Shooting HD Video With The Canon T2i DSLR
I recently rented a Canon T2i DSLR and the Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens specifically to test out how feasible it would be to use this camera as a replacement for my professional video camera. (The T2i is called the 550D in Europe.)
The results were quite interesting, here are the highlights and a link to a test video I posted to Vimeo.
First of all, the video quality is actually quite outstanding, full 1080p, then there's the ability to capture an image in practically no light and best of all is the beautiful shallow depth of field look that is quite possible to achieve with this camera.
A few notes:
1) Make sure you are using a variable ND filter like the one from Light Craft Workshop called simply the Fader ND. The camera is so light sensitive that you will be struggling to get a shallow depth of field without one.
2) Sound. As has been previously reported by myself and tons of other people, the native sound capture capabilities of the T2i are quite poor. However, I added a Rode VideoMic with a "Dead Cat" windshield to mine to get acceptable sound if the person speaking is within 4-5 feet of you. Still, for best results you will definitely want to capture sound separately to a high quality digital device and then sync that audio back to the video during editing using your camera-captured sound as a guide track.
3) The T2i by itself is very light when compared to a traditional video camera. This means that holding it steady can be challenging so use a tripod or other stabilization device whenever possible.
4) What lens to use is a matter of personal choice, your own aesthetic and the needs of the particular shot however it is generally agreed that prime lenses give better results than zoom. That's why I selected the Sigma 30mm 1.4 to use as my test lens. Because of the 1.6x crop factor built-into the Canon T2i, a 30mm lens will perform more like a 50mm lens which for years has been considered the "standard" lens for still photography.
After filming with the T2i for several days I think now I would instead opt for as high a quality 24-70mm type zoom lens with a fixed aperture over a 30mm prime lens. Why? Because it can be a huge pain to get the framing you want if the only way to get closer to a subject is to physically move your entire body closer or to swap out lenses for something else. A good quality 24-70mm will cost between $800 and $1,100 however if you purchase the Canon T2i versus its big brother, the Canon 7D, you will be saving about $800 which you can then invest in the lens.
5) Focusing. Focusing is so critical but the small LCD screen on the T2i can make that quite challenging, in fact focus was almost my number one concern when filming video with this camera. There is a button you can press that will digitally zoom into the image 10x in order to help you get focus but that's a workaround. Also glare from the Sun can make seeing anything on the LCD difficult. I would highly recommend checking out the Zacuto Z-Finder which attaches to the back of your camera and magnifies the LCD screen so that you can actually focus with it. It's about $400 so not cheap but it also provides another advantage - pressing the eye cup against your face actually helps stabilize the camera a bit too by giving another point of contact with your body. They also make a Junior version for about $100 less.
6) I haven't actually filmed anything with the 7D but there a few things I already know that I would like better on the 7D than on the T2i. First of all, the 7D has a better "hand feel" and is built sturdier and heavier with more metal and less plastic making it more weather proof overall. Plastic electronic devices, particularly those that are designed to look like metal, are a a pet peeve of mine.
Also, with the 7D, you can remap the control buttons to be what you want. For instance, there's a scroll wheel at the top of the T2i and 7D that by default is set to control the ISO speed - I'd rather have that wheel control the camera aperture. With the T2i I have to depress another button while turning the scroll wheel in order to adjust the aperture, much less intuitive and convenient.
But the 7D costs twice as much as the T2i - it's still a tremendous bargain but, bottom line, I can probably live with the T2i's limitations and instead invest the extra dollars into a good zoom lens.
So, will I be leaving my professional $7,000+ video camera behind for the Canon T2i or 7D? Eventually the answer is most likely yes but first I will probably use the Canon to film b-roll and selected interviews until I feel very comfortable with the production realities of filming my projects with such a different, and beautiful, device.
Here's a link to a test video I filmed very early in the morning at my local Starbucks in order to test out its low light capabilities and the general look of the T2i video:
bit.ly/b1N3Dd
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Reader Comments (5)
Thank you for this. I am shopping the T2I for Christmas. I am a part-time filmmaker looking for a good, albeit cheap full HD solution as a second camera angle.
I followed your link and enjoyed the Starbuck's shoot. It looked very steady! I'm assuming you were shooting handheld?? Tripod attached for some weight?
I am looking to get the body only, and then get on eBay and find me a good prime lens. I'll have to research this 1:6 crop thing, as I don't know what that means. I was originally thinking a 50mm lens?
All the best,
Marty
Hi Marty,
I filmed a combination of handheld and tripod shots. The 1.6 crop factor describes an effect caused by the sensor not being "full frame" but rather APS-C sized.
It means that if you put a 50mm lens on the T2i it will act as a 50 x 1.6 or 80mm. The 50 1.4 version (not so much the 1.8)is a fantastic prime lens but it puts you a lot closer to the action then you might think, again it's performing like a 80mm. For that reason, I sometimes find it difficult to work with in tight office environments.
Full-frame sensor cameras like the Canon Mark II (which are a lot more expensive) don't have this crop factor issue, a 50mm will act like a 50mm. If you want a true 50mm filming experience with your T2i you would have to look for a prime lens in the 35mm area.
Simply put, the 1.6 factor is directly related to the sensor like noted by Crow. The APS-C is a smaller sensor than the full frame sensor, the full frame fully mimics 35mm film. To make up for the difference in size, the APS-C unfortunately introduces a 1.6x crop(or magnification) to the focal length of EF lenses. The EF-S lenses, however, are designed to negate this crop, and in turn produce exactly the focal length listed. Canon's "L" series lenses are the best lenses that Canon makes. Which in turn are their professional series lenses designed for the professional full frame bodies. To get the best, use an "L" lens, just make sure you do your 1.6 multiplier when choosing the focal length.
As I've seen written a few times, sound is pretty bad. I'm considering the T2i as a HD replacement for a basic SD camcorder. How bad is bad? Is it comparable to a standard hand held without additional mic? For strictly at home use, is it acceptable? Is there any recommendation to spend the extra 300 on the 60D?
Thanks
The native sound of a T2i or even the 60D is I would say even worse than what the built-in mic on a consumer grade video camera might get...the T2i built in mic is TINY and it suffers from the fact that it has automatic gain control applied to it which increases the noise level.
What most people do is called "dual sound" - so first you attach a higher quality external microphone to the T2i's audio input jack. What that does is basically gives you an IMPROVED audio track that is recorded along withe the video...but it is still only considered a scratch audio track.
Then we ALSO record sound separately on a higher quality recording device - a popular choice is to attach wireless lavalier mics to your talent and to route the output to the Zoom H4N digital audio recorder. This gives you a professional sound source.
Now you obviously have to sync the poorer quality scratch audio recorded with the video with this other high quality source and there are a number of ways to do that including using software like Plural Eyes for an automated solution or manually using things like clapper boards or simply matching waveforms.
For strictly home use you can get away with just using an external mic attached to your T2i...another problem you will run into however is that you can't monitor the sound while it is being recorded which is obviously a big issue. That's another reason to go for the dual sound solution but the costs for this do add up. You will find that whatever money you spend on improved sound is well worth it...sound is HUGELY important to the quality of your production.
All in all a great review... but I would recommend based on my experience not wasting money on the Canon 24-70 2.8L. Their EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS is built specifically for cropped sensors such as the T2i and 7D. Will give you a larger viewing area. It also has L series glass in it. You are basically paying more on the 24-70 for the more durable/sturdy L casing materials and construction. Many, including myself, have used both lenses and prefer the image quality from the 17-55. In my opinion it is a faster lens with sharper focus. Another reason the 24-70 should not be considered for cropped sensor video, it has no image stabilization. This is a MUST have for video otherwise your images will be jittery and shaky. IS totally smooths it out and produces a stable image.
Bottomline is, only spend the extra money for professional glass if you have a professional camera like the 5D or 1D, or if you are a professional. If you are using a T2i, you are not, so don't waste your money!
Canon T2i and EFS 17-55 is all a budding amateur filmmaker needs to start out. Of course, I also agree that a viewfinder such as the Zacuto Z-finder is a MUST have for focusing. Also a stabilizer such as the Zacuto Target Shooter or some of the many others from Redrock or other brands. At the very least a monopod if you don't have IS on your lens.