What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

I am new to wedding videography, but have worked in image capture and editing for a while. I focused more on photography and leaned heavily toward Nikon as I loved the lenses. Being interested in the video capabilities, I jumped on the D90 when it was released; however, it was quickly outdated being only 720. Since then I have stuck with Sony for video and Nikon for photos. I am interested in adding a DSLR to my camcorder lineup for some extended creative capabilities. It makes since to me to go Nikon because of my current glass; however, this forum seems heavily weighted to Canon DSLRs for wedding videography. What is so good about Canon? I hear Canon models frequently with no mention of Nikon. Are their video capabilities THAT much better? What advantages would I have in buying new glass for a different brand for shooting weddings and receptions? Can a D600 or D800 not compete?

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

You say you own Sony for video.

What models exactly?

Have you looked in to the Sony VG20, VG30, VG900 (full frame) and the ENG style Sony EA50 ? They all offer that 'cinematic / depth of field' look that Canon users basically masturbate over!

Your EXISTING glass can be used on these models with a simple Nikon to NEX adapter which will cost you no more than £30.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

That made laugh.

I think Canon had a huge advantage because it was the first (or at least first to make a splash) DSLR to offer 1080p video, so people initially gravitated towards the canon bodies. Once someone starts to invest in Canon glass, it's harder to jump ship.

Nikon came on pretty late and I've never used one, but from the reviews they have some nice camera (D800). You hear about Panasonic some since the Gh2/3 are geared towards video more than most DSLRs, but the large full frame sensors have a huge advantage in low light.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Honestly, DOF aside, and with the admission I've never worked with another DSLR, there is something just really nice about the Canon's look. Skin tones/color/contrast handling. It's just. . .nice. Like pre-graded footage straight out of cam. Can get nice looking footage even in many bleh (in terms of lighting/color of environment) situations.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Valid point here. Canon does have a certain look ... but to be fair, with most NLE's a simple color correction / grading can achieve a similar look, or help you get an even better one. It's all preference.

Just look at some of the examples on the Sony EA50 thread, loads of people have contributed top quality samples of graded footage.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Indeed. But how awesome to be able to get very nice (if not aggressively graded looking) footage right out of camera?

Standard profile, good operator judgment on everything else, BAM, nice image.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

there's probably not a huge difference between them, I have a Canon 5D MkIII cost €2,250, i think the D800 costs around the same, I've read that moire is an issue with the Nikon and the Canon is somewhat better in low light.
But i think whatever camera system you've bought into, is the one thats considered the best.

In 2006, the clever Canon marketing team introduced the EOS 350D (Digital Rebel XT) at a much lower price point than the competition and grabbed a huge share of the DSLR market that i think they still have, so more photographers own Canon than Nikon.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Hey Byron

Canon's are great and for all the reasons people have mentioned but definitely if you already have invested plenty on Nikon Glass I can easily recommend the D800, I had the luck of Nikon getting me to shoot a 4 day event with all Nikon Gear (as it was a Nikon sponsored event, big No to my Canon gear) and really only had a few gripes with it, the only real thing that puts me of is the noise that starts creeping in at a pretty low ISO range (800) but still its pretty awesome camera. The moire & aliasing is actually very good, easily as good as the MarkIII. Also the Rolling Shutter seems a bit less as the MKIII as well. Overall I do really like the image quality as well.

But you be the judge, here is the video (It has been graded but I found I can push it quiet a bit)

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Hi Byron

I shoot all my stills on two D90's and love the cameras and my lenses but it only shoots 720P video and I really don't like the form factor of a DSLR for doing handheld video either.

My solution (I shoot video and photos) is I have two Sony EA-50 cameras and they are awesome for video ..the shoulder mount form factor is just perfect and everything I need to get decent video and more importantly audio (the 50's have the best XLR channels I have ever used!!) so a standard I have really good cameras with the 18-200 stock zoom. Because it's an APS-C sensor I can get neat DOF but even better than that with Novoflex adapters I can use all my Nikon lenses too. If you had Canon glass then, of course, you would use a Canon adapter but it seems a shame to have to buy Canon lenses when you already have Nikon. I also have my favourite Nikon mount lens which is a Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 constant and it works so well on the Sony too but I can snap it off the video camera and drop it onto the Nikon body and I'm ready to do Real Estate photography.

To me that was the best of both worlds as I have a DSLR video camera that works like a video camera, sits on my shoulder when needed and I don't need to resort to zoom recorders and can also use my wireless mic setups.

Chris

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

I've shot video at weddings with the following DSLRs

Canon: 550D, 60D, 7D, 5D2, 5D3

Nikon: D800

After we tested the 5D3 all the others were sold. I truly loved the D800 for photos but it simply can't compete for video with the exception of out of camera sharpness. The D800 is sharper out of camera but then won't take much, if any further sharpening without lots of artefacts appearing. The 5D3 is slightly softer SOOC but sharpens nicely if required (most of the time it's not required).

In terms of shooting in low light (which is a lot of what happens at weddings!) the 5D3 is truly king of the hill. We can shoot happily at ISO6400 and have pushed to ISO8000+ at times and been perfectly happy with the results. For me, the D800 tops out at around ISO2000-2500 for and then introduces nasty banding and colour shifts.

Also, the 5D3 has timecode whereas the D800 does not.

The 5D3 has a better codec and higher bit rate.

D800 aliasing and moire were on par with the 5D2 (tested side by side) but is virtually none existent on the 5D2.

There are things I miss from the Nikon, in fact I really loved the D800, but the end result we found the 5D3 is by far the better camera for video at weddings due to lack of moire/alias (especially on veils etc) and incredible low light abilities when you need more DOF.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

How does focus fit in here? I use manual focus for artsy shots and for shots of still subjects (like during the vows), but I am not great with a subject moving toward me (bride entrance). I can keep focus most of the time, but I do lose it. The Nikons (D600/800) have continuous autofocus during video, even a face tracking focus. I don't think Canon has this. I can't miss this shot.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

A bit off topic but I use Canon glass on my Sony EA50 (mainly 24-105mm) for the ceremony but have to use my VG20 with kit lens (18-200mm) for the processional as i can't follow the bride with a nice slow zoom and manualy keep her face in focus at the same time

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Use the full DoF so don't focus right on the bride as she enters but be focused on a mid-point down the aisle. Take a look at a DoF calculator & get used to using the full DoF without re-focusing e.g. with a 5D & 50mm lens at F/8 if you focus on a point 10m away then everything from about 5.2m to 200+m is in focus. If you open up to F/5.6 then everything is in focus from 6m to 30m.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Nigel, thanks for the suggestion. I think that will help a great deal. With what I have read about the 5D's ability to handle higher ISO, bumping it a little to shoot at f5.6 should not introduce grain.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Peter, I liked the promo video. Good footage. There were a couple of clips that really showed off a nice dynamic range. Your post could really help convince me to stay Nikon...except for that bit about noise at ISO 800. That sounds scary for some of the low light venues I've seen. I really want to do some shallow DoF stuff to jazz the footage up a bit, but it will also need to be my "go to" camera in really dark environments. I currently am using a VG30 for Steadicam and shallow DoF shots, but it disappointed me in a dark venue a few weeks ago even with a 50mm f1.8.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

They do, but I would never use it for video I was hoping to ship. It's too jumpy and nowhere near as smooth as a proper video camera.

As said above, find a nice medium focus position or better yet find the hyperfocal on the lens and use it wisely. The 14L (yes it's expensive) has a hyperfocal distance of only 3 feet, so you can have everything from 3 foot to infinity more or less in focus if you want. It's a great lens for walk outs because you get the grandeur of the church as the B+G come back down the isle with all their friends & family around them. Far too often we see this time all zoomed in and forget to show the wider picture.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

OK. So I read the posts here and did a lot of research. I even borrowed a D600 for few days and did my own tests. The Nikon produced a great image. It was sharp and had a nice range. However, it just doesn't compete with Canon's 6D or 5Diii in low light. That is a problem for wedding shooters. I know we can always add light to these dark venues, but to me, I would rather not. I have a couple of LEDs to stick up on poles as a last resort, but I would prefer to leave them in the trunk. I really don't want to have them on camera, even at a low setting as they make it much more difficult to get candid shots. I like to be descreet while filming. Having a camera that can handle low light like these two Canons would help a great deal. I don't really want to discuss the cameras themselves, but what I have found shows video capabilities are similar. I don't need a headphone jack, as I use a dual system, so that pretty much leaves cheaper vs less moire. If I find a filter for the moire, 6D it is. If not, then bye bye to an extra $1,500 for the 5Diii. What I really could use help with is lenses. "L" glass is expensive! Do I need it? What EF mount lenses do use most for weddings? Can I buy cheaper and still get great Image quality? I have no Canon glass, so starting from scratch, what should I get first for weddings if my budget cap for lense(s) is a couple thousand? Thanks!!

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Well, just as you did with the bodies, maybe test out the glass and see what focal lengths you're happy with and decide for yourself whether you need L glass or not.

It's really just down to personal preference...

Some people claim to be able to shoot entire weddings on 50mm, and Philip Bloom, etc will often recommend this as the best starting lens to buy. But some people (like Ken Rockwell) might say instead that 50mm often feels either too wide or too tele.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

did you try the nikon d5200? according to what I have seen it can handle high iso without excessive noise. there are some test videos on vimeo which show it's capabilities, for it's low price you could invest in some good nikon glass.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

The Rokinon (Samyang in Europe) brand is really good. High quality glass and less expensive than the L glass. It's all manual though. The aperture is on the lens, so you can't use autofocus (a bigger deal if you also do photography).

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

If you are shooting primarily wedding video and not photography you can get away with less expensive glass, especially if you are shooting 1920x1080 and not 4k. Another way you can save money is to get manual focus glass, either vintage or the Rokinon/Samyang. I had a Rokinon 85mm 1.4 that compared very nicely to my Zeiss 85mm 1.4, but the Rokinon was a fraction of the price.

Another consideration in making you glass budget stretch farther is prime vs zoom. As long as you are going with a 6D or Mk3, you can get by with zoom lenses, which are as fast as 2.8. If you change your mind and go with the current crop frame Canons (EF-S), you will need fast primes for those darker receptions. By fast I am referring to 1.4-1.8. When I was shooting with 60Ds, I used a lot of fast primes, especially for the reception but now that we have the 6D and Mk3s, we shoot more with zooms than primes.

So as long as you go with the 6D or Mk3, a single zoom in the range of 24-70 f/2.8 or even 24-105 f/4 can cover the range of a 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm prime lenses. Even buying the cheapest primes, those four lenses will cost more than a single Canon 24-105 f/4 IS and you get image stabilization. The convenience of the zoom and IS does come at a price...f/4 versus f/1.4, but for the fast pace of weddings, zoom lenses do have nice advantages.

You will also need a longer lens, in the 70-200 range. The first couple of years of shooting DSLR, I used vintage Vivitar Series 1 70-210 3.5 lenses for the ceremony. They are usually $100 or less on ebay, but they do not have image stabilization. At 200mm it is very difficult to move the camera for a pan or tilt smoothly without IS. Another big negative to non IS lenses in that range is outdoor ceremonies on windy days. Your shots can be ruined by the wind at 200mm without IS.

If you don't want the $100 vintage Vivitar Series 1, you can look at third party zooms in the 70-200 range from Sigma or Tamron. I do not have experience with either one. We upgraded from the Vivitar Series 1 70-200s to the Canon 70-200 2.8 IS. Brand new they are expensive, $2500ish. You can watch for them on Canons refurbished site or watch the used market. I bought a used Mk1 version for $1400 used and a Mk2 version for $1800 used. Alot of money when your total budget is $2000, but well worth considering for future purchases.

Once you get the 24-70/24-105 and the 70-200 range covered you can start considering other options for specialty shots. On a full frame camera, 24mm is really nice and wide. For those ultra wide shots, a Tokina 11-16 2.8 is nice. It will work on a full frame camera, but you are limited to 16mm without vignetting. It's a specialty lens that you may not use very much, depending on your style. It's less than $600, which is a good price, but it only does one thing...ultra wide. I say it's a good price because the Canon 16-35 is almost 3 times the price of the Tokina. I do have the Canon 16-35, but I started with the Tokina.

If you do go with zooms, I would get a least one prime, in the 50mm 1.4 or 85mm 1.4. It's nice to have for some specialty shots for ultra narrow DoF or when it's ultra dark, but with the 6D or Mk3, f/2.8 is plenty fast for dark receptions and if it's not too dark, f/4.

The Rokinon 85mm 1.4 is about $300 and a vintage 50mm 1.4 can be as little as $100-150. I do not like the Canon 50mm 1.8. It is very difficult to focus.

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Hi Mark! You were a Panasonic guy for a lotta years, weren't you? What happened to all that gear? Are you exclusively shooting DSLRs now?

Re: What's so great about Canon DSLRs?
 

Hi Terry,

Yes I was a Panasonic guy. When the AF100 came out I gave it a try, but it wasn't for me. I still have my 3 HMC150s. They are used on our Documentary wedding coverage, but the DSLRs are used for our Cinematic wedding coverage. The Pannys are great for anything that requires a long form "documentary" type of coverage.

We started experimenting with DSLRs for our weddings in 2010 and went totally DSLR for our Cinematic coverage in 2011.