Deciding to buy a new camera

Hey everyone, I'm finally able to upgrade my camera from my old Sony Handycam that's around 8 years old.

I plan on working on music videos, short skits, and commercial like videos.

I've found a bundle for the Canon T3i that has caught my eye

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-R...985800?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item4ac94f1fc8

But I wanted to get some opinions from you guys as to what you may think is better for the styles I want to record.

Thanks for any replies and help!
 
Hi MP - if your total camera/lens budget is below $1000, you can get a more modern camera than a T3i (and, if you do buy a T3i, I suggest you get the camera body only for $499 and stay away from bundles with low-end kit lenses and junk accessories).

In this price range, however, you may want to take a look at the $599 Panasonic G6 with the 14-42 kit lens.

I advise buying the camera with the kit lens in this case because, as of this post, the camera is on sale for $150 off the $749 list price with the kit lens - so they're essentially taking $100 off the $699 body and throwing the lens in for free.

With the T3i, you'll have to buy an LCD viewfinder or an external Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) to see what you're shooting outdoors, because its optical viewfinder goes black when you shoot video. The G6 has a built in EVF, like a camcorder.

Speaking of camcorders - did you ever use autofocus with your Handycam? If you get a T3i, you will miss it, because it has no video autofocus. The G6, on the other hand, has fast video autofocus, like your camcorder.

If you want slow motion with the T3i, you will have to slow your video down in post with Twixtor or similar software, which can introduce jerkiness and artifacts. With the G6, you can overcrank to 60fps progressive for smooth slow motion.

The G6 also has built-in wi-fi for wireless file transfers and remote control from your phone or tablet - features that can save you a lot of time - and features that the T3i lacks.

But none of these features matter unless the camera can deliver high quality images on screen.

Here is the video image quality you can expect from the G6:

Narrative: "I've Got My Fingers Crossed" by Avner Levona: http://vimeo.com/78037118

Doc: "Creative Space: Kathy Ponce " by Kevin Mayuga: http://vimeo.com/73561266

Music video: A. BELKIN - Good Morning Mr. Blues by Romas: http://vimeo.com/76081090

Wedding: Junwei + Daohua by Jon Wide: http://vimeo.com/72010967

Sports: Wavetest 2013 / Side On - Onshore Impression by Gleiten.TV: http://vimeo.com/76875252

Travel: "Riverbanks" by emeric: http://vimeo.com/72107884

See more at: http://vimeo.com/groups/dmcg6 "Panasonic G6 on Vimeo"

Since you'll be saving $130 on the camera and starter lens, you can follow ChimpPhobia's advice and get started on saving up for quality lenses :)

Hope this is helpful and, whatever camera you decide on, good luck with your new film projects!

Bill
 
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Count me as being a very happy T3i owner with a kit lens. IMHO, the kit lens is quite adequate for 'nearly pro looking' video shooting other than low light situations. Be aware, the G6 does not have a headphone jack. If you plan on recording sound with it, that might be a deal breaker. Not sure how the G6's autofocus works, but if it works well it is probably a step up from the T3i. The T3i has left me hanging on a few occasions trying to get it to work in low light.
 
You're right about the headphone jack, Rob. To get a headphone jack, you would have to step up to the Panasonic GH3 - which is on sale right now for $928, the least expensive DSL with a headphone jack. You'd have to spend over $1000 to get a headphone jack on a Nikon D7100 - and you'd have to spend over $3000 to get a headphone jack on a Canon 5D Mark III.

And the G6's autofocus works pretty well in low light. With touchscreen autofocus, all you have to do is touch the object you want to focus on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1qEojR5Q4Q

Cheers,

Bill
 
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I would not invest a lot in a DSLR system, it is not going to withstand the rapid advance of technology. What do you need the camera for? Paid work? Or just personal thing? Do you need broadcast quality for commercial work? Will the lenses or any other accessories you by be compatible with some more expensive cameras?

If I were you I would try to grab used T3i body,get a nikkor manual lens and play around until you figure out if the limitations of DSLR suit your taste/work requirements.
 
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