Which DSLR for Video under $1000? - Page 2

http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/digital-camera-holiday-gift-guide---600-cameras.html


http://www.dpreview.com/camerareviews/?category=slrs&order=date

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Get the T2i.

aldfig0 the expert on all things digital has yet to actually give you a proper suggestion for a camera other than mention that GH2 is the best. probably would have been nice to see a lens recommendation from someone so knowledgeable on all things video lol

i suggest starting off with the 14-140 kit lens. it will offer the complete focal range needed to start off 14 for your wide landscapes. 40-80 range for your interviews and everything past 80 up to 140 which will offer some good reach for nature shots mentioned in your OP. i do suggest an extra battery especially if you plan to being shooting nonprofit documentary interviews. i also suggest at some point down the road investing in good audio equipment for those interviews but you could start off with the rode video mic and upgrade to a lavalier system either wired or wireless and a light kit for those interviews. a tripod is a definite must for both the nature shots and documentary interviews. you dont need a $150 tripod though there are plenty in the $80 range that are pretty tough and will do good for you (giottos, gitzo, manfrotto, sachtler are all really top of the line companies for a nice set of sticks) camera bag is totally personal preference, i have a domke and love it but they are expensive new. and a second SD card a always a plus unless you keep a laptop with you to dump footage. life is easier with a second card though so i personally suggest having a spare card. SD cards are pretty cheap too so with that budget you can easily get maybe 2x 32GB cards or even 3x 16GB with money saved on buying a cheaper tripod over a $150 one. obviously if you dont think you will shoot that much you can just get 2 cards and when you need another you will have money left over to get it.

i buy a lot of my gear from BH. they dont always have excellent bundles but the peace of mind knowing you are buying from them is worth a few extra dollars because they are fast and do an excellent job packing your gear and getting it to you safely and their return/exchange policy is rather good because honestly not every single electronic device is perfect there are a few bad eggs out there.

here is the GH2 with 14-140 normally about $1500 new on BH in their used store (its still in box barely used) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800846648-USE/Panasonic_DMC_GH2HK_Lumix_DMC_GH2_Digital_Camera.html

one thing about lenses is the wider you get and the longer you get the more expensive but most glass from the 30-85mm range is reasonably priced. just FYI you might want to look at lens prices to understand what you are getting into for the future when you start getting itchy for better lenses for your camera and at some point almost everyone will also suggest this is to look at a 50mm prime when you are ready to test the waters with prime lenses. the 50mm is usually the most affordable and easiest to come by. some people prefer primes and others do not but the nice things about primes are the nice wide apertures that make low light shooting much easier than the slower zooms that are usually f3.5-5.6

if you dont go GH2 a t3i or t2i is an excellent camera from canon and you can get one with a nice 18-55 kit lens which is great for general use and you can add a 50mm f1.8 prime to shoot documentary interviews and achieve that nice shallow depth of field shooting around f2.8 with the 50mm
Edited by Conspiracy - 3/18/12 at 8:01pm

well with the GH2 you would probably want to install magic lantern or "hack" it in order to get that amazing quality that everyone brags about why the GH2 is so amazing. it is true that after hacking the GH2 and installing magic lantern the GH2 will be able to crank out some extremely impressive video, but hacking your camera is a little dangerous but not very but you do run the risk of ruining your camera if you do it wrong. the hack gives you a higher bit rate for your video which basically is what makes the video look a lot higher quality.

now i cant find it exactly on the manufacturer websites for both cameras as its a detail not needed by majority of consumers but right out of the box the canon T3i will beat the GH2 in bitrate (this does not mean overall quality of everything) but the T3i has a bit rate of roughly 45mbs and the GH2 has a bitrate of 25mbs but after the hack the GH2 surpasses the canon.

i personally do not suggest the GH2 while its a fantastic camera its a micro 4/3s camera. this is not a bad thing just not ideal. here are some lenses that i would suggest. i am not going to suggest 3rd part lenses and this is just for the GH2 or canon camera that i think would be great for you to get started so you can get a feel for price. these prices are from manufacturer websites to keep it fair i guess

now i wont comment on overall image quality achieved by these lenses as i am not familiar with lenses for the GH2 and honestly the differences are not ground breaking in the lower price range for camera lenses.

Panasonic lenses:
14-42 kit lens $200 http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/H-FS014042
14-140 kit lens $850 http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/H-VS014140
35mm prime lens 3rd party can be bought around the $300+ price range

a lot of the panasonic lenses on their website ballpark around $1000 or $300

Canon lenses:

18-55mm kit lens $200 http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_s_18_55mm_f_3_5_5_6_is_ii
55-250mm $300 http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_s_55_250mm_f_4_5_6_is_ii
50mm f1.8 $125 http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_50mm_f_1_8_ii

all of these lenses from both companies can be found cheaper used of course. but this gives you an idea of the additional prices for lenses you might need. i did not cover all lenses these are just examples and are not what i am saying you should buy just options that are available.

this microphone is insanely popular and will be highly recommended on every forum you check. sennheiser also has a version of this mic that costs more but rode is not a cheapo by any means they make a good product and i dont think you need top of the line pro audio gear since audio gear gets crazy expensive. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744768-REG/Rode_VIDEOMIC_PRO_VideoMic_Pro_Compact_Shotgun.html

here are some tripod options that would work for you for both video and photos of nature and documentary and interviews: (these are just options and again not saying these are only what you have to chose from, note these are pro video tripods not photography ones but honestly both pro video/photo tripods are equally expensive although at a certain point pro video tripods can get well over $2000)

panhead:
$80 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/755491-REG/Manfrotto_MK393S_H_MK393S_H_Photo_Movie_Short_Kit.html
$90 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/670221-REG/Slik_617_520_Video_Sprint_II_Tripod.html
$125 www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/716865-REG/Slik_613_345_PRO_340_QF_Tripod.html

fluidhead:
$190 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/496238-REG/Manfrotto__190XDB_Tripod_Legs_Black_.html
$80 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/146249-REG/Velbon_VMATE_607_F_VMATE607F_Videomate_607_Tripod.html
$70 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/727498-REG/Pearstone_VT_2100_VT_2100_Fluid_Head_Video.html
$45 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/141860-REG/Giottos_IY442_IY442_3_Section_Tripod_with.html

just some tripod samples at a certain point the price just jumps to $1000+ for the type of camera you are looking at then jumps again to $3000+ for ENG and studio cameras.

i think that covers everything you might need. sorry for not being more helpful but i was bored and felt like making an example out of the other guy and troll him a little because he did a terrible job helping you and still is yet to provide anything helpful for your questions lol.


EDIT:

on a side note whenever most of the knowledgeable people of the photo or video section here on OCN give camera advice we generally suggest for beginners such as yourself to see how many of your friends use canon/nikon as they are the most popular brands for DSLR and if you have canon friends you can borrow lenses and accessories from them and same for nikon. when it comes to video nikon is not shabby but has only recently made cameras that are worthwhile for professional video, the lower end nikons that have video are still great for someone like yourself though. canon is slightly more affordable for beginners but nikons are not that much more expensive.

the D5100 would be my suggestion for nikon and it comes with a 18-55 kit lens and you can get a 55-250 for $250. for canon the T3i is the newer camera but the t2i will have the same quality video but both can be bought with the 18-55 kit lens and a 55-250 for about the same price (a T2i would save you money over the t3i especially if you buy refurb from canon). the major difference is price in camera body. now i do want to note that the D5100 is not the nikon equivalent to the canon t3i to the best of my knowledge i am not 100% but they are about the same price with kit lens
Edited by Conspiracy - 3/19/12 at 6:36am

i am not aware of any cheaper alternatives that offer great quality. the rode is actually the cheaper alternative to the sennheiser 400 mke that is $200. i would probably go with the Giottos tripod i linked to have as a starter to save money only because as time goes on that person will learn more and be able to buy more specialize equipment for their needs. i would go with the T3i only because its more common than the GH2 especially among college students and just more common in general in the working world which makes borrowing lenses a lot easier. The T3i offers a swivel screen as the main feature improvement over the T2i.

Costco sometimes has package deals for T3i + 18-55 + 55-250 and is a rather good deal. The one near me has a great deal on a 60D with same lenses for under $1500 if i remember right. and it comes with a cheap starter camera bag too.

right now canon has a deal for buying a T2i or T3i with 18-55 and save $150 on the purchase of a 55-250.

if you scroll down you will see rebates under the price. also you can save $50 if you order before the end of the month which 50 isnt a big deal lol. all you need to do is click on the rebate and it will pop up a window to chose the rebate. on the left side you will find the save $150 on purchase of 55-250.
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/753762-REG/Canon_5169B003_EOS_Rebel_T3i_Digital.html

i also linked you to the wrong mic. there is a $150 version of the rode mic http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/363083-REG/Rode_VIDEOMIC_VideoMic_Camera_Mounted.html

so i just made a cart on B&H with T3i + 18-55 + 55-250, 2x 16GB memory cards, pearstone $70 tripod, and $150 rode mic and it all came out to $1,182.

no prob dude. im here to help. and occasionally troll people for fun lol. but i always help in the end