Filming Wedding with T3i vs T2i

Taky

Taky

Well-known member
Just finished a 14-hour wedding yesterday using T3i for the first time. I upgraded two of my T2i to two T3i for these reasons (I don't try the ML heck),

- Manual audio control
- 3x Digital zoom
- Articulating LCD screen

I am so please to report,

I have RODE VideoMic connected to the camera. One time I didn't plug in the cord tight enough. Some of the clips has one side audio, and some where just empty. Now I am able to view the audio meter display through the Menu screen and be able to turn off audio AGC. The sound recorded in T2i gets worst when picking up sound from loud speakers. Now I can adjust the recording level to avoid any clipping.

The 3x Digital Zoom is the best feature (sorry 60D owners :). It requires a few button clicks to get to it. However, I already trained myself to switch quickly between normal setting and digital zoom. With the 3X digital zoom, I can get good range even with my Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 lens, from wide angle view to close ups. For example, at Cake Cutting, I can get a full view including the bride and groom and the cake table. Then I can switch to a good close up when they feed each other. Very happy with the result.

cake-full1.jpg
cake-zoom1.jpg


The articulating LCD screen makes shooting a lot easier. Doesn't have to be on eye-level all the time. I can raise the tripod center column goes above everybody's head and still be able to see the LCD screen without much guessing. When I use the slider, I have rotate the LCD screen to the angle where I can see the view clearly.

Lastly, there isn't any single incident of overheating all day at all.

So my next step is to sell my third T2i and replace it with another T3i on Merlin. I am thinking of selling my Canon 70-200mm F2.8L. =)
 
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Taky said:
Just finished a 14-hour wedding yesterday using T3i for the first time. I upgraded two of my T2i to two T3i for these reasons (I don't try the ML heck),

- Manual audio control
- 3x Digital zoom
- Articulating LCD screen

I am so please to report,

I have RODE VideoMic connected to the camera. One time I didn't plug in the cord tight enough. Some of the clips has one side audio, and some where just empty. Now I am able to view the audio meter display through the Menu screen and be able to turn off audio AGC. The sound recorded in T2i gets worst when picking up sound from loud speakers. Now I can adjust the recording level to avoid any clipping.

The 3x Digital Zoom is the best feature (sorry 60D owners :). It requires a few button clicks to get to it. However, I already trained myself to switch quickly between normal setting and digital zoom. With the 3X digital zoom, I can get good range even with my Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 lens, from wide angle view to close ups. For example, at Cake Cutting, I can get a full view including the bride and groom and the cake table. Then I can switch to a good close up when they feed each other. Very happy with the result.

cake-full1.jpg
cake-zoom1.jpg


The articulating LCD screen makes shooting a lot easier. Doesn't have to be on eye-level all the time. I can raise the tripod center column goes above everybody's head and still be able to see the LCD screen without much guessing. When I use the slider, I have rotate the LCD screen to the angle where I can see the view clearly.

Lastly, there isn't any single incident of overheating all day at all.

So my next step is to sell my third T2i and replace it with another T3i on Merlin. I am thinking of selling my Canon 70-200mm F2.8L. =)
Click to expand...


I'm glad someone finally posted some before 3x zoom/after 3x comparison shots. I take it these are screen grabs? Also, do you recall the ISO/f-stop on that shot above? And was that with your 15-50 Tamron? Looks pretty good!

Would love to see more regular vs. 3x shots if you have them, especially close-ups on faces (like a wedding). Thinking of selling my 60D for this reason alone, but haven't been able to get enough comparisons.

Any other thoughts on the effectiveness of this zoom in a wedding setting? (IQ, sharpness, moire, etc.)?

Would love for my 17-55 2.8 to double as a 51-165.
 
Wow, the 3x zoom actually looks pretty darn good! Thanks for the comparison Taky.
 
Yes that's screen grab from the video. If I remember correctly, ISO 400, F 2.8 (Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 lens), Shutter 60. The Chinese restaurant was quite well lit. The fact is, it's best to use fixed aperture lens at video job. I also want OIS too. Canon 17-55mm 2.8 is great but the range is really limited. Now with the 3x, it makes DSLR filmimg easier without changing lens all the time. I have my Canon 70-200mm F2.8L. It's easy to use that lens in many situation because of the tight space.

I also tried some not-so-important scenes using 4x to 10x. But at 10x, I can see the artifacts on the LCD screen.

You can see the full size photo in my blog. Just click on the photos to see the full size image
http://lacoloronline.com/blog/?10162-Filming-Wedding-with-Canon-Rebel-T3i-vs-T2i

Once I start editing this wedding, I can post more before and after shots.
 
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* that bride is going to kill you if she finds out which pic you posted on the web...

* I've seen some tests of the 3x function, and footage with it is definitely softer than just using a longer lens; but without the before/after this pic seems good enough, and in any case it's always definitely better than no footage at all
 
+1 for the articulating screen. I have a T3i and a 7D and the difference in usability is really night and day. Well unless you're an ostrich I suppose....

Noah
 
NoahK said:
+1 for the articulating screen. I have a T3i and a 7D and the difference in usability is really night and day. Well unless you're an ostrich I suppose....

Noah
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I agreed verymuch on this. With the articulating screen, it feels more like filming with camcorders. Its much easier to focus and composite the frame . The difference is huge.
 
Jordan_S said:
Or her new husband.

It's so unsatisfying when they don't lodge the cakey fork in each other's cheeks or nose. Or at least land a blob on the lip.
Click to expand...

Newlyweds shoving the cake in eachothers' faces at a wedding has become as contrived and predictable as a band doing an encore. Guh. MUST STOP.

[edit]...wait, you're actually bummed that they didn't stab eachother in the face with forks. Whoa!
 
They actually did all that. The groom was waving the cake in front of the bride's face. Then the bride smudged cream on the groom's face. Let me get some footage .. heha
 
I didn't mean "because you posted it without permission", but "because she may not like how she looks in it and thus may not want that particular picture to be the one doing the rounds"

edit: plus, now I realize why I wrote that... go to your blog, click on the second picture in order to see it full res: that's the one she won't like!! I didn't look much at the low res pictures, so I hadn't even realized it's not the same one
 
Taky said:
Now with the 3x, it makes DSLR filmimg easier without changing lens all the time. I have my Canon 70-200mm F2.8L. It's easy to use that lens in many situation because of the tight space.

I also tried some not-so-important scenes using 4x to 10x. But at 10x, I can see the artifacts on the LCD screen.
Click to expand...
Taky - long time no see! So let me ask: what's the difference doing the digital zoom in-camera vs. doing it after the fact in the computer? In the computer I can pick which part of the frame I want to enlarge. Is the in-camera processing somehow better than what you can do with your editing software?

As for the articulating screen, that's why I bought the 60D the day it was released.
 
Hello 24Peter! Really long time no see since the hv20.com days .. haha

The 3X digital zoom in T3i is actually not the same as the zoom doing in other digital cameras or in post-editing in computer. It is the pixel crop of 1920x1080 from the 18 mega pixel. In other words, it's 1:1 pixel crop. There is no quality loss. However, from that point up to 10x, that's digital zoom by multiplying pixels.
 
Taky said:
Hello 24Peter! Really long time no see since the hv20.com days .. haha

The 3X digital zoom in T3i is actually not the same as the zoom doing in other digital cameras or in post-editing in computer. It is the pixel crop of 1920x1080 from the 18 mega pixel. In other words, it's 1:1 pixel crop. There is no quality loss. However, from that point up to 10x, that's digital zoom by multiplying pixels.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, got it. Good call.
 
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