Is there any way to improve my Canon 7D footage?

The mov files from my Canon 7D camera don't look the greatest in Edius. Is there any way that I can make them look better?

As of Edius 5.5, footage from Canon SLRs come in with crushed blacks and hot whites. This issue has been resolved with the release of 5.51. If possible download and install this free upgrade. If this is not possible, try this "work-around".

From the effects palette, under Video Filters/Color Correction, drag the YUV Curve filter, to your Canon 7D clip on the timeline.

With your Clip still selected on the timeline, double click on the YUV curve that now shows up in your information palette.

In the next window that opens, adjust the Y curve to 16/235 by dragging each end up and down with your mouse.

You can leave the U and V curves as they are.

You can then save this as a user preset by right-clicking on the YUV Curve from the info palette, and selecting "Save as Current User Preset" Call it something like "7D YUV Convert".

Now you can drag your new preset to multiple 7D clips on your timeline to effect many clips with one stroke.

If the footage still looks a little "contrasty", you can try making more adjustments with the "color Balance" filter.

Something else to keep in mind is that how your 7D footage looks in Edius will depend a lot on the exposure you got in the field. 7D footage is going to be less tolerant to over or under exposure. Also, try and match your shutter speed to your project, as much as possible. Use 60 fps for a 60i or 30p project. 50fps for a 50i or 25p project. Wherever possible, keep your ISO at 100. Do your best to get good exposure when you shoot. On a bright sunny day, when it is difficult to judge your exposure, try shading your screen with a cap or coat.