Best affordable DSLR for Cinematography

sophfiaaa · Jan 20, 2013

Hi all!

Soon it is my boyfriend's birthday (early March to be exact), and I've been wanting to get him a DSLR.
He's a media student, specializing in film and cinematography. I want to get him a pretty good camera which would film in HD (ranging up to 1080, well if within budget). I had been looking at the Nikon D7000, but I imagine there being better cameras at the same price. The camera would also be used for photography. My budget is ranging from anything between $0 - $1,500. Anyone can help me out? Oh, and it doesn't matter whether it is Canon or Nikon.

Thanks,
S

Delphititan · Jan 20, 2013

You may want to have a look at the still/video cameras from Panasonic. They have possibly the best technology and even their less expensive micro four thirds cameras do a very nice job for video. Micro 43rds has evolved to a level at which DR and high ISO quality is excellent.
dan

TCampbell · Jan 20, 2013

I guess the EOS 1D C is out of the budget them ($12k for the body only... but it's GREAT for cinematography: Canon Cinema EOS)

Closer to your budget... I'd consider the Canon 60D with the EF-S 18-135mm kit lens and then point him at the Magic Lantern firmware (don't worry... it doesn't actually "replace" the Canon firmware, it's optional firmware that boots from a memory card so you can use the ML firmware or the native Canon firmware interchangeably.) The ML firmware is _mostly_ created for people who want to do video and adds quite a bit of control not normally found in DSLR video cameras. For example... you normally can't change the focal ratio of a lens *while* it's shooting video, but the ML firmware lets you do that. The ML firmware is only available for a handful of Canon bodies. It's open-source and not made nor supported by Canon.

Another camera to consider is the Canon Rebel T4i. The Magic Lantern firmware wont work on a T4i (at least not yet -- it's usually just a matter of time) but this particular camera does allow continuous auto-focus while shooting video (he might not care... usually serious videographers prefer to manually focus because they want to control the focus switch from, say, a near subject to a far subject while shooting and you can't really count on the camera auto-focus to nail your subjects and make a smooth transition.) But the T4i is the first camera to support the "silent" mode feature on Canon's new STM lenses (the STM lenses have a mode which is designed to auto-focus more slowly but silently -- specifically for video use -- so that the camera microphone can't detect the sound of the focus motor.

Both the 60D and T4i have articulated LCD screens (they swing out and twist -- VERY popular among video shooters.)

You could also get him a Rode Videomic. The in-camera microphones are generally awful audio quality (if you aren't fussy about audio quality then the built-in mic "works", but the sound quality is SO much better with the external mic. The original Rode videomic is possibly the most popular mic used. They've come out with a few newer models since... including a stereo mic and a "pro" version of the videomic (the original videomic is about $150).

goodguy · Jan 20, 2013

Get the Nikon D7000, its a good choice.

sekhar · Jan 20, 2013

Delphititan said:
You may want to have a look at the still/video cameras from Panasonic. They have possibly the best technology and even their less expensive micro four thirds cameras do a very nice job for video. Micro 43rds has evolved to a level at which DR and high ISO quality is excellent.
dan

Yes, if it's primarily for video, Panasonic GH2 would be a great option IMO. It's in your price range and produces some unbelievable video footage for its price, and it's a darling of the indie filmmakers. Google it and you'll find plenty of footages and reviews. One good site to check out is EOSHD, they have some nice comparison videos.

GH2 is mirrorless though and is a micro four-thirds camera, meaning it has an electronic viewfinder (which can be slow to focus) and issues related to small sensor (large depth of field and relatively poor low-light performance) that might be a big deal for your boyfriend. Again, there are plenty of comparisons and pros/cons against DSLRs that you can Google or find on this site.

brunerww · Jan 21, 2013

Hi Sophfiaaa - welcome to the forum! When I was a film student 35 years ago, I wanted a camera with a headphone jack and built-in slow motion (e.g., 1080/60p today). I also wanted the camera with the highest quality recording (today that means the highest bit rate). There is only one DSLR-type camera in your price range with all of of these features straight out of the box, the $1299 Panasonic GH3. With a $140 Sigma 19mm lens, you will stay within your budget and your boyfriend will have the best interchangeable lens video camera you can buy for less than $3000. In fact, this camera is the 2012 Digital Camera Info "Best Camera for Video", besting the runner-up $3000 Canon 5D Mark III.

This is a mirrorless camera, so it has a viewfinder that continues to work in video mode, unlike Canon and Nikon DSLRs, whose mirrors block their viewfinders in video mode. This camera also has lightning-fast autofocus while shooting video. Here is what its high bit rates enable it to do in low light:

[video=vimeo;57340501]http://vimeo.com/57340501[/video]

Hope this is helpful and happy birthday to your boyfriend!

Bill

Delphititan · Jan 21, 2013

brunerww said:
Hi Sophfiaaa - welcome to the forum! When I was a film student 35 years ago, I wanted a camera with a headphone jack and built-in slow motion (e.g., 1080/60p today). I also wanted the camera with the highest quality recording (today that means the highest bit rate). There is only one DSLR-type camera in your price range with all of of these features straight out of the box, the $1299 Panasonic GH3. With a $140 Sigma 19mm lens, you will stay within your budget and your boyfriend will have the best interchangeable lens video camera you can buy for less than $3000. In fact, this camera is the 2012 Digital Camera Info "Best Camera for Video", besting the runner-up $3000 Canon 5D Mark III.

This is a mirrorless camera, so it has a viewfinder that continues to work in video mode, unlike Canon and Nikon DSLRs, whose mirrors block their viewfinders in video mode. This camera also has lightning-fast autofocus while shooting video. Here is what its high bit rates enable it to do in low light:

[video=vimeo;57340501]http://vimeo.com/57340501[/video]

Hope this is helpful and happy birthday to your boyfriend!

Bill

This is a very good recommendation. The video quality is outstanding. The still images are excellent even at higher ISO settings. The focusing is speedy. The ergonomics are very good.
If you can afford this setup, I would go for the Panasonic GH3.
Dan

sekhar · Jan 21, 2013

Delphititan said:
This is a very good recommendation. The video quality is outstanding. The still images are excellent even at higher ISO settings. The focusing is speedy. The ergonomics are very good.
If you can afford this setup, I would go for the Panasonic GH3.
Dan

Except, GH3 isn't available AFAIK. Hope OP can wait though. Also, there are some good deals on GH2 ahead of the GH3 release right now, so GH2 might be a better option for what she wants to spend.

Sarmad · Jan 21, 2013

I'd say, Something Sony, I'm really not a Sony fan but I like what it provides for video, Most of them can shoot 1080p HD video at 60fps which should be helpful for you, Also try to get some lens, but they're not necessary, kit lens would do most of the time. If you want to buy between Canon and Nikon, then I'd choose a Canon T4i or 60D, with 18-135mm lens and 50mm f1.8.

ducatiman1967 · Jan 29, 2013

TCampbell said:
I guess the EOS 1D C is out of the budget them ($12k for the body only... but it's GREAT for cinematography: Canon Cinema EOS)

Closer to your budget... I'd consider the Canon 60D with the EF-S 18-135mm kit lens and then point him at the Magic Lantern firmware (don't worry... it doesn't actually "replace" the Canon firmware, it's optional firmware that boots from a memory card so you can use the ML firmware or the native Canon firmware interchangeably.) The ML firmware is _mostly_ created for people who want to do video and adds quite a bit of control not normally found in DSLR video cameras. For example... you normally can't change the focal ratio of a lens *while* it's shooting video, but the ML firmware lets you do that. The ML firmware is only available for a handful of Canon bodies. It's open-source and not made nor supported by Canon.

Another camera to consider is the Canon Rebel T4i. The Magic Lantern firmware wont work on a T4i (at least not yet -- it's usually just a matter of time) but this particular camera does allow continuous auto-focus while shooting video (he might not care... usually serious videographers prefer to manually focus because they want to control the focus switch from, say, a near subject to a far subject while shooting and you can't really count on the camera auto-focus to nail your subjects and make a smooth transition.) But the T4i is the first camera to support the "silent" mode feature on Canon's new STM lenses (the STM lenses have a mode which is designed to auto-focus more slowly but silently -- specifically for video use -- so that the camera microphone can't detect the sound of the focus motor.

Both the 60D and T4i have articulated LCD screens (they swing out and twist -- VERY popular among video shooters.)

You could also get him a Rode Videomic. The in-camera microphones are generally awful audio quality (if you aren't fussy about audio quality then the built-in mic "works", but the sound quality is SO much better with the external mic. The original Rode videomic is possibly the most popular mic used. They've come out with a few newer models since... including a stereo mic and a "pro" version of the videomic (the original videomic is about $150).

I agree with TCampbell , I picked up the Canon 60D for my wife ( she does videos for her Taekwondo club ) and she loves it. Plus I just installed magic lantern 2.3 last night, it add so many new features !!!