You can always learn something by going to a trade show. In my case, I learned that the Canon 7D triggers Image Stabilization when recording video.  Definitely worth the trip!

At PhotoPlus Expo, everyone was talking about HD video, and Canon was at the heart of this discussion with both the 5D Mark II and the 7D.  Product demos and accessories are now available to help the dSLRs act more like a camcorder.  Red Rock Micro and Zacuto have built catalogs around such accessories.  But, it was Vincent Laforet who first pointed out that lenses with IS will stabilize video too.  I confirmed this by testing several lenses on my 7D at the Canon booth.

This past weekend, I shot the clips for my latest video.  All of the clips were shot hand-held using the Canon 7D.  They are organized into three groups, the same scene with Image Stabilization enabled and disabled.  From my results, it is clear that IS lenses make a HUGE difference.  The 7D plus Canon’s EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens makes an incredible combo.  Take a look: