“Which camera should I buy?” I get asked this the most. Apart from which lenses should I buy. There is a lot of confusion amongst potential buyers as to which camera to buy. Not just from the Canon line, that is the Rebel T2i/ 55D, 7D, 5DmkII and 1DmkIV but also the GH1, GH2 and the various Nikons.
It’s almost impossible for me to recommend which model camera to buy because they all have their plusses and minuses and many of those are subjective, down to personal opinion. What may be important to me may not be important to you. Even when context is provided such as they are mostly shooting music videos, events, documentaries, movies etc then I still cannot answer.
What I am going to do in this blog post is list what I believe are the pros and cons of each camera.Take that info and then decide for yourself what is the most important for you. For example some people love the look of the 5DmkII over the others whilst others find the shallow depth of field too much…
I am in the fortunate position of owning most of the cameras in this post so I feel quite qualified to give my opinion on this topic…but to be honest any one of these will give you great results, it’s not all about the camera…that is just a tool…but obviously some of the features of one will appeal to you more than others.
Here is a sensor chart showing you the different sizes available in the market. I will be referring to this a few times in the blog.
Nikon D3s
First off let us go over the non Canon options as that’s easier. I have to say unless you have an huge array of G series Nikon lenses (if you have manual aperture Nikon lenses then your lenses will work will the Canons using a simple adaptor like the Fotodiox Pro) then forget the D90, D5000 and D300s as they don’t offer full manual control in video mode making them a huge pain in the backside to shoot with. The only Nikon that offers full manual control is the D3s. To get the full manual mode you need to be in tripod live view mode rather than hand held live view mode.
What do I think of the D3s? It is an incredible stills camera and a so-so video camera. It has a full frame sensor, one of only two cameras in this blog to have that. The thing that made me buy it was the absolutely incredible low light performance as highlighted in the Zacuto Shootout. It was this alone that made me buy it. In my low light test I shot at 25,000 ISO and got incredibly clean pictures due to a brilliant NR chip in there for video. This makes it outperform all the Canon DSLRs by a huge margin in low light. It’s just a shame that it is not as impressive in general use. All the Nikons are 720p 24p only too. That is not a huge dealbreaker but it’s a limitation. As is the old fashioned MJPEG recording format and 5 minute clip length. The HDMI live out seems to be slower than 24p when you hit record.
I bought this camera as a low light tool to supplement my Canon DSLRs, not to shoot whole projects on. For some of my documentary work low light will be extreme and this camera will shine. I will be able to shoot in very low light without having to shoot wide open with crazy shallow DOF. To think I could shoot in candlelight at F4 and it will look gorgeous…That’s epic for me. Shooting wide open is great but sometimes you don’t want that crazy shallow DOF, you want to control it. This camera will give you that option. You can stop right down and with the incredible high ISO you can shoot in not much light and still get exposure!
Sound wise it has a crappy built in mic like most of the cameras here but you can put an external mic in, but there is limited control of the audio with no meters, but the ability to set 4 levels of sensitivity but more importantly no way to monitor it.
So that’s the Nikon D3s. A great stills camera with a killer low light video ability. Shame the rest is not great.
PROS: Full frame, INCREDIBLE low light in video
CONS: Expensive, 720p only, 24p only, 5 minute clips, MJPEG recording format, poor monitor out, no audio control.
Nikon D5100
Nikon’s answer to the T2i is a disappointment. Their first camera to feature full HD 25p but no manual controls. Simply a huge problem and unless fixed should be avoided.
Nikon D7000
The first full HD Nikon to feature full manual controls.
I like the image, very pleasing and low light is good. It has semi manual audio, HD HDMI (but not clean) out whilst recording (but also turns off the LCD like the Canons), it records full HD but only in 24p mode. For 30p and 25p it’s 720p only and there is no 50p or 60p. There also seems to be an issue that I cannot figure out. Where is the exposure meter in live view?
UPDATE: I tried shooting with it but the lack of meter is frustrating me too much, which is a shame as I think the image is really nice, good in low light. But until that meter is displayed it’s too annoying to shoot with. Why would they miss such a basic thing? Also the inability to change F-Stop after rolling is just plain dumb. I use older Nikon lenses so am ok with that, although I do have two newer ones and they have this issue.
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Pansonic GH1
The Panasonic GH1 I have had since April 2009. It’s not a DSLR as it has no mirror but is often bunched up in the term Video DSLRs as it is a still camera with a video function too. We really should not get hung up on names for these cameras.
What do I think of the GH1? Well I love the small size. Love the EVF, moveable LCD, ability to take so many different types of lenses due to the lack of mirror and of course the price. Downside is the 1080p bit rate if a bit stingy meaning it breaks ups quite easily when trying to grade it. The 720p mode seems to hold up better but it’s such a shame that the 1080p is lacking. The 720p mode is 50p or 60p depending on where you buy the camera.
The camera comes in different flavours depending on where you buy it. In the EU it is 25p in 1080p mode (embedded in a 1080i stream) and 50p in 720p mode, so great for slow motion. Record time is limited to 29.59 minutes for EU tax reasons. If it could record 30 minutes or more it would be classified as a video camera and therefore have higher tax. Other PAL countries get this camera also in 25p but with the record time limitation. The US gets it in 24p (again embedded in a 60i stream) and 60p in 720p mode with no record time limitations. All the Canon cameras shoot in either 24p, 25p or 30p. They are non regional specific. A big downer on these cameras.
It has the best built in mic on all of the cameras and it’s stereo, although again we have no headphone jack. NONE of the cameras in this test have a headphone jack! If you plug in a monitor it switches off when you hit record. A big downer really! That needs to be fixed in the GH2.
Negatives aside. It’s a great little camera. The stock lens has the most impressive auto focus I have ever seen on a video camera as it tracks people’s faces and with a large sensor like in this camera (four thirds) it makes a huge difference. This makes it ideal for steadicam work as you can let the focus do it’s thing. Normally I say DO NOT USE AUTO FOCUS on any video camera. Manual will always be the way to operate a camera for me until it can read my mind and know what I want to be in focus! The image out of the camera is also pretty damn good. Of course what I want is a GH2 with better bit rate and proper monitor out, a headphone jack and controllable audio levels. A lot of this camera is already very good, it just needs a bump up in specs…
Low light is not brilliant. I find 1600 ISO way too noisy. Even 800 is not great.
PROS: Cheap, light, small, 50p/60p mode in 720p, full HD, nice stereo mic, EVF, articulated LCD, great lens mount, some Panasonic lenses have amazing auto focus ability. No overheating
CONS: Weak AVCHD code, no HDMI out when recording, low light average performance, poor audio options again, recording limitations in EU, geographically locked recording formats, 24p and 24p wrapped in 60i and 50i.
EDIT: With the third party hacked firmware by Tester 13 we can get native 24p and 25p and motion jpeg full hd in very high bit rate and much improved AVCHD. It’s a massive leap up but it’s still 3rd party and not officially supported. Read more about it here…The major issue is all new GH1s CANNOT be hacked as they have the latest firmware which is not hacked. SO BE CAREFUL if you go this route.
Panasonic GH2
I am very impressed with this update to the GH1. It is a big step up from the GH1 although there are a couple of key features missing.
There is finally a native 24p full HD mode (called cinema mode) which records in the very acceptable 24mb/s. Unfortunately it is only 24p not 25p which as a European shooter I need for broadcast here. There is no 25p mode. There is a 50p mode in 720p which means you can simply drop every other frame so you can achieve 25p but this is not ideal. I REALLY hope this can be addressed with a firmware update.
HDMI is clean out, no graphics but I have not done any testing with the Nanoflash yet. Reports so far say the quality is lower than the recorded. I cannot confirm or deny yet.
Articulating screen is great and the EVF is improved over the GH1 so is very usable. It has a built in slow down to 80% mode (effectively giving you what 30p would be if you conformed to 24p) and a built in speed up motion of two steps that can give you effectively a basic undercranking.
The M43 sensor gives you around a 1.9x crop of a full frame due to it being a native 16×9 sensor
Audio meters can be displayed on the screen whilst recording. Sounds basic but so lacking from DSLRs. Still no headphone jack. You also have manual control over the audio, well a number of steps you can set it at. The built in stereo mic is not horrible. Check out the cooking piece below…all the sound other than sync was done with it.
Low light is a world away from the GH1 which had nasty lines come up at ISO 800. I have shot 3200 ISO and it is totally acceptable. A HUGE STEP UP.
It has an excellent feature called 1:1 sampling. It samples the centre of the sensor in which equates to 1920×1080 and records that meaning NO moire or aliasing and gives you a nice extra boost on your lenses with no loss in quality.
It takes any lenses with the right adaptor, even S16 with the 1:1 sampling. A big plus this.
Image quality is superb with very little moire and aliasing. Rolling shutter seems the same as the GH1. Some users are reporting it worse but I have not done a side by side comparison.
So all in all a big improvement over the Gh1 but PLEASE we NEEED 25p!!!!! If 25p is irrelevant to you this is simply one of the best “DSLRs” on the market for shooting video. The stills mode is pretty good too!
EDIT: Another firmware hack has made this a fantastic option. 25p, no recording time and high bitrate makes this a much more attractive camera.
PROS: Great image, great 24p mode. Minimal moire and rolling shutter, live HDMI out and clean! Manual audio with live meters, articulating screen, improved EVF. No recording limit in non EU versions. 1:1 mode is awesome, good touch screen. Internal stereo mic not too bad. Has the best auto focus video system out there!
CONS: 25p where are you? Rolling shutter is not improved. 29 minutes 59 seconds max recording per clip in EU version
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Home Cooking…avec le GH2! from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.
GH2: Movember Gala Party from Philip Bloom on Vimeo. Completely ungraded, showing great low light.
Canon Rebel T2i/ 550d
The new kid on the block and a damn impressive one too. I have left the 500D/ T1i out of this. Even though I own it, but due to the odd 20FPS 1080p mode, 720p 30p only mode but mainly (and this is reason why 3 Nikons aren’t reviewed) the lack of manual control. This baby ups the game and is the first consumer DSLR that Canon have made with full HD and full manual control. It’s killer. With an image of almost comparable quality to the pro 7D it has taken the market by storm and rightly so.
With an APS-C chip in it which is a 1.6x crop of a full frame it has a bigger sensor than the GH1 but smaller than the D3s. It takes all the EF lenses designed for full frame cameras as well as the special EF-S lenses which are designed for this sized chip. These lenses are generally cheaper than their full frame versions so you can save money that way. Only downside is EF-S lenses cannot be used on full frame camera if you come to upgrade cameras at some point. The major investment with any of these camera is the glass, not the body. So always keep that in mind when buying lenses.
It has the same crappy audio options, as in no control and no headphone jack. But does have the full range of recording options. 24p, 25p and 30p in full HD and 50p and 60p in 720p mode. Meaning you get shoot great slow motion with this baby.
I am a big fan of this camera as it has brought the power of DSLR filmmaking to the mass market. Some people see this as a bad thing, in that by making the cameras so affordable there will a flood of people on the market selling themselves as cameramen. It’s only a tool, like any camera. What we will have is people discovering or even re-discovering a love of video due to this large sensor.
Things I don’t like about this camera? Well it’s a consumer camera and is therefore missing a lot of what I love in the PRO bodies. It uses SDHC cards, they are cheap are small but I hate their flimsiness. I much prefer CF cards, but that’s just me! I miss the top LCD. We have no display on this camera other than the main LCD. Not a deal breaker but a shame not to have it. Also missing is the second dial on the back of the body which means aperture and shutter speed are controlled by the same dial, via pressing a button in at the same time. I don’t like this at all. The build quality is pretty good, but when compared to the pro line, in particular the 7D it comes across as bit cheap, but then again it is! It uses different batteries to the 7D and 5Dmkii, but they are cheaper…HDMI out sucks too….it’s 1080i letterboxed image live out which drops to 480p when you hit record. You do get full 16×9 playback though.
Like all the Canon cameras the most you can record at a time is about 12 minutes. If you point at something that does not move much you can get it up to 14 minutes or so. The LCD is surprisingly the best of the bunch of all the Canon DSLRs. Highest resolution.
There is much debate over how good the video is of this camera compared to the 7D. Very damn close. I haven’t seen any specific side by sides, only that in my limited use of the T2i it just seems to be not quite as good as the 7D and am not sure why…it’s close. But just not quite as good…I would love someone to show me what it is that is different!
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PROS: Cracking image in video mode, very cheap, smaller than the pro line, full list of video modes to record in, nice big APS-C sensor, great LCD screen
CONS: Not weatherproofed like the pro line, missing top LCD screen, missing second dial, poor HDMI out, no audio control, no headphone jack, no intermediate ISOs, no ability to dial in your white balance like the pro line, 12 minute record limit.
Canon T3i/600D
This camera is effectively a replacement for the T2i and certainly improves on a number of features of the camera. Video wise I see little difference between this and the T2i but I haven’t shot anywhere near enough with the camera to categorically say this…
It has all the same features and frame rates as the T2i…New features include the articulating screen of the 60D which is a massive plus, it makes shooting on a tripod SO much easier and for ground shots too…other improvements at manual audio like the 60D and 5DmkII but it’s not well implemented being within a menu and not being adjustable whilst recording or displaying meters or a headphone jack.
A nice new feature is the 3x digital crop…ignore the rest of it, it goes from 3x to 10x…anything over 3x is a digital zoom and looks like poo…the 3x isn’t perfect. It isn’t super sharp but it’s a neat feature. I don’t think it’s as well implemented as the GH2 version.
It’s a really good camera, but I do recommend the 60D over it still due to better build quality, better AF for stills, more ISOs and if you look hard enough it’s not much more than the T3i!
Canon 60D
I have to admit I love this camera. It’s almost my favourite of the Canons. The image out of the 5Dmk2 is still my favourite but this camera is a dream to use. Why? That articulating screen makes life so much easier and is the best quality LCD so far from Canon.
Picture quality seems identical to the 7D, some users have reported improved low light sensitivity but I cannot confirm this yet. I have shot some low light stuff with it but I need to do a side by side to see. There is no improvement in moire, aliasing or rolling shutter over the others…
It has manual audio levels like the 5DmkII, but still buried away in the menus and does not display whilst recording or can be changed whilst recording. A bit frustrating but better than being stuck with AGC.
It’s odd as it is a bit of the 550D and a bit of the 7D. It is plastic like the 550D not magnesium alloy body like the 7D BUT feels a lot more substantial and rugged than the 550d. It has the missing features of the 550D/ T2i, fully selectable ISOs, manual white balance, 2 dials for shutter and aperture and a top LCD screen for info. It takes 7D/ 5Dmk2 batteries but takes SDHC cards. So it really is a bit of both.
A number of people have done some long shooting tests on the 60D and have found it is not prone to overheating like the other Canons.
The HDMI HD signal drops to SD when you hit record like the 550D and the 5Dmk2. A shame, if this did not happen this would be my recommendation of camera for most people, over the 7D and T2i/ 550D. If HDMI HD out does not bother you and you don’t want or need full frame this is the camera to get. This is also the camera to get rather than the T2i/ 550D. Save your money. The extra features are worth the bit extra in cash. I promise you!
PROS: lovely video, articulating screen is awesome, all the frame rates including 50p 60p. Appears to not have the same overheating issues as the T2i, 7D and 5Dmk2
CONS: HDMI live out whilst recording is SD, no improvement in picture issues, SHDC rather than compact flash
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Canon 7D
The first Canon camera to embrace the video feature as it has a switch to set it in video mode or stills mode!
It’s got the same sized chip in it as the 550D/ T2i albeit in a MUCH more robust package. The 7D is a beast. It’s completely weathersealed. I have left this camera outside for 4 days in snow and rain doing timelapses and it has come through without a glitch. This is for me what sets it apart from it’s cheaper brother. The build quality is simply superb.
Video feature wise it’s the same…24p, 25p, 30p in 1080p mode and 50p 60p in 720p mode. It can also rattle off about 8 or 9 pictures a second in stills mode. Very impressive. It has the same audio limitations that we run into again and again. No manual audio controls and no headphone jack.
The image out of it is superb. It’s sensor is almost the same sized as the sensor in 35mm movie cameras meaning with a mod or two it can take proper cinema lenses. A massive plus in the indie movie world and of course in the big movie world! I have used it with Cinema lenses three times now and it’s simply incredible!
The live HDMI out is the best of the cameras so far. Still letterboxed 1080i but it stays like this even when you hit record. This is a big deal and something you must consider when looking at the different cameras to buy. Getting critical focus when the image drops to SD when you hit record is very very hard!
Some people say it overheats a lot, something people say happens with their 550D too. But I have not experienced this much. Although I do live in a bloody cold country! I did experience it when I was doing very long interviews for 2 hours or so of non stop recording, but even then it was just a warning light. It never switched off.
Low light ability seems to be about the same as the T2i but not a patch on the D3s
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PROS: Superb weatherproofing, stunning image, good in low light, switch for video mode, HD monitoring even when recording, Nice LCD screen, great price.
CONS: Not as good as the other pro Canon line in low light, not full frame, crappy audio options AGAIN, 12 minute record limit
Canon 5DmkII
This was the one that started it all and is still for me the camera with the nicest image. That comes down to it’s full frame goodness and full HD. The 5DmkII is absolutely unique in the video world as it is the only video camera in the world, currently, that shoots video in full HD with a sensor as big as this. The sensor is 864mmNow this does cause us some issues. Some people find that the full frame sensor makes it harder to get focus, as the larger the sensor the more shallow the depth of field. For me, I always say if it’s too shallow then stop down! It has great low light, better than the 7d but nowhere near as good as the D3s, so you can easily stop down and up the ISO to compensate…It’s aesthetically unique and that is what attracts so many filmmakers to it, including me, there is nothing else out there like this. The 7D has better options…the 5Dmkii has no 720p mode, has the same crappy hit record and drop to SD mode HDMI out, no dedicated video button. It does have manual audio levels which have been pointlessly hidden away in a menu that you can only set before you hit record and give you no audio levels on the LCD at all so there is still no way of knowing if you have are recording sound or not.
It’s highly unlikely we will ever see this camera get 50p and 60p. I simply think it cannot take it…It would overheat too much…talking of overheating, this camera has no warning light telling you it is overheating. What can happen, and I stress CAN, is the image can degrade the more heated up it gets. Then it will just switch off.
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PROS: My favourite image out of them all, full frame beauty, manual audio levels, very good in low light, great build quality, you can get this camera for not that much more than the 7D if you shop around, did I say incredible full frame image godliness?
CONS: HDMI live out sucks, manual audio buried away in menus, no 720p mode, no overheating warning, DOF too shallow for some (although as I say just stop down!), 12 minute record limit, not as good weatherproofing as other pro Canon cameras, probably the most susceptible to rolling shutter issues of the pro Canons.
Canon 1DmkIV
The big daddy of the Canon line. This is first and foremost a stills sports shooters camera. The video is hidden away and is obviously secondary BUT must not be overlooked as it betters the other Canon cameras in it’s low light ability. It has a strange sized APS-H chip which is a 1.3x crop. This is a bit annoying for wide angles as there are no lenses made for this chip size so you will lose some length on the wide end.
The low light as I said is very powerful, again, not a patch on the DS3 but very impressive anyway. 3200 ISO is pretty clean, 6400 ISO is usable with a bit of post cleaning up.
It has the same video options as the 7D so we do have 720p 50p and 60p and we also have the same HD monitoring out even when recording. Audio of course still sucks with no manual audio level and of course no headphone jack.
The camera is built like a tank. It makes the build quality of the 7D look like the T2i and that is saying something. This is one camera that can probably take some serious knocks and keep on going. It takes both CF cards and those flimsy SDHC cards. It also takes it’s own special batteries which make it last a lot longer in video mode. The batteries in the 7D and 5DmkII get eaten up very fast!
PROS: Incredible build quality, beautiful image, superb low light, great long life batteries, probably the best of the bunch for least rolling shutter issues.
CONS: Awkward 1.3x crop, heavy, expensive, crappy audio, 12 minute time limit.
Canon 5DmkIII
Updated post to come shortly.
In conclusion…
Is that helpful? I hope so. As I said, there is no one clear favourite…I prefer the full frame image out of the 5DmkII for sure, but the HDMI out is killing me, on a professional set it is just a big problem. Also it doesn’t have the 720p mode that all the other Canon cameras have. Although the 720p mode is not great due to the hideous aliasing and moire that it can bring up if not careful.
The 7D is probably the best all rounder. Has all the video rates your want, HDMI HD monitoring and is a great price. Many prefer the aesthetics of the 7D over the 5DmkII, me I don’t but it simply comes down to personal preference. It has best build quality for the money, great image…but I just prefer the 5DmkII image…it probably ticks more boxes than the rest. Please don’t put weatherproofing as not that important. Being from the video world where nothing is weatherproofed, it’s so exciting to use these cameras in appalling conditions and not worry about them!
Of course one thing that also holds people back is the worry that a replacement will come out for one of these making their camera obsolete. Well, that is a danger with everything in life! That is why your main investment is in the glass, not the body. Your lenses will last 20 years! For pro users your bodies will change every 2/3 years. That’s the market!
Sony will soon jump on the bandwagon with the Alpha range. Be very interested to see what they are bringing to the table. I have heard a couple of interesting rumours. I wonder if they are true? The Sony NEX 5 and 3 are coming out soon and are very cute but lack manual controls in video mode and are only 30p…
Whichever camera you chose, don’t forget…it’s only a tool! The most important thing is what you do with it!
Next blog up is lenses…
Here are some pieces of work I have done with each camera:
Movember: Team Bloom ‘Tache from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.
NIKON D3S
GH1
55D/ T2i
5DmkII
7D
1D MKIV
481 comments
Good you didn’t bother updating it yet. The Sony Alpha 55 / 33 are a joke, not only you have reduced light to reach the sensor ( and the viewfinder ) it only does 1080i. Same thing with Nikon D3001 as they share the same Sony NEX sensor / processor. Manufacturers are really blind to the obvious.
Phillip,
Great website!
Besides your amazing video footage, how can do you achieve such amazing web videos? Do you have a web tutorial or simple how to (with settings/programs/etc)?
Thanks in advance and thanks for your amazing work .. it is truly inspirational!!
William
watch my tutorial on 2.35 to 1 for vimeo as it shows my settings.
where in Vimeo? can you post the link here Mr Bloom?
it’s in my education section on this site. you can’t miss it
Yes Mr Bloom. Thank you very much. i ll check it . .
I did check that Mr.bloom. its really helpfull with FCP. 🙂
This is a little story – I got a problem (in a TVC i got) with one of my client. first he wanted to do an animation in Full HD. then he wanted that in anamorphic 1.33 wide format. Err . . . but before i rendered my animation in HD 1080p. then i croped that to anamorphic 1.33 format and upload it to vimeo. (i’ve done in premiere, cz my main tool is premiere and i really nice to see a tutorial in FCP. (i saw it in your tute.) thank you Mr. Bloom.
You can see that Commercial here. 🙂 : http://www.vimeo.com/13181046
Thank you again Mr. bloom
Philip,
Thanks for all the hard work. I own a T2i/550D and the audio problem that I never see talked about is that the AGC always overdrives the level to clipping so that there is digital distortion. Sure I would like manual level control, but with AGC only, at least it should limit the gain to below the distortion level. On any NLE you can see the audio waveforms are clipped thereby making terrible sounding audio. For this reason I unfortunately must always record audio on a separate device when filming. Thanks again for all your efforts … much appreciated.
Hey Phil… sorry for posting this here, I just don’t see a “FAQ” section anymore.
I just bought my 5dmk2, and I’m having an issue. I’m shooting in Manual mode, set my ISO and Aperture, shutter speed, and so on. But the problem is, even with my constant aperture and ISO, the light is STILL changing on my camera.
I turned off the “auto light optimization”, and it’s still doing this. Every time I go from shooting something light to something dark, it looks like my aperture is opening/closing by about 3 full stops, but the number on my camera is staying the same.
I don’t know if this has been covered here before, but i’m completely lost…
I’m hoping it’s an easy fix?
Uh, I’m a little embarrassed. This is what I get for not reading my manual. For now, I’m just hitting the “exposure lock” button. it seems kind of unnecessary, considering I’m in full manual mode.
Is there still something I’m not doing right?
in live view mode, make sure you are in movie display only…are you?
oh. think that fixed it?
Haha, my bad.
I knew I shouldn’t have let the salesman tinker around with things before I got my hands on it.
But Mr. Bloom! Thank you sir, for your blog, and all of your information. Uh… I’m pretty excited about this purchase.
Hey, man. I bet I’m being a pain, but the internet has failed me. Is there any way to use your laptop as a live view monitor for the 5dmk2, via hdmi port? I hooked it up with the USB port, using the canon software, but every time I hit “record”, the frame rate drops and it’s not really usable at all.
For whatever reason, I’m finding myself without an HD monitor (except for a big screen HDTV, which would work in theory.
If not, that’s cool. Just curious if it would work in a pinch.
wow, Nikon’s new D7000 looks so promising. continuous autofocus on video, manual audio control, 1080p 24 fps, magnesium alloy, 100% VF, 39 points AF, EXPEED 2, dual SD slots, Virtual Horizon, etc… at only $ 1199
if the low light performance ( stills & videos ) of this camera is on par with the D3S, I think this camera is strong contender to the EOS 7D, rather than 60D.
Will you test it for us Mr.Bloom ? 🙂
Hello Philip,
Thanks so much for all of this great info! I had just a couple of questions please. I’m considering purchasing a camera DSLR and I’m down to two cameras… the Canon 7D, and the Panasonic Lumix Gh1. Here are a couple questions about the GH1 please…
1. I want to possibly purchase the GH1, but I read where you wrote that the new GH1’s from Panasonic do not allow the TESTER 13 Hack to work. So how does one get his hands on a GH1 that has the V 1.32 so I can install the TESTER 13 HACK? Through Ebay, or Amazon?
2. Also How does one know what kind of Version they are buying? Is it listed on the camera… specs… ect?
3. And do you think all of this trouble to get my hands on one of these cameras is worth it in long run, when Panasonic will release the GH2 probably soon, or just get the Canon 7D?
Thank you for you thoughts 🙂
1: No idea!
2: By going into the menu to see the firmware version
3: Just get the GH2…looks great.
Hello Philip,
I’m about to buy a Canon 5DmkII and I would like to buy an AJA Kipro as well, at least that’s what I was thinking before reading your article.
I was thinking to record directly in the Kipro via HDMI without using the camera’s record function. Do you think the 5DmkII’s HDMI output has a good quality to do so? I read you had experienced problems with HDMI output.
don’t bother. totally will not work together. HDMI out on all Canons is bad. 5d is the worst!
Any thoughts on Sony’s new Alpha A55?
The NYTimes raved, but is Pogue right?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/technology/personaltech/23pogue.html
I haven’t used it which makes it hard to comment on it..
I’d be interested to know what lenses you were using for the 7D footage.
which 7D footage?
I will like if u show me ur nikon d5000’s video! 🙂
Red Scarlet is Now Officially DEAD… Today at Reduser.net…
We thought we might get into the “volume” business… but we realized we cater to professionals.
…
Professional 2/3″ Scarlet, S35 Scarlet, S35 EPIC, FF 35 EPIC, 645 EPIC and 617 EPIC with professional features at professional prices.
Jim
– – – – – – – – – – – –
Note the “Professional” 2/3″ Scarlet… at a Professional price…
Now that the prosumer Red Scarlet is officially vaporware, they really need to change the name by now… to Red-Faced Scarlet
It’s not dead, just evolving, like it always has been. Hopefully we will see it come out soon…
For the original target of “prosumer” with $5K or less, it is simply no longer a reality… call it dead, vaporware, or Red-Faced Scarlet as I do, so be it…
However, I was banned from dvxuser.com for making factual statements about the demise of the “Prosumer” Red Scarlet, and have the posts between Jim J and myself where he attempts to insult me that led to it if you are interested…
It’s a fact, I know many hard-working people put off projects waiting for a prosumer Red Scarlet, and they could have instead rented a Red One instead had they had this information sooner…
So I am banned from Dvxuser, he got 3 years of free press, and I won’t buy a Scarlet anymore…
Interesting how money can still buy you privileges at the cost of integrity, even on the Internet…
3 years of free press but 3 years of frustrated potential customers
hey Phillip.
i was wondering if you had a video or review on using pro hdv vs dslr for film making?
cant really find anything on it and i thought you might have something.
thanks
Hi Phil
Great info there. So do you think the Panny AG AF100 will be a HDSLR killer?
I like the look of it. I’m just disappointed it’s only 24mbs on-board. If it was 50mbs (for broadcast), it would be much more attractive…
Thanks
Nick
there is no such thing an a DSLR killer. They will be around for a long time to come. Read my blog, the future of DSLRs
Indeed! And to that end I have the proverbial silliest of questions. I have a choice to use a Canon 60D or Canon 5dMKII free of charge for the next three months from work. I have to chose one and only one and can’t change as the other will be going overseas with a co-worker. Can you recommend one over the other to learn on?
sure, start with the 60D
Excellent! Thanks Philip!!! 😀
Now at CEATEC 2010 Panasonic has announced a Lumix phone and just this morning “Sony has announced the world’s first 1/2.8″ 16MP Exmor-R back illuminated sensor for mobile phones. Offering the smallest unit pixel size of 1.12μm, it will also be incorporated into what is claimed to be the smallest and thinnest mobile phone lens module. The sensor is capable of recording full HD 1080p30 videos and offers continuous shooting speed of 15fps.”
No interchangeable Lens phone yet… but might you consider adding a Telephone section to your camera reviews in the short future?
Dear Philip,
I have been watching your blog for quite sometime, like your beautiful videos and appreciate your experience sharing, I am using Z5 for my documentary shooting, but I am thinking to buy either Canon or Nikon for their beautiful film look in video shooting, thanks for posting their comparisons, but can you tell me which c or n camera has manual audio control and without recording time limit.
Many thanks,
lee
I have a major doubt in my mind now. I was going to buy the T2i. I want to make short films that can actually be projected on a theatre screen or with broadcast quality. Now I see that the D3100 is out and cheaper, has almost the same specs than the T2i in what video refers. So anyone has any mind clearing advice? Thanks
Hi Phil. I was wondering if you ever gonna do a review on the new Canon DSLR 60D to shoot video.
i will soon
hey
and what about pentax k-5 for example?
full HD and great picture
does it have manual controls?
Dear Phil, I would like to know what do you think about the Canon 60D, seems pretty close to 7D…Differences are just SDHC and the LCD?
Aliasing, Moirè, Rolling Shutter???
Thanks in advance for your great job
same pic
I will wait with pleasure ur updating about the pros and cons of 60D, because seems very interesting the last product of Canon, better then GH2 and 7D.
I’m think up to buy one for pupils of the school of cinema…I like the full frame sensor, but maybe it’s too difficult to make focus for the swallow DOF, so at the end I’m in dude about 60D or 7D…
Thanks a lot!
I am waiting the news about 60D!! 😉
60d arrived from a week. The articulating lcd makes the difference with the 7d if you don’t use an external monitor. Really..it’s another world. I found this camera easier than both 5dmkii and 7d. Until now very happy!
I did a little low light test too. If you want to take a look: http://www.vimeo.com/17560190
For video – would you recommend a 60d or gh2
i’ve never touched a vdlsr (still using a z1!)
have a d series nikon lenses from days as a stills snapper 24 -85 f2.8 – f4
so hoping to put it to use
your thoughts
thanks
I have the 60D from 3 weeks now, it’s great both in stills and video and I was using the external mike input both with a wireless and with a mixer OK, (you have to put the manual level to 0 and the to the very 1st step from left to have the right level). BUT today a problem developed using an external radio lapel radio receiver. The external input ceased to work, even when you plug a simple mini-jack it should interrupt the internal mike. NO LONGER. I cannot get an external input anymore. It always work with the internal mike… Anybody has experienced this kind of problem? Bug?? Weak socket?
my 5d did the same thing! had to go in for repair.
thanks Philip, weak socket, broken contact?
I opted for the 7D as I’ve got a fairly decent fast and prime lens EOS set up already and am now educating myself (with a lot of help from the web) in how to get the best results from it as well as trying to get my head around import / export codecs and FCP. I am thinking about the Z-finder as this was the first problem I encountered while doing test footage – you just can’t hand-hold the damn thing steady! Is there a UK Zacuto stockist and can I get a way with the Z-JR?
you said you recorded 2 hours of nonstop footage on the 7d but you say the canons all have a limit of 12 mins at a time.
howd you do it?
im a film student looking to purchase a t2i to film some of my shorts, and wanna know how logical the purchase is. my next project is gonna be a documentary and i don’t want to get screwed over with the time limit.
you stop and start and create a new clip
Haha, that comment made my day 😛
Great post, thanks for that!
I’m looking forward to seeing the Amsterdam film. It’ll be fun to see what you make of the place I live.
It’s been pretty cold here these last few days so don’t forget to bring some mittens!
Hi everyone,
I went and did it! I have acquired a DSLR and it is mind blowing the first time you use it. Hoping to use it for the next couple of BBC shoots coming up, I won’t be dismissing my trusty Sony Z5, but the Canon 60D is a beauty.
Will be posting my results on the Film Tank Vimeo page ASAP.
And thanks for the advice you post on here Philip
Phillip! Where’s the GH2 4:2:2 Nanoflash recordings??? That’s what we’re all waiting for!
Ok seriously no news on GH2 25p? Several swedish stores claims to get it next week so kinda feels like this info should be out.
Philip, I am going to buy 60D tomorrow. I was for stuck between 7D and 60D then ended up choosing 60D.
Tell me if I am making the right choice or not.
Thanks.
do you need HD HDMI out? Do you shoot with a monitor or the LCD more? Once you answer that you know which one to buy!
Quick question about the HDMI Out… :
On the 7D, is it clean ? (and usable with a Ki Pro Mini or a Nano Flash to have full 4:2:2 signal ?)
No Canons or Nikon offer clean HDMI out.
I wont be using HDMI output. I’ll just be using the LCD.
then you have your answer!
:).. Thanks alot Philip!.
Just bought Panasonic af-101 with Voigtlander Lenses(25,35,50,75) instead Sony F-3.
I just wish AF101 had 2″ VF,decent video TV zoom and Auto Audio AGS.
jiri
Just in time for Christmas!! Can’t wait for the Lens list! Bought the 17-55 2.8 with IS (for the 7d) months ago but I’m feeling like I wanna add a couple more primes. But that IS sure makes a difference at times. I have no idea what I’m doing but I’m sure having fun. Your blog has helped me out so much. Thank you!
http://www.dearfieldbinder.com
Philip,
would you please mention what microphone
you used the other week that impressed you so much?
Thank you…Lu
With all the exciting HD video cameras that are coming from Sony and Panasonic with DSLR sensors OR super 35 sensors… I just can’t do anything but hope that Canon announces soon a camcorder with the 7D’s sensor (with all the stuff to avoid rolling shutter and so like the AF-100) and the same 422 recording on CF Card they’ve put on their XF300/305 camcorders…
THIS, in the AF-100 price range would be a very serious contender. To me at least.
I have never owned a DSLR before so this is my first, I have an hv30 but want to start shooting DOF stuff. In your opinion t2i or GH2? I know you haven’t touched it yet but should I just start slow with the D3100?
So much information… thanks Philip!
just have hdv stuff, the dear old minidv
lately,i was thinking upgradin'(or downgradin’) to dslr worls as the fact i have some old&fast nikkor ai and a couple of leica as well.
i was considering one of the “top rated” since i met the gh2 on line
quality looks pretty nice
all lenses can be adapted
and , that fab olous 1:1 crop means that i could shoot at more then 2000mm with a 400 …woww..no animals will escape from my evf
i know there are some little problems ,speed,24p,,,etc etc…but i’ve heaRD that good boy Vasily is still working on firmware..that’s great too and we will see some explosive features coming out
this is my opinion and this is the one for me and for the one used to climb and walk around nature
btw phil: tell your adorable mum not to add that squeezed tubed tomatoes all over spaghetti at the end, but try cooking an amazing “SUGO” before and then adding
cheers from italy
tom
24/25 or 30 fps it is important..?
Mostly hollywood movies shoot with 24fps ..
but in my broadcast television system they works in 25 fps..
maybe in japan broadcast television, hollywood movies plays in 30 fps.. based on pal and ntsc..
how the hollywood delivery one project movie that shoot in 24fps into every country based on their broadcast system especially on 25fps and 30fps?
how the hollywood add : 1 frame in pal mode (25-24), and
6 frame in ntsc mode (30-24)
what are they add on it?
thanks for replay..
have nice day
I’m starting from scratch, so I don’t have any accumulated lenses. Which would you go for, the Canon 60D or the Panasonic GH2. Both have articulating screens, which seems great for video. From what I’ve read, the GH2 seems best for video, because of the clean HDMI out, better low light, 1:1 crop for extra tele-conversion, and unlimited recording time (which hardly anyone ever mentions, but seems really important for live event coverage). What are your thoughts? does the 60D best the GH2 in anything? I’m in US, so lack of PAL is not an issue for me.
Thanks Philip!
-Tristan
I wouldn’t say the 60D is worse than the Gh2 in low light. The cameras have different aesthetics to the images…lenses are more available, especially on the wide end.
Great info as always,
am planning to buy a 60D as they seem to give most bang for the buck. I’ve read/seen somewhere that it even has no overheating problems. There’s an endurance test posted on vimeo by a guy named Jason Myres, you can watch it here: http://vimeo.com/16574594
He shot approx. 8h of footage without running into trouble … can anybody confirm this is really true ?
Great site Philip!
I must say that i’ve learned a lot reading your posts; I’m a videomaker from Italy and currently use the Canon XHA1 and i plan to buy a dslr. I’m very tempted by the eos 60D, as i’m starting from scratch in the dslr world.
I’ve a little budget and would like to know according to you, is the EOS60D a good choice?(for filmmaking,event, documentary), and which lense should i buy first as i’ve not enought money to look for a lenses array?
Thanks for the advices!
PS: excuse me my Poor english..
60d is great. best to check my lens blog. I explain a lot there!
just remember, if you’re shooting a live event, all the Canons have a 12 minute maximum record time per file, so if you’re shooting an hour event and need the whole thing, there will be 5 or so times where you will have to stop and start recording creating breaks in the footage. Wou won’t be able to just leave it and let it run wide while you go shoot closeups with an A camera or something.
technically it’s not max..stick a lens cap on and you can record 29 minutes and 59 seconds. I have recorded 18 minutes of proper video once, it was a sunset so not a lot of movement. The 29 minutes 59 seconds thing applies to GH1 and GH2 from Europe. It’s a tax thing.
Good to know there’s some wiggle room there. I imagine that can help then when doing live events. Thanks for all the reviews Philip!
-Tristan
I too am comparing 60D and GH2, primarily for video. My subject is a bit different, fishing and hence oceans and lakes, so my concern is mostly on how each captures images of water. I’ve been scouring Vimeo for clips of each and noticing the moire issues with the Canon and water, but not seen much from GH2.
If your primary subject was water, and taking into consideration lenses as investments, the future of micro4/3 versus what might be coming from Canon, which way would you lean and why?
THANK YOU! Nice site too!
@philip Bloom,
What kind of lenses you advise by the GH2?
Just got back from a 2 week doco shoot in Zambia with 60D and 7D. The 60D won hands down and never overheated once (the 7D overheated after about an hour of constant shooting – was very hot). A great little camera – can’t recommend it highly enough (love the articulating screen – only problem was seeing the screen in bright sun light situations – I would need to switch to 7D with viewfinder in these situations). Now to edit 700GB of footage!
what the comparrison effect of 24 to 25 fps and 30 to 25fps,
i had gf1 in ntsc and lack of pal system.. can somebody help how decrease bad motion in my gf1 videos..
thanks
Hi Phil,
I am considering purchasing either the 60D, GH2 (and was also looking at the 5d before this point). I do feature length documentaries and am wondering:
1) How do the footage hold up to being blown up to a theater screen (and will a nanoflash effect that and how)? Would any of these cameras perform better for a large screen?
2) How do these cameras hold up to television broadcast stardards and is any one better than the others?
Much thanks.
I am getting pretty confused by too much research. I need a camera and lens combo that can shoot handheld at very low light. Similar to the movie “Collateral”. Lots of night shooting in a city.
I had settled on the GH2 with the voigtlander 0.95 as my primary setup, but then read that this is the equivalent of a 50mm f2 on a FF camera? I would hate to spend $1000 on a lens when I could get a $400 50mm f1.4.
My background is 16mm film and fixed lens video, so this is a bit new to me.
So for sake of this discussion, lets say you wanted to replicate the look of “Collateral” and shoot available light outdoors at night in a city. What camera/lens would be best for this?
Lets say your budget is $4,000 for a camera body and 1 lens. Assume all other things like matte boxes/rail systems/rigs are a separate budget item.
canon 5d + 50mm 1.4 lens puts you at about 3000 us dollars wit a 1000 left to spare.
Could you explain to me why the full frame 5d with a 50mm 2 lens is equivalent to a MFT with a 25mm 0.95? I understand the difference the sensor size makes to focal length and DOF, but shouldn’t an f0.95 let in more light than the f2? I am leaning towards the 5D anyway at this point for other reasons, but am just trying to understand the technical aspects.
Yes the 0.95lens lets in more light but less light is captured because the sensor is smaller.
I should add that this is NTSC so 25p isnt a factor. Final output should look good on HDTV, but no film out.
Hi Philip, I’ve been reading your blow and following your activities around the world and there are several things to say if I ever meet you but for now a big THANK YOU MATE will do.
Now, I’ve been working as an editor and I’ve directed a couple of shortfilms and an episode for a TV series in Argentina. Now I’m settled in Barcelona and I’ll be going back to London (where I live with my girlfriend).
I’ve always loved taking photographs as an amateur, and photoshop them (I’m a photoshop teacher here in Barcelona) to achieve a similar look to a pro camera.
Now I find my self between a rock and a hard place, should I buy a Canon 7D or a GH2? I come from a film background so I want to shoot tons of video, but I want to do a big jump photographic wise. I reckon the 7D it’s better for photos but the GH2 would be better for video, is that right?
If I want to do, let’s say 50% photos and 50% videos, which one would you recommend?
Broadcasting my material is not a concern for me nowadays, so 24p is fine for me.
Again, Thanks so much for what you are doing for the community. If this is a start of a video revolution your name will be out there for a Loonggg time my friend!
touch choice, i would say 60d or gh2. check the videos from both and see which image you prefer.
Thanks Mr Bloom for all this info!
Philip.. Are you going to make a Canon 60D F-Stop Academy Course? 😉
no the 7d one covers all you need.
Hey Philip!
First of all, giant thank you for the recommendations. I’m a print journalist by training, and I’ve shot my own stills for a few years now on a camera I’ve now outgrown. I’m eager to plunge into documentary video. This spring I’ll be journeying through China, Tibet, and Nepal, and plan on freelance travel writing (and shooting) along the way.
Partially due to your urging, I just ordered the 60D. The angles provided by the swivel screen and the control provided by the dials made the upgrade over the T2i worthwhile. Now I need to decide on a prime piece of glass. I’m going to be backpacking — putting the “backpack” in “backpack journalist” — so I need a versatile, dependable walk-around lens (preferably just one lens, since space is at such a premium with this kind of travel).
I want to create filmic, documentary-quality images. I love to shoot culture, close to the subject: people, markets, architecture, art, indoor, on the street. Also, I have a date with the Himalayas, so there’s going to be some landscapes happening too.
The leader right now is the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. From everything I see and read, I know it is fast and bright, and should produce pillowy DOF. I’m a little concerned about its (sub-L series) construction, since I’m going to be pretty rough and tumble. Also, I’ve read that pulling focus with this lens is a chore (for video).
What are your thoughts on this lens? The right piece for my kit?
Annyeong,
Drake
it’s a great lens. i have it and use it.
Hi
I would like to get a good sl