Is a Canon 550D the best you can get for £500?

L

Lozza

Pretty much as the title says. Is it and if not, what is?

I'm not interested in still photos, just video. It would also preferably have external mic input too.

Right now, I just shoot interviews and acoustic sessions but I want to really learn all about film making in the summer and then hopefully start doing music videos. Right now, I have a Panasonic SD60 which is basically just a little handycam type thing that I'd sell. I also already have a Rode VideoMic so I'm not too worried about sound.

Thanks!
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
For that price, yes. I'm getting it later this year. Whenever I look at short films online, they all seemed to be filmed by it! Everyone seems to have it. I thought it was a bit overrated at first but after seeing stunning video footage of it, I was amazed.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm not sure if it's the only option, but it's a bloody good one. I love my 550D, for photography and for video. The quality is amazing. But to get the most out of it you'll be needing a decent lens. I don't have this yet, and it's killing me. The 18-55 kit lens is very low quality.

One thing with DSLR's is it's best to do the audio on a separare system (I use a Zoom H1, cause it's cheap and it works) for the sake of quality. As with any video camera, the onboard mic is terrible, and it also compromises any mic input with the processing it performs on it. I think separate system is worth it, though I seem to have different needs to you, so in your case I couldn't say. I just do narrative shorts for the love of it.

So overall I recommend the 550D. No better image for the price as far as I'm aware.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ewan said:
For that price, yes. I'm getting it later this year. Whenever I look at short films online, they all seemed to be filmed by it! Everyone seems to have it. I thought it was a bit overrated at first but after seeing stunning video footage of it, I was amazed.
Click to expand...

CrazyChris said:
I'm not sure if it's the only option, but it's a bloody good one. I love my 550D, for photography and for video. The quality is amazing. But to get the most out of it you'll be needing a decent lens. I don't have this yet, and it's killing me. The 18-55 kit lens is very low quality.

One thing with DSLR's is it's best to do the audio on a separare system (I use a Zoom H1, cause it's cheap and it works) for the sake of quality. As with any video camera, the onboard mic is terrible, and it also compromises any mic input with the processing it performs on it. I think separate system is worth it, though I seem to have different needs to you, so in your case I couldn't say. I just do narrative shorts for the love of it.

So overall I recommend the 550D. No better image for the price as far as I'm aware.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks, I'm going to save up for it :)

Can you guys recommend any good books or websites for learning the techniques of film making?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Stephen Best said:
I'd suggest you consider the Panasonic Lumix GH2 with the firmware upgrade settings available at Personal View. The GH2 is cheaper than the 550D and simply produces better video with the Driftwood settings.
Click to expand...

The GH2 is not cheaper than the T2i at reliable retailers. The T2i can be picked up at $500-600 while the GH2 is available at $700-900 at most places. I have no idea how many pounds that is.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
749190.jpg


Much better IMO than a HDSLR
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top