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Thoughts on Canon EOS cameras

jkortje

jkortje

I want to buy a good Canon EOS to start my Cinema film making. I noticed in the movie 127 Hours, they use a lot of Canon EOS cameras, and in music videos and even some films (shorts). I want to buy a good one that will look great but there are just so many of them with so many different prices.

I am looking into a good, cheap one. The one I am looking into is the Canon EOS Rebel T1i. But there is also cameras like the Canon EOS 7D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II which are so much more expensive than the one I am looking into. I was hoping someone could help tell me what the major differences are and why I should buy one over the other. They all look like they would be perfect but the prices tell me that maybe not. Please help me decide. Thanks.
 
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Zensteve said:
There's more posts about the Canon T2i here than you can shake a stick at.
Click to expand...

Very true. But I'll shake a stick, just this one last time. :)

jkortje, within the Canon DSLR line-up, the final image quality is going to be much more based on your abilities as a cinematographer than on the particulars of the camera. They're pretty much all the same.

The 5D is the most different of the lot, because it has a larger sensor. Do a search for the terms "full frame" vs "crop factor", both on google and in this forum. Sorry, it's a little more complicated than I feel like getting into at the moment, especially since we've covered it to death. The 5D is also probably out of your price-range.

Forget the T1i. It severly limits your abilities to control your image. Definitely not for filmmakers, especially since the next step up won't cost you too much more.

The T2i is definitely winning the race of which camera people are picking up. For it's price, it's absolutely awesome.

Personally, I'd stay away from the 7D. For filmmaking, it's basically the same camera as the T2i, but twice as expensive. People who want the 7D tend to be serious still photographers.

Then, there's the 60D and the T3i. I kinda see their relationship the same way I see the T2i/7D relationship. There really isn't much of a difference between the T3i and the 60D, except the 60D seems to be a bit more sturdy, and maybe it has a longer battery life. For a filmmaker, that doesn't really matter. Generally, only photographers really care about having a strong heavy camera, and extra batteries are cheap.

So, what's the difference between the T3i and the T2i? I, for one, would gladly spend the little extra money on the T3i, simply for the moveable screen. But there are other advantages, too. Anyway, my vote goes to the T3i.

Obviously, I'm just glancing over the subject, without offering any real specifics. You should get into the nitty-gritty before making a purchase like this. Get to know the specs of each camera.

And now let me really throw a curve-ball at you. The Panasonic GH2 has been selling like hot-cakes, and I admit that I would be tempted by it, too, if I were making a purchase right now.

Best of luck!
 
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No one ever talks about the 1D Mk IV when talking video. Heard a few DP's talk about it at the Canon booth this year. I didn't realize this, but for shooting low light it's the best around. It's sensor can see more into shadows than the naked eye can.

Of course, it is $5k, and they all opted for a 5D or 7D 90% of the time. If it was general low-light stuff where you have to run wide open they recommended the 7 because the 5 had way too shallow of a DOF. If you've ever tried running it wide open with a prime photo lens, keeping focus with motion is almost impossible. Bring in a cinema lens (like a Zeiss compact prime) and focus is much easier.

They're all great cameras. I bought my 7 a couple of months before the T2i was released. For a while I wondered if I made the right choice, after playing with a t3i, 60d, 7d 5d mk ii and 1d mk IV all right next to each other, i'm happy with it. The cheaper cameras are just that, cheap. No offense to t2i fans on the forum, but the quality is well worth the price. I want a second camera, but I'll wait for a 5d mk III or 7d mk ii release first to see if there's better video features (like a clean HDMI out) included first.
 
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Thank you for all your great help everyone! It really helps although I think now I am going to be saving a bit longer the something like the Canon EOS Rebel T3i that Cracker Funk suggested but I'll be looking into them all and maybe a few more. Thanks again!
 
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I own the T2i and enjoy it. GH2 is a good camera as well, I agree with the posters above. Dont spend the extra money on the 7d. Get a T2i and use extra money on equipment
 
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I used to own a Canon 7d. The Panasonic GH2 is a much better video camera than any of the Canons. It's cheaper too. Canons are plagued by this awful moire and aliasing. It's really a problem and difficult to spot unless you've got a very good external monitor. The GH2 walks all over it.

But what someone else here said is true, that the most important variable isn't the camera, but the guy using it.
 
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