Q: Should I buy the T5i to replace my aging camcorder?A: Maybe - Camcorders are still easier to work with, focus faster and you can get a nice 1080P camcorder for less Sony HDRPJ260V High Definition Handycam 8.9 MP Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom, 16 GB Embedded Memory and Built-in Projector What you don't get with a camcorder is excellent low light capabilities that the T5i offers and the lovely blurred backgrounds you get shooting with the larger sensor at large apertures. Not to mention all the lenses Canon has to offer and of course an excellent camera capable of taking photos, none of the camcorders can take even close to a comparable photo at this time. You now have the option of the 70D from Canon which does offer camcorder like focusing power with an incredible high quality sensor. More about the Canon 70D.Q: I have a canon T3i, should I upgrade?A: Review the T3i vs T5i post above. The T5i is a nicer camera but doesn't offer a ton of new features that will make you a better photographer or produce much higher quality photos. The one caveat is the new 18-135 STM lens is excellent and buying the T5i with the 18-135 kit is a good value and one of the first longer range "walk-around" lenses that I can highly recommend.Q: I don't understand the difference between the auto focus during video of the T3i and the T5i- can you explain this simply?A: Most DSLRS have a mirror that bounces the light coming into the camera up to the viewfinder and the big brains of the camera(responsible for focusing), when you go to take a photo the camera focuses(very quickly) and then the mirror flips up(this usually is louder than the actual shutter) and the light hits the sensor and you have a photo. In live view or while filming (basically the same as live view) the mirror is flipped up and stays up, this blocks the big brains from being part of the focusing and as a result the camera focuses much more slowly as it uses the littler brain connected to the sensor and can only do it when you ask the sensor to focus, it is not capable of continuous AF. You also have the option of letting the mirror flip down for a second, refocus, and continue filming. This does cut off light to the sensor for a moment and interrupts the video. Canon has made changes to the sensor, it is now a hybrid CMOS sensor that basically has a bigger brain and is capable of continuously auto focusing while filming without flipping down the mirror or being very slow about it.Q: Is the T5i fast enough for sports photography?A: The T5i is now up to 5.3 FPS - Frames Per Second, Shooting RAW you can only get six shots before the buffer needs to clear. My direct experience with the T3i was that this buffer really took time to clear, especially if you were shooting RAW. JPEG gives you almost 22 shots before the buffer is full. So, you hold the shutter down for one second and you get 6 shots and can't take any more for several seconds. In the world of sports (except maybe your child) this is not fast enough and the buffer does not clear fast enough. If you are serious about sports the 60D or 70D is an option or buy 7D - used would be just fine and at $1000 a great deal for a serious camera. Watch my video that details burst mode shooting with the Canon T4i/T5iQ: Is the T5i the best camera in its class? A: Really hard to answer this one - And you probably need to really define the "class" you are talking about. The T5i is an excellent camera with lovely features but it isn't really a game changer (I know that this doesn't directly answer the question) And there are now loads of options. I am still Canon biased, you are buying into a huge ecosystem - tons of excellent lenses (Canon Recommended Lenses (by budget)), oodles of accessories and quality control plus customer service that is really only matched by Apple. When I am shooting weddings I am always keeping an eye on the guests and what they shoot with and Canon is still champ in numbers but cameras like the Sony NEX series and Olympus Pen are certainly on the increase. A strong alternative is the Sony a65 or the Nikon D5200Q: Can I use my old Canon lenses with the T5iA: You can use your old lenses with the t5i, unless they are really old. If they have the designation EF or EF-S they will work just fine with your T5i.Q: What SD Card should I get if I am going to be shooting videoA: You want the SanDisk Extreme 16GB SDHC Flash Memory Card It is fast, reliable and affordable, you do NOT Need the ones labeled Video, they don't offer anything different and the SanDisk Extreme works perfectly for video and photos. If you will be shooting LOADS of video with the canon T5i grab the 32GB versionQ: If I am primarily interested in video - is the T5i or the D5200 a better dslr for videoA: The T5i is easier to work with but the D5200 is excellent in lower light and allows clean/uncompressed HDMI out. Two downsides to Nikon D5200 1. can't change aperture during video or even when live view is turned on. 2. Kit lenses on the Nikon stink and you really need to shoot with a better lens. Primes are great option, so is the SIgma 17-70 C. My review of the Sigma 17-70C.Q: Earlier Rebels could only film for 12 minutes, What is the movie recording limit on the T4i?A: The limit is now 29min and 59seconds. With a fully-charged Battery Pack LP-E8, the total movie shooting time approx. 1 hr. 40 min. at room temperature and approx. 1 hr. 20 min. at lower temps. Remember that each 20 minute clip at 1080P is going to be nearly 10GB. A complete list of recording limits of the T2, T3i, T4i, T5i and D5200.Q: Should I buy a spare battery? and if so third part or canon?A: I would buy a spare, battery life is good -about 500 shots- but it is always nice to have a spare around and I might even say essential if you plan on shoot lots of video. Buying the Canon Brand LP-E8 for the T4i (same battery used for t2i and t3i) is safest but there honestly is little chance anything bad will happen from using a 3rd party battery other than it might not last quite as long. Though in my experience with the Rebel XT 3rd party batteries were just fine.Q: How is the Canon T5i Touchscreen? Do you accidentally press it with your nose?A: The Canon T5i touchscreen is excellent, this isn't a cheap resistive screen we have seen on other P&S cameras, rather it is a screen very similar to the Apple iPhone and iPad screens we all know and love - it is fast, responsive and for now Canon still offers physical buttons for all the controls so you the touchscreen's use is entirely optional, though I think you will find it a much faster and more intuitive way to change settings. - Video Demo of the Touch Screen. In over a year of use of the T4i/T5i screen I have not once accidentally activated the screen.Q: Will EF Lenses work on the Canon T4i?A: YES - EF and EF-S lenses work on the Canon T4i. EF-S do NOT work on full frame cameras like the 5D Mark II and III. My list of Canon Recommended lenses.Have a question not answered here? 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Back in August I answered a few questions from Carson about filming with the T4i. A friend of his is a tour guide in Mexico and asked him to do a promotional video for the company, Mayans' Explorers. Now Carson has a background in television production but hadn't shot with a DSLR before, he basically wanted to know if I thought the T4i would suit his needs and had a few other questions that we worked out answer to together. Caron recently shared the results of his trip and work. This video was all shot on the T4i and a GoPro - basically dry shots are the T4i, wet stuff a GoPro.Get to know Mayans' Explorers from Carson Hunt on Vimeo.I asked him if he had any advice to share on shooting with the T4i -
The main thing for me was "think before you shoot". Think about what priority you want for your shot... motion blur, no motion blur, depth of field, etc... then set your shutter, aperture and ISO accordingly. For me, I stayed around a shutter of 50 most times to match my 24p frame rate. That way I achieved a nice cinematic look. Since so much was shot outside, my ISO was almost always at 100 and my aperture riding somewhere between f8 and f11.
I thought this would be an excellent time to share just a bit more about shooting video with a DSLR. Shutter speed and frame rate do work together and can provide different looks depending on the speed and rate you choose. Carson mentions this above with his comment "a nice cinematic look." Traditional film is shot at 24 frames per second and we have become accustomed to this look. The general rule of thumb is to shoot at a shutter speed that is twice your fps or frame rate. for 24fps you would want to shoot at 1/50 of a second. 2 x 24fps is 48 and a shutter speed of 1/50 is as close to 48 as you can get. Continue this "rule" of doubling your shutter speed and shooting at 30p=1/60 and 60p=1/120. At the faster frame rates many complain that the video is harsh and almost has a strobe look. Even 48p apparently bothers some (see all the hubbub about the Hobbit being shot at 48fps). One huge benefit of the 60fps is the ability to slow it down to 30fps and get very nice smooth slow motion.What happens if you don't follow the rule of doubling? Slower shutter speed will lead to smeary video and faster shutter speed will lead to a staccato/strobing motion.One last thought for your brain - Shutter speeds of 1/50 to 1/1/20 are pretty slow and in bright sunlight you will be shooting with your aperture set to f/8 or higher, as Carson mentioned above. The good news is focus will be easy with a large depth of field, the bad news you lose the option of having that lovely shallow depth of field that makes these cameras so fun to shoot with - though it isn't always appropriate and when shooting the Mayan ruins it's nice to have everything in crisp focus. But what if you wanted the option? Any ideas? There is a solution - Take a guess, don't be shy. Post a comment below if you have an answer or want to ask a questions.Update: The answer was posted - A Variable Neutral Density Filter. For those that don’t know – an ND filter is simply sunglasses for your lens, they cut the amount of light down so in bright light you can either shoot at slower shutter speeds(i.e. blur waterfalls) or at wider apertures to get that shallow depth of field look. A VARIABLE ND filter allows you to rotate and dial in the amount that the filter darkens the image. Very useful for video work but the good ones are not cheap. If you want a recommendation let me know what lens(es) you will be using as each needs to be sized correctly. Carson adds that he did use a circular polarizer on most of the outside shots. I have written about CP filters elsewhere and this is certainly another use - they make the sky bluer and cut some of the light. Thanks for reading!
