DSLRs

[unknown_user0004]

Thanks guys, that's very helpful.

Hmmm, that's a pickle. Most of the videos are mid-shot (nothing below the torso and above the head, ish). But I do think I'll need to record a wider picture once in a while with me standing full-height.

In this case, would 20mm or 50mm be better, and if so, which one exactly would you recommend, as I see you have a lot of experience in this field?

I've got an 18-135 STM, and with that, I pretty much need to keep it zoomed all the way out (18mm) for my stuff (about 3-4 feet away). I recently got the 10-22mm wide-angle lens, which I LOVE, but it's not much if you ever want to do closeups (there's a little bit of fisheye distortion)

So what I'd say is - you definitely want something that'll give you 20ish-mm, but if you can find something that gives you a range above that, it'll give you the most flexibility.

 

[unknown_user0004]

It really depends on how far away you can be from the camera. I would personally recommend the 50mm F1.4 because the picture from it is amazing. It has great depth of field as well! Very cinematic. However this lens is fixed at 50mm so it is zoomed in quite a bit, so you would have to back up a little.

It's funny - everybody loves the shallow depth-of-field - it drives me insane. I like to change depth mid-shot by a foot or two, and I just cannot make that work at 30 fps.

 

[AlveyMusic]

I guess there is the kit 18mm-55mm, which for a starter lens isn't terrible. That does give you a bit of freedom is your focal length.

 

[AlveyMusic]

It's funny - everybody loves the shallow depth-of-field - it drives me insane. I like to change depth mid-shot by a foot or two, and I just cannot make that work at 30 fps.

I love Depth of Field. It helps a lot when trying to make the most cinematic looking shot you can! That and 24p of course

 

[unknown_user0004]

I love Depth of Field. It helps a lot when trying to make the most cinematic looking shot you can! That and 24p of course

Yeah - my stuff is all against a flat white background; it would definitely matter more in a different environment. But since there's nothing to distract, I'd love for the entire 5-6 feet or so to be in focus. Because...lazy.

 

[TheWillBox]

Hi,

Anybody knowledgeable can drop a few names of DSLRs that I can look into for getting the most "cinematic" HD look?

I'm going to use it with tripod and "semi-pro" lights setup.

I don't want anything very cheap, but 5D Mark III is also too expensive for me.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Hey, you can check my video if you want to see what a Canon 7D with a 16-35mm L f2.8 lens looks like. With a crop body, the nifty 50mm isn't actually at 50mm, you'd need a full frame body like 5D and up for that. So I would definitely go wider if you want a more natural look.

All of my videos are shot with the 7D, the zoom in shots in some videos are using a 24-105mm f4.0 L lens.

Also I wouldn't go too far into the Depth of Field thing, so I wouldn't use anything that's f2.8 or lower, the amount of depth can be too much for video.

 

[AlveyMusic]

Hey, you can check my video if you want to see what a Canon 7D with a 16-35mm L f2.8 lens looks like. With a crop body, the nifty 50mm isn't actually at 50mm, you'd need a full frame body like 5D and up for that. So I would definitely go wider if you want a more natural look.

All of my videos are shot with the 7D, the zoom in shots in some videos are using a 24-105mm f4.0 L lens.

Also I wouldn't go too far into the Depth of Field thing, so I wouldn't use anything that's f2.8 or lower, the amount of depth can be too much for video.

In regards to the DOF thing, it is really all about the type of video you are making. Vlog/News-Type videos really don't need any DOF. Narrative's and sketches on the other hand are better with it to try and replicate that "film look". However that is, of course, personal preference.

 

[TheWillBox]

In regards to the DOF thing, it is really all about the type of video you are making. Vlog/News-Type videos really don't need any DOF. Narrative's and sketches on the other hand are better with it to try and replicate that "film look". However that is, of course, personal preference.

Absolutely, he mentioned tri pod, no movement and I immediately thought vlog lol. But yes if you are doing multi camera, angle shots and high lighting value stuff, then yeah it's cool.

It's kind of like lens flare, unless you are JJ Abrams, it's hard to use it effectively. Same with DOF, unless you have a clear vision, it can be overused too.

 

[unknown_user0004]

In regards to the DOF thing, it is really all about the type of video you are making. Vlog/News-Type videos really don't need any DOF. Narrative's and sketches on the other hand are better with it to try and replicate that "film look". However that is, of course, personal preference.

It's also just a matter of time as well - you've got to carefully prep each shot if you're concerned about depth-of-field (because auto-focus can be unreliable)

 

[TheWillBox]

It's also just a matter of time as well - you've got to carefully prep each shot if you're concerned about depth-of-field (because auto-focus can be unreliable)

Agreed, I wouldn't use DoF unless I'm always behind the camera. Doing it on your own while filming yourself would be a headache.