DSLR video equipment
Posted on March 15, 2011
More and more people choose to throw away their old camcorder for a new DSLR camera with video-function. Today almost every DSLR camera can record FULL-HD video with stunning quality. The most amazing part of this, is that the video quality in these cameras are actually good enough to shoot films for the cinema. Today a couple of feature films here in Norway have already been shot with DSLRs. There are no doubt that this cameras produce great video quality, but will this be the end for the camcorders?
Since the DSLRs mainly were built to take pictures, they have not yet included a good microphone, XLR inputs and other important film components in to the camera. Therefore it’s necessary to buy extra equipment if you want to shoot films with your DSLR.
Since I bought my Canon 550D (Rebel t2i) in February 2010, I have bought additional equipment for it to achieve what I feel I need to produce great films. I have made a list of my equipment and what I gave for it. The list is separated into three parts (I have not included rigs and tripods yet). The first part of the list is called “1. priority” and contains the most basic equipment you need to make films. The “2. priority” is for film makers who want to make bigger productions with longer shooting days, using several locations and have the opportunity to shoot both day/night and inside/outside. The “3. priority” is for film makers who want to spend enough money to get the best, but also one of the cheapest gear for shooting films with DSLRs.
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1. priority:
Canon 550D/t2i – $769
This is probably the first DSLR camera to shoot 1080p video. I bought it in February 2010 and was amazed by the good video-quality this camera produced. When shooting with DSLRs you get an amazing depth of field that gives you the film-look. Since you can change between a huge amount of lenses to attach to this camera, you have a lot of opportunities when filming. You can for example buy and use a good all-round zoom lens, a crazy telephoto lens or a really good lens for low light conditions. The choices are many. The camera is also so small and handy it’s easy to shoot video from angles that was hard to shoot with bigger semi-pro camcorders. Considering how cheap the Canon 550D is, the quality is surprisingly good. It’s probably one of the best buys I have ever done.
SDHC Card 16GB Class 6 – $35
When recording video with the Canon 550D, you need a SDHC card of at least class 5. The higher the class, the faster the card is to store and read files. But why not choose a card with more then 16 GB, you may ask? It’s because I want several 16GB cards instead of a 32GB or 64Gb card. The SDHC cards are so small in size, that if you lose one, you only loose 16GB of video instead of maybe 64GB of video.
Røde videomic – $144
The Canon 550D has a built in microphone, but unfortunately it’s not very good for making films. It doesn’t pick up low sounds very well and it creates some noise. The microphone also detects the sound from the lens every time I change focus.
I checked out some different shotgun microphones with mini jack outputs, and the RØDE video microphone was the one with the best quality compared to the low price you pay for it. However, I was a bit disappointed the first time i tried it with the 550D, because it created a lot of noise when recording in quiet environments. I checked the Internet for this problem and found out that it was the “Auto Gain Control” in the camera that increased the microphone volume every time i recorded in a quiet environment (this happens to all external microphones connected to the 550D). However, I solved the problem by hacking my 550D. Check out what I did under.
Magic Lantern firmware hack – free
I found out about the “Magic lantern” hack on the internet and noticed that it could add a lot of extra video settings to my camera. Some of the new features with this hack was the option to use manual sound control, show on-screen audio meters, zebra stripes and custom cropmarks. This is very helpful when shooting film, especially the “manual sound control” feature, which fixed the noise problem with the camera and microphone.
The hack however, is a bit hard to install and it might actually destroy your camera. It’s a very small chance for this to happen though (since there have not yet been registered any broken cameras). The hack is free and can be downloaded here: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/550D
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Total price 1. priority (including camera) = $948
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2. priority:
Canon 50mm f1.4 USM – $399
The cool thing about shooting films with the 550D is off course the nice looking depth of field, but it’s also nice to notice that the camera can record good looking video with low noise even in low-light conditions. This means that you don’t need to use big lamps and reflectors to shoot professional video in low-light, but you can actually often record with the light you have on location.
The lens that comes with the camera has a lowest aperture at f3.5. Therefore this lens is not the best lens to use in low-light because it needs more light to produce video with low noise. Since I wanted to be able to film in low-light conditions, I bought myself a Canon 50mm with aperture at f1.4. This lens is amazing because you can shoot with ISO at max 200 inside your house at night, and get good looking video. So if you have enough money to buy a new lens, I would recommend this or the 30mm lens with the same aperture.
2 UV glasses – $21
Actually I was planning on putting the UV-glasses in the 1. priority list, because it’s so important to protect your lenses. But since the 18-55mm lens you get with the camera is so cheap, and it’s more crucial to protect expansive lenses, I added it to this list instead. The UV-glass’ main job is to protect the lenses from getting scratches. Since the UV-glasses are quite cheap, it’s not a big loss if they break.
ND 0.9 and ND 0.6 – $84
The ND-filters are good to have when shooting in environments with a lot of light (like outdoor at daytime). It’s not necessary to use ND-filters, but if you want to record video with the best settings for shooting film (shutterspeed at 1/50 and short depth of field (low aperture)) it’s necessary to use it. The ND 0.6 is darker then the ND 0.9.
National Geographic NG2475 – $197
When I was looking for a camera bag it had to be water proof, have enough room for a DSLR camera with several lenses and equipment and it had to be solid. The “National Geographic NG2475″ bag was perfect for me, and it can store a lot of equipment in addition to the camera. The bag is also quite good-looking, which is a plus.
Canon 550D battery – $24
An extra battery is necessary when doing bigger productions were you have to travel a lot or work for more then four hours shooting. Minimum one extra full charged battery is a must for filmmakers to bring on set.
SDHC card 16GB Class 6 – $35
An extra SDHC card is also necessary when shooting a lot of video. It’s much more safe to be able to have your footage stored in both an SDHC card and a PC when you start to edit you films, because then you have a backup of your material in case the transfer/export to the PC failed with some of the clips.
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Total price 2. priority = $760
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3. priority:
Canon 24-70mm F/2.8L – $1200
The 24-70mm f2.8 L is quite expensive, but worth the money. It’s very solid and will probably last for a lifetime. It’s a good all-round lens which works very well in both low-light and daylight. You can shoot both wide angle shots and tele shots with it, and therefore it’s a good lens for using not only when making films but also documentary. My opinion is that If you only want to use the video function in your camera (not taking photos), this lens is probably a bit overkill. It’s not that important to use a lens as good as this when filming, since you wouldn’t be able to see as much details in the video, as you would in a 18 mega pixel still photography. However, the very upside of this lens is not just how solid it is, but also that the aperture is the same independently on how much you zoom. A cheaper option for the Canon 24-70mm would be the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8.
Pro 126-LED videolight – $94
When shooting films in low-light conditions you can get beautiful images with a lens with low aperture. However, a good lens wouldn’t always give you good looking images with enough light. If your are planning on using natural light and lights you find on location, it’s not always easy to move the lights around in the position you want it to be. Sometimes you don’t even have the opportunity to move the lights around (maybe you only have a window or a roof-lamp as light source) and this limits your space of shooting. Therefore a good LED videolight is very practical. The Pro 126-LED videolight can be attached on top of the camera, on tripods, it can be used handheld (powered by aa-batteries) etc. It’s small but provides a lot of light. The dimmer is easy to operate and very nice to use when adjusting the brightness. You also get three types of filters when you buy it so it provides you with both daylight and tungsten light.
Viewfinder – $71
When I first heard about the LCD viewfinder for the DSLRs, I thought it was a unnecessary equipment. I thought that the LCD monitor on the camera was good enough to view the framing and sharp enough to see if objects were in focus or not. This thought however, changed when I tried a viewfinder at a DSLR shop. When looking through the LCD viewfinder when attached to the 550D it was like looking in to a 100″ HD-screen. It was not only easier to focus when using it, but it was also easier to concentrate on the framing and the light, contrast and colors in the picture. It also prevented the sunlight from reflecting in to the LCD screen. All of this made me change my though about the viewfinder, and I bought it on Ebay the day after.
Zoom H4n sound recorder – $319
The “Zoom H4n” is a very popular sound field recorder. It’s small, powered by batteries, has a lot of inputs, it records good quality sound and it is one of the cheapest recorders of this caliber. The “Zoom H4n” is perfect for external sound recording. Why record sound externally when you can use the RØDE video microphone attached to the camera, you may ask? First of all, this portable device records uncompressed sound while the 550D records compressed. The H4n has several inputs, both XLR and mini jack, and works therefore with high quality shotgun microphones with XLR outputs. The only downside with using the H4n when filming is that it doesn’t automatically synchronize the sound it records and the video from the 550D. This means that you have to add the sound and synchronize it when editing. A good idea is to clap in front of the camera before every take, so it’s easier to sync afterwards.
Another great thing about using a field sound recorder is that you can have a person operating the microphone and recorder independently from were the camera is located. With a good shotgun microphone and a boompole, this person can get very close to the object and record good and clear sound, even though you are shooting a wide angle shot.
Sony Ecm-674 shotgun mic – $451
The sound quality has also a lot to do with the microphone you are using, and when combining the Sony-ECM 674 shotgun microphone with the ZOOM H4n I would say that the quality is almost as good as what the professionals use. And that is quite cool considering the cheap price for these products. This microphone is directional and is very sensitive for sounds appearing in front of it. You can stand several meters away from the microphone and still get good sound from you talking. It has a XLR output, which means it doesn’t work with the Canon 550D, so you need an external sound recorder, like the H4n, to use it on set.
K-Tek shockmount – $119
If you are planning on using a boompole when recording sound with your microphone, it’s a must to have a shockmount. What this do is that it absorbs the low frequent noise that appears when bumping into the microphone or boompole. The K-Tek shockmount was one of the cheapest I found, and since it had a lot of good reviews, I bought it. I have tested it our several times now, and it works very well.
Røde boompole – $129
When I was looking for a boompole, I considered on making one myself of a 20 bucks broom stick, or at least get one very cheap. I thought it couldn’t be that advanced to build one myself. But actually it’s a bit advanced. It has to be long enough so the microphone gets as close as possible to the object, it should be telescopic so it’s easy to carry it around, It should be as light as possible, it should have a good and soft grip (it’s not that warm outside in Norway, and metal gets dangerous cold!) and the end of the pole should have the right screw for the shockmount. Considering all this, I realized that the best way was to buy the RØDE boompole. It was one of the cheapest ones I found, and it seemed nice because of it’s good reviews.
XLR cable 5m – $36
You need a XLR cable for your XLR-microphone to connect it to a sound recorder. XLR cables are very robust and therefore a bit expensive, but they will last for many years. I bought a 5 meter cable which is a good length for operating the microphone on the boompole.
ND 0.6 graduated – $79
Graduated ND filters are very nice to use for wide angle shots were the sky is a part of the picture. This ND filters purpose is to lower the highlighted sky so it doesn’t get burned out easily. You will definitely get more good looking wide angle landscape shots with this filter attached to you lens. You can also choose what to make darker in the picture by rotating the filter.
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Total price 3. priority = $2498
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Total price of everything (including camera) = $4206
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Remember that this list doesn’t include rigs such as tripods, steadycam, shoulder rigs etc. which is also very important for making good looking films.
Feel free to comment below if you have any questions or if you just want to say hi. I appreciate all comments! =)
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A good review and resourceful list here. If you could also write about tripods, steadycam and shoulder rigs, it would be helpful. Now it’s time to save those penny =)
Anders, you should be given a medal.
Takk skal du ha!
Thank you! =)
I will soon upload a new video to Youtube were I show some of my equipment in a more detailed way, and the new shoulder rig I got. So stay tuned!
zip: I will probably add rigs to this post when my shoulder rig is done!
I wish I had read this before i got my eos 60d. Thank you Sensei.
Hi i just wanted you to know that you never made the video to let us know how you made your horror film with the t2i or 550d so if you have a chance can you make the making of it thanks again great job with everything.
Wow. Love you man. so many infos to use ! You are the man ! (Y) The new rig, by the way, is just perfect for me <3 ;D Thanks so far !
Anders, you’re the best! I’m debating on the T2i and 60D. I’ll mostly shoot video (wedding and events), do I go for the cheaper body and spend more on accessories or is it worth it to step up to the 60D? Thanks so much!
Hi, I like ur video style and currently adopting some of ur ideas into mine. Just watched your new uploaded video and Im interested with your new Canon Rig, I would like to buy one, and if can with the autofocus.
How much it will be for both items? plus shipping to Malaysia. :)
thanks.
Dave Schultz: Hi! Thanks! =) I would go for the t2i! No doubt.
mraimanx: Hello =) Thanks for you comment. I don’t know how much I will sell it for yet, because it’s not completely done. But I will give an update on when it’s done! Btw: I’m not selling the followfocus, sorry :/
Can you be precise about which brand of LCD viewfinder you bought? When I’m looking around for those on the internet, there seems to be a billion different ones and you can’t be sure about which are good and which are not…
Ólafur Jón Thoroddsen: Hi! Yes no problem. If you search for “LCD viewfinder SPECIAL 3:2 aspect ratio Canon 550d 60d” on Ebay, you will find it! =)
For those who wonder how to find the LED-light, you can search for “Pro 126-LED Video Light for Canon EOS 60D 550D 7D DSLR” on Ebay.
Great info mate…hope you keep it up as you have no idea just how helpful you are being to us all!!…all the best with the film and the competition..
Hey, what about a tripod? Isn’t that a top priority after the camera ;) I know you usually shoot more action oriented scenes rather than drama, but suppose you have two people talking in a room…
thanks you helped me really much!!
never thought that it will get that expensive :(
i think i will buy a view finder :)
halla! jeg lurte på om hvor du finner de to stengene på sholder riggen din?? (stengene som du fester follow focusen på :L )
JR: Hi! Yes tripods are very important. But I didn’t mention it in this review, because the tripod I’m using is simply not good enough. I have to buy a new one before I suggest any :)
I wrote at the end of the list, that tripods, steadycams, shoulder rigs etc was not included in this list :)
aksel-dev dhunsi: Hei! Du får tak i de hos Norsk stål. De blir ganske dyre hvis du ikke kjøper store kvantum, bare sånn at du vet det :)
A very helpfull review!
thank you very much, it definitely helped! =)
Hi, where did you buy your focus ring puller and for how much?
Thanks.
i want 2 buy 550d 4 movie making, first i want check hd quality myself,
what camera video setting i hv to do there while video shoot demo?
Love your work! What Camera rig do you use? I like Redrock Micro’s products but they’re so expensive!
i use avid exp pro HD on windows, to edit video..when i m exporting, the output is not coming in quality..So u plz tell me the render settings..thx
Anders,
What settings do you use on your h4n? I have seen you action and horror skit and was wondering what you did to achieve such great audio. I have a similar setup, zoom h4n, ktek boompole, and a sennheiser me66/k6 short shotgun microphone. Keep up the great work. :)
Anders, Thank you for all this information so thoughtfully provided, it is so helpful. Were you ever tempted to buy the eos 5D or 7D or do you think the T2i is good enough to produce “cinematic” films? Have you seen your T2i films (great, by the way) on a large screen? If so what did you think of the quality – do you think using the 5D or 7D makes a difference? Thanks again.
Thanks a lot, It was vey helpfull.
A new era is starting with cheaper material for film makers.
I wish you all the best and will follow you. Hope you will keep contributing and sharing knowledge
Regards
Rylan: Hi! I bought it from shoot35.com several years ago. It costed around $300 then.
Niklesh: I don’t think I understand you question. Could you try to rewrite it?
Siwei: Hi! I use homebuilt rigs =) The only equipment I use for my rig which is not homebuilt, is the followfocus from shoot35.com. Try to check out ebay for less expansive gear =)
Niklesh: I don’t use this program to edit my movies. I use Final Cut pro. But when I export, I usually use the H.264 compression with around 4000kbps video quality.
Vito Huizar: Thanks man =) I record with the mic attached to the XLR input. I switch the H4n to “stamina mode” to save some battery life, and record in 44 000 .wav 16bit. I use automatic gain control, cause it’s easier, hehe =)
Shawn Lindahl: Hi! Thanks =) There are almost no difference in the video quality of 5D, 7D and 550D. Therefor I really recommend you to go for the 550D. No doubt! ;) The quality is amazing, and it would propably look amazing on a big screen!
All others: Thanks for your comments! It’s really nice to see that people are reading my stuff =)
when u shoot the video of ur sister. what video setting like:-exposer,shutter speed, white balance, color temperature and other video setting for having flim look?
Thanks dude! This is really good information for a beginner like me!
Hey! Thanks for review of canon 550d, it’s really helpfull for me.
Great job you’r doing.
Greetings from Poland!
Are there any new information about the rig? When do you think it will be finished? I really want one! :D
i went 2 the canon store where i took some video clip by 550d..but there r much difference in internet review and actual review….its seem 2 550d never b achieve film look..what u suggest me…
So did you turn mono mix on? On you h4n. Beause only one xlr cable is only good for 1 channel.
hello, Anders .
I wanted to ask you something: how fragile is the canon 550d?
I’ve read and heard in many places that the 550d was “very plastic” and a very small camera.
is that something that gets in your way, when you are filming/taking photos with it?
take care,
André Martins
Great work. You are very talented. Can’t wait to see more movies from you. Do you also recommend the t3i?
Har et spørsmål om den nye riggen du holder på å lage. Hvilken mm er det på stengene, og hvor får man tak i de tingene som stengene går igjenom og holder stengene sammen? Takk for masse info!
hey anders,
just wondering about the 50mm lens you re suggesting. do you reckon a 35mm or even smaller would be better (thinking that the 550s a crop camera and thus the 50mm s actually 100mm or something). not sure myself either that s why i am asking. tak !
niklesh: You can’t just press the record button and expect the camera to give you beautiful cinematic shots. Much depends on the person using the camera, what settings you are shooting in, what kind of light you got on location, how you move the camera, what kind of lens you are using, how you colorcorrect and so on ;) I record with manual white balance, 1/50 shutterspeed, iso 100 max 400 and aperture around f2.8-3.5 :)
Vito Huizar: When I record with the H4n, I usually use one channel for the XLR microphone and one for the built in microhpone. It’s great to have a backup mic, in case the XLR mic gets noisy. If I only record with the XLR mic I don’t think it matters if you use mono mix or stereo mix :)
andre’martins: Hi. The camera-body is quite solid I think. I have used it for some time now, and think its great. The only thing I don’t like is the plastic feeling you get from the cheap 18-55mm lens that comes with the camera.
Mike: Thanks Mike! :) The t2i and the t3i records the same video quality. The t3i got manual sound control, which comes very handy when using external microphones (which is a must!). So if you don’t want to take the risk of downloading the “Magic Lantern firmware” to the t2i (to get manual sound control and other cool features), I would buy the t3i :)
Morten: Hei. Tror de er 15mm i diameter. Norsk Stål har noen feste-elementer som fungerer. Du bør dog kjøpe store kvantum fra dem, da det koster ganske mye å kjøpe enkelt-deler.
Takintosh: Yes, you are absolutely right. Except that the 50mm on t2i is almost like a 80mm (because of the cropping) and not 100mm :) Yes, I would go for the 30mm. Good luck!
hey Anders, no real question here but I would like to thank you for all your support in helping us novices understand more of what you know so well
youre awesome!
-from a Canadian
Hi,
I wrote you that I like your shoulder rig and I want one. I dont now if you read my comment.
Dimitri
P.S.: You are very good operator.
Anders ..thank u so much 4 yr valuable suggestion, u r master of the technique.U r right tht man skill is more imp than instruments, he can produce much quality by low budget…
Anders, you’re the bomb. You’re the number one resource for people starting out in Video. The best of luck on your new feature film – will there be an English translated version? If you’re ever in Southern California, look us up.
hey Anders i just wanted to say thanks for what your doing, all the helpful tips and all. its people like you that help us that are starting off improve as film makers.
Andy you are the man! Thanks for all this great information. I am no film maker & have 0 expertise in the field & have never filmed any videos/movie style but when I was looking for a camera for doing my own music videos (Im a musician/Producer) I saw a whole lot of ppl using this camera but you stood out of the crowd & I made my decision on buying it based on your work & look forward to sometime soon shooting a music video with it using a few of these items with your tips on settings & hopefully when I do you can come by my youtube page & check it out. Thanks again brother many blessings & goodluck with your movie/filming carrer! :-)
your the best.
Hi,
you got best accessories for serious DSLR videography. I like your videos.
Can you recommend any editing software for amateur video editing for 550D videos?
I use 550D for nature as well as astrophotography.
Thanks
bro you the man, deserve more views and subscribers on youtube.
Hi Anders, just wanna thank you for all the work you’ve done, and I am learning a lot and improving my knowledge in the DSLR world just by watching your videos. Great videos. Your videos were so good that they made me wanna buy T2i and I did. I wasn’t interested in buying a dslr till I saw your great videos:) . By the way, like I said, I am new to dslr world and just bought my t2i like two months ago, and I’ve been shooting a lot of videos in different light conditions but unfortunately the quality of my videos aren’t coming out good. In other words I am not satisfied with the quality of my videos at all. When I watch your videos I can notice a big difference between your videos and mine. Your videos look so nice and so cinematic. Do u think the problem could be in my lens or do you think I haven’t been using the correct exposure? (I am planning to buy 50mm f1.4 lens with some ND filters, and I hope i can get better videos with them).
Thanks again and keep up with the great work. Hope to see your respond soon.
When shooting at night time, have you ever gotten some weird flicker in the highlights/midtones?
As in this video I shot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlBpZWrs7_U
I was wondering if you knew a solution to that
Have you ever worked with any kind of cinestyle or flatstyle to increase the dynamic range of the t2i?
Hello Anders,
I’m fascinated with all your videos and tutorials, thank you very much for your great presentations
it’s very helpful and easy to understand.
I hope to get a similar quality in my future videos :-)
Thank you and regards from Germany.
BTW…Congratulations for your Great Movie ;-)
i m waiting 4 your answer frm very long, do,nt u hv the values of the follwers comment, can’t u type a single line to reply by giving just 5 mins as u do 2 upload yr work regularelly…
Nik: I can’t find your question, and unfortunately I don’t have time to answer all of the hundred questions I get every day. You may check out the FAQ site.
hi
first i would like to say congrats on all of your success. i own a canon 60D. i want to shoot slow motion. i set the settings on my camera at 720 60fps but when i play it back on my mac it plays at regular speed… is there something im doing wrong?
Heya i’m for the primary time here. I found this board and I to find It really helpful & it helped me out a lot. I am hoping to give something back and help others such as you helped me.
I foundthis quite insigtful thanks. I recently bought a 550D myself, with the f/1.8 50 mm prime lens.
Great review. very nice, simple list.
many thanks for these. it was helpdul. . .
Аpρгeciate the rеcommenԁation.
Let me tгy іt out.
I have seen that currently, more and more people are increasingly being attracted to camcorders and the issue of picture taking. However, like a photographer, you must first expend so much of your time deciding which model of digital camera to buy and also moving via store to store just so you may buy the most inexpensive camera of the brand you have decided to pick. But it will not end at this time there. You also have to consider whether you can purchase a digital digicam extended warranty. Thanks a lot for the good ideas I obtained from your site.
Dear Anders,
I came across your website. I have watched some of your films. Very interesting. Great work with the 550D. You live in a very beautiful country.
Me too am a DOP/Director shooting mainly corporate and Tvcs.
I would like to know the model of the light you showed in your video ( twins bulbs light with umbrellas) and where can I get it and the price please.
Thank you very much and hope we can collaborate together in a near future.
By the way I live in Mauritius. Google please to know where is my country.
Thanks and BRegards,
Mahen Bujun.