Hey everyone, I know there are a ton of topics along these same lines in this forum, but I've read through a bunch of them and haven't really come across any that really answer my question specifically.
I'm a student filmmaker who's basically looking for a camera that I can afford and start making things with immediately. For a while I was saving up money to eventually buy the Red Scarlet when it comes out, but since that seems to be less and less of a good option as the price goes up and the release date gets pushed back, I've decided that having something I can work on now and get good quality material from would be more beneficial at the moment.
My budget is about $2000, but I could push that up a bit and I could definitely spend less than that! I've already done a decent amount of research into the various options available to me, but I thought I'd post here and get the opinions of some people who might know a little more about cameras than I do!
One of the best options which I've seen mentioned around this message board a lot is looking into buying a DSLR. I've worked with DSLRs in the past and gotten fantastic results, so that is definitely an option I would be open to. I recently shot a film for a local festival using a Lumix GH1 and the result left me very happy, but I've also done a lot of work with a friend's Canon 5D-II (Out of my price range) and of course it has worked beautifully.
If I do get a DSLR it will probably be a decision between the Canon t2i or 60D, and the Lumix g2. From the research I've done already it seems like the video quality of both the Canon cameras is about equal, and both fare evenly with the 7D on a purely video level. However the big difference between the two is the swinging LCD screen on the 60D, which I admit would be a nice feature to have. The question is, is it worth the extra price? Keep in mind that if I bought the t2i instead of the 60D I would have more money to spend on lenses. so the question is what's more important, the improved features of the 60D or the improved lenses the price of the t2i would allow me to buy? the Lumix would possibly allow me to mount some of the c-mount lenses I already own for my 16mm camera, so that's why that's in the mix.
The other option is getting an actual camcorder devoted to video. I'll admit that I actually haven't been able to really narrow down my options in this field, and I really don't know well enough what's out there in my price range at the moment. Still, not using an SLR would save me from many of the limitations that come with the whole process, so I'd be open to any options anyone knows of. I have done a bit of research and found one viable option in the Canon XA10 http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/professional_camcorders/xa10 but I'd love to know if anyone knows any other good options in my price range.
Thanks a lot everyone who actually read through all of that! I'd love to hear your advice.
EDIT: I also forgot to mention another key difference between the t2i and the 60D in that the 60D can manage manual audio, while the t2i can't without somewhat questionable add-ons like Magic lantern. So take that into account. I'm not against using an external recorder but that can be a huge hassle.
I'm a student filmmaker who's basically looking for a camera that I can afford and start making things with immediately. For a while I was saving up money to eventually buy the Red Scarlet when it comes out, but since that seems to be less and less of a good option as the price goes up and the release date gets pushed back, I've decided that having something I can work on now and get good quality material from would be more beneficial at the moment.
My budget is about $2000, but I could push that up a bit and I could definitely spend less than that! I've already done a decent amount of research into the various options available to me, but I thought I'd post here and get the opinions of some people who might know a little more about cameras than I do!
One of the best options which I've seen mentioned around this message board a lot is looking into buying a DSLR. I've worked with DSLRs in the past and gotten fantastic results, so that is definitely an option I would be open to. I recently shot a film for a local festival using a Lumix GH1 and the result left me very happy, but I've also done a lot of work with a friend's Canon 5D-II (Out of my price range) and of course it has worked beautifully.
If I do get a DSLR it will probably be a decision between the Canon t2i or 60D, and the Lumix g2. From the research I've done already it seems like the video quality of both the Canon cameras is about equal, and both fare evenly with the 7D on a purely video level. However the big difference between the two is the swinging LCD screen on the 60D, which I admit would be a nice feature to have. The question is, is it worth the extra price? Keep in mind that if I bought the t2i instead of the 60D I would have more money to spend on lenses. so the question is what's more important, the improved features of the 60D or the improved lenses the price of the t2i would allow me to buy? the Lumix would possibly allow me to mount some of the c-mount lenses I already own for my 16mm camera, so that's why that's in the mix.
The other option is getting an actual camcorder devoted to video. I'll admit that I actually haven't been able to really narrow down my options in this field, and I really don't know well enough what's out there in my price range at the moment. Still, not using an SLR would save me from many of the limitations that come with the whole process, so I'd be open to any options anyone knows of. I have done a bit of research and found one viable option in the Canon XA10 http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/professional_camcorders/xa10 but I'd love to know if anyone knows any other good options in my price range.
Thanks a lot everyone who actually read through all of that! I'd love to hear your advice.
EDIT: I also forgot to mention another key difference between the t2i and the 60D in that the 60D can manage manual audio, while the t2i can't without somewhat questionable add-ons like Magic lantern. So take that into account. I'm not against using an external recorder but that can be a huge hassle.
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