Might get a T2i this spring

Craigsnedeker

Craigsnedeker

Active member
I'm an indie filmmaker and currently have a HMC40, but I might sell it and get a T2i because I love the quality I'm seeing with it (especially in low light). I just have some questions

1 How long does the battery last / does it have a AC-adapter so I can run it from a power source (very important)?
2 What is the recommend (and cheapest) mic? I have one now, but it's a really long mic and I'll probably sell it with my HMC40 and get something shorter. I hear good things about RODE but I don't know anyone that has personal experience with one.
3 How is the T2i at run'n'gun?

Thanks! I'm real excited about this camera and wish I found it before I spent 2 grand on an HMC40. >.<
 
as far as power goes. with a single battery i can get about 90 minutes of run time. with a grip i can get double that obviously. It doesn't come with a power adapter but they do make them you just have to buy it seperately. As far as run and gun i like it with a quality fast zoom on it if you can afford it.
 
Craig - you asked,
1. "How long does the battery last...?" -- more important question is how long will the camera shoot before it stops? Canon DSLRs have a 4GB (~12 min) shot duration limit (with a free open source Magic Lantern firmware upgrade, the camera will automatically start again, but you'll have a 3 second gap in your scene),
2. "What is the recommend (and cheapest) mic?" -- You will also need some way to control audio gain - unlike your camcorder, the T2i has no audio gain control. Built in automatic gain control will give you room level hiss during quiet scenes (this can be fixed with Magic Lantern ).
3. "How is the T2i at run'n'gun?" -- I had a T2i and sold it - in part because it doesn't autofocus while in video mode.

Not saying you shouldn't move from camcorder to DSLR for low light and shallow depth of field (I am a DSL shooter myself) -- but you should be aware of what you're getting into.

Bill
 
I was looking at some video I had shot with my T2i today. I was going back through old footage.
I was comparing the T2i footage to my GH2 footage of similar subject matter.
I am glad I sold the T2i.
 
Thanks for the detailed info,

I'm actually looking at the GH2 now, but it's almost twice as much (not that it's a big issue right now if I can sell my used cameras). It seems far better so far.

Thanks again,
Craig
 
Craigsnedeker said:
Thanks for the detailed info,

I'm actually looking at the GH2 now, but it's almost twice as much (not that it's a big issue right now if I can sell my used cameras). It seems far better so far.

Thanks again,
Craig
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Watch for sales on the GH2. It was going for under $700 everywhere in December. Even at the price difference you are getting more for your money (articulating screen, full-time EVF, hackable firmware, EX-TELE mode, etc.). It's more comparable to the T3i in many respects (which is similar in price to the GH2 at the moment), though even without the hack, many would say that the GH2 has better image quality than the Canons.

Re: microphones, "recommended" and "cheapest" don't usually go hand in hand.

I use the Rode VideoMic Pro on a GH2. Nice and compact and the integrated shockmount works well. It goes for $230 generally, but I wanted to point out that the 15% audio sale going on at Amazon at the moment brings it down to under $200 (nice).

In the end, the best setup really depends on the type of shooting you plan to do. You mentioned run and gun, but what aspects of that type of shooting do you need a camera to be good at?
 
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I use the Rode VideoMic Pro on a GH2. Nice and compact and the integrated shockmount works well. It goes for $230 generally, but I wanted to point out that the 15% audio sale going on at Amazon at the moment brings it down to under $200 (nice).
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That's a good price, I'll bookmark it. My current mic was about 200 off eBay, it's just to large to use on a DSLR and not good for close up (sound is crap at close, actually).

In the end, the best setup really depends on the type of shooting you plan to do. You mentioned run and gun, but what aspects of that type of shooting do you need a camera to be good at?
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I go events like Rally New York which are racing events on back roads. I am consistently moving around (somewhat due to safety, like the time I got hit my a flying rock... I moved, baha), no tripod... and due to consent changes in light (deep in the forest can get pretty tricky) I generally set it on full auto and AF and just take pictures (or videos).
 
Craigsnedeker said:
I go events like Rally New York which are racing events on back roads. I am consistently moving around (somewhat due to safety, like the time I got hit my a flying rock... I moved, baha), no tripod... and due to consent changes in light (deep in the forest can get pretty tricky) I generally set it on full auto and AF and just take pictures (or videos).
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If full time AF is important, then I'd definitely recommend the GH2. The Canons do not have full time AF (AFAIK), but you can half-press the shutter in video mode to get the camera to focus, though it's painfully slow and inaccurate.

You'll also need to use lenses built for full time AF on the GH2. I'm not sure about the 14-42 kit lens, but I do know that the 14-140 Lumix lens was made for AF while shooting video.

Ergonomically, DSLRs are a fair bit lighter and smaller than video cameras, so that may be a benefit for your needs.
 
Jive said:
If full time AF is important, then I'd definitely recommend the GH2. The Canons do not have full time AF (AFAIK), but you can half-press the shutter in video mode to get the camera to focus, though it's painfully slow and inaccurate.

You'll also need to use lenses built for full time AF on the GH2. I'm not sure about the 14-42 kit lens, but I do know that the 14-140 Lumix lens was made for AF while shooting video.

Ergonomically, DSLRs are a fair bit lighter and smaller than video cameras, so that may be a benefit for your needs.
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For the most part, I prefer bigger sized cameras, but they are more of a pain to carry around because they don't have handy camera straps, but I'm mostly concerned with quality, not size. The GH2 seems to fit my needs right now. :)
 
If you can save up, get T3i than T2i. Either how, a battery grip is an good investment. Not only it doubles the run time, it makes the camera less toyish and have better grip.

If you are looking for RODE microphone, PM or email me. I can get you good deal =)
 
Taky said:
If you can save up, get T3i than T2i. Either how, a battery grip is an good investment. Not only it doubles the run time, it makes the camera less toyish and have better grip.

If you are looking for RODE microphone, PM or email me. I can get you good deal =)
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Yeah, I hear good things about the grips, I'll probably invest in one (depending on how much money I get back from selling my used ones.. I doubt I'll get as much as I paid for them >.<)

And ok that sounds great ;) It won't be for a month or so though.
 
A grip will also greatly reduce the T2i's vulnerability to overheating since it physically separates the battery from the body. I speak from direct experience.
 
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