Thanks again Dean,

some of my other video cameras have spot focus so I'm familiar with it.

What are your views on the Canon Vixia, if any? I've seen some incredible looking stuff come out of those things.. but I'm worried about low light. I hear the G10 is killing it.

Ok,

so Tuesday I am making the purchase final and I'll stop chipping away at this thread.

It's still down to a dedicated Vixia (unsure which model is ideal yet) or the T3i with a couple of essential lenses.

I think after the lenses and everything with the T3i I will be looking at around $1100, and that is what I really want to spend.. Around a grand or less for a good learning curve camera. The Vixia HF G10 is about $1500, and I hear great things about it.

I know the quality is unbeatable on the T3i for this price range, but I'm unsure of it's practicality.

Anyone got some hands on knowledge about the Vixia range?

This company should have something for the fs100. I can add longer rails, so this may work already.

GH1 and GH2 can be hacked, I paid for mine $950 Dollars with 14-42 kit lens. video way better then my canon 60D. Photo quality canon beats GH2 but for video with the hack applied none of the canons beat the GH2

i have the t3i and honestly i miss my GL1 minus the hassle of tapes. i think you're better off with a dedicated video camera i dont recommend it for starters. you will need a wide angle lens if you do pov also, they can be had cheap on ebay under 30 bucks or so but the AF is a pain i'm not used to hassling with. try fiddling around making sure everything is in focus while youre fucking. you will need both hands to operate this camera so if youre into tittygrabbing or asssmacking forget about it for your POV vids

Here's a cheap solution for follow focusing on your DSLR. Pretty simple and ingenious. I have one and it works as advertised.

http://www.dslrsolutions.net

no kidding :(

that's great :thumbsup

The first time I saw it, it was one of those "Duh, why the fuck didn't I think of that" moments.

It's really useful when I don't feel like running putting the cam in the rig.

my work flow doesn't really have room for manuel focus but still it's very cool indeed. vid cans will catch up in a few years after the RD is paid for. the nex fs100 is basically a DSLR in a video cam body...

I can't wait for my FS100. I have actually be toying with the idea of buying one now and just selling the one I get when it arrives.

I don't really have much patience, especially when it comes to new gear.

this is working for now:

http://www.strangebabes.com/set0.jpg

We bought this as well and enjoy it :thumbsup

Looks like he's building quite a following if students and pros alike are snatching them up.

$89 for the set was a great deal.

Yes,

this does loom in my mind. Seems like a bit of trouble.

Probably clever of me to save that purchase for the near future once I learn a bit through a couple other devices like the new vixia g10 or the t3i.

I like you Shimmy, full of advice and willingness to share knowledge :thumbsup

Thanks for the good advice fella, think I'm going with the Vixia G10 for the learning curve, after I heard about it's brand new low light performance chip.

Thanks man,

I'm bookmarking all these gold tips of yours. It truly is appreciated.

Looks like you've been having a serious crack at things.

To all those who have given me such sound advice and been so helpful,

thankyou :thumbsup

I know I kind of hi-jacked this thread, but at least it sent me into the purchase of a new learning curve camera.

I will definitely be getting the T3i DSLR, and also in future a GH (hopefully I can figure out the hack) I say all within another 6 months to a year.

But for now,

I chose the Canon Vixia HF G10 dedicated video camera for the learning curve, MAINLY because of the new image sensor that is said to be the best in the business at lowlight (and that is one of my main points for buying a new piece).

I will shoot some footage once I get the hang of it and upload it for a couple to check out.. ordered it from 6ave.com , got one of the last in stock at $1300.

Something I found along the way is the Canon Vixia HF M40 for $560 at 6ave.com (THIS IS A MAJOR FUCKING STEAL) some people should consider it for a backup. I might get one in future at that price.

Thanks again to everywhere, will be keeping you posted.

Canon has a huge announcement in the video department in November.

I got a Cannon 60D it's pretty nice... :D

100 camera recs

that should be very interesting... looking forward to that one

yeah cant wait to hear the nov announcement. current lineup will obviously be cheaper. but how can they improve?

Guys, I jumped into DSLR video about one year ago. The best cam is the Panasonic GH2, for various reasons. I bought the Panasonic AF100 pro DLSR cam but sold it again because the image of the GH2 is much better. I also use the Canon 7D which has good image quality but also the 12 minute clip duration limit and moire. I don't have any video experience with Nikon cams even though Nikon is my prefered brand for shooting stills. Using lens adapters I use my Nikon mount lenses on my GH2. It's a great development!

For samples of all these cameras check out www vimeo com (which is a bit like youtube but more "pro")

This is true, the closer you get to your subject (either fysically or by zooming) the shallower your depth of field. You can solve this by using a lot of light so that you can shoot with f8 or smaller @ ISO200. At f8 your DOF is "usable". Holding focus is easy when using a mechanical follow focus. Or use the Panasonic GH2 which has great "push focus".

I've been shooting porn using DSLRs for one year now and yes at first I had a lot of out of focus shots (what you call soft-focus) but now after the endurance I come home with great shots.

have plenty of light and that's a fact... lets talk about this: sell at bmbhome. com

Here's some GH2 samples, it's very extreme porn but try paying attention to the image quality and ignore the disgusting action (the shot with the girl stabbing herself is special effect, she didn't really die): www femania com / videos

Not sure if you went out and ordered one yet, but there's a great deal for the t3i on Slickdeals today. It's on eBay.

Body, 3 lenses (including the 50 f/1.8), 16gb SD and a few other things for $999

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-Di...#ht_7706wt_936

Can't believe that Canon 1.2 lens is so damn expensive!

That's a fabulous price.

You bet it is. The body and kit lens alone are usually that price.

i bought the t3i 18-55 kit for around 800. buy a 10% of best buy coupon on ebay for a buck then take it to the store, save $90... then you actually have some warranty recourse should you break the thang and you will be for sure not getting a "grey market" camera that will not be honored for warranty work (this happen with me before back when i buy nikons online cheap... DONT DO IT if you buy new equipment get it at a real chain store)

I read that max file size is 4GB. How many minutes of video is that at highest quality settings?

Now I'm looking at that Panasonic GH2... does anyone have any more input on this specific cam?

I'm hearing amazing things.

Always good info CandyFlip.

But I already popped on the Canon Vixia HF G10. I opted for this instead of the T3i mainly because of the new sensor and low light performance.

I have been exploring it the past week as I just now had time to get around to it. It is incredible for the price, I can honestly say. The low light performance is ideal for what I'm trying to capture at night.

Now I'm wondering about additional lenses and other professional effects I can get from it, I know a lot can be done in post.

Any ideas or tricks/lenses/editing tips to make it look more filmish? This is what I'm exploring now. Got vegas, and another tool I forget the name of.. Going to start experimenting.

We decided to go with the Canon t3i ---- kit lens
+ the 50mm 1.8 lens

3 days shooting with it... so far, I'm liking it a lot.