Canon Rebel T7 Video Settings: A Beginner's Guide

For video on the Canon EOS Rebel T7, set movie recording to 1920 x 1080 at 23.98p, 25p or 29.97p, switch movie exposure to manual, and set your focus before you press record, because its live view autofocus is slow. Audio comes from a built-in mono microphone with manual or auto levels, so set the levels yourself and keep the camera close to whoever is talking.

What the Rebel T7 can record

The Rebel T7, sold as the EOS 2000D in Europe, is a DSLR that Canon launched in February 2018. It records Full HD (1920 x 1080) video, not 4K. Video files are H.264-encoded .MOV files.

Filmtools lists these movie options for the camera:

Resolution	Frame rates	Bitrate
1920 x 1080	23.98, 25, 29.97 fps	46 Mb/s
1280 x 720	50, 59.94 fps	46 Mb/s
640 x 480	25, 29.97 fps	11 Mb/s

The bitrate is the same 46 Mb/s for both 1080p and 720p. That means switching to 720p for higher frame rates does not give you a lighter file per second of footage.

The-Digital-Picture.com notes that video recording requires an SD card rated Class 6 or higher, and calls Class 6 rather slow. Buy a card comfortably above that minimum so recording never stops because the card can't keep up.

Choosing a frame rate

Frame rate shapes how motion looks, and on the T7 it also decides which resolution you can use. TechRadar describes the Full HD options as 30, 25 and 24fps. The exact figures are 29.97, 25 and 23.98.

23.98p for a cinematic feel

Pick 23.98p if you want the look of a film or a narrative piece. It is a common choice for short films, travel clips and anything you plan to cut together with music. Keep your camera moves slow at this frame rate, because fast pans can look choppy.

29.97p for everyday video

Pick 29.97p for talking-head videos, family events and screen-recorded tutorials you will mix with camera footage. Motion looks a little smoother than at 23.98p. Use 25p only when you need to match other footage that was shot at 25p.

720p at 59.94 for slow motion

The T7's only 50 and 59.94 fps options are at 1280 x 720. If you want slow motion, record at 720p 59.94 and slow the clip down in your editor. Expect a softer image than 1080p. Digital Camera World points out that the Rebel T7i offers 59.94fps at Full HD, which the T7 does not.

If the difference between these resolutions is new to you, read Video Resolutions Explained: 4K vs 1080p vs 720p.

Exposure in movie mode

Movie recording sits on the T7's Mode Dial, and a menu setting chooses between Auto and Manual exposure for movies. Auto here means Program AE. There is no aperture priority or shutter priority for video.

Switch the menu setting to Manual. In auto, the camera keeps adjusting brightness as you move or as people walk through the frame, and those shifts are hard to fix in editing. In manual exposure mode you can use ISO speeds up to 6400.

Shutter speed

A common starting point for video is a shutter speed about double your frame rate. That means 1/50 at 23.98p or 25p, and 1/60 at 29.97p. Much faster shutter speeds make motion look jittery, so control brightness with aperture and ISO first.

Outdoors in bright sun, holding 1/50 can overexpose the image even at your lowest ISO and smallest aperture. A neutral density filter on the front of the lens solves this. It cuts light so you can keep the shutter speed where it belongs.

Aperture

The kit lens is the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II, so its widest aperture runs from f/3.5 at the wide end to f/5.6 zoomed in. Pick a zoom position before you set exposure. If you set exposure wide and then zoom in, the image can get darker.

The T7 has an APS-C sensor, so the kit lens frames like roughly a 29-88mm lens on a full-frame camera.

ISO

Video ISO runs from 100 to 6400. Keep it as low as the light allows. Add light to the scene before you push ISO high. In Digital Camera World's stills lab comparison, the Rebel T7 produced noticeably less noise than the Sony a6000 and Nikon D3500 at every ISO setting.

White balance and Picture Style

The T7 has a dedicated white balance button on the back. Set a fixed white balance preset that matches your light, such as daylight or tungsten, instead of auto. That stops colors from drifting partway through a clip. Picture Styles adjust in-camera color and contrast for looks such as portrait, landscape, neutral or monochrome. Neutral gives you a flatter starting point if you plan to color correct.

Setting	Starting point
Movie exposure	Manual
Resolution and frame rate	1920 x 1080 at 23.98 or 29.97
Shutter speed	1/50 at 23.98p or 25p, 1/60 at 29.97p
ISO	As low as the light allows, up to 6400
White balance	A fixed preset that matches your light
Sound recording	Manual levels

For a wider look at Canon menus, see Best Canon Camera Settings for Beginners.

Focus in movie mode

Focus is the T7's weakest point for video. When you record video or shoot in Live View, it uses contrast-detection autofocus. It does not have Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF.

Digital Camera World found that focusing in Live View is slow and jerky. It adds that the kit lens lacks Canon's quieter USM or STM focus motors. Michael Fil describes how contrast autofocus shows up on screen: the lens racks in and out, a little like guess and check, while it measures the distance to the subject.

Focus first, then record

Frame your shot and let the camera focus on your subject. Then press record, and don't ask the camera to refocus during the take. Because the kit lens lacks the quieter USM or STM motors, that is also one more reason to avoid focusing while the built-in microphone is listening. If the subject needs to move, turn the focus ring by hand instead.

Keep the distance fixed

Plan shots so your subject stays about the same distance from the camera. A person seated at a desk, a product on a table or a presenter standing on a mark all work well. Shots where someone walks toward the lens are the ones that go soft.

Give yourself more depth of field

Zooming out wider and stopping the aperture down a little keeps more of the scene sharp, so a small focus miss is less visible. That trade gives up some background blur, but it suits a camera that can't track focus well.

Steady the shot

The T7 body has no in-body stabilization. The kit lens has optical image stabilization built in. For anything longer than a quick clip, a tripod gives steadier footage than handholding and makes pre-focusing easier to maintain.

Audio on the Rebel T7

The T7 records sound through a built-in monaural microphone as Linear PCM, with manual or auto levels and no wind filter. Filmtools' spec listing shows a Mini-USB port and a Canon E3 (2.5 mm sub-mini) input, and no microphone jack appears in it. Check the exact port before you buy any camera-mounted microphone.

Set levels manually

Auto levels raise the volume during quiet moments, which brings up room noise. Choose manual sound recording and set the level so normal speech peaks well below the top of the meter. Leave headroom for laughter or a raised voice.

Get the camera closer and out of the wind

A built-in microphone hears the whole room, so distance is the biggest factor in clean sound. Move the camera closer to the speaker and pick a quiet room. Without a wind filter, shooting outdoors in a breeze can ruin a take, so shield the camera or find a sheltered spot.

Record sound separately

For interviews or YouTube videos, record audio on a separate recorder or a phone placed near the speaker. Keep the camera's own audio as a guide track. A clap at the start of each take gives you a clear spike to line up the two in your editor.

Screen, battery and handling

The rear screen is a fixed 3.0-inch panel with about 920k dots and no touchscreen. Because it does not flip, you can't see yourself while recording solo. Do a short test clip, play it back, check framing and focus, and then record the real take.

Camerarace lists the battery at 500 shots. That is a stills figure, and these sources don't give a video runtime, so carry a spare for longer sessions. Camerarace also notes that the T7 is not weather sealed.

Using the T7 as a webcam

Canon's EOS Webcam Utility software turns the T7 into a webcam over USB. It works with apps including Zoom, YouTube Live and Microsoft Teams. Combined with a tripod, a fixed focus distance and steady lighting, this is one of the T7's strongest video uses.

When the T7 is the wrong video camera

Digital Camera World calls the T7 not ideal for video because it shoots only 1080 with slow contrast AF. It still recommends the camera for new photographers learning on a proper camera. The-Digital-Picture.com suggests the EOS Rebel T7i, 77D, 80D or 7D Mark II if video is high on your priority list.

The Rebel T7i uses phase detection AF in Live View and video mode. Digital Camera World describes it as faster and more decisive than the T7's contrast detection. Michael Fil points to the mirrorless Canon EOS R50 as a camera that has Dual Pixel autofocus.

The T7 also cannot take RF lenses, which are designed for Canon's mirrorless EOS R system. If you are deciding between keeping a DSLR and moving to mirrorless for video, read 10 Key Tips for Beginners: Mirrorless vs DSLR Video and the full Rebel T7 review.

If you already own a T7, set manual exposure, pick 23.98p or 29.97p, set focus before you roll and record sound close to the speaker. Within those limits, it can still produce clean 1080p video.