to get it to a point where I can make decent films, and the workflow looks very daunting... does anyone have one of these here? if so I would love to hear some hands-on with these little cameras, which seem capable of fantastic video performance... far exceeding the DSLR's.

Thanks in advance.

 

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I would have thought if video was your main thing then Sony would be better

I want to do video and stills in equal measure, and DSLR's are very capable film making tools, so an all in one would be good, unless I can get really high quality video from a standalone camera at a good price.

Which Sony?

 

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Thanks for the replies... the limitation of the Nikon is the lack of decent exposure control in video mode, where the 70D has full manual control, which I want. The focus system also seem fantastic for video work too, using the touch screen to select and quickly and accurately focus on different areas.. focus pulling on a DSLR is difficult at best, so this seems like a great solution, but I wanted to know from those who have it, just how good it is... I still intend to use manual focus too.

All the reviews seem very positive, but you can't beat feedback from someone that has lived with it and used it for some time.

I am confused why getting a set-up for video and stills is so different... I'm basically filming the same subjects I take stills of (landscape) and have had no difficulties in that regard with my current set-up... maybe some types of work would require different things. I like that look you get with video in DSLR's, over camcorders, which seem less filmic and more synthetic.

Sound is another thing, and yes no headphone jack is slightly annoying... I have a Rode stereo mike, which is unusable on my Nikon due to the rubbish preamps they use... is the Canon any better in this regard?... I do have a separate recorder, but an all in one solution would be nice.

I went to town in the hope of handling a 70D but with few camera shops on the highstreet I had no luck... I've been using Nikon for a long time, so wanted to see how the Canon would feel in comparison.

Oh yes, and I would like to find out more about the G4K.. I know little at this point.

 

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D.P ... thank you for taking the time to reply, but I think you adding way too much complication. I'm not making Hollywood movies here, but small films to be shown along side the other visual work I do. I've been 'getting by' with a D3100 & 5100 and achieved decent results, using the same lens for both aspects, but I just want to make life easier and better in terms of focus and exposure.

I will use the same lenses for both still and video, as I have been doing... I will not be buying all the other kit. I have a decent fluid head tripod and that will do for now... at some point I may get a rig to handle a focus puller etc... but that is a big maybe.

I just wanted some hands on opinions of this particular DSLR and the features that make it good for film.

 

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Thanks guys ... The GH4 is too expensive for me ATM. I can get the 70D with the 18-135mm for £860 whereas the GH4 would be more than double that.

I am aware of Canon's reputation in film making, which is why I have been looking in that direction... I was thinking of the 7D initially, which I've seen used in the industry, along with the 5D, and then came across the 70D which seemed to have similar capabilities and quality to the 7D along with some great new features.

Magic Lantern looks very interesting, but currently not available for the 70D.. though I must admit I would be very nervous using a hacked firmware... call me a wuss

I would love to know if anyone has plugged an external mic in to their 70D and what the result are re: noise.

And, any worries about Digital Rev?... they seem to offer a great price, and seem to get positive reviews.

 

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That's great info Beepcake and Columbo, thanks very much... I will look into theses areas further before making any decision.

I would like to buy in this country, and preferably on the highstreet, as I have always done up until now, but the difference is getting on for £300.. we really are shafted over here.


BTW... what would the import duty be, if caught?

 

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That excludes any handling charge by the courier. FWIW I bought a Canon G16 from Digirev and the customs invoice listed the value of the item as £80 - it was much more than that

If you're worried about importing, take a look at HDEW. They have it for £665 and give you a 3 year warranty. UK based but it'll be grey stock.

Thank you.

So what happens if it gets caught up in customs, what is the procedure for getting your goods.

HDEW have the 70d with 18-135mm listed at £885 v £859 for DR... I'm not sure what the difference is between a grey import over any other sort of import, esp if Canon will not touch either... is DR grey too?

Sorry for all the questions, that's gone away from the original topic.

 

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Once again, thank you for the info guys, it really is appreciated.

D.P... I've not ruled anything out, at this point, but I am strongly leaning towards the Canon for several reasons. Fantastic though the Blackmagic appears, it would require a big investment in terms of lenses and other gear to make it practical, on top of the cost of the body. It would also require a huge investment of time to learn how to do digital grading from the ProRes or RAW files properly, and I'm not sure I'm prepared to put myself through the steep learning curve of that just now... I feel it might stifle the creative side, and take up time I do not have.

Watching some of the clips from the 70D esp. those on the Camera Labs review, makes my excited for the creative possibilities it offers, esp. working solo in, sometimes, difficult conditions.

I really think I want an all in one solution, and stills will see the bulk of the cameras usage... for the money this seems to offer the best all round performance, but I am going to look seriously at the other options.. I'm not rushing into anything here.



I've just noticed I spelled 'Experience' wrong in the title

 

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I am waiting for the 7D MK.II as well....!

It will obviously be better, but also more expensive, which likely would rule it out for for me; plus, I want something sooner rather than later... there seems to be no release date as yet.

Having spent a large part of the weekend reading up on, as well as watching countless reviews, and hands-on videos, I can say safety say I'm sick of cameras

But seriously, I have decided on the 70D, as I think its the best tool for the job within my budget.

I just need to decide where to buy it... I found it for £980 via SpencerMann who claim "UK company - UK Stock" I have contacted them just for 100% clarification that the camera will be a recognised by Canon as a UK item, but they have yet to reply.

Has anyone used them?

I've found HDEW have it for £885 and they are a UK company, with decent reviews, so I'm close to pushing the button on this.

 

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I've used HDEW for Canon lenses. Nice quick delivery and a huge saving, but the gear is grey import. Three year warranty though, which is a handy compensation.

Good choice on the 70D. D.P. Would rather you buy a bag of frozen peas for video than Canon gear but they are damn good, and the 70D is one of the best APS-C DSLRs for video at the moment. I nearly pulled the pin on one myself, but went the Fuji route instead.

I ordered one yesterday through Hdew, but at the time I was not aware it would be a grey. Their site and wording on it is geared to making you believe quite the opposite, and is frankly verging on a scam.... however, they do offer a free three year warranty, which seems fine, and they are cheap, without the risk of finding you have to pay extra duty and VAT as is the case with some other dealers.

So, I am going to let the order run and not cancel, which I was thinking of doing... at the end of the day I want the camera, but I'm not happy about the way they cover up the facts about what you buying.

If D.P gives advice based on some stupid tribal allegiance to Nikon then that is rather sad I have used almost every brand going over the years, and do not give a flying fig about the name on the top. This is clearly the best camera for my needs and budget, and that is all that matters.

 

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It is a ridiculous accusation

I said 'if' so no accusation... I was not the one who bought it up, and simply said it would be sad if that was the case... It had not crossed my mind that there was any agenda, so please don't be upset.

Thanks for your help and advice I do appreciate it.

I'm not into Nikon v Canon or any other of these stupid fights, which crop up far too often.

I'm also content that what I want to capture in stills, is the same as want I want to film, and therefore do not need wildly different set-ups for either... its what I've been doing for some time with fine results; this Canon will just make life a lot easier, and give more scope in some areas.