If you’ve been using your Canon 7D/5DMkII on production shoots for over a year since you purchased it, chances are high that you have run into this problem. The Red Hot Pixels! Yes, there is no escaping them. THEY WILL APPEAR on your camera sooner or later. Why? Because DSLR’s are still in their infant stages when it comes to recording video. While the correction software hides these Red Hot Pixels when you take a photo, Canon forgot to include this software in the 7D’s video mode. But then again, that’s one of the major differences between an $1800 and a $5000 production camera.
Now, some of you may say, I don’t see this Red Hot Pixel in my camera. As some cameras have shown, it all depends what ISO & Shutter Speed you are using. For one of our latest productions, our Canon 7D began to show its Red Hot Pixel at an ISO of 640, Shutter 1/50, and Iris of 4.5. We didn’t notice this problem until we downloaded the footage at the end of the production day. By then, it was too late.
Check out the photos below which highlight the pixel. Sure they may look small now, but when you blow this up on an HDTV, its quite noticeable.
PHOTOS:
Sample Photo 01 (2 megs)
Sample Photo 02 (1 meg)
Sample Photo 03 (2 megs)
Sample Photo 04 (1 meg)
Clip 01 : Raw Video footage at 1080p
Clip 02 : Raw Video footage at 1080p
Rather than shoot the rest of the production with a Red Hot Pixel, we ended up switching over to the Panasonic HPX500 in order to maintain the same Depth of Field look because of its 2/3 CCD Sensor.
If you have run into this Red Hot Pixel problem and need to recover your footage, then follow the SHAKE guide below. I used this exact process when I came across this problem with the JVC100U model and was able to recover the footage with minimal blur.
Do not fear! There is hope. If you purchased your Canon 7D/5DMkII in the past year, Canon will take the time to look at your camera and analyze the problem. The more information you provide (like what I showed you above), the more likely they can pin point and fix the problem. Canon USA was able to replace my entire 7D sensor, so its running like new again. If you would like to enquire about a repair on your Canon 7D/5DMkII, then follow the instructions below:
CANON FACTORY SERVICE CENTER
15955 ALTON PARKWAY
Irvine, CA 92618
If you would like to set up your repair online, please use this link:
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/online_repair_tracking/consumer/
Important! Canon cannot be held responsible for equipment that is damaged or lost in shipping. Therefore, we strongly advise the following:
- secure your product carefully in a box with suitable packing material to ensure proper protection during shipping
- select a carrier that provides tracking information for the package
- insure your package for the value of the product
Please provide the following items when presenting your product for repair:
- any sample photos or print outs from your product (if the issue is related to image quality)
- a completed copy of the form found at:
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/dealer/FSC.pdf - for warranty repair, the original dated proof-of-purchase (photocopies are accepted for mail-in repair
Good Luck!
