Canon DSLR HD Video Shootout - 550D vs 7D vs 5D Mark II

Canon has 3 SLR camera with which you can shoot HD videos. Starting with  entry level cameras like the Canon 550D/T2i, Canon EOS 7D and the professional level camera, Canon EOD 5D Mark II.  Those three Canon cameras have pushed HD video recording to a new level. You are probably asking yourself: "Which one is better for video recording?". Let's start by giving a big credit for Canon for allowing photographers shoot HD videos in such a great image quality. Canon has a lot of experience in the video camera segment, and this is the reason why the Canon 550D/7D/5D Mark II, all can produce very high quality HD videos in 1080p, better than any other company on the market today.

There are many professional video cameras that the utilizes small 2/3" sensors, and some of them even cost over ten thousands of dollars. Of course, and not in the fact alone, the main advantage of Canon DSLRs HD video shooting capability really shines. So lets start our SLR Video Shootout comparison review!

Shallow DOF To Bring The Subject Out

So what exactly are the advantages of having a large CCD sensor for shooting videos? - The main difference comes in the ability to have a wider control of the Depth-of-Field (DOF). That means that the photographer who shoots HD videos with a large sensor SLR camera, can blur the background and make the subject in the footage sharp. In that situation, the subject is therefore stands out much better and not getting lost inside background details. In small sensor digital cameras and camcorders, the ability to shoot video with a shallow depth of field is very limited, and usually can be achieved only in macro shots where the background is far away from the subject.


In both the Canon 5D Mark II (36x24mm Full Frame), Canon 7D (ASP-C) and Canon Rebel T2i / 550D, it is possible to gain much better control of the DOF and create that effect that really pleasant the eye of the viewer. Furthermore, heaving a blurred background can create a very buttery smooth background that is greatly used in shooting portrait videos and still images too. For some photographers, this is the reason for buying  a large sensor SLR camera in the first time.

The larger the sensor, the shallower DOF you can achieve.  DOF changes according to the lens aperture value, the focal range  and the distance of the background from the subject. We will talk about the best lenses for HD videos later in this review.

So as you can probably figure out, in terms of DOF, Canon EOS 5D Mark II has the advantage, because 5D Mark II SLR has a full frame sensor, compared to ASP-C sensors on the 7D and the 550D.

High ISO Video
Having a larger sensor also means that you can shoot movie clips in low lighting conditions, compared to small CCD sensors. Of course this is the main advantage of using the Canon EOS 5D Mark II SLR camera for video footage. Canon 5D Mark II is a FF camera, versus the cropped sensors of the 7D and the 550D. Even so, cropped sensor's DSLR cameras will offer you the advantage of shooing videos in low lighting conditions too, but the 5D Mark II exhales in that area. Try shooting video in a low lighted room with your current consumer camcorder, and you'll understand this important difference.

Here is a Canon EOS Rebel T2i/550D 720p 30fps raw footage in 3200 ISO, which was shot with the Canon 18-55mm lens:

Canon 5D Mark II vs 7D vs 550D

Frame rates
Many photographers want to compare the 5D Mark II, 7D and the 550D in terms of video quality. They want to base their decision not on the still image quality alone, but also on the video output quality.

All three Canon SLR cameras can shoot HD movie clips in Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution in 30 (29.97 ), 24 (23.976) and 25fps. Furthermore, they all allow shooting 720p movie clips in 60 (59.94), 50, 30, 24 or 25fps, except the Canon 5D Mark II that don't have 60fps. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The 5D Mark II didn't have the option to shoot 24P movie clips when it was first released. After many photographers were disappointed to see that Canon has opted for a 24P in the new 7D, Canon has released an upgrade firmware. The Firmware added support for both 24 and 25fps (NTSC) in 1080p HD movie clips. 24P is a native frame rate in the movie industry, and it produces more filmic appearance compared to 30fps (29.97,PAL).

So as you can see, in terms of frame rates, 5D mark II, 7D and 550D, all gives you the option to shoot HD movie clips with the same fps selections. When the 5D Mark II was first released, and the only option was 30fps, Many photographers had to pull down the frame rates and convert 30p to 24p in video editing software. Of course now shooting 24P with 5D Mark II is a built in feature, so you just need to upgrade to the latest firmware to enjoy it.

24P or 30P?
Many photographers prefer to shoot videos in 24p, but shooting in 24p sometimes causes "strobing"effect, especially if you pan the camera from side to side in fast speed. Almost all cinematic films are shot at 24p and this is the format that is being used on DVD and Blu-Ray movies. If you want to read more on video frame rate (24p, 25p, 30p, 60i), here's a great an article about video frame rates. Mike Chaney, the author of this article, recommends shooting in 24p.

Dedicated for Video
Canon 550D can shoot in the same video quality as the Canon EOS 7D. However, it seems that Canon has made the 7D, a more video-ready camera, by implementing a special dedicated video shooting button. By doing so, Photographers can switch from Video to still shooting very easily. On the Canon 550D (T2i), you will have to dig inside the menus in order to play with the video specifications, but has a video mode option in the dial wheel.

Memory Cards
You will probably not base you decision on that factor alone, but some photographers prefer the SD/SDHC/SDXC card format, because they are cheaper storage media compared to CompactFlash and you can find high capacity and ultra fast SDXC memory cards, which will allow you to store up to 64GB of stills and movie clips.

Many photographers who buy the Canon T2i/550D, want to know if the new SDXC memory card can allow them to shoot HD movie clips more than 12min/4GB on a single shooting sequence. The answer to that is no, and you can't overcome the movie clip limitation by using the new SDXC memory card (as far as I know, correct me  if I am wrong).

Of course, having a faster memory card, means that you don't have to wait long before the end of the movie clips shooting sequence and it is better for overall image shooting experience, whether you shoot stills or video in that matter.  The Canon 5D Mark II and 7D SLR camera works on CompactFlash (Type I or II) memory cards, whether the Canon 550D wors on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.

HD Videos Samples

Canon EOS 550D vs. 7D - Comparison video. The photographer tested the 550D and the 7D with the Canon 17-40mm F/4L lens:

Here is another video sample footage taken with the Canon EOS 7D at 24p (w/Canon EF-S 18-135mm lens):

Video testing the Canon 5D Mark II HD capabilities using the following Canon lenses: EF70-200mm F2.8L IS USM, TS-E 45mm F2.8, TS-E 45mm F2.8, EF 15mm F2.8 Fisheye, EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM, EF85mm F1.2L II USM, EF 100mm F2.8 Macro USM, EF 200mm F2L IS USM, EF 16-35mm F2.8L II USM, EF 400mm F2.8L IS USM (Photographed by Masaru Arita):

The last video really shows the high movie quality that you can get from the Canon 5D Mark II using various Canon lenses in the hands of professional photographers, really impressive indeed.

Here's is another popular YouTube Short film called "Reverie", which was shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II SLR camera. Pay attention to the shallow DOF and the use of several wide angle lenses in this video. awesome video that really shows the advantages of shooting HD videos with a SLR camera.

There are plenty of sample HD video on YouTube, so make sure you check them out too.

HD Videos - Nikon vs. Canon

Canon has an advantage over Nikon in terms of video capabilities, at least for now. But is doesn't mean that Nikon can't produce great HD movie clips too when the camera is in the hand of professional photographers. Here is a video taken with the Nikon D300s by Robert Bösch:

Robert Bösch was hired by Nikon Imaging to show the Nikon D300s' video capabilities. Even though, we can still see that even at a slight pan of the camera from side to side, we can see vertical banding that are less pronounced then the Canon.

Summary

If  HD videos are important to you, and you have a tight budget, go pick up the Canon Rebel 550D, which produces amazing high quality movie clips, that in terms of quality, compares to the 7D video output. Professional filmmakers will very likely be opted to the 5D Mark II because of the FF sensor. Larger sensor enables them to achieve a shallower DOF, better high-iso low light shooting performance and get a wider angle footage. The quality of the videos is absolutely breath taking, and you can see that Canon has an advantage of Nikon in this market segment. I suggest reading more information about video shooting and video editing, before you decide which SLR camera to buy for video shooting purposes.

We've shown you the advantages that SLR cameras have over consumer ones. Even when compared to professional camcorders in terms of creativity, portability and performance. I say that you can't go wrong by choosing the 550D if you are on a tight budget.

Oh, I almost forgot, don't forget to buy a good DSLR camera microphone to achieve great audio quality along side with your videos.