Last year every new filmmaker jumped on the DSLR filmmaking wagon, along with myself. I saw the beautiful quality they could produce with video and immediately got the Canon T2i once i saved enough money. I love this camera! Every shot I take with the right application turns out to be beautiful. Not only did it teach me how to take great pictures, I also learned more about film. I found out more about different lenses and the effects they have on the shots you're achieving. There's a lot that comes with filmming with a DSLR to get the truest quality.
Here's a few tips when using a Canon T2i or any DSLR
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Here's a few tips when using a Canon T2i or any DSLR
- Stabilizer : The video quality is great but may be more shaky than other regular video cameras because it's more so meant for taking pictures. A shoulder mount is excellent for providing support and stabilization while shooting. Check out www.bhphotovideo.com for more.
- Lenses: The 18-55 kit lens that comes with the Canon T2i is great, but there needs to be tons of light when using this lens. I purchased a 50mm lens which has an f-stop of 1.4 which can provide more light to come in without altering the ISO. There are many other lenses that provide a lower f-stop.
- ISO: Sure you can brighten up any situation with bringing the ISO up, but this bring more noise and grain to your video or picture. The beautiful HD quality you're looking for won't seem as crisp so its best to keep the ISO between 100-400 and purchase a light kit or natural sunlight.
- Lighting: I purchased a 3 light kit from Cowboy Studio for only $60. It's not heavy duty, but it gets many jobs done. As a filmmaker on a budget this was a true steal. The only drawback was I couldn't use filters, but it did come with a case and umbrellas to soften the light as well. I still use it and it provides a great source of light.
- Audio: When using a DSLR for filmmaking please be sure there is a mic input. I found the Nikon D3000 didn't have this feature and neither did the Canon T1i. A mic input is crucial, because although you can use the built-in mic and clean up the audio digitally, you want to get the best quality in production.
- SD cards: Keep in mind the writing speed and memory space on your SD card is crucial. Your HD footage is going to take up a lot of space. 8GB gets you 30mins of footage for HD video. I found a great deal on a 32GB card for $50 on Amazon.
- RESOURCEFUL: Let's get things straight, being resourceful is veryyyyy important when filmmaking, your DSLR already costs you a pretty penny and lenses can become very expensive a long with other accessories. I used ebay and bought an older Canon FD lens for $40 ( which is better quality than the new lenses for EOS) and bought a FD to EOS lens adapter for 35$. This total was about 85$ with shipping. The price for a new Canon EOS 50mm lens is about 105$ and many people complain about it breaking. Be sure to look into antique shops as many people have retired their old cameras for digital cameras, but the lenses can still be useful! Manual focus lenses are valued more for videographers so you can control the focus. You can also create DIY accessories such as dollys, stabilizers, and rigs. Check out the resourceful links page above that may have some great tips. Until you're in a position to splurge on high end camera equipment, staying resourceful will still get the job done.
