Friends, help me choose a better one! Thanks

[syder]

Yep, for video ditch the medium variable aperture zooms and go for primes.

T3i body only (I got a canon refurb for silly cheap) get a Samyang 35mm f1.4 or Canon 35mm f2.0 + Canon 50mm f1.8

50 1.8 is a terrible video lens. Tiny focus ring, minimal travel. Its not a lens which is designed for manually focussing with. You're far better off getting the 50 1.4 (canon or sigma) or getting an old manual focus 50mm if you need something dirt cheap.

The canon 35mm f2.0 looks similar - the sigma 30mm f1.4 is far better for video (and the extra stop is pretty useful too),

The 35mm f2 and 50mm f1.8 also have five-blade apertures which make out of focus highlights look like pentagons rather than circles.

 

[paul13walnut5]

I agree with the concessions to cost re: the nifty 50, but it is exceptional value in a way that the 1.4 50's are not.
Although not by any means the perfect video lens I was trying to keep it cheap and simple.

I would have the samyang 35 over either the Sigma or Canon 50 1.4 anyday.

 

[samueljay]

Used the 50 1.8 for video before I got the 1.2L, was fine, and definitely do-able if you're on a budget! So much bang for buck!

 

[Axilrod]

Are people seriously trying to say there aren't any benefits to using rigs/follow focus/etc.? Come on then why does anyone buy them in the first place? Sure maybe you've spent a few years getting good at it and can get acceptable footage, but do you really think a kid that doesn't know anything about these is going to be able to? I'll tell you this, I've seen it time and time again that people try to shoot handheld with these things and the majority of the time it turns out like crap. It's very difficult to focus on the back screen, it may look in focus when you play it back there but play it on a big screen. And with rolling shutter it just seems dangerous to handhold a T2i in the first place. Unless you're going for that Jason Bourne look I don't think you'll be happy with it. You can have all the shallow DOF in the world but if it isn't stable it's still going to look amateur.

 

[paul13walnut5]

@Axilrod

Are people seriously trying to say there aren't any benefits to using rigs/follow focus/etc.?

No. I have 1 rig which is unbeatable when the rare occasion demands it (moving shots down stairs) and a stabilser which is unbeatable when the occassion demands it (like a 360 inverted hand held track)

For the other 99% of occassions I go to my manfrotto video monopod or sachtler ACE tripod.

If by necessity I'm shooting lots of handheld I'll shoot with an ENG camera.