Buying a camera

J

JDUB28

Member
1) What is your budget? How much money can you spend right away, and do you think you can get more money to invest in the future? -I can spend up to about 1000 give or take

2) What experience do you already have with cameras? Have you ever even used one before? Have you helped your friend out with his camera? Have you owned your own? -I have used a canon HV30 at school, but the one i use while skiing is my gopro

2) What gear, if any, do you currently have? (tripod, old camera lenses, mics, etc) -gopro

4) What are you planning to shoot and how do you want to use your camera? Are you going to use this with the sole purpose of shooting skiing? or do you think you might try other stuff as well (movies, documentaries, short films, etc) -Mainly, I want to do follow cams or stationary shooting (like on a jump or something). Also, skiing would be my main enterprise, but i am interested in getting into more different purposes

5) Do you want a camera that you can hand to your friends, that could or could not have film experience, and let them shoot you? or will you be doing all the filming?-I would like a camera that takes some knowledge to know the ins and outs of it, but also hopefully it shouldnt be too hard to have someone else film

6) When filming skiing, how do you tend to shoot? (follow cams, leave it on record on a tripod and hike, film from a tripod, etc) -follow. stand on roller of jump

7) What computer do you currently have/use to edit (if not currently editing, what would you most likely use)? If you can provide specifics, such as hard drive space, RAM, processor size, that would be great. -13 inch macbook pro, 2.54 GHz intel core 2 duo, 4 gb 1067 MHz DDR3

7) What program do you currently edit on? How familiar are you with it (1- just learning; 10- I can make tutorials and know the keyboard layout) -final cut express. 7-8

---------------------------Optional Section, for those seeking a more intensive upgrade/purchase------------------------
1) Do you think you might consider using a DSLR? -very much so

2) Do you have any knowledge about the HDSLRS? -not really, but everyone uses them!

3) Do you know the limitations to using HDSLRS? -no

4) Are you willing to take the time to learn about a DSLR, and how to shoot with manual lenses? -indeed

5) Again, do you want a camera that you can hand to your friends, that could or could not have film experience, and let them shoot you? or will you be doing all the filming?-I want to hand my friends the camera, but I would give them a small tutorial on how to operate, but of course I dont expect them to be very affluent with it. I would however be doing most of the filming

thank you to 1337 for the great sticky thread/interview to copy paste.
Just curious, I was thinking about a T2i?
 
Basically what you are saying is you want a DSLR and not a cam, right? If that's the case, then the answer is pretty easy:

Yes, a T2i.

You want Canon for sure if you want to shoot video on a DSLR.

7D is too expensive.

60D only leaves like 100-150$ for glass.

T3i is not worth the 150-200$ extra over the T2i

T2i is your best bet. Get one for like 600$ second hand (I think that's what they run for in the US?) and spend 200$ on vintage glass, the rest on stabilizing.

Don't ask me what kinda stabilization you need, I'm not too good with that stuff.

Bottom line: get the T2i.
 
yah, get the refurbished t2i, ive seen them go for about $550, get glidecam 2000(if you want to do more follow cams) or the manfrotto 501 fluidhead if you plan on doing more shots from a tripod.
 
+k to everyone. This is really helping. also, if I would want to shoot follow and or stationary, would i get one lense for both, or get one wide angle and one normal? thanks!
 
Thats kinda where money starts to play in. If money isnt really a problem, then id recommend getting a wide angle for follows, and some tripod shots. And also a zoom lens for tripod shots. If you have the money, id say get just the t2i body for cheap, then get one or both of these lenses for it.
 
so technically, I could just get the EOS Rebel T2i with EF-S 18-55IS Refurbished and use that lens as a zoom lens, and then buy a separate wide angle
 
That lens is more of a wide angle than a zoom. If you got that lens I would recommend a 70-200mm or similar lens to go with it. 18mm is plenty for follows.
 
On a crop sensor 18-55 is pretty standard. I wouldn't recommend the kit lens though, buying 2 older primes will get you better results
 
ill throw in my 2 cents: I own a T3i and love it (but if ur set on the t2i go for it, there really isnt that much of a difference).

Seriously dont listen to people who hate on the kit lens (18-55). That was the only lens I had for a while after buying the camera and it is great. Its definitely not a "fast" lens but it gets the job done. I honestly have no complaints (okay, i wish that it had a focus ring with the focus points marked out on it, but thats not too bad to live without). Id agree with the person above who said that 18mm is wide enough and u should get a zoom lens (the 70-200 was mentioned).

I have found that the tilty/swivel screen on the t3i its pretty handy for getting interesting shots (holding over a crowd, or low to the ground) but you could easily figure out a way to do that on the t2i.

hope this helps in your decision.
 
sorry I am not really a camera expert, but what would the older primes do to help the quality of the camera? also, any specific suggestions for them?
 
$1000 total to spend

$550 for refurbished T2i

Tamron 17-50 $400

The rest I'd spend on batteries/card

 
It depends but that is the beauty of it. You can get a super fast and super sharp prime or you could get a prime that gives your image a creamy look or anything in between. Good glass is good glass no matter how old.
 
The Tamron is absolutely not worth

Refurb T2i - 560$

2 Battery's - 10$

Olympus OM Zuiko 28mmm f/3.5 - 50$

Adapter ring from China (OM-EF) - 15$

SMC Takumar 135mm f/3.5 - 60$

Adapter ring from China (M42-EF) - 5$

2x 8GB SDHC Class 10 - 25$

You got your long focal length, you got your short focal length.

That leaves 275$ for stabilizing.

Not too much I reckon. Probably the best to buy a DYI cage you can handhold and buy a tripod (like the Weifeng one mentioned above for like 150$) and save up for a Glidecam. You don't have to spend it all, eh.
 
The tamron is absolutely worth it, you can get one new for 320 on ebay now, but theres also a way to get the t2i for 450$ refurbished, its called teh canon loyalty program that what i did, 2 8gb class 10 cards shouldnt only be 25$ unless your buying kingston ones, get a nice sandisk 16gb extreme and that will be much better, much faster, and then you can have a little for some cheap stabilization of some sort, and save up for a better tripod/ maybe a glidecam if you really wanna do follows.
 
What are you gonna zoom and focus at the same time? While holding the camera and putting your eye at your viewfinder? Sure...

As I said: not worth it.

And a Class 10 Transcend 8GB card is about 12$ or so. So two of those would be 25$...
 
Are you honestly basing it off of zooming and focusing? the 17-50 cover the focal range of 17-50(obviously) and its faster than the first prime you suggested at f/2.8 rather than f/3.5, also if hes going to be doing photography he can use auto focus then.
 
Some people like being able to zoom, instead of moving their cameras. Primes are very nice to use, but a fast zoom is very useful too. It's very terrible to not recommend a fast zoom, just because you like doing something doesn't mean it sucks. You're allowed to have opinions but turning your opinion into fact is wrong, so stop.
 
Sorry to double post, but alot of filmmakers like to use zoom lenses (fast, slow, consistant and non consistant) as a "variable prime"meaning they set it to the focal length they want for the situation they need, its very useful.
 
uh no?

It is very worth it. If I was shooting skiing, I would hate to have two focal lengths. 28 is not even wide on acrop sensor. I have both a 24mm 2.8 nikon prime and the tamaron 17-50 2.8. Ever since I got the tamaron, it's seen way more use than the nikon. It can be both wide enough for follows (24 is iffy and 28 would be terrible at them) and it lets you reach out a bit farther if you want. When you say, "What are you gonna zoom and focus at the same time?" what are you talking about? You can easily focus and zoom before the shot. If it is video, then you won't even have you eye at the viewfinder, and even if you are doing so, it is not an issue. Stop giving advice like this, because it is just not helpful.
 
Another nice thing about the tamron is it's wide range of focal length, acts as both a wide and a zoom. And zooming while filming has become really played, nobody does it anymore. The only reason for the zoom is because of how many more focal lengths you can shoot from rather than being stuck with only one FL. It's the only reason I continue to buy zooms over faster (much faster) primes.
 
if you can upgrade a little definitely look into the t3i if its not too much more because i use the flip out screen a lot.
 
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