If you are shooting video with one of the recent crop of video-capable DSLRs, such as the Canon 5D Mark II, one thing you should invest in, without question, if you don’t already have one, is a good baseplate. Having your DSLR (or any other camera, for that matter) mounted to a baseplate unlocks a whole new world of possibilities, such as the ability to be able to control your focus with more precision, accuracy and repeatability via a follow focus, the ability to control and prevent unwanted light from entering your lens via a matte-box (something a lens hood can’t compete with), the option of adding shoulder pads, battery mounts, hand-grips, LCD screens… The list goes on! All of these things make your camera more capable, and as a result, make you more efficient at your job, and it all comes down to having a good baseplate.
The Canon 5D Mark II and 7D are fantastic cameras, and in my current opinion, are capable of shooting some of the most beautiful looking footage in their price range… Even above! However, when using either of these cameras to shoot video, they do have a few drawbacks, namely the lack of a proper viewfinder, making the ability to achieve critical focus extremely challenging… Not exactly something you want to risk screwing up all the time when working on a PAID production!