Basic cleaning supplies like lens pen, tissues/paper, blower.
An inexpensive 5 in one reflector.
An inexpensive 5 in one reflector.
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Starter Gear (newbie here)
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Marsu42 said:
Should I get a UV filter to protect the lens, though? I agree that a polarizer doesn't seem paramount at the start, but it sounds like something I'll end up getting eventually.
kdsand said:
I was thinking about this, too...anyone know any good LCD screen protectors, or accessories for the viewfinder? Also, is a LensCoat worth it?
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It is exciting starting out, and there is a tendency to want to buy everything you can. In fact that tendency is not restricted to newbies! However, when you are on a limited budget (and very few of us aren't) then I learnt a great lesson back in the dark ages when I was a teenager: only buy something when you have fund a need for it. I cluttered up my bag of equipment with stuff I knew I wanted, but had never had a need for. When you have missed having it - you know the: "if only I had a 300mm lens" moment, or "if only I had a polarizing filter" moment - then you know it is worth investing in that bit of kit. Until then, I would bank the money, but keep it on one side until you really need it for a killer piece of kit.
That is my farthing's worth of advice...
Good luck to you - it is an exciting journey, I should know: I am 48 years into my photographic journey (mine started when I was 5)...
That is my farthing's worth of advice...
Good luck to you - it is an exciting journey, I should know: I am 48 years into my photographic journey (mine started when I was 5)...
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A couple points. A lot of the advice you got upthread here is geared towards photography, and I noticed that you said you're going to school for video production. I'm an amateur photographer and former news videographer, so I thought I could help a bit.
I think the Rebel T4i w/ 18-135 STM is a great choice for video production, and it's probably what I would have chosen when I was in college if there was such a thing. Although the 50/1.8 is a great lens for photography, if I was you, I would get the 40mm/2.8 STM that was just announced instead. It's only $200. If you can't afford it now, wait on the second lens and get it later. I think the STM will be much better for your video usage, and you will not miss the extra 10mm or the extra stop of light. Although thin depth of field is great, it is difficult to shoot at and keep focus, especially if you are talking about video.
Preorder those now, because they won't ship right away. I wouldn't bother ordering anything else until you know that stuff is coming. You might decide to cancel your T4i and go for something else before it ships. Order from someplace like B&H or Adorama. I think they get more stock of the new stuff and they deal with it better than Amazon (at least in my experience).
Get a clear or UV filter sized for both of your lenses to protect the front lens element. Worry about effects filters and step up rings later.
Next, check out what kind of gear is available from your school. Fluid-head tripods, microphones, mixing boards, lighting, etc. Only buy what you can't borrow. However, depending on what kind of video production you are doing (documentary/ENG, music videos, short films, etc) I would consider buying an external mic for audio because the on-board mics will not be stellar.
Also, make sure to figure out how you are going to edit your video. The nonlinear editing at my school was so far behind that I had to edit my own video on my own PC, which is tough because there is no tech support and no forgiveness if you blow a project deadline because you chose to use your own gear. Make sure their system can handle the files/formats and that you can get them into their system.
Beyond that, check into some more video-oriented sites like http://blog.planet5d.com and http://www.eoshd.com/.
I think the Rebel T4i w/ 18-135 STM is a great choice for video production, and it's probably what I would have chosen when I was in college if there was such a thing. Although the 50/1.8 is a great lens for photography, if I was you, I would get the 40mm/2.8 STM that was just announced instead. It's only $200. If you can't afford it now, wait on the second lens and get it later. I think the STM will be much better for your video usage, and you will not miss the extra 10mm or the extra stop of light. Although thin depth of field is great, it is difficult to shoot at and keep focus, especially if you are talking about video.
Preorder those now, because they won't ship right away. I wouldn't bother ordering anything else until you know that stuff is coming. You might decide to cancel your T4i and go for something else before it ships. Order from someplace like B&H or Adorama. I think they get more stock of the new stuff and they deal with it better than Amazon (at least in my experience).
Get a clear or UV filter sized for both of your lenses to protect the front lens element. Worry about effects filters and step up rings later.
Next, check out what kind of gear is available from your school. Fluid-head tripods, microphones, mixing boards, lighting, etc. Only buy what you can't borrow. However, depending on what kind of video production you are doing (documentary/ENG, music videos, short films, etc) I would consider buying an external mic for audio because the on-board mics will not be stellar.
Also, make sure to figure out how you are going to edit your video. The nonlinear editing at my school was so far behind that I had to edit my own video on my own PC, which is tough because there is no tech support and no forgiveness if you blow a project deadline because you chose to use your own gear. Make sure their system can handle the files/formats and that you can get them into their system.
Beyond that, check into some more video-oriented sites like http://blog.planet5d.com and http://www.eoshd.com/.
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For tripods i would go with Ravelli, sold on amazon. Great value at half the price of Manfrotto. Especially if you are on a budget. They sell tripods with good fluid heads too. I would go with the 18-135 STM kit instead of the other advice. Also on the 50mm consider the 1.4. The 1.4 is considered the best value in canon's 50 mm l ine. A 50 mil is a very important lens and the lower aperture is good for video. The 1.8 is very very cheap build, and is clumsy to use for video, you may outgrow this lens very quickly and will have to dump it eventually. Lowerpro bags are pretty good. You shouldnt be too quick to go out and buy too many lenses, as your interest develop let that be the deciding factor on your choices.
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Everyone here has given great advice on equipment so I can only recommend a good book for stills. I have found books by Tom ANG really useful and very easy to read.
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everything i have spent on training has essentially not been worth the money buy lenses and learn online there is endless information on the interwebs
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Yeah like the others said, I would try to focus on learning the camera and all the settings involved with DSLR's, it's totally different than shooting with a traditional camcorder. I got a T2i right after they got released and it took a bit to learn Aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and essentially learning how to operate a camera with all manual controls. These things have been around a while now, there are lots of DIY tutorials for shoulder rigs and things of that sort, but I'd focus on making these items a priority:
•Camera - T4i looks great, but a used T3i or 60D would do just fine
•Lenses - 18-135mm kit is a great lens to get you accustomed to focal lengths and learn what you like, but with it's variable aperture you may want to get the 50mm f/1.8 so you have something to shoot with in low light.
•Battery Grip - An off-brand grip is just fine, I've never had problems with them. The Rebel cameras are pretty tiny and the battery grip makes it feel a bit more solid (weight can be your friend with video). Plus you get extended battery time.
•Tripod- Simplest form of stabilization but very effective, handholding these cameras is a no-no (look into rolling shutter)
•SD Cards - Make sure you get ones that are fast enough for video
•Viewfinder or small monitor - They have some pretty cheap monitors out there, although I don't have much experience with them. But a viewfinder to put on your LCD can be incredibly helpful for pulling focus and working in sunlight. With the articulating screen it makes it even more helpful. Here is a cheap option: http://www.amazon.com/Swi-View-LCDVF-Viewfinder-Canon-Cameras/dp/B004RG4MNE
•AudioThe built-in mics are pretty useless, so you need some type of external recorder for audio. The Zoom H4N is somewhat standard nowadays, but if you're on a real budget the H1N would suffice for the time being ($100). Sescom makes cables to hook up the Zoom into your camera so you don't have to worry about syncing up the audio in post.
•Slider - I know there are some cheap options out there, but sliders in general can really add a lot of professionalism to your videos. I have a $3000 rig and even with that you'll never get shots as sexy as any slider, something about a camera gliding from left to right on a perfectly straight plane just looks awesome. This isn't an essential piece, but definitely something to think about down the road.
More than anything try not to worry about gear too much initially, just get out there and play around with your camera and you'll figure out what you need as time goes by. Remember, your shutter speed is going to stay locked at 1/50 (50) if shooting 24fps and 1/60 (60) if shooting 30fps, so the only settings you really need to worry about are aperture and ISO.
Also don't forget that there are tons of resources all over the web to help you learn DSLR video (this forum included). DSLR Flim Noob and Dave Dugdale have some pretty good tutorials for beginners on Youtube. Good luck man!
•Camera - T4i looks great, but a used T3i or 60D would do just fine
•Lenses - 18-135mm kit is a great lens to get you accustomed to focal lengths and learn what you like, but with it's variable aperture you may want to get the 50mm f/1.8 so you have something to shoot with in low light.
•Battery Grip - An off-brand grip is just fine, I've never had problems with them. The Rebel cameras are pretty tiny and the battery grip makes it feel a bit more solid (weight can be your friend with video). Plus you get extended battery time.
•Tripod- Simplest form of stabilization but very effective, handholding these cameras is a no-no (look into rolling shutter)
•SD Cards - Make sure you get ones that are fast enough for video
•Viewfinder or small monitor - They have some pretty cheap monitors out there, although I don't have much experience with them. But a viewfinder to put on your LCD can be incredibly helpful for pulling focus and working in sunlight. With the articulating screen it makes it even more helpful. Here is a cheap option: http://www.amazon.com/Swi-View-LCDVF-Viewfinder-Canon-Cameras/dp/B004RG4MNE
•AudioThe built-in mics are pretty useless, so you need some type of external recorder for audio. The Zoom H4N is somewhat standard nowadays, but if you're on a real budget the H1N would suffice for the time being ($100). Sescom makes cables to hook up the Zoom into your camera so you don't have to worry about syncing up the audio in post.
•Slider - I know there are some cheap options out there, but sliders in general can really add a lot of professionalism to your videos. I have a $3000 rig and even with that you'll never get shots as sexy as any slider, something about a camera gliding from left to right on a perfectly straight plane just looks awesome. This isn't an essential piece, but definitely something to think about down the road.
More than anything try not to worry about gear too much initially, just get out there and play around with your camera and you'll figure out what you need as time goes by. Remember, your shutter speed is going to stay locked at 1/50 (50) if shooting 24fps and 1/60 (60) if shooting 30fps, so the only settings you really need to worry about are aperture and ISO.
Also don't forget that there are tons of resources all over the web to help you learn DSLR video (this forum included). DSLR Flim Noob and Dave Dugdale have some pretty good tutorials for beginners on Youtube. Good luck man!
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i am a videographer. your needs for video will be different from stills. most people here are photographers and lots of things are the same for either, but there are some important differences.
1. because video demands a certain shutter speed, you WILL need an ND filter more than any other filter, a variable one if you can't be bothered to switch between a set all the time. forget UV filter, your ND will be protecting your glass and you don't want to stack filters too much. polarizers can double as a weak ND but you will need higher strength for outside shooting, which means ND.
i have the light craft workshop nd fader II and the singh ray vari nd. the lcw gets soft beyond 85mm but is fine for everything wider. the singh ray is fine even beyond 85mm but is a lot more expensive. get a 77mm or 82mm version so you only buy it once and use step up rings.
2. you WILL need a viewfinder to achieve good manual focus unless the t4i turns out to have godly auto focus. a cheap one off ebay will be fine for starting with.
3. the 50mm 1.8 is totally decent except for its crappy focus ring. you will be pulling manual focus in video so there are two ways to go. either get vintage manual focus lenses and adapters, or go for one of the samyang/rokinon manual lenses which have beautifully smooth focus rings.
the rest is up to you.
1. because video demands a certain shutter speed, you WILL need an ND filter more than any other filter, a variable one if you can't be bothered to switch between a set all the time. forget UV filter, your ND will be protecting your glass and you don't want to stack filters too much. polarizers can double as a weak ND but you will need higher strength for outside shooting, which means ND.
i have the light craft workshop nd fader II and the singh ray vari nd. the lcw gets soft beyond 85mm but is fine for everything wider. the singh ray is fine even beyond 85mm but is a lot more expensive. get a 77mm or 82mm version so you only buy it once and use step up rings.
2. you WILL need a viewfinder to achieve good manual focus unless the t4i turns out to have godly auto focus. a cheap one off ebay will be fine for starting with.
3. the 50mm 1.8 is totally decent except for its crappy focus ring. you will be pulling manual focus in video so there are two ways to go. either get vintage manual focus lenses and adapters, or go for one of the samyang/rokinon manual lenses which have beautifully smooth focus rings.
the rest is up to you.
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VanWeddings said:
Will the new 40 be a contender vs the nifty fifty for videos - looks like better build & has stm but $100 more and is 2.8..........
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kdsand said:
if the auto focus works well, the 40 will be useful. however it's still only 2.8 and 2.8 is not that shallow on a crop body. 1.8 though is quite shallow.
for video. a good vintage 50 1.4 plus adapter is cheaper and massively superior in terms of handling.
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