Hi. So I've been getting into filmmaking and I'm looking for a good camera. I've been looking around the internet but in all honesty I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for. Any suggestions would be great.
Since I'm new at this, obviously I don't want anything too fancy or expensive. Just a camera that shoots high quality video and has things like manual exposure and what-not. And not too expensive :)
Price range?
Get the canon t3i. I really recommend it.
Sounds like you'd benefit most from having a DSLR as they give sort of the most control and quality at a fairly reasonable price. They are designed with still shooting being the priority, so the overall shape and layout can be a little awkward for video sometimes, but overall you'll get the best bang for your buck.
As Vizip suggested, the 600D (t3i) is a good way to go about this. You get the full selection of Canon lenses and have an articulated screen which is handy for video. There is the 650D, which is designed with a few video-friendly features such as auto-focus during video, but from what I've heard from people primarily recording video, it's one of those things that doesn't really help too much (especially if you intend on manually focussing anyway).
[QUOTE=Trogdon;37044199]Price range?[/QUOTE]
$600-700 at most.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'm definitely considering the t3i.
If you have any questions about the T3i, you can ask me. I have ohoine and I love it. There's so much to learn and so many possibilities that eryou wouldn't have with a normal camcorder. There's also a couple downsides, like not-so-good battery life and no 1080 output while recording. I've had mine for several months, and I'm still exploring new things.
A thing I was disappointed with when I got it, was the audio. I guess the audio circuitry is pretty cheap, because there's a lot of noise on the mic input. Well, it's not that bad but it's certainly worse than my old MiniDV camera, which didn't even have manual audio levels. That, and you can't change the mic level while recording, like you probably would with other camcorders that allow manual audio levels.
But this camera allows you to experiment a lot, and you can do stuff like HDR video with a firmware add on.
[video=youtube;9MzjcLj16Hc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MzjcLj16Hc[/video]
Hate to say it, but while SLRs went into fashion really quickly for filmmaking, they also went out fast. Directors stopped wanting to use SLRs for various reasons, but mainly because of the lack of autofocus and focus control. You can buy a focus ring, but in the end after you've bought all the stuff to make an SLR worth filming with it's going to cost as much or more then a conventional video camera and it's going to be really clunky.
[editline]6th August 2012[/editline]
Speaking from experience, knowing many directors, plus myself. I have a 5D mark II and a Glidecam HD4000 and all sorts of bull from focus rings to viewport magnifiers and shoulder rigs etc.
A big drawback with the 5D2 is that for movie production I have to record sound on a separate device and sync later because no matter what microphone you use, the port itself makes it impossible to be noise-less. Most booms aren't compatible with the tiny port, so for single device recording I use a Red microphone and an AT, neither are perfect.
[editline]6th August 2012[/editline]
t3i seems like a decent choice though, if you have a really low budget. It depends on your use really. Get lenses with IS!
SLRs are not good action movie cameras, or anything with lots of movement. Dramas with lots of talking is where they excel.
DSLRs like the T3i are a good starting point imo, it's certainly better than other camcorders in the pricerange.
Try the Canon 600D (Same as the T3i), it really depends on the lens, but as a camera body it's good. I suggest buying the body standalone, and doing some research into Image Stabilizer lenses.
If you do get the T3i, you really need to get spare batteries, and the extended life ones they do now, that last a little longer. It eats batteries quick.
The Sony a57 is another good option. It has an EVF and very good autofocus with video. It also has 1080 60p, which is another thing Canon lacks. Also you don't need to worry about stabilized lenses, as the camera has built in sensor stabilization, which means every lens you put on it will be stabilized.
For those reasons I believe it is a good camera to consider against the canon.
[QUOTE=Trogdon;37108016]The Sony a57 is another good option. It has an EVF and very good autofocus with video. It also has 1080 60p, which is another thing Canon lacks. Also you don't need to worry about stabilized lenses, as the camera has built in sensor stabilization, which means every lens you put on it will be stabilized.
For those reasons I believe it is a good camera to consider against the canon.[/QUOTE]
I also believe AVCHD is a better format than the h.264 that Canon's output.
AVCHD is a good format, not entirely superior but it has it's ups. overall the quality is a little lower, but it has an incredible balance of file size and quality. certain programs can't work with AVCHD, such as premiere CS3 and I believe final cut. So that's something to consider as well.
Since it's using AVCHD, doesn't that also mean it has the ability to record for more than 4GB/30minutes?
It tops out at 30 minutes, but not 4 GBs. Most dslr cameras will overheat anyways because they have large sensors and bad cooling
I've never had my T3i overheat though.
[editline]7th August 2012[/editline]
It does get pretty hot, however.
Thanks for the help, guys. I went ahead and got the t3i, plus I got it bundled with a bag and lens for pretty cheap.
What lens? I just got the kit lens, works fine for me so far, I just wish that zooming was smooth.
[QUOTE=Something Blue;37116004]Thanks for the help, guys. I went ahead and got the t3i, plus I got it bundled with a bag and lens for pretty cheap.[/QUOTE]
You'll want to get a few decent lenses for it for different situations. Definitely think of L-Series (And other quality lens lines) at some point because you'll want the ability to shoot easily in lower light conditions without risking quality loss.
For a proper over the shoulder camera, I'd recommend the HDC MDH1. If you really want a DSLR though then the t3i would be a nice choice.
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