First Camera Purchase and Start of Filmming

campbmic

campbmic

Hi guys! My name is Michael and Im a 23 year old student studying International Politics & Diplomacy. For the past few years I've been traveling and trying to find my personal medium of expression. I've been interested in film for quite sometime and decided to start to get my feet wet. I've done a bit of research and was wondering what everyone thought of my plan.

I don't know of anyone with a camera or who knows a lick about filming. I decided that the first thing to do was to get my hands on a camera. I've saved up a bit of money and through my research it seems that the Canon SLR t2i seems to be the best option for me. The shape of the camera (shaped more like a photography camera) at first worried me. From my experience a good tool only focuses on one primary function (i.e. swiss pocket knife vs actual pocket knife), however, after watching some test footage on youtube and after reading the information on this site I think that it would be a great starting camera. From reading (sorry I forgot your name)'s blog I've learned that the downfalls of the t2i are the poor quality audio, high compression, and the jello effect. If there is anymore information someone would like to throw my way please let me know!

Step 1- The Camera
So I figured that for my first step I would save up money to buy a nice camera (check). The next step is to find out what camera I want and buy it. I feel good right now about the t2i but if anyone has any pertinent information or advice please let me know.

Step 2- More Money and Messing with the Camera
So for step two I think once I have a camera it will be important to learn the ins and outs of it. During this time I want to be saving up money for more equipment and also learning the basics of filmmaking, like camera work, lighting, sound, and filming techniques.

Step 3- Equipment and Character Portfolio
One of the reasons Im interested in film is because I like to create stories. However, the stories I usually come up with have such strange characters that no one could possibly portray them in real life, at least not on such a low budget. So after I've shot around and learned about the camera I was planning to buy some sound ( for alcove) and lighting equipment (still havent done much research but I know sound on SLRs suck). After I have the equipment I wanted to invite people over and just have them sit in front of the camera and tell them they have X amount of time to show me who they are. Im hoping that by putting them on the spot without props or being told what to do, that I will be able to see what type of character the are. This is kind of hard to explain and is a long way down the road anyways.

Step 4- Shorts
Once I have my equipment and a catalog of characters the next thing I want to do is buy some nice director shorts. You know, the type that Wes Andersen would wear. After that I want to take my character portfolio and come up with some unique stories for the people to go through and make some film shorts!

So, after reading this I know some of it might come off pretentious, please keep in mind I know absolutely nothing about filmming and that is why I am here. The above is just a rough sketch of an attack plan. I would like some advice on my thoughts in general on filmming and where to start with it. Particularly, I would like some words on my path to buying a camera. Is there anything at all I should be aware of about t2i or SLRs in general that I might be kicking myself about later?

Here are some cameras I have found locally that Im considering. I know that lenses go on the front of the camera and can zoom and do different effects (fisheye etc) but dont know what the various m.m. do. Any info on that would be great! Also are all of these cameras the same, the t2i which shoots in HD and does like 27 fps in 180pi?

Top choice is below. $750 comes with lenses, eyepiece, 2 batteries, charger, and memory card
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pho/2225362724.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/2277507909.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/ele/2235123186.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ele/2288466940.html


I know its a lot but, this is very important to me and I want to do it right thanks anyone who helps!
 
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Also, just wondering.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/bar/2234270509.html

I thought that most people purchased SLRs because they provide good quality HD video at a fairly cheap price. If you want a nice camcorder that does HD they are pretty expensive. I've heard of the GL2 and thought it was better than SLRs (I know better really is an ambiguous and indirect term). Why is this guy trying to trade his GL2 for a t2i? Isnt a GL2 like $1800?
 
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Hey i have that same exact setup as your 3rd link.

The LCD viewfinders are very useful, I couldn't use this camera with out one. I don't think anyone here on this forum agrees though..

The first and third links look like good deals, not great, but good.

Be sure and check NEW prices (best buy, etc) The T2i with 18-55mm lens kit can probably be had for less then $800.
 
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Thanks for the advice, can you give me info on what these "lens kits are"? What do they do? Difference between the various mm?

Also what is a view finder and what does it do? It looks like just something to rest yoru face on while looking into the camera?
 
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campbmic said:
Thanks for the advice, can you give me info on what these "lens kits are"? What do they do? Difference between the various mm?

Also what is a view finder and what does it do? It looks like just something to rest yoru face on while looking into the camera?
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I think it should say kit lens rather than lens kit - the kit lens for the Canon 550D is the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (the f/ numbers are to do with how much light is let in, often referred to as lens "speed" - smaller numbers are faster and better). The longer the focal length, the more zoomed in you are, but it's difficult to explain the differences to someone who has no prior experience - this article from Nikon explains some of the basics.

The viewfinder has a few functions - it magnifies the screen, making focusing easer; it blocks light, so there are no unwanted reflections when shooting in daylight; and it offers another point of contact on the body, giving more stability to handheld shooting.
 
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Thank you very much for the info on the viewfinder! I understand what that is.

So the kit lens is just one lens correct? Is it a zoom lens and not a fixed focus lens? Does the 18-55mm mean that the lens is adjustable from 18mm (wide angle) to 55mm (telephoto)? Im assuming that the mm measure the distance of the focal length is that correct? Lastly does f 3.5-5.56 represent the adjustable aperture of the lens?

Thanks let me know if I got that right and anything else! I've been reading this site
http://photonotes.org/articles/beginner-faq/lenses.html
Which has helped to explain some of the basics.
 
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First of all, I would officially like to announce that I expect everyone on this forum, from now on, to refer to me as "(sorry I forgot your name)".:lol:

Dude, welcome to The Thunderdome. Filmmaking is a lot of fun, and it's a pretty safe bet that if you think you'll enjoy it, you'll enjoy it. The T2i is a wonderful camera to start out with. The Panasonic GH2 is worth a look (it's downside is a greater crop-factor -- that subject will seem confusing to you at first). The T3i might also be worth the extra cash (having an adjustable screen would come in really handy).

None of those links looked like a particularly good deal to me. I would purchase new. You can save a hundred bucks by getting the Japanese version -- the Kiss X4. It's the exact same camera, except the manual is in Japanese, so you have to download the English version.

The dude is willing to trade his GL2 for a less-expensive T2i because miniDV is an obsolete technology. The GL2 is a sweet camera -- for it's time.

The kit lens is one lens, yes. Two of the main strengths of DSLR are the abilities to shoot with a shallow depth of field, and in low light, both of which require a low f-stop. The lowest f-stop on the kit lens is 3.5, and that's not all that low, especially since you can only get it when your lens is at it's widest. For $100, a lot of people make their first lens purchase the Canon 50mm f1.8. Many of your shots will be perfect with 50mm, and 1.8 is a low f-stop. Personally, I couldn't do without a wide lens, however (like 18mm), and I think a lot of people would feel the same.

wheatgrinder likes the LCD viewfinder, and he is not alone. Lots of people like using it. Me? I don't like it. It's very much a personal preference. I learned how to shoot video using a flip-out screen on a camcorder, so that's how I feel comfortable. Other people prefer to have it glued to their eyeball. Only you can know what works best for you.
 
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Right. I see the GL2 is standard definition. It's difficult to see why anyone would want to shoot in standard definition now that HD is here and well established. And with such a price tag?

In photography generally, the lower the f stop your lens can give you the better. As stated by others, counterintuitively, the lower the f stop the wider the aperture, and the shallower the depth of field, and the less light you can get away with shooting with.


That's all awesome. However, I think I've formed the opinion that beginners like you and me (and perhaps I'm way off, here) shouldn't worry so much about widest aperture in terms of low light shooting, but probably we should spend more energy worrying about good lighting, getting good lights, good lighting equipment, and learning how to bring to our shoots and use lighting well. But, yeah, that might not help you if what you really want to do is go out onto the streets, or wherever, and shoot only with whatever lighting is there, or if you want those extreme shallow depth of field shots. Then worry about f stops.

Like you, I've been spending time looking at sample video on Youtube and Vimeo. I wish it wasn't so, but the consumer camcorder videos I've looked at (I haven't looked at the entry level consumer camcorder vids yet) have pretty much been blown out of the water by what Canon's DSLRs can do. However, what impresses me more than their shallow depth of field is their resolution and their low light capabilities. I have a complaint. It seems like shallow depth of field gets way overused by filmmakers on Youtube. Man, just 'cause you can do it don't mean you should use it all the damn time! :D
 
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Id tell and experienced camera person to offer $650 for that listing, that would be a pretty good deal.

Those lenses are nothing special, the 50mm can be had $60 on CL, and the other maybe a $100....

But really, at your level of experience, I really suggest you buy new, and spend some extra on a protection plan.

I bought a new T2i just a few weeks ago and am glad I did, I could return it and get a refund and probably find one on CL cheaper, but then Id have a lot less piece of mind. That best buy protection plan make me feel very confident.
 
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campbmic said:
Also, how big of a memory stick do I need? For instance how much HD footage could I fit on a 4gb, 8gb, 16gb etc?

Thanks
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Depends on how much shooting you do. 16GB will hold something like 30-40 minutes (sorry, don't remember). Believe it or not, for most narrative work, that's many hours of shooting. I'd say 16GB is probably good to start with. If you have a shoot that goes over your limit, you can just take a short break and dump the card to your computer. Eventually, when you've got a little more change to spare, you'll probably want another card.
 
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Many shooters recommend keeping it limited to 16MB so, in case of some sort of file corruption, you're not losing extremely large chunks of your production. It's tempting to keep going on a larger card if you're busy or not near your NLE to dump it.
 
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CamVader said:
Many shooters recommend keeping it limited to 16MB so, in case of some sort of file corruption, you're not losing extremely large chunks of your production. It's tempting to keep going on a larger card if you're busy or not near your NLE to dump it.
Click to expand...

Very good point all I need now is a camera. Hopefully ill find a good deal soon.
 
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