Lenses question for HD Video

Howitzer

Howitzer

Howitzer

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Getting a Canon 650D soon.

Keeping in mind I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to camera equipment I have a choice on lenses:

A single 18-135mm lens OR an 18-55mm & a 55-220mm lens.

The majority of my work will be HD Video, though I'm edging into photography too, hence the DSLR.
Which of these options should I go for?

I am guessing the main advantage in video would be depth of field on the subject? Would the quality of separate lenses be better than that of a sinlge wider-ranged lens?

Any advice would be much appreciated :)

Cheers!
Howie.
 
Well one of the 650d's features is the smoother continuous autofocus which is only available when using STM lenses (these lenses are also even quieter than USM ones so there's no constant whine of AF if you record sound).

The new 18-135mm is an STM lens and is one of two available so I chose that as my kit lens. Seems like a half decent starter lens and you get a bit more range than with the basic 18-55 but with the STM feature. The other STM lens at the mo is the 40mm pancake lens but this doesn't have IS which is handy for video I guess.
 
I see.

I'll check to see whether the 18-135 is STM. Though if I get an external mic later on it will matter less. I'll have to think on that.

Thanks both for the help :)
 
Tysonator said:
I think the AF on the STM lens is a lot slow than the USM versions.
You my want STM lens for Video and USM one photography.
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Whilst I'm not sure if it's faster/slower than regular USM lenses, it certainly isn't slow. The only regular USM lens I have is my 100mm macro and the AF on that isn't really one to compare to.

The slow and gradual focus is only for video.
 
I suppose even a separate mic could pick up sounds in a very quiet environment but the slower more gradual AF is more pleasant to the eye than the quick shuffle back and forther lol.

That being said sometimes its a bit too slow :/ so you can't expect it to be like a camcorder. There's examples on youtube :)
 
-|ScottFree|- said:
You should be focusing manually when recording video.. Recording audio is whole other learning curve... To start with a rode videomic will at least improve things..
Click to expand...

Yeah but manual focus isn't often practicable at wide apertures, and continuous focus needs to be used instead. Trying to simultaneously zoom and focus using an aperture of f/2.8 for a sports competition is a nightmare I don't want to repeat. Even with a prime lens where zooming isn't being done is very difficult at f/1.8 or wider.
 
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Energize said:
If your recording video in any kind of serious capacity an external mic is really essential. Eliminates any concern about autofocus noise too.
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If you in anyway serious you would be focusing manually anyway.
You need to get some exteral focus throwing hardware installed on the lens to assist and changing the viewfinder helps as well.
 
Energise why would you film sports or moving objects at such a wide aperture. Close it down, bump the ISO...

There is a misconception regarding video on a DSLR and that is the because we have the ability to shoot shallow, it should be employed at every given opportunity. You really should be stopping down. Shooting sports, or anything that is moving at 2.8 and your image will be soft and out of focus.. Shooting at 1.8 is a specialist type of shot and should not even considered for anything other than to create an effect.

Start shooting your video at F8 and above and see the improvements in sharpness, detail. You will be plenty shallow with 135-200mm lens and your shots will be far more usable.

Auto focus should never been used when using a DSLR...again unless for effect..otherwise, never!!
 
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-|ScottFree|- said:
Energise why would you film sports or moving objects at such a wide aperture. Close it down, bump the ISO...
Click to expand...

Because riding arenas are not well lit in general. At night it often becomes necessary to use ISO 6400 @ f/1.8 for stills. I would love to shoot at f/8 but I am confined to the possible.
 
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-|ScottFree|- said:
Energise why would you film sports or moving objects at such a wide aperture. Close it down, bump the ISO...

There is a misconception regarding video on a DSLR and that is the because we have the ability to shoot shallow, it should be employed at every given opportunity. You really should be stopping down. Shooting sports, or anything that is moving at 2.8 and your image will be soft and out of focus.. Shooting at 1.8 is a specialist type of shot and should not even considered for anything other than to create an effect.

Start shooting your video at F8 and above and see the improvements in sharpness, detail. You will be plenty shallow with 135-200mm lens and your shots will be far more usable.

Auto focus should never been used when using a DSLR...again unless for effect..otherwise, never!!
Click to expand...

Sadly the problem isn't even only confined to video, far too many stills photographers have purchased FF cameras and fast primes which they only shoot at at f1.8 for some reason. I hope the fad goes away like the over the top HDR and Selective colors, with more sensible use of DoF control.
 
D.P. said:
If you in anyway serious you would be focusing manually anyway.
You need to get some exteral focus throwing hardware installed on the lens to assist and changing the viewfinder helps as well.
Click to expand...

Is that how it's possible to manually focus on a viewfinder as small as even a full-frame camera when recording video?

Always wondered that. I expect they come in variants of magnification?

EDIT: Ah - LCD viewfinder adapters.
 
-|ScottFree|- said:
Energise why would you film sports or moving objects at such a wide aperture. Close it down, bump the ISO...

There is a misconception regarding video on a DSLR and that is the because we have the ability to shoot shallow, it should be employed at every given opportunity. You really should be stopping down. Shooting sports, or anything that is moving at 2.8 and your image will be soft and out of focus.. Shooting at 1.8 is a specialist type of shot and should not even considered for anything other than to create an effect.

Start shooting your video at F8 and above and see the improvements in sharpness, detail. You will be plenty shallow with 135-200mm lens and your shots will be far more usable.

Auto focus should never been used when using a DSLR...again unless for effect..otherwise, never!!
Click to expand...

D.P. said:
Sadly the problem isn't even only confined to video, far too many stills photographers have purchased FF cameras and fast primes which they only shoot at at f1.8 for some reason. I hope the fad goes away like the over the top HDR and Selective colors, with more sensible use of DoF control.
Click to expand...

It's been a bit of a revelation to me in the past couple of weeks about getting to f8 and whatnot after endlessly trying to take photos with the shallowest DOF possible.
 
alexthecheese said:
Is that how it's possible to manually focus on a viewfinder as small as even a full-frame camera when recording video?

Always wondered that. I expect they come in variants of magnification?

EDIT: Ah - LCD viewfinder adapters.
Click to expand...

You can also change the optical viewfinder, KatzEye are popular:
http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/

The viewfinders on moderns SLRS are design with AF in mind, if you are doing MF work then alternative viewfinders are preferred. In particular modern viewfidners do not show the true DOF for any aperture faster than about 2.5-2.8. That means if you are trying to focus at f/1.4 you are looking at an f/2.8 image, what is worse is that some lenses will exhibit a focus shift at different fast apertures so what would be a correct focus at f2.8 will be wrong at f/1.4 for example. Focus shift is most common on fast primes.....

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/slrs/5d/focus-screens.htm


Otherwise yes, bigger and brighter viewfinders are possible. And for video work the tend is to turn the LCD into a large viewfinder
http://www.zacuto.com/z-finder-dslr-viewfinder



For video work you will want to use some kind of focus rakc system to get more fine tuned control in MF mode:
http://philipbloom.net/2010/01/09/two-very-different-follow-focus-systems-for-hd-dslrs/
http://www.deathfall.com/forums/content.php?7216-DSLR-Follow-Focus-and-Rack-Focus-Made-Simple

The best rack focus system tend to make near-irreversible mechanical changes to the lenses.

Focus systems are often integrated into a should mount for example:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=812123&is=REG&Q=&A=details



Also, Manual focus lenses tend to be preferred starting point, bonus points for Nikon for having a large back catalog of MF lenses that have been used in Hollywood through the years. With Canon I think you can mount the older canon lenses through adapters.
 
DP - read all of that. Is there a cheap all-in-one solution that I could get that would suit my Nikon D5100? The quality may not be up there at the 5D level, but it is still excellent and it'd be nice to be make more use of it. :cool:

Reading your stuff again that looks like a lazy question - will do some more digging.
 
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