Anyone using a Canon 500D here.

[fairy bombs]

Just wondering if anyone here is using a 500D rebel,I was pondering buying one-my son has just started doing a film and T.V editing/production course,so was thinking he might be able to use the video function for some of his assignment work.The school has gear they loan out to students,after a few lessons on camera's he feels the dedicated sony would be a lot easy to focus-he is videoing some remote control cars.He said the footage,when focused properly from 550D's is better than the much more expensive sony,but the later much easier to use.

Apparently,these DSLR's with video setting are being used more and more for various doco's etc,but quite a lot of mastery is envolved,before really good results are obtained.My son said one of the teachers sited an example when a ABC story had some behind the scenes story of the band 'powderfinger' was aired,the camera guy had a DSLR and all the footage was out of focus,as the screen was hard to see on camera.But they had to use some of the footage.

Anyhow just wondered if anyone had a 500D,I have a 450D,and have been very happy with it (I think it may over expose a bit-but more likely operator error) and the price of the 500D is very reasonable at present.

Thanks for any thoughts FB

[andylo]

Got a 500D here.

It actually has a "manual-AF", which requires you to depress the '*' button. But it will also record the AF motor's noise into the video.

My brother was a camera reporter and he used my 500D for some fun video work and he's exclusively using manual focus and IMO he's pretty good at what he's doing.

[Bennymiata]

Manual focussing on the DSLR's is really required when doing video work, as the auto focussing when using video is virtually non-existant, and when you push the focus button, it can hunt back and forth for quite a while before it does focus properly.
However, with a little bit of planning, manual focussing works really well, and I use it often.
Just get the shot set up and focus manually, or, put the camera in a normal single shot mode, then use the auto focus to get the lens focussed on the right spot, and turn off the AF switch, then set to video and go for it.
Obviously if you manually set your aperture etc for the video, use a smaller aperture so you get some good depth of field, and then the focussing will not be a problem.

Learing to follow focus is a good art to learn anyway, and it can be done easily on a DSLR with some practice.
Using a 500, it costs nothing to experiment and if your son likes what he's doing with it, it shouldn't be much of a hardship to learn to focus manually.
After an a hour or so of practice, he'll find it easy. You learn with each lens too, just how much to turn the focus ring when things are moving away or towards the camera.

Having said that, a dedicated video camera will auto focus quite well, but the image you get from a chip so small as they use (a quarter of an inch or about 5mm square) is no comparison to the image you get from a big sensor, like the 500 has.

If the lenses he's using have IS built into them, the IS works when you're videoing too.

[fairy bombs]

Thanks for advice,I will get him to have a read of these replies,particularly the last one.I have a 70-200 F 2.8 L and it takes
some lovely images on the 450D,on a 500D in video mode-should get some good results.

I see this thread http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?80197-quot-Serious-7D-Kit-quot and the gear is amazing.
I wonder how much that eye piece thing costs? it certainly looks like it would help quite a bit for videoing.

I will get my son to ask the class instructor,what would be his thoughts on 500D and some of my good lenses vrs a Sony cam corder for around
$1200.I have seen some footage from a 500D and it was nice and sharp.

[pmack]

main problem with dslr video is that you get a jelly effect in the video if the camera is a bit shakey or panning a little too fast

[MarkChap]

Sony and Nikon (thanks to Sony Technology) are the only 2 DSLR manufacturers with Auto focus during actual recording video mode. Canon do not have auto focus available during actual recording of video.
The Nikon's, D3100 and D7000, can both be very hit and miss with the auto focus during video, manual focus is much more reliable.

The video from a Canon or Nikon DSLR will be a much higher quality that that from a "camcorder" due to the encoding used, with a "camcorder" you are using the AVCHD (Audio Video Codec High Definition) codec, at least some Sony DSLR's are now doing this as well, that will get you about 1 hour Full HD (1080) video to 16 gig of memory, the Canon DSLR will give about 20 minutes to the same 16gig of memory.
DSLR's are not designed to be used to "chase the action" they are more designed to be set up on a tripod, let the action happen, then reset for the next scene and record again, then reset for the next scene....................

[Jaded62]

I have the 500D and love it as a still camera, hate it as a video camera. Lack of AF makes it all but useless unless the position is fixed. My 10 yo Sony Digital Camera kills it for usability and quality.

[fairy bombs]

Thanks 'Markchap' and 'WhiteD3',really good to read your thoughts,A dedicated Sony Cam Corder or similar sounds as if it would be more suitable to my son.
Who is mainly interested in video rather than photography.

[unistudent1962]

My 17yo daughter is doing FTV as a subject in Year 12 here in Brisbane and keeps borrowing my 550D over the full HD camcorders she can borrow from her school.

Given the fact that most of the coursework they do requires them to write scripts and shoot scenes, the lack of full time AF is not an issue, at least for the documentaries etc that she has been filming.

She's typically been using it on tripod with a 50 f1.8 or a 17-85.

[pmack]

Sony and Nikon (thanks to Sony Technology) are the only 2 DSLR manufacturers with Auto focus during actual recording video mode. Canon do not have auto focus available during actual recording of video.
The Nikon's, D3100 and D7000, can both be very hit and miss with the auto focus during video, manual focus is much more reliable.

DSLR's are not designed to be used to "chase the action" they are more designed to be set up on a tripod, let the action happen, then reset for the next scene and record again, then reset for the next scene....................
Well you can do one-off (each time you half press the shutter) autofocusing with the canon during filming, but it is terrible as it hunts, and is not intended to give usable results, just basically for re-focussing on the scene without having to put down the mirror or operate manually.

If they could make DSLR's work with fast panning and vibrations without causing the jello effect, while still keeping it an affordable stills camera, they would. So i wouldn't say that they were designed to work best on a tripod, it's just the nature of them. Though no doubt they will get better.

[Spanrz]

I have done some bits and pieces of 'sport' videos. I have a KISS X3.
The 500D, I have no problem with it as such, but you do have to keep an eye on your focus.

I've learn't a lot about the 'hunting' for focus. I was a 'hunting for focus tragic'. Haha.
It seems that manual focus is a key point to get used to, whether we hate it or not.
Master it and you should have ripper vids.

I think to get it right a scene would have to be shot a couple of times?? And use a an editor after.

Though, my thoughts are, I use the DSLR where possible and then use my HD camcorder for vids.
I did buy my KISS X3 for astrophotography and the HD camcorder for the vid side.