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Upgrading from GoPro

I

iampaulb

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 23, 2012
136
0
London
Ok I would imagine this gets asked A Lot!! But unable to find the answer i am after...here it goes:

If i was to upgrade from the gopro to a DSLR, what would you guys suggest? Of course the mk5 III would be option for most, unfortunally i dont have that type of cash, as well as the 7D. I have been looking at the 550D or 650D (i love the screen for video) though, although its very small in the hand?

Any one have any of the lesser Canon DSLR for video? Any examples?
 
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If you don't have an investment in Canon glass or accessories then keep in mind that the entire range of manufacturers is open to you.

I'm not trying to turn you away from Canon, not at all. But there's a lot of good equipment out there and if there's nothing locking you to a particular manufacturer, you'd do well to explore all possibilities.
 
Know that the t2i(550D), t3i(600D), t4i(650D) and 7D all have the exact same sensors. If you are trying to get into it cheaply, don't have a ton of money and want more control by magic lanterning it, just get the old t2i. The only reason to go with a newer lower end D series is for the flip out screen if you even care about that. Magic Lantern has all the functionality the other newer bodies have added and then some.

Stepping up to the 7D I would only do if still photos is in your future or durability is a factor. The 5/6xxD stuff is plasticy while the 7D is rock solid. Unfortunately Magic Lantern doesn't work with it. The only reason to go with a 7D over those is the durability, if you are using it for stills or for "pro" appearance... you won't notice much in the way of video performance except in super low light, high ISO instances. And really, the 7D doesn't do much better in low light (I've shot with them all).

Obviously with prices coming down the the 5d mkII will be the no brainer. With the rumors of the new low end full frame camera being released we should see the 5D mkII come down even more but who knows when that will be. But if you are in a crop price range and aren't going to beat the hell out of it I can't see how you can go wrong with a t2i (550D?). Save some dough on the body and invest in glass.
 
Im not sure but a GoPro to DSLR?
Thats not an upgrade IMHO.
Thats an addition.
The closer item would be a Contour or Drift.
Then maybe for pro like video a BM Cinema Camera or CF300 (okay that went a little over-board).
Canon has the new compact that uses Canon glass as well.
 
mBox said:
Im not sure but a GoPro to DSLR?
Thats not an upgrade IMHO.
Thats an addition.
The closer item would be a Contour or Drift.
Then maybe for pro like video a BM Cinema Camera or CF300 (okay that went a little over-board).
Canon has the new compact that uses Canon glass as well.
Click to expand...

Yeah id also call it an addition, but at the time being my only source of taking video is iphone4 and gopro. LOL! But yea i agree, the gopro will still be used...

as for WRP i have read that and compared the spec, the video sensors are the same up to 7D. A friend has a 7D and he just uses it on auto everything, such a waste! :( Ill look into the 550D thanks :D

what lens would you suggest i got with the body?
 
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A great addition I may add ;)
I love my new Hero 2 but wont full fill my future projects.
There is only so much dirt I can eat (and cement) with that baby ;)
My next move is the Black Magic Cinema Camera.
 
mBox said:
A great addition I may add ;)
I love my new Hero 2 but wont full fill my future projects.
There is only so much dirt I can eat (and cement) with that baby ;)
My next move is the Black Magic Cinema Camera.
Click to expand...

HAHA! i know ya feeling, my gopro has taken some major beatings, on dirt and snow! I may invest in a GoPro 2 for my next trip to Morzine in late August.

Those BlackMagic cameras look 1. DUCKING Amazing 2. VERY Expensive 3. Did i mention awesome! Reason I am going DSLR is because id like to shoot photos too. Cor if i had the money though id get one of those bad boys.

FOA: Blueroom...ill look into it. Thanks
 
I've got a 600D. If you just want video then I would say it's as good as the 60D or even the 7D. (Stills are another matter though!). I've also got a Sony Nex.

The Canon is great for video if you can plan what you shoot and put it on a tripod. You also really need to understand exposure and shutter speeds to get the best results. I tend to think of it as a old fashioned manual 16mm cine camera and use it accordingly.

For candid GoPro type work it'll probably be an exercise in frustration though. (In my case for general fun video'ing - I pretty much always reach for the Sony.) Perhaps as the others have suggested something similar (Sony Nex etc) might be better
 
And I'm getting a GoPro Hero2 with chest strap as my NEX isn't going to cut it as a biking camera.

The I look like a dork factor with the GoPro is strong. Especially with the helmet cam.

Although on a baby it's pretty cute.
0.jpg
 
blueroom said:
And I'm getting a GoPro Hero2 with chest strap as my NEX isn't going to cut it as a biking camera.

The I look like a dork factor with the GoPro is strong. Especially with the helmet cam.

Although on a baby it's pretty cute.
Image
Click to expand...
I had a Hero last winter lost it snowboarding.
The Hero2 has been solid for low lights (band stuff), skating and biking.
Ive yet to try the other lens options.
 
jeremy h said:
You also really need to understand exposure and shutter speeds to get the best results.
Click to expand...

You'll need to understand exposure for sure. But the only thing to "understand" about shutter speeds on the dslr for video is the 180 degree shutter rule. 24fps = 1/5, 30fps = 1/60, 60fps = 1/125, etc.

Unless of course you want to shoot creatively and have "unnatural" looking footage and then yes, you will need to understand how your shutter settings change your footage. I would venture to guess 99% of the people shooting with the low end DSLRs are not doing creative shutter settings or at least not intentionally.
 
WRP said:
You'll need to understand exposure for sure. But the only thing to "understand" about shutter speeds on the dslr for video is the 180 degree shutter rule. 24fps = 1/5, 30fps = 1/60, 60fps = 1/125, etc.

Unless of course you want to shoot creatively and have "unnatural" looking footage and then yes, you will need to understand how your shutter settings change your footage. I would venture to guess 99% of the people shooting with the low end DSLRs are not doing creative shutter settings or at least not intentionally.
Click to expand...


Sure - note I did add for best results...
 
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A DSLR is a much bigger pain to shoot videos with compared to a GoPro. Primarily because the mounting options will be much more limited and any hand help footage will look crappy because it's pretty much impossible to keep the beastly heavy DSLRs steady without a tripod or some other contraption. Plus, unlike with a GoPro you will have to think about technicalities such as focusing. Sure, having blurred background looks very pro, but in reality keeping accurate focus in videos with SLR lenses on large apertures is hard work. Autofocus in video mode on DSLRs is a gimmick - in practice it takes too long and makes the results look amateurish, so don't put too many hopes on that feature.

I'm not saying "don't get a DSLR", but I am saying that it's a very different kind of device. In most cases where GoPro excels, you would not be able to use a DSLR instead.
 
Yes a DSLR will not be a replacement. Just another tool that will allow you to expand your options and workflows with your projects. There's a time and place for each tool.

Now I must disagree that a DSLR is hard to mount... it depends. There's time when yes the GoPro is a safer mounting options and especially if your working with water, dirt or hard to reach areas. However theres are some great options for mounting 7D/5D onto cars, etc. I have a buddy who does this pretty well everyday shooting cars and the footage is beautiful!
 
WRP said:
doh!
Click to expand...

It's also worth noting that, because dSLRs shoot at 1/50 and not 1/48--a true 180º shutter for 24fps--mag ballast HMIs and mag ballast fluorescents (and most street lights) flicker subtly at 1/50, whereas they should not with a 180º shutter on a film camera. (In the US--of course this is different in England, for instance.)

So you might find yourself shooting at 1/60 shutter at 24fps even though it doesn't look quite as good as a 1/50th shutter and you lose a bit of stop even when on a normal video camera or film camera you would use a 180º shutter or 1/48th shutter. And there are plenty of times when it's worth considering opening up to 1/40th or 1/30th for a tiny bit more light (if it's good enough for Apocalypto...).
 
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Whichever Canon DSLR camera you get, its my understanding that the maximum record time for videos is 12 minutes or 4GB. I don't know if there is a Magic Lantern hack to override for continuous recording.
 
Lens's - GoPro video is just so so.....

The Hero 2 is not a very good video camera, a DSLR is going to be an upgrade. They will be upgrading the codec of the Hero 2 to 35Mbps soon, this year we have been told, but it's still an action can primarily but it's not very sharp really but if you have good lighting it's fine. (for those that think the Hero shoot good video try looking at 1080p footage full screen and you'll see it's not that great)

Remember when you go the DSLR route it's all about the lenses, so that's why going the micro 4 3rds route is a good option as you can use lenses from other lens mounting formats just by spacing the lens further away from the camera. Now if you go with a camera that takes bigger lens (bigger distance between sensor and front of lens) you won't be able to use nearly as many lens that you could on a micro 4 3rds camera.

I like the format because it's really designed for video, all other formats were designed before video came along so the other cameras are going to be bigger bulkier. Not a bad thing, I sold my 7D for a Gh2, the gh2 is a ergonomic nightmare but it blows the picture of the 7D out the friggin water when hacked.

You could get a GH1 and hack it - about $500 used with a lens perhaps. Hell I paid $299 for the silly Hero 2!
 
I don't think anyone and even GoPro thinks their camera is even close to a DSLR.
It's an addition, a tool basically to add to a videographers arsenal.
 
Magrathea said:
You could get a GH1 and hack it - about $500 used with a lens perhaps. Hell I paid $299 for the silly Hero 2!
Click to expand...

Whats this GH1 you speak of? Reason for going down the DSLR route is because id like to shoot stills too.

mBox said:
I don't think anyone and even GoPro thinks their camera is even close to a DSLR.
It's an addition, a tool basically to add to a videographers arsenal.
Click to expand...

Yeah i agree, theyre brilliant! i F'in love mine...ok the video quality is sometimes rubbish due to low lighting. But its an awesome camera, if you have a creative mind its even better. Plus they take a beating!!! Which is always a bonus

on another note, if i was going to get a DSLR what would be a good starter lens? which will last me a long time? Below is the body i am thinking about, heard many good things...
 

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Depends on what you are shooting. Hard to beat a 35 f/2, 17-55 f2.8 IS, 24-105 f/4, or a 70-200 f/4. But, those are all very different lenses.

Many people that shoot mostly video buy adapters and shoot old manual prime Nikon glass because it is fast and cheap
 
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