Need buying advice, 14k at hand!

Here's another option: spend a few hundred dollars and rent some gear (bodies, lenses, tripods), to see what you really like and what works best for you. Arrange a realistic shoot, rent the gear, shoot it and you will learn everything you need to know. If you can cover your rental costs with the gig, all the better. If not, a few hundred dollars is a very small price to pay to make sure you get what you want. Lensrentals.com is a good start.

For example, if you get a cheaper tripod, but find you miss half your shots because it stutters or doesn't stop smoothly, you'll be pi**ed. Or if you buy a pricey lens, but it has too much breathing when you pull focus, you won't be happy.

What to get depends on your purpose for the gear, as well. For example, if it's just too do corporate videos, that's one thing. If it's documentaries, that's another. If you aspire to direct fictional films or shots, that's something else. Without knowing your purpose, it's hard to advise on lens or tripod choices. If you're a film student, a DSLR is a great choice, because you learn to make the same choices you would have to make with a film camera.
 
Fists said:
and a good editing software that will work well throughout the years ( something like cs 5.5) which is also around 1.5k.
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Adobe has a 50% price reduction on the Production Premium Bundle until september, coupon Code 'SWITCH'.
 
then get one of the cheaper canons for less. if photography is in the equation get the 7d and save $1000
 
wgzn said:
the big thing that puts me off on DSLRs is general is the rolling shutter.
yeah, you shouldnt do a lot of whip pans anyway. but sometimes, its whats called for in the situation.
and when i have to do it, i simply cant accept all the lamp posts and doorways turning into wet spaghetti ; )

then there is the issue of camera flash. i love seeing all the beautiful 5D wedding footage with the half-screen flash block. NICE!
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In fairness, that's going to happen with any CMOS camera... including AF100 and FS100. Now, it will happen with varying degrees, and some cameras have better rolling shutter artifacts than others, but as long as you're shooting CMOS with rolling shutter you will have to work to avoid Jell-O vision.
 
In fairness, that's going to happen with any CMOS camera... including AF100 and FS100. Now, it will happen with varying degrees, and some cameras have better rolling shutter artifacts than others, but as long as you're shooting CMOS with rolling shutter you will have to work to avoid Jell-O vision.
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its getting to a point where i miss a good old betaSP camera.
 
Does your photography not need AF? If so, invest in future proof lenses with manual aperture control on the lens itself.

Be prepared to spend 1500ish on your tripod/head. Do NOT skimp out on this. So important, and it will always be with you. If money is an issue because of everything else you need to buy, get a 60D instead of a 5DII and then grab the tripod/head. Check out Sachtler's Cinedslr or Vinten Vision Blue. If you get the latter, make sure you are adding battery grip to your camera rig so it hits the 4 pound weight minimum.
 
wgzn said:
its getting to a point where i miss a good old betaSP camera.
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There are still a few CCD cameras out there. The HVX200a, the HPX170, and the HMC150 all offer global shutter CCD.

jambredz said:
i shoot handheld ALL the time...and have NO issue with rolling shutter. of course i have a good shouldermount with a counterweight.

http://vimeo.com/20314915

 100% handheld
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There's some wiggle in there (see 0:17-0:20, for starters). That said, it's all about adapting your shooting style to minimize rolling shutter artifacts. Really, it's about working around the rolling shutter. Camera stabilization is very important.
 
The 5d is a good camera but it's already quite old...people are expecting the Mk III soon (although, no one really knows anything)...I personally would not buy a 5D Mk2 at this point unless I REALLY needed it for a job.

Regarding the PC, get a 2600K-based box and it shouldn't cost you more than $1500.

Regarding Adobe, Production Premium can be had now for $850 until September.


The DSLR crazed has paved the way for cams like the af100 and fs100; I can't wait to see what's out in 12 months.
 
i shoot handheld ALL the time...and have NO issue with rolling shutter.
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umm... i beg to differ. two samples:

rolling1.jpg

rolling2.jpg

this is probably another situation of not knowing what to look for until youre shown.
i never had a problem with canon footage as far as moire until somebody pointed it out. but once you see it. you see it everywhere
 
wgzn said:
umm... i beg to differ. two samples:

View attachment 38105

View attachment 38106

this is probably another situation of not knowing what to look for until youre shown.
i never had a problem with canon footage as far as moire until somebody pointed it out. but once you see it. you see it everywhere
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No One is going to be looking for that. You might as well hang up your camera and call it quits...... That video looks great, you have gone to far with this one. It's like you're looking for any flaw, I can see you look at life as the glass being half empty
 
vision_filmz said:
No One is going to be looking for that. You might as well hang up your camera and call it quits...... That video looks great, you have gone to far with this one. It's like you're looking for any flaw, I can see you look at life as the glass being half empty
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Just because YOU don't see it, that doesn't mean it's not there. And if rolling shutter skew doesn't matter to you, fine. Move on.

But steer clear of personal comments like the one above.
 
No One is going to be looking for that. You might as well hang up your camera and call it quits...... That video looks great, you have gone to far with this one. It's like you're looking for any flaw, I can see you look at life as the glass being half empty
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im not LOOKING for flaws.
rolling shutter is one of the topics of this discussion.

if someone presents a clip saying it has "NO issue with rolling shutter." when it clearly has several. i have to wonder if they really know what to look for. so you bet im going to point it out. and not in the spirit of being critical. my point is to share info or a perspective that people may not be familiar with.

a year or so ago when i was first considering DSLRs i was all gung-ho. basically spec-drunk. but as i started to discover "features" (often through forum posts like this one) that could be a problem for me or my clients. i started to rethink things... and i appreciate that information.

personally, im not willing to give up fully upright goalposts just to get better low light performance and DOF effects

does the rolling shutter issue ruin jambred's production?
most would say no.
some would say yes.
personally, in the context of the whole video, i dont have a huge problem with it. its actually a pretty watchable clip.
but i have several OCD clients who see this kind of thing a mile away. and for that reason, i consider DSLRs minimally useful, or one-trick-ponies in my personal workflow.

YMMV
 
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LOL...yeh you're right...i don't what im doing nor what to look for. I'll keep it up...maybe JUST maybe i'll have some good work someday lol.
content owner of a 7d
 
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lol...dude picked out one shot. LOL...yeh right...i duno what im doing. I'll keep it up...maybe JUST maybe i'll have some good work someday lol
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there are actually a half dozen or so.

thing is if you hadnt come in all swingin-dick, saying you had "NO issue with rolling shutter." nobody would have been compelled to judge on that standpoint.
but the fact that you said you had no issue with it means that you either dont know what it is or just dont care.
both of which are fine. if thats working for ya - go for it!

but it doesnt change the fact that its there.
 
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well again yeh i said it NO probs here.

back to the OP. if you can swing the 5d or a 7d for less than retail then go for it since photography is clearly a big factor in your choice.
 
The reason I want the 5dmkii is because for it's price point it seems to be pulling off some extraordinary feats
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i gotta tell ya. if youre dead set on a canon, more power to you. i think weve made the pros and cons pretty evident. all you can do is choose what best suits your needs.

BUT if i were going with canon and 5Dll was in my price range, i would SERIOUSLY consider a 7D instead. simply because the 7D monitors out HD via HDMI while recording. the 5Dll sends out a SD picture over HDMI once you start recording. for some people this isnt a problem. for me it is, because i frequently have clients watching the live feed. and as i mentioned earlier, clients can be very neurotic ; )

from where i stand, the "full frame sensor" of the 5D is about the only reason to choose one over a 7D
 
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