Best camera for shooting video under $1500

Kazabazua

Kazabazua

Active member
Hey guys,

I'm looking to buy a DSLR that takes awesome video. I've looked at the Canon T2i but I just wanted to get your opinions on this. The T2i is around 800 right now, but I'm willing to spend another 200-700 dollars if I need to, to get something that is next level. I'm going to be using it for skiing but also filming commercial stuff. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

-Darcy
 
getting a 60d might be worth it for some small features but the video on the t2i/60d/7d are all the same.
 
mine you, if you want "next level" you need the glass to back it up so buy a t2i and save up for some good glass. a cameras image is only as good as its glass.
 
618px-JeanLucPicardFacepalm.jpg
 
this...

me and my buddy just got a t2i and it should be here tomorrow ( SUPER STOKED), and we already got pretty nice lens but are plan was def to get a super sick lens now!
 
ooops i meant the t3i..

what are your thoughts on the two Heath? you think we should have just got t2 and saved a couple hundro?
 
In comparison those 2 are almost the exact same except the t3i has the flip out screen. The t2i is lighter though...
 
they all shoot the same video, if youre concentrating on video, get the t2i for like 600 then get a tamron 17-50 for 350 then a 50mm 1.8 for 100 then a 70-200 f4 for 600. little over your budget but thats the ideal budget kit in my opinion. if you cant afford the 70-200 the 55-200 is an OKAY beginner lens that could be used instead with decent results.
 
also keep in mind you need to spend like 200 bucks on a tripod and a glidecam/some other type of hand held stabilization is key.
 
ya we bought a pretty nice tripod, looking into glidecams and that sorta stuff right now. Thanks for some advice, still don't get what i failed so hard on that you posted a facepalm meme hahaha but it's all good. I'm definitely a noob right now when it comes to cameras but i'll learn soon enough and we'll be dropping some backcountry edits!
 
LISTEN TO THIS MAN.

Remember to save up for a solid tripod system too. I'm talkin dolly, super smooth head, stability. Things like that can get pricey in a hurry.
 
rebel t3i just arrived and holy shit am i beyond pumped!

anyone have any good ideas on worthy camera backpacks that are good in the backcountry (shovel and probe spot and stuff like that) for a semi decent price??!

Thanks
 
I think I can get a T2i with a 75-300 for $890
or a T2i with a 18-55 for $750
Should I get one of these to save money for the other lenses?
I'm probably buying it from www.henrys.ca
 
ask if you can trade out the stock lens for a 50 1.8, the guy just let me switch it with no extra charges and I bought it at henrys, it's best to go in though because they make commission so theyll try to please you more. Then buy the 17-50 2.8 for the standard range.
 
For under 1500 you could get a Panasonic GH2 ($800) or GH1 ($500), and a set of vintage minolta or nikon lenses ($60-$150 each lens) to use until you can afford better glass. These lenses are cheap and only manual focus but also fast, well built, sharp, and have a really nice character for video.

Normal FL: Nikon 24mm f2.8 ($70)

Short Telephoto: Minolta Rokkor-X 50mm f1.4 ($75)

Long Telephoto: Nikon 80-200mm f4 ($75) Minolta AF 70-210 f4 ($75)

For a wide angle you'll have to spend a bit more because of the 2x crop factor. Your cheapest option would be to get the 14-42mm kit lens and use it at 14mm. There is also a panasonic 14mm f2.5 for like 300 bucks. 14mm isnt that wide on a 2x crop though, so to get any wider you would have to spend 500+.

The best thing about these cameras is they can be hacked to put out much higher bitrates than canon DSLRs, which means awesome IQ for cheap. They also have a few more video oriented features than the canons (such as AF during video with native lenses, mic levels, more exposure monitoring, etc). The downside is the crop factor and the relatively cheap build quality.

You can read what Philip Bloom has to say about these cameras as well as all the other popular video DSLRs here: http://philipbloom.net/2011/03/17/whichdslr/

And you can check out the link in my sig for some GH2 samples.
 
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