Sub £1000 camera

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wedancedto9ether

I'm planning on getting a canon 550d (T2i) soon, but I want to make sure I havn't missed something.

I'm a TV Production student in the UK and I'm used to using Panasonic DVX100. Being a student, I have no money, so for my own camera I was looking at DSLRs as they have full manual control and amazing image quality for about 1/4 of the price of prosumer cameras.

I just wondered if anyone knew of a sub £1000 camera that might be better for me as it's designed for video, not photography like the 550d.

Full manual control is a must. HD is preferred by not necessary. Flash memory card support is preferred by not necessary.

Thanks.
 
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I'm a student in the UK and I've got the 550d. It's absolutely epic, definitely nothing to touch it in the price range. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a stills camera, the video mode has every manual feature that you're going to need at this level.

I've just shot my first music video with it, and the quality of the footage is superb, and the variable frame rates allow you to film with slo-mo in mind.

- Just as an aside, if you do buy it, I'd strongly recommend a spare battery - just because it means you can charge one and shoot with the other, and if you have an extra £100 a 50mm f1.8 for shooting in lowlight situations.
 
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Yeah, I'm really exited about the possibility of owning this camera, I just wish it had a tilting screen, like the GH1, at least to make filming easier. I guess I'll just have to get used to it on my (lack of) budget.

I was thinking of buying it with the 50mm lens you mentioned instead of the kit lens. Either that or the 28mm canon (f/ 2.8).

Does the 1.6 x zoom issue when using the 50mm with the 550d (making it technically 80mm ish) make it difficult to get well framed when filming in tight indoor locations? I worry that this might be an problem. I don't have the tools to test it out right now.

And yes, another battery sounds like a pretty good idea. I googled them to check the price and found some for £10 but the official canon ones are £40 odd. What would you recommend?
 
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To be honest, I thought I would miss a tilting screen a lot more than I actually do and the size and clarity of the screen is awesome anyway.

I have the kit lens and access to a 50mm prime (the f1.4 - but I've never used it that wide). I think for the reasons you have mentioned that it would be best to go for the kit lens and a 50mm f1.8 prime, because then you have the option to go as wide as 18mm for a tight indoor scene, although you will have to make sure that you have enough light. Having said that, the 28mm f2.8 looks like a pretty decent lens and as I film mostly outdoors, maybe I'm overlooking the benefit of a wider angle. What are your priorities?

Hmmm, that's a tricky question, third party gear can be dodgy. I'd check reviews or try to get a personal recommendation from someone to check that the battery is decent, doesn't run out immediately/wont damage your camera.

Don't forget, you need to buy class 6 SDHC cards, my 8GB one holds 24mins of HD video. Also, you will need a UV filter for each of your lenses (about £15 each) to protect it from scratches.

soon adds up.
 
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Wombat Get the GH1. With the new hack out, it has superior image quality compared to the T2i, and is just better designed as a video capturing device.
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To be honest, at this level, when the image quality is awesome in both cameras, I think there are better ways to spend the extra £150ish that the Panasonic GH1 would cost (buy another prime lens!). Also, do you really want the hassle of having to do a hack as soon as you get it to make the camera any good?

I would also consider that due to the volume of T2i users out there, advice on using this camera is more readily available. There is also a wider range of lenses and accessories for canon products.
 
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Smith said:
To be honest, at this level, when the image quality is awesome in both cameras, I think there are better ways to spend the extra £150ish that the Panasonic GH1 would cost (buy another prime lens!).
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To say that it has better image quality than the T2i is actually a tremendous understatement.

http://vimeo.com/groups/gh1/videos/12472000

Yes, it's slightly more expensive, but the GH1 has other advantages over the T2i. The fold out LCD and in-camera image stabilization alone make it worth the extra money to me. The fact that the higher bitrate recordings reduce skew is also sex.

Also, do you really want the hassle of having to do a hack as soon as you get it to make the camera any good?
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The hack is actually reeeally easy. I was concerned it would be a risky procedure that might brick the camera, but turns out it's just a matter of ticking the right boxes, inputting the right variables, and then putting it on your camera.

I would also consider that due to the volume of T2i users out there, advice on using this camera is more readily available.
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This is true, and the UI for the T2i is worlds ahead of the GH1.

There is also a wider range of lenses and accessories for canon products.
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Er, actually the GH1 has access to significantly more lenses, as more adapters can be fitted to it.

They're both excellent cameras, and I'd be happy with each, but for the price right now I think you can't beat the GH1.
 
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I've constantly changed my mind about which of these two cameras to get since I decided I wanted a DSLR. The GH1 is my favourite, I think, although I've never filmed with it. The 550d is, however, about £200 cheaper, which means a 32GB class 10 card, UV filter, Battery etc added on for the same price.

The GH1 kit lens is 14-140mm so I'd probably never buy another lens for it, however f/ 4.0 leaves a lot to be desired.

I'm kind of settled on the 550d now though, and having handled it and played with the interface, I do enjoy using it.

It's such a hard decision to make, and yet, after comparing footage from both, I know I'll be happy with which ever camera I get.

Any other suggestions which might sway my opinion? Thanks so much for the info you've given me, It has been a great help.
 
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wedancedto9ether said:
It's such a hard decision to make, and yet, after comparing footage from both, I know I'll be happy with which ever camera I get.
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Yeah, pretty much. They're both great cameras.

Any other suggestions which might sway my opinion? Thanks so much for the info you've given me, It has been a great help.
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Mmm, well, really it's all about the money. I think the GH1 is objectively a better video camera, but if you only have enough to get the T2i (and basic accessories), go for it.

See, I think the GH1 is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon deals; the quality you get from that little sucker is just absurd. With proper care, I could see that little guy staying with me for the length of my filmmaking career, or at least until it dies. Even after I get the budget to shoot on fo-reals professional cameras, I could see using the GH1 for all kinds of shots I wouldn't want to/couldn't use the big camera for.
 
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So, here's the test footage as promised. Kind of generic and seen-it-all-before, but hey.

Bare in mind: first time using this camera (or any HD camera) and first time using magic bullet looks. The sound was unusable as the washing machine was on (haha) so I used deliberately cheesy sound effects.
Considering this, I'm very pleased with the results and I can't wait to use this camera on a more original project.

So here it is: Coffee Machine.

http://www.vimeo.com/13913065


Hopefully this helps someone. Fantastic camera. I truly love it!

Oh and thank you Smith and Wombat for the excellent advice. You guys are ace.
 
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