Im in the process of purchasing a canon t4i rebel 60d. I'm looking for something with a great cinematic mode however. And I would also like to know the benefits of smaller/larger mm lenses. Thanks in advance.
Difference between mm lenses
- Thread starter Wesmith829
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The higher the number the further away you can focus.
Are you sure you want to be getting a 60d without knowing the basics of lenses?
Are you sure you want to be getting a 60d without knowing the basics of lenses?
ah, kit a kit zoom lens youll figure it out soon enough. Worse case you have a great stills camera that you can use for snaps.
The mm measurement is the focal length of the lens.
The higher the number, the more telephoto the lens. Under 30mm is wide angle, 30-70's is normal or medium, 70's to 200 or so is telephoto and past that is super telephoto.
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-lenses.htm
The higher the number, the more telephoto the lens. Under 30mm is wide angle, 30-70's is normal or medium, 70's to 200 or so is telephoto and past that is super telephoto.
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-lenses.htm
I just think it's kind of silly to drop that much cash on a camera when you don't know the basics and don't know what you really need out of it. There's plenty of great mid-range DSLRs you can get for less than the price of a T4i.
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Well I want something that'll last me for a while even after Ive fully got the hang of it that's why I'm investing in a canon t4i. I appreciate all the advice and what's the big deal about 60d. Plus nobody answered my question about what would be a camera with a great cinematic mode.
Well I want something that'll last me for a while even after Ive fully got the hang of it that's why I'm investing in a canon t4i. I appreciate all the advice and what's the big deal about 60d. Plus nobody answered my question about what would be a camera with a great cinematic mode.
Your right. I want to be able to make a short or documentary with a decent quality. I want the picture to look as in "take this lollipop"
The camera helps with that but color grading/color correction is where you will get the cinematic look.
Just do this and you will start to see how focal length choice affects your image. Anything else is pure theorycraft that won't help you much until you've spent time looking through the lens.
Simply put "cinematic mode" is what you do with the camera, not what camera you use. There are cameras that are "technologically superior" to others (kinda, and even that is heavily debated) and some that "look more pleasing" to an individual viewer than others, but the bottom line is how it is used, not what is being used.
And I'll go ahead and beg to differ with JsThompson. Color Grading/Correction is not where you "get" a cinematic look. Those are simply one set of tools in the toolshed.
It all starts on the page, if it does not work there, it will not work on screen. From there there are a host of qualities which people will describe as Cinematic. These include composition, DoF, lighting, movement, blocking, choreography, and in fact editing decisions as well. In the case of Grades - one does not light in post. Start the look on set, and enhance/balance it as needed.
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Yes that would be done in After Effects or any other slew of programs out there with a gazillion add ons. A lot of sites recommend After Effects with the Colorista II plugin.
I pretty much agree, and I admit that Iv done this myself..
People do this all the time. I assumed the OP is grown up and can buy what the OP wants. The OP was not asking for camera advice, just about what MM's were.. to whit my answer stands. Get the camera and in about 5 mins of playing with it the OP will KNOW what MM's are and what they do.. Worst case, you have a great still camera. Everyone needs a decent still camera.. put that puppy in automode and its not much different than any other point and shoot stills camera...
So what would be an appropriate camera for shooting a documentary? Also what would be a good choice for making shorts?
A lot of that boils down to budgets, and your type of documentary. A 35mm prime lens might do the trick, but you might need a telephoto zoom lens instead. Or maybe you just need the 18-55mm kit lens.
If you're shooting for Youtube you could probably get away with a T3i or D5100, or even a cheap handicam. If you're shooting for DVD, you'll want something a little beefier, and if you're shooting for theater you might want a RED camera. It all depends on the look you want to achieve and your budget.
I'll try and take this from the top..
MM is just how far you are 'zoomed' in.
Imagine you stand at one fixed point and point your camera at a person standing 10 meters away.
A 14mm len will reveal everything around the person and the person will appear small. A 35mm lens will be closer, but still quite wide. Say for example you switch to a 200mm lens, you will get much much closer and probably cut the person off at the torso. Now, MM's are not everything in the lens world. The 'real' MM's are always connected with your sensor.
We are getting quite technical here, but the cameras you mentioned (t4i and 60D) both have an APS-C sensor. Another camera, for example a 5D has a Full Frame Sensor. A GH2 has a 4/3rds sensor.
Easy way to show this:
Canon EF 50mm F1.4 lens
Full Frame Sensor: 50mm
APS-C sensor: 80mm (An APS-C sensor is smaller than a Full Frame, thus the focal length becomes longer. Multiply by 1.6)
4/3rds sensor: 100mm (A 4/3rds sensor is smaller than APS-C and Full Frame. Focal length becomes longer. Multiply by 2)
Now, this is just a little thing about lenses covered. What you asked basically. There is a lot more to lenses, but we are becoming more technical by the minute. It's stuff to learn later on.
When you ask about Cinematic Mode, I think you just want your image to look cinematic, like in most films.
It's not a mode you switch on. You get a cinematic mode by combining a few different settings.
Your camera settings matter and also your lens. This is just capturing from the camera point of view. Lighting is what makes your image cinematic. Colour Grading is the final touch.
Quick Camera Setup Guide:
Most of the time we shoot: 24p (Camera takes 24 pictures a second), 1/48th shutter speed (Double of what your frame rate is). Then there's stuff like ISO, which controls how bright your image is. Aperture is what is adjusted on the lens. The lower your F-Stop, the shallower your depth of field will get (your background will be out of focus/blurry). Often an out of focus background is considered cinematic. It is very helpful to shoot with a blurry background if you want to focus your viewers attention on the subject you're showing.
However, as mentioned before, a DSLR might not be perfect for shooting a documentary. There are many problems with DSLR's, especially Audio, Rolling Shutter (Jello effect in your image) and much more.
If you have the money, a Sony EX3 or EX1 would be great for documentary stuff. They're not too expensive and are good cameras for the documentary genre.
There is so much to know about cameras and there are so many cameras out there.
The thing you have to know is, there is no 1 camera for every job. You choose different cams for different jobs. In the end, it boils down to your story telling, composition and lighting! Not to forget sound. A film is nothing without the right audio!
MM is just how far you are 'zoomed' in.
Imagine you stand at one fixed point and point your camera at a person standing 10 meters away.
A 14mm len will reveal everything around the person and the person will appear small. A 35mm lens will be closer, but still quite wide. Say for example you switch to a 200mm lens, you will get much much closer and probably cut the person off at the torso. Now, MM's are not everything in the lens world. The 'real' MM's are always connected with your sensor.
We are getting quite technical here, but the cameras you mentioned (t4i and 60D) both have an APS-C sensor. Another camera, for example a 5D has a Full Frame Sensor. A GH2 has a 4/3rds sensor.
Easy way to show this:
Canon EF 50mm F1.4 lens
Full Frame Sensor: 50mm
APS-C sensor: 80mm (An APS-C sensor is smaller than a Full Frame, thus the focal length becomes longer. Multiply by 1.6)
4/3rds sensor: 100mm (A 4/3rds sensor is smaller than APS-C and Full Frame. Focal length becomes longer. Multiply by 2)
Now, this is just a little thing about lenses covered. What you asked basically. There is a lot more to lenses, but we are becoming more technical by the minute. It's stuff to learn later on.
When you ask about Cinematic Mode, I think you just want your image to look cinematic, like in most films.
It's not a mode you switch on. You get a cinematic mode by combining a few different settings.
Your camera settings matter and also your lens. This is just capturing from the camera point of view. Lighting is what makes your image cinematic. Colour Grading is the final touch.
Quick Camera Setup Guide:
Most of the time we shoot: 24p (Camera takes 24 pictures a second), 1/48th shutter speed (Double of what your frame rate is). Then there's stuff like ISO, which controls how bright your image is. Aperture is what is adjusted on the lens. The lower your F-Stop, the shallower your depth of field will get (your background will be out of focus/blurry). Often an out of focus background is considered cinematic. It is very helpful to shoot with a blurry background if you want to focus your viewers attention on the subject you're showing.
However, as mentioned before, a DSLR might not be perfect for shooting a documentary. There are many problems with DSLR's, especially Audio, Rolling Shutter (Jello effect in your image) and much more.
If you have the money, a Sony EX3 or EX1 would be great for documentary stuff. They're not too expensive and are good cameras for the documentary genre.
There is so much to know about cameras and there are so many cameras out there.
The thing you have to know is, there is no 1 camera for every job. You choose different cams for different jobs. In the end, it boils down to your story telling, composition and lighting! Not to forget sound. A film is nothing without the right audio!
Cool. I appreciate all the help. One last question: I'm trying to decide which film institute to choose but before that I need to gain at least 3 recommendation letters. I'm not in school right now and I'm considering taking a few classes at my community college to get some recommendations. Any advice on how I can get those w/o having to enroll in community college. Preciate it.