My shiny new Canon 7D camera is here! I pre-ordered it through Amazon about three weeks ago, but Amazon seemed to be behind the ball on shipping. I had been seeing clips posted online from people all over who had received THEIR cameras, and I wanted mine! So I called Calumet Photo in Cambridge and Newtonville Camera in Newton and got on their waiting lists. Sure enough, the next day (yesterday), I got a call from the fine folks at Newtonville that they had one for me. That was easy.
So I went over, armed with my trusty Visa card, to buy my very own 7D. This was really the first time I had even touched one (other than this past weekend when I nearly accosted a photographer at an event I was at who had one around her neck), and it felt very robust. Much heavier (in a good way) than I expected; it felt very pro. Unfortunately the lens I had ordered online was not expected to arrive until the end of the week, and I couldn’t stand the idea of going home without a lens (since I was buying the camera body only), so I looked through the selection at Newtonville, as there were a couple other lenses I had planned to purchase. They had me try a fantastic wide-angle zoom, the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. It looked great, felt great, but I had not planned to buy that one (yet). I was looking for a “normal” range prime lens and was deciding between the Canon 28mm 1.8 or the Sigma 30mm 1.4. Well they did not have the Canon in stock. I had read mostly favorable reviews about the Sigma and the Canon is a much older design, so I opted to go with what they had, so I could play at home. So I left Newtonville with new camera, lens and a few spare batteries in tow, and a significantly lighter wallet.
Now here is what kills me…first is that I had purchased some Compact Flash cards with the lens I had ordered online, so I have nothing to shoot on until they arrive, and second is that I have three projects that I need to finish editing over the next week and have literally zero time to go out and shoot. The camera spent all day sitting on my desk just staring at me, asking to be used. I have certainly turned it on a bunch and put it into video mode and walked around the house, framing up nice shots of my dog, or my wife Kate cooking dinner, or my coffee cup on my desk. And the stuff looks great, but I can’t even press record because I have no CF cards yet. Sigh.
But soon, I will have what I need and my current projects will be done, and I can go out and use it, and then start putting it to work. It is already very clear that this camera shines in low light compared with my beloved EX-1 (which for an HD video camera is quite sensitive in low light), and it has a very nice shallow depth of field due to the much larger sensor. Will it become my “A” camera? Probably not. My EX-1 is certainly more versatile for many situations, and there are some drawbacks to shooting video with a DSLR like the 7D, but it has a very nice, filmic look that I think will work well for scripted or stylized shoots. I am definitely going to take it to Blogs with Balls next week in Las Vegas, along with 2 EX-1s and put it to use.
Can you tell I am excited?
Tags: Blogs with Balls, Canon 7D, equipment, EX-1
Insure the heck out of that thing if you are indeed bringing it to Vegas. Not only because someone will spill vodka and red bull on it, but also because you will probably end up throwing it on the table in a dramatic “All In” moment against Annie Duke. Who will then take a picture of you with HER new camera.
That’s a good call, Chris.
Please make sure I don’t do that. I’ll leave the deed to my house at home too.