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Video on my brand new 7D looks awful :(Jittering/Flickering)

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Rigid

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Hey guys,

For the past 2 days of getting my 7D I have struggled with video shooting indoor and finally I decided to post here. I have tried all ISO configirations, F/3.5 and playing with shutter speed. No matter what I do when I take a video and pan, say from right to left there's awful extreme jittering between the frames. It looks as if it's taken at 15/fps or something.

I am using a fast CF 60m/sec Sandisk Extreme III card so that's not the issue either. More so, when I connect the 7D using HDMI to my computer LCD the video looks jittery just panning the camera from right to left before even beginning actual recording.

I have tried various video configurations. Tried NTSC 1080 24fps and 30fps as well as PAL at 24fps and 25fps. Doesn't matter what I do the video when panning looks shitty. My wife got a headache from watching my test video after a couple of seconds.

Tried all various shutter speeds and aperture

I am using:
Canon 7D
Canon EFS 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 IS
SanDisk 8gb CF 60MB/s (UDMA)

Here's a link to download the original 1080 test movie.
http://mbf.cc/ug4H

notice the table when panning from right to left. This looks worse than what my $250 Sony TX-1 video does (in terms of smoothness that is).

What am I doing wrong here?
 
I haven't had a chance to test out the video more than just a minute or two in the house. I didn't experience the jitteriness in my first few tests. There are plenty of examples online with panning shots that look absolutely phenomenal from the 7D (and there are those with the jitteriness too). I don't know if it is maybe some bad copies, different settings, the user or what... but we have all seen amazing video shots from the 7D without the jittery panning so don't let others tell you that the 7D (as a whole) is the reason. It could be your particular copy of the 7d or a myriad of other issues... but people saying "DSLRs are just that way" is definitely not the case.

http://vimeo.com/6496808

There are plenty of panning shots in this video that are as smooth as buttah! So you can't lump ALL DSLRs or ALL 7Ds in there as having that problem. You can get great video from this camera. As a matter of fact... when looking at my 7D test footage next to footage from my Canon HV30 I can hardly tell a difference in IQ at all... but my 7D allows me to be a little more creative than my HV30 without having to buy expensive adapters, carry around extra gear, do post flipping, etc...

I'm hoping to get a chance to do some more testing with mine tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works out. Good luck with yours! Hopefully you can get it figured out!

--
-Brock
A few of my images: http://www.brockbarnes.com

 
Well, I think if you need a camera for taking video of an empty room while panning quickly back and forth, the 7D definitely isn't for you!

However, if you know how to use the camera, it takes amazing video. And it's much more than a "supplemental feature". Lots of experienced video shooters are buying the Canon 7D purely for its video capability. So they must think it produces excellent footage.
 
Yes, check it out! Be sure to view in Full Screen mode.

http://vimeo.com/7299029

He has a few nice examples from teh 7D there.
 
Woodfire said:
Well, I think if you need a camera for taking video of an empty room while panning quickly back and forth, the 7D definitely isn't for you!

However, if you know how to use the camera, it takes amazing video. And it's much more than a "supplemental feature". Lots of experienced video shooters are buying the Canon 7D purely for its video capability. So they must think it produces excellent footage.
Click to expand...
Woodfire, the test video of the room was just a 'test' obviously I am shooting Video in other different situations and there too I see this horrible jitterness which I do not see using other equipment. Unless the subject or the camera hardly moves (and I mean really hardly move) than it's fine. I may have a bad configuration or something. That is what I am trying to find out here. What's wrong. It can't be that people rave about the 7D Video abilities and yet I am getting shitty video when panning.
 
You are doing nothing wrong. The fact is that 7d produces crap video footage, with aliasing and moiré, especially in pan. Canon and their on-line marketing people have been working successfully to make us believe that it produces quality footage. I feel being cheated and misled.

Now I may have a case for those who feel the same as me. I showed the problem to Canon Hong Kong and was told that it was a third party hardware defect due to my slow CF card. In a way they admitted that the aliasing problem was a defect, but blaming my CF card. Granted, a 60 MB/s UDMA card was replaced at my cost, but shown no improvement. After many phone calls, they concluded that if I shoot at 30fps at NTSC, the problem will go. And therefore Canon has nothing to do with the defect they admitted earlier. No, the aliasing problem is still there no matter what setting I shoot.

So I am now preparing my case first to the Consumer Council in Hong Kong and planning to bring Canon Hong Kong to court. I would appreciate anyone who feels the same as me would give me support by giving testimony on the fact that shooting at 30fps at NTSC doesn’t improve the aliasing problem, and spreading out the message to the online world. The outcome of my court case would affect everyone who is disappointed by the 7d. My email is [email protected]. Many thanks guys.
 
I don't own a 7D (yet), but keep an eye on all the posts. As mentioned before, this does sound like rolling shutter (I can't really judge the OP's video - my laptop is not up to that task...). :)

See for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter
Also some examples/comparisons:
http://vimeo.com/6986229

It's a shame it happens, but there are enough examples to be found that show the 7D is capable of extraordinary videos.

Just curious: does the manual mention this can happen?
 
No, the manual doesn't mention anything about it. Those wonderful videos were shot with little pan and in very shallow DoF. Probably in very expensive lighting setup too.

Rephase: my slow CF card was replaced by a 60MB/s UDMA card at my cost.
 
Of course the manual doesn't say the limitations/weaknesses of video on a DSLR. You won't see a cheap point and shoot saying not to use ISO 1600 because it looks like cr#p or that a kit lens is not good for shooting indoor sports. The information is out there on the limitations of DSLR video and if a person didn't research it enough then that's on them and not the manufacturer.

They gave you video, but they didn't say that the video would be perfect or as good as any camcorder.
 
What program are you using to view the video in? When I watch it in Windows Movie Player it's pretty jittery but in Nero Showtime it's smooth.
 
Hey wingyamuk I was hoping I had a defect or something but now I've read your post and damn do I feel cheated. I also bought my 7D in Hong Kong. Let me know how I can help you.

It's true most video examples shown had little to no pan or in such footage conditions which make one hardly notice the jitterness. But a good eye will notice it just about almost everywhere.

Even on that Motorcycle video posted earlier http://vimeo.com/7299029 - Yes the video looks stunning, great colors and excellent crispness, I have no complaints about that. But look at around 1:12 into the video there's a pan on some white forms. You can clearly notice the unsmoothness of the movement. You may wish to download the original video from Vimeo and then view it full screen to see what I am talking about.

As I said I have seen that happen on most videos so far so some degree. I think some shooters are 'hiding' that problem by lack of panning, short scenes fades or other situations where this thing isn't so apparent.

Even my Sony mini P&S TX-1 created a smoother video during panning (though the colors and sharpness are not nearly as good as the Canon 7D). But the jiterness of motion on the 7D is quite simply not something I can live with.
 
Even watching it directly from the 7D using HDMI to my LCD shows the same effect.
 
I see two different effect; 1) is actual jitter (parts of the frame moving up and down) which is what I see when viewing in Windows Media Play, to get rid of this use a better player.\, 2) is the rolling shutter, to get rid of this don't pan the camera back and forth so fast.
 
First of all, I see from the video that your shutter speed is very short because there is very little motion blur. When you do fast panning like that, it's better to use a slower shutter so it will blur the frames and the motion will look more natural. Try the exact same video but with 1/30s at 30 FPS, and I guarantee it will look less jittery. Alternatively, you could record/playback at higher FPS (60) if it's practical (usually not).

What I see in your video is NOT the rolling shutter effect contributing to the jitteriness. Those that are claiming that here don't really know what the rolling shutter effect is.

Playback on a slow computer is 'usually' the problem with those claiming poor playback, but this is not the case with your video.

Try the test above and see how you like it. I've used many different video systems, and the 7D is actually pretty stellar for a DSLR. It doesn't compete with a high end dedicated video system, but it's quite capable for aspiring videographers. Again I have to say, it isn't the best choice for those just doing family home videos, mostly because of the video AF limitations (present on all current DSLR's).
 
Wow. If I'm unhappy with a product, I just don't buy it. Maybe we could get together and sue Budweiser for stating their product is "less filling and taste great". False advertising if I've ever seen it.
Wingyamuk said:
You are doing nothing wrong. The fact is that 7d produces crap video footage, with aliasing and moiré, especially in pan. Canon and their on-line marketing people have been working successfully to make us believe that it produces quality footage. I feel being cheated and misled.

Now I may have a case for those who feel the same as me. I showed the problem to Canon Hong Kong and was told that it was a third party hardware defect due to my slow CF card. In a way they admitted that the aliasing problem was a defect, but blaming my CF card. Granted, a 60 MB/s UDMA card was replaced at my cost, but shown no improvement. After many phone calls, they concluded that if I shoot at 30fps at NTSC, the problem will go. And therefore Canon has nothing to do with the defect they admitted earlier. No, the aliasing problem is still there no matter what setting I shoot.

So I am now preparing my case first to the Consumer Council in Hong Kong and planning to bring Canon Hong Kong to court. I would appreciate anyone who feels the same as me would give me support by giving testimony on the fact that shooting at 30fps at NTSC doesn’t improve the aliasing problem, and spreading out the message to the online world. The outcome of my court case would affect everyone who is disappointed by the 7d. My email is [email protected]. Many thanks guys.
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Boy, had I known I can sue for being "cheated and misled", I would be filthy rich by now. Those dang male enhancement products in magazine ads don't seem to work as claimed. Best of luck on your case against Canon.
anci3nt said:
Wow. If I'm unhappy with a product, I just don't buy it. Maybe we could get together and sue Budweiser for stating their product is "less filling and taste great". False advertising if I've ever seen it.
Wingyamuk said:
You are doing nothing wrong. The fact is that 7d produces crap video footage, with aliasing and moiré, especially in pan. Canon and their on-line marketing people have been working successfully to make us believe that it produces quality footage. I feel being cheated and misled.

Now I may have a case for those who feel the same as me. I showed the problem to Canon Hong Kong and was told that it was a third party hardware defect due to my slow CF card. In a way they admitted that the aliasing problem was a defect, but blaming my CF card. Granted, a 60 MB/s UDMA card was replaced at my cost, but shown no improvement. After many phone calls, they concluded that if I shoot at 30fps at NTSC, the problem will go. And therefore Canon has nothing to do with the defect they admitted earlier. No, the aliasing problem is still there no matter what setting I shoot.

So I am now preparing my case first to the Consumer Council in Hong Kong and planning to bring Canon Hong Kong to court. I would appreciate anyone who feels the same as me would give me support by giving testimony on the fact that shooting at 30fps at NTSC doesn’t improve the aliasing problem, and spreading out the message to the online world. The outcome of my court case would affect everyone who is disappointed by the 7d. My email is [email protected]. Many thanks guys.
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Click to expand...
 
no text
 
Rigid said:
What am I doing wrong here?
Click to expand...
expecting 24fps to not look jittery. it's the same as film. watch panning on an old western... it's JITTERY

if you want smooth[er], use 60fps
 
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