New to the world of films

[Salah Yousef]

Am not that good with camera lenses. Does mm stand for millimeter ?

 

Also, could you explain to me what's Variable ND-Filter please ?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tiffen-77VND-VARIABLE-FILTER-Camera/dp/B004Z55VP0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376372603&sr=8-1&keywords=Tiffen+77mm+Variable+ND-Filter

Edited August 13, 2013 by Salah Yousef

[Aapo Lettinen]

Am not that good with camera lenses. Does mm stand for millimeter ?

 

Also, could you explain to me what's Variable ND-Filter please ?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tiffen-77VND-VARIABLE-FILTER-Camera/dp/B004Z55VP0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376372603&sr=8-1&keywords=Tiffen+77mm+Variable+ND-Filter

Yes, mm for focal lenght (in lenses) or diameter of the mounting thread (in filters) .

 

Variable ND is basically two polarizer filters stacked together, when rotating one of them the light transmission changes.

They are not full substitute to real ND filters, but are very useful when filming small budget stuff outdoors (they are fast and easy to use) .

 

You can buy variable ND and/or other filters with only one big enough thread size, and use step up / step down rings to fit them to different lenses. Then, you only need one set of filters for all your lenses, considerable cost savings B)

 

I personally use an modified (self-adapted to 15mm rods) chrosziel 411-1 sunshade with few 4x4 glass filters and lots of Cokin P-series filters with self-made adapters. ---> same idea of using only one set of filters for all your lenses

[Salah Yousef]

Canon 50mm f1,8 II

Tiffen 77mm Variable ND-Filter (or any other one but that one is good and not too expensive)

 

Check the internet to find out why you want to have them.

Thank's Daniel. I will buy the 50mm this week :D

 

Aapo appreciate your reply. I will check the filters on Amazon soon.

Edited August 17, 2013 by Salah Yousef

[Randy J Tomlinson]

dslr with good video capabilities is usually the best choice for low budget narratives, experimental films etc. and you can also take photos with it, gaining experience in both filmmaking and photography.

For documentaries, home videos etc. however, it is usually more practical to use real video camera for better usability and speed.

 

 

i do not agree with that. lets assume he will buy a DSLR camera. first he might be excited until he compares the picture with thus made on a real video camera (e.g a Canon EOS C100)

i tried that myself and i will never again. a DSLR camera still is a photocamera. ok the the videos are nice for the private hobbyist but with the canon 5D mkII you have the moire and aliasing issue and unless you buy a expensive filter you wont get rid of it!

 

nowadays you can get real nice full HD cameras for the price of a DSLR.

if he has a budget for a DSLR camera he better invest in a SONY HVR Z1 which i personally think it way better than a DSLR. he probably would even get away with half the price he pays for a DSLR.

 

i have been asked many times to do some camerawork with a DSLR for budget reasons and i always reject. i explain them why and in most cases they agree to use a videocamera rather tan a DSLR. (for real budget stuff i have a sony HVR Z5U)

 

respectfully

randy

[Amrit Sandhu]

Hi, I too purchased a new camera and set of lenses recently.

 

What I'd advise when you get your camera is a 50mm 1.8 lens. You can move the camera back and forth to get a wider or close shot.

 

The T2i is supposed to have the same sensor as the other 2 (I could be wrong here however there are some good reviews on youtube on the canon cameras and comparisons).

 

A solid tripod with a video fluid head is a must. I found a second hand manfrotto on ebay. Get a cheap skateboard and a large smooth mdf board as your slider. You can get a mini cheap tripod to put the camera on to change it's angles on the skateboard.

 

Sound is very important. Any kind of boom mic will give you flexibility on shots. Just don't use the onboard camera mics for sound.

 

Of course you'll need a decent spec computer to be able to edit this footage. After fiddling with pcs I settled for a Mac. One with plenty of RAM and a great seperate graphics card.

 

There are cheap ways of doing this stuff, but even the cheaper ways will set you back about £2000.

 

If you're just after the experience then you can of course always film on your phone and using windows movie maker. Light wise you can get these cheap 160 LED light panels off ebay.

 

I would also get a community of like minded individuals together. Perhaps you can have shared purchases whereby you share an item. You can also film together.

 

Hope this helps a little.

Edited September 23, 2013 by Amrit Sandhu

[Aapo Lettinen]

What I'd advise when you get your camera is a 50mm 1.8 lens. You can move the camera back and forth to get a wider or close shot.

 

 

I'd recommend old Nikkor lenses for an aspiring filmmaker over the low-end Canon models. Nikkors have far better mechanics and usually nicer bokeh compared to for example the Canon 50/1.8.

Chromatic aberration can be an issue if used wide open, so it's usually good to close the aperture one stop. Therefore, the Nikon 50/1.4 or 35/2 in AI-S series are, in my opinion, almost the best you can get with a small budget for smaller sensor cameras :lol:

For photography, tho, the 50/1.8 Canon can be better because it has autofocus...