Alright this is to get rid of all of the T2i z0mg Shood I buy eet? threads. So these are the things you need to worry about with DSLRs, and also the good things.
Pros:
Solid State Memory:
One of the huge benefits of having a DSLR is they use SD cards as apposed to Mini DV or more expensive P2 cards(Also solid State, but more expensive). Personally I think Solid State Memory helps streamline editing because you can playback, delete, and sometimes even cut clips on the camera.
Quality:
The quality of footage from lots of DSLrs is simply amazing. By quality, I do not mean the filming, that is up to the filmer, but the actual resolution of the footage is great. This can also be bad though because it takes a powerful computer to handle HD footage.
DOF:
DSLRs have the ability to get really short depth of field. Which you cannot get with camcorders. Unless you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Keep in mind that to be able to get a short DOF your lens choice will be very important. A fisheye won't give you a short DOF and neither would f/22. To get a narrow DOF in broad daylight its pretty much essential that you purchase an ND filter which costs around 70-130 dollars.
Cons:
typing this on my phone, so it will probably be short and sweet.
1. The quality is good, yes, but most dslrs have one CMOS chip as apposed to the 3 CMOS or 3CCD's of most good video cameras. Thus, DSLR's will have less dynamic colors and are not able to pick up colors as accurately. The censors are smaller, so the lowlight performance is much worse.
2. Lens options are very limited. Yes, DSLRs have lots of lenses, but for filming scootering/skating, you need a fisheye, and DSLRs have very few fisheye options.
3. The audio is terrible. the stock mics on DSLRs are absolutely terrible. The audio sounds harsh and scratchy and you need magic lantern or something like it to get even acceptable quality audio.
4. Battery life. The battery life on DSLRs is horrible. Even with an extended battery the camera overheats and has to be shut off. I know t2i's are especially prone to overheating while filming for a long time.
5. Overall the comfort of filming with a DSLR is not good. They are not well balanced and they are very uncomfortable to hold and shaky when filming lines.
6. DSLRs lack a lot of setting that camcorders have, such as steady shot and ND Filters.
7.DSLRs are manual focus, so it would be harder for the regular filmed who just uses AF on their camcorder. You going to need to know which settings will enable you to keep the rider in focus, what settings you want to make him OOF and then focus accordingly. This may be a problem, but all decent filmers should be using manual focus anyway.
8. Zooming is much harder on DSLRs due to the fact that there is no zoom rocker. It is all done manually with your hand. It is hard to the camera steady if your zooming at the same time. If your lens isn't a constant aperture lens, the exposure will alter quickly while zooming. Focus is also an issue when zooming.
So overall when you get a DSLR the initial cost is only about half of what you will need to spend to get a decent setup, but if you spend the money you can get some good footage. In my opinion DSLRs will never match Camcorders in comfort or easy of use, but they are equal in many regards.
Pros:
Solid State Memory:
One of the huge benefits of having a DSLR is they use SD cards as apposed to Mini DV or more expensive P2 cards(Also solid State, but more expensive). Personally I think Solid State Memory helps streamline editing because you can playback, delete, and sometimes even cut clips on the camera.
Quality:
The quality of footage from lots of DSLrs is simply amazing. By quality, I do not mean the filming, that is up to the filmer, but the actual resolution of the footage is great. This can also be bad though because it takes a powerful computer to handle HD footage.
DOF:
DSLRs have the ability to get really short depth of field. Which you cannot get with camcorders. Unless you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Keep in mind that to be able to get a short DOF your lens choice will be very important. A fisheye won't give you a short DOF and neither would f/22. To get a narrow DOF in broad daylight its pretty much essential that you purchase an ND filter which costs around 70-130 dollars.
Cons:
typing this on my phone, so it will probably be short and sweet.
1. The quality is good, yes, but most dslrs have one CMOS chip as apposed to the 3 CMOS or 3CCD's of most good video cameras. Thus, DSLR's will have less dynamic colors and are not able to pick up colors as accurately. The censors are smaller, so the lowlight performance is much worse.
2. Lens options are very limited. Yes, DSLRs have lots of lenses, but for filming scootering/skating, you need a fisheye, and DSLRs have very few fisheye options.
3. The audio is terrible. the stock mics on DSLRs are absolutely terrible. The audio sounds harsh and scratchy and you need magic lantern or something like it to get even acceptable quality audio.
4. Battery life. The battery life on DSLRs is horrible. Even with an extended battery the camera overheats and has to be shut off. I know t2i's are especially prone to overheating while filming for a long time.
5. Overall the comfort of filming with a DSLR is not good. They are not well balanced and they are very uncomfortable to hold and shaky when filming lines.
6. DSLRs lack a lot of setting that camcorders have, such as steady shot and ND Filters.
7.DSLRs are manual focus, so it would be harder for the regular filmed who just uses AF on their camcorder. You going to need to know which settings will enable you to keep the rider in focus, what settings you want to make him OOF and then focus accordingly. This may be a problem, but all decent filmers should be using manual focus anyway.
8. Zooming is much harder on DSLRs due to the fact that there is no zoom rocker. It is all done manually with your hand. It is hard to the camera steady if your zooming at the same time. If your lens isn't a constant aperture lens, the exposure will alter quickly while zooming. Focus is also an issue when zooming.
So overall when you get a DSLR the initial cost is only about half of what you will need to spend to get a decent setup, but if you spend the money you can get some good footage. In my opinion DSLRs will never match Camcorders in comfort or easy of use, but they are equal in many regards.
