Lens for Video

I just bought the Canon 6D. I shoot a lot of video and I'm looking for a great lens with image stabilization. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM fits the bill. But, the best buy is the canon EF24-105mm f/L IS USM. . It can be had as a “white box” for around $700 bucks.
I just watched a videographer film an entire commercial with a 5D Mk III and the EF24-105mm f/L IS USM.
But you did not state a specific requirement except IS.
EOS 1Ds Mk III, EOS 1D Mk IV EF 50mm f1.2 L, EF 24-70mm f2.8 L,
EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II, Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 EX APO
Photoshop CS6, ACR 8.7, Lightroom 5.7

Similar Messages

Replacing my stock 18-55mm kit lens for video. Would love some expertise!

Whats up guys! I'm really trying to retire my stock 18-55 kit lens. 90% of the work I do is video production/commercial/music videos all filmed on my cropped sensored T3I Rebel.. I'm one of the people who believes it's no about the equipment, but who's behind it.. Well, to a certain extent lol.. But I currently own a 50mm-1.8 prime as well as a 35mm-2.0 prime and I've been really happy with the quality those produce, however, I can't use those lens's effectivly when I'm on a track,crane or flycam since what you can see in the shot is so limited.
I've really been considering the 17-40mm F4 L lens. Can anyone back this lens up? Will it suit me well for video production and pull super sharp images? I'm not so concerned about how far it can zoom since I have my prime 35mm and 50mm which basically act like a 60//80 on my cropped sensors. So I really need something like my stock 18 but much nicer quality.. Does this lens still let in good light with it being a zoom & F4?

JLRoyal42,
We're glad to assist you with a new lens for shooting your video productions and commercial, music videos. The EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens would be a good choice for this type of work.
Another great lens would be the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. This lens lets even more light into the camera if this is a primary concern. Both being 'L' series lenses, they are made with the highest exacting standards. They work well as zooms for video too because they maintain their aperture across the focal range.
I hope this helps you make a decision as to which lens you pick!
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Wide angle lens for video camera

I apologize in advance for being so off topic, but I know some of you fine folks use a Panasonic PV GS500 mini dv. I'm not having any luck finding a wide lens or screw on wide angle adapter. I believe the threads are 43mm. Any suggestions? Something cheap would be just fine, this is more about learning FCE and not about producing awesome epic films.
Thanks
L
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Try this on the the video production forum. You're more likely to find camera types there.
http://www.classondemand.net/classondemand/final-cut-training/fcp5.aspx

What's the best EOS for video?

Hello,
I'm in the market for a new DSLR. Obviously I want beautiful photos, but the video is almost more important. I would love to get the 7D, but I'm interested in whether there is a more budget friendly option that is just as good. What about the 60D?
Or perhaps a Rebel T3i or T4i?
Thanks for your suggestions!!

If video on a budget is your primary desire, the T3i or 60d with Magic Lantern would be my choice. ML will give both cameras essentially the same functions (which are IMMENSE with ML on board), but the 60d is going to have a few extras you may prefer in a stills body (plus little things like ease of swapping batteries on some tripods because of battery door placement). That said, if you can get a refurb T3i for $360 vs a 60d for $600 (black friday prices), I would get the T3i hands down. That is a LOT of camera for the money at those prices. Too bad it shows T2i out of stock, but at >$300 it's obvious why!!!
Lenses make a difference in stills quality, but for video not as big, especially for what you want to do. There is NO reason you need to spend $1000 on a lens for video. An HD video image is about 2mp. A still will be 18mp. So obviously the quality of glass will have more affect on IQ for stills than video. Basically, any lens that is good enough for stills will be good enough for video. Not necessarily the other way though. That's why people like to use old MF lenses for bargain finds for video. There are other things to consider such as focus ring placement and smoothness for video use. For example, the 50 1.8 is perfectly fine for stills but the focus ring is in a bad spot for racking focus for video use.
I don't see a substantial enough reason to get a T4i over a 60d/T3i when it costs more than either. There is AF in video mode but after seeing it in real life action it isn't as impressive as it is on paper, and not worth the extra cost considering what the other two can be had for IMHO. I don't see the 7d as being a good choice for what you want.
I suggest the 60d and T3i because if you're doing video, that swivel screen will pay for itself immediately. I reach for my 60d over my T2i for video every time because of the swivel screen. Heck, I grab my SX20 for video (if I'll be outside or in good light) over the T2i BECAUSE of the swivel screen alone.

Wide angle lens for Built-In iSight? (MacBook Pro)

Hi,
I'm looking to use my MacBook Pro for a video conference, but the angle of the lens is so limited.
Are there any lenses you can put over the built-in camera that allow for a wider angle?
Right now, everyone has to sit one on top of another to be seen by the speaker. I would like to be able to create a little bit of a semi-circle so participants can see eachother while also seeing the speaker.
Any help? Anyone heard of anything?
I can imagine even a convex piece of plastic over the camera might do the trick. Don't know, but doesn't seem impossible. Even if there's mild distortion in the picture, the bigger view would be worth it.
Not really looking for a fish-eye, but more a wide angle or something that gives a bit more of a panorama effect.
Thanks.

Hello andintroducing
One disadvantage of the built-in iSight is its lack of any easy way to mount accessory lenses like those that can be used with an external iSight equipped with this Kaidan iSight Accessory Kit. This kit includes a threaded lens adapter ring that can be used to mount a 37-mm auxiliary wide-angle lens. The adapter ring can also be purchased separately.
On occasions when you need a wider field of view than your built-in iSight offers, other than rigging some wide-angle auxiliary lens to your MBP, the best I can suggest is to consider a second webcam that has a wide-angle lens. I have tested with a MacBook user who was comparing video from his built-in iSight with a QuickCam® Fusion™. The external camera offered a much wider field of view, and the video quality was fine. If you consider this alternative, I suggest you take your MBP with you when you shop. Doing so will let you "try-before-you-buy" so you can be certain whether the webcam is wide enough for your needs.
If you do not want to use a second camera, you can buy a wide-angle auxiliary lens for a camcorder and mount it in front of your built-in iSight.
Depending on your ingenuity and skills, you might want to mount the auxiliary lens with some kind of hanging mount like bent wire that would hold the lens in front of your iSight. Another simple method would be some kind of adhesive like double-sided tape or TAC Adhesive Putty.
Neither of these mounts would be very stable, esthetically pleasing, or permanent, but they could provide a quick, easy test to determine whether it would be worth the time and cost to develop a more elegant solution.
If you do try some of these suggestions, please post back your results. Whether you find what works or what does not, your information will be helpful to those who have the same need.
Cheers,
Jim
Mac OS X (10.4.9) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight

Panasonic HFS014042 14-42mm Zoom lens for Panasonic GH4 and greenscreening in After EEfects

I'm going to be doing a weekly show out of a 20' long x 13' wide home studio, with greenscreen wall at far end, 2 people seated at a desk 10' feet into the room, and camera at the near end - with talent and green screen lit separately. I'll be using Adobe Creative Suite CS6 for processing video, with After Effects for Keying out background, and Premiere as non linear editor.
I'll be using the Panasonic GH4 and have been looking for a lens that's not too expensive.
Anyone familiar with or have thoughts on this one (which goes for under $200 and has gotten good reviews even though it has a plastic mount as opposed to metal)
Amazon.com : Panasonic HFS014042 14-42mm Zoom lens for Micro third cameras : Compact System Camera Lenses : Camera & Pho…
I've seen other lenses in the $400 range, which I would consider.
I think the $1000 ones are outside of my price range for now.
Thanks for any suggestions.

You're probably going to get much more help on a forum dedicated to Panasonic GH4 users.

Please make recommendation for ~300mm lens ... And a general lens for a 70D

I have a new 24-70mm f2.8 and want something to compliment it for the longer distances. I'm thinking something between 250-400 would be good but not sure which one(s) are 'better'. This would mostly be used for indoor/stage shooting with some outdoor of kids plays, concerts or playing etc. maybe something in the 55-300 range?
I also have a new 70D (just took it out of the box) . So also looking for a recommendation on a USM to use with it for video - something mid range that would be good for most situations.
All input welcome!
Body: Canon 6D, Canon T1i, Canon Elan II,
Glass: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Canon 18-55 kit lens, Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6, Canon 50mm f/1.8,
Flash: Canon Speedlite 430ex ii

Maria this is a problem!....."... can't afford another expensive one after the 24-70 f/2.8L !!"
There is not going to be a huge assortment of lenses that come in the quality and sharpness of this lens. You got the best first, kido. Now, if you are going to put something with it just as good, it is going to cost large. And likely be heavy but the
24-70mm f2.8 is no featherweight! I rarely recommend a lens not in the Canon stable but, lately, I have come to see there are a few off-brand lenses that do come close to Canon performance at a much lower price.
My top choice right now, for you, is the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM. It is around the same weight as your 24-70mm and is much less expensive. The best part is, it is very sharp.
I own this lens and can testify to it's superb performance. It is a best buy.
EOS 1Ds Mk III, EOS 1D Mk IV EF 50mm f1.2 L, EF 24-70mm f2.8 L,
EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II, Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 EX APO
Photoshop CS6, ACR 8.7, Lightroom 5.7

Wide-Angle "Lens" for iMac?

We just purchased new iMacs for each of our three offices so we can use iChat for video conferencing. I'm finding that it's hard to get everyone into the picture when we have large meetings. Is there something I can stick onto the camera to make it "wide-angle" so it gets a wider shot?
Thanks!

You want each location to have a crowd of personnel in front of each
Macintosh? If this is the case, you may have to consider an external
digital camera; or look into third-party devices to accomplish this.
There is a way to do that on-screen multiple-party meeting/chat in
the OS X on one screen and the persons at each location will appear
but after a point, and on a small screen, that may be marginalized.
In that case, only the persons in front of the camera would be seen.
The older external iSight camera with 50mm lens was more available
to consider lens adapter ideas; since it was more like a real camera
and there are slide-on parts that could be adapted to that, for a wide
angle effect. (I have a little background in cameras, film, lenses.)
For the internal iSight camera, adding a lens over the little camera
port may be a hit and miss thing; & attaching it with velcro or some
other device seems like a frankenstein or rube goldberg moment!
The older external iSight cameras are harder to get; but they had
the advantage in being separate from the display. A few ideas on
that, and hints of adapting those, can be read about here:
http://homepage.mac.com/john_kenn/video-links.html
There may be a way to change how the internal lens "sees"
but from what I could find out (not having the iSight to try it)
the software suggested here may not be what you need:
http://www.stanford.edu/~mturk/gloyd/index.html (re: gloyd)
Another direction, perhaps unsupported officially, may
be in this utility? for iSight to see if it can perform;
maybe if the computer's camera were farther from those
needing to be seen by it, could help. Not sure of this:
Shareware, may have demo version.
"Total control of your mac's webcam"
http://www.ecamm.com/mac/iglasses/
This can pan and zoom, but don't know if it would be practical!
Good luck & happy computing!

Quicktime plugin does not load on FireFox 4.01 says Waiting for Video

When i go to Apple Trailers and view a trailer the popout box opens but message in window is " Waiting For Video ". Have re-installed quicktime still doesnt work, works ok in IE 8 still.
== This happened ==
Every time Firefox opened
== since installing Firefox 4.1

You are using the '''first beta release''' of Firefox 4; it is not meant for general public use. Not all plugins may yet be updated. Only experienced testers should be using that new beta release. When using an early beta release of any application, you can expect problems. You can go to the Quicktime site and/or Quicktime forums to see if there is information there concerning the compatibility of your version of Quicktime with Firefox 4.
'''''Other Issues''''': ~~red:You have installed plug-ins with known security issues. You should update them immediately.~~
'''Install/Update Adobe Reader for Firefox (aka Adobe PDF Plug-In For Firefox)''': your ver. 9.3.2; current ver. 9.3.3 (important security update release 06-29-2010; see: http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb10-15.html)
~~red:Check your version here~~: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
See: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Using+the+Adobe+Reader+plugin+with+Firefox#Installing_and_updating_Adobe_Reader
''You may be able to update from the Adobe Reader installed on your system'' instead of going to the Adobe site and downloading. Start > Program Files, find and click Adobe Reader to open, click Help, click Check for Updates.
''If you go to the Adobe site to download the current Adobe Reader:''
-'''use Firefox to download''' and '''SAVE to your hard drive''' (save to Desktop for easy access)
~~red:-See the images at the bottom left of this post to see the steps to take on the Adobe site~~
-exit Firefox (File > Exit)
-check to see that Firefox is completely closed (''Ctrl+Alt+Del, choose Task Manager, click Processes tab, if "firefox.exe" is on the list, right-click "firefox.exe" and choose End process, close the Task Manager window'')
-double-click on the Adobe Reader installer you just downloaded to install/update Adobe Reader
*'''NOTE: On Vista and Windows 7''' you may need to run the plugin installer as Administrator by starting the installer via the right-click context menu if you do not get an UAC prompt to ask for permission to continue (i.e nothing seems to happen). See this: http://vistasupport.mvps.org/run_as_administrator.htm
*'''NOTE for IE:''' Firefox and most other browsers use a Plugin. IE uses an ActiveX version. To install/update the IE ActiveX version, same instructions as above, except use IE to download the ActiveX installer. See: [[ActiveX]]
*Also see: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Adobe_Reader ~~red:'''''AND'''''~~ [[How do I edit options to add Adobe to the list of allowed sites]]

The auto play for videos resets everytime a new video starts, how can I get it to keep the settings I want?

Every time a new video plays, it resets the settings to the default. How can I change the settings for video playback?

Using a plugin ''(and which one)'' or with HTML5 < Video > ?

Incorrect and Un-Changeable 'Video Kind' for Videos Purchased From iTMS

Since I can't seem to find any other way to contact Apple except through paid support channels, their suggestion is to post something here. Hopefully this re-wording of other posts I've read will shed more light on the problem.
To Apple:
Some videos purchased from the iTunes music store have an incorrect 'Video Kind' which means they are sorted incorrectly in iTunes using Apple's new interface in version 7.
Old Battlestar Galactica episodes have a 'Video Kind' of 'Movie' instead of 'TV Show', so they don't appear in the iTunes smart category as TV shows. They appear in 'Movies', and they shouldn't.
The field for these files is locked/ghosted/unchangeable, I'm assuming because of ridiculous DRM requirements or an oversight. But you are enforcing rules which cause your program to incorrectly sort files, and not allowing your customers to fix the problem.
I want all my TV shows to list in your 'TV Shows' top category, but I can't change the 'Video Kind' for those files (bought via the iTunes music store). I have expected this problem to work itself out in the last few iTunes updates, but it hasn't yet. And there are many threads about this in your discussion forums.
Please unlock the 'Video Kind' field in iTunes for videos downloaded from the iTunes music store (Prison Break Season 1, Battlestar Galactica, The Office Season 1, Surface, etc), or give us some kind of utility that will allow us to correct the mis-categorization.
Thank you!
-Tony

I quite agree. I'm not sure how much attention, if any, the iTunes dev. team pay to these groups however. The formal feedback route is via iTunes Feedback, where sadly, I suspect, not much attention is paid either.
tt2

'Best for video' greyed out in displays prefs

I finally got my macbook(blackbook running 10.5.8) hooked up to my lcd tv (i have been using my old eMac for this a while) & I'm fooling around with the settings to optimize performance & for some reason the 'Best for video' is greyed out in System prefs/Displays but the overscan function works(both in extended desktop mode & in video mirroring mode. I have always used this function on my eMac (OS X 10.3.9) without any problems. For now I'm using the apple mini dvi to video with an Svideo cable until i can afford to go either the hdmi or vga route, but I'd like to optimize this at least..anybody have a clue why 'Best for video' would be greyed out & how to fix this? could this be because of the Intel GMA 950 Gpu chipset in this generation of macbooks? I have posted to a few forums in the last few days with no answers so far...Anybody?

I wouldn't worry too much about that setting. I believe all it ever did was set up a difference between blanking and black level, sometimes called "pedestal" in TV/video terminology. It's no big deal. You are probably correct that the GMA950 doesn't support it, so it's grayed out.

Dual 17'' Displays and an NTSC Monitor for Video Editing

I am trying to hook up two 17'' apple monitors and an NTSC television monitor for video editing, but all I have on the back of my G5 tower is one ADC plug and one DVI plug. Any advice on how to make this work would be greatly appreciated.

If you run in anything other than the LCD's native resolution your graphics card will be resampling the image. This inevitably distorts the image as pixels must be discarded to create the display. Typically this softens the image.
Cheers,
Neale
Insanity is hereditary, you get it from your children

Thinking to buy a new 15inch macbook pro retina display. Aim to use it for video editing and compositing... Is ıt worth for it?

Hi... I am a freelance filmmaker. Now I have 2008 model mac pro and I am thinking to buy a new macbook pro 15 inch retina display. Do you think its worth for it? I aim to use the macbook mainly for video editing, video compositing (after effects) and photo editing. My current old mac pro has 12 GB and the graphics card is ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256 MB (Yes I still use it). My main question is, do you think its better to move to macbook pro or upgrading the old one? Making it 32 GB of RAM and buy a new NVIDIA cuda capable graphic card? I dont have enough budget to make it together... Want to hear your suggestions...

I'm not sure, I've seen pro animators use MBPs but usually with a large monitor. Especially doing video editing, compositing and editing it might make more sense to upgrade the Mac Pro to an SSD as the boot drive. What kind of CPU setup is in your Pro?
Check these out:
mac pro SSD upgrades?
SSD as system disk while users folder + data on HDD
Early 2008 8-Core Mac Pro GPU Upgrades
I deal exclusively with OWC. I'd call them and walk them through your system and see what they say.
What you do takes a lot of CPU, RAM, graphics and boot disk power.
I've upgraded my two computers to SSDs and the first thing I noticed was that Photoshop CS6 opens in 7 seconds vrs. 50 seconds when the application was on a HDD.

Specs and workflow for creating opening/closing titles for video

I'm trying to create specs/workflow for videos that I will be adding opening and closing titles to (black background with colored text), using QuickTime Player 7 (Pro).
The videos are .mov, AVC coding, 1280x720, millions, 30fps, a sample video had a data rate of 7,463 kbits/second.
I created 1280x720 300dpi (perhaps I should have used 72dpi?), saved as a .jpg (highest quality), then copied the .jpg contents into a QuickTime Player 7 (Pro) blank document multiple times until I had enough frames for my need. The resultant video was very large; 339,743 kbps/second. I then exported to H.264, which brings the data rate down to only 214 kbits/second (and looks fine) and then copied that into the head of my AVC coding video.
Questions:
1) When I exported to H.264, the x pixels increased by 6, to 1286. After pasting that video into the AVC coding (1280x720) video, the resultant movie is 1280x720. Did my graphic get compressed by 6 pixels horizontally?
2) Does my method of converting the huge graphic movie to H.264, and then pasting it into the AVC coding make sense? The combined video has AVC coding, according to Movie Inspector; does the H.264 of the graphic get converted automatically? Any better way to approach creating my titles?
Note: these AVC coding videos may get converted to H.264 for some use, but for now, I'm keeping the highest quality (source) video I have to work with.
Thanks,
Bob

"First, tell use why you're not using FCP's titling and keying capabilities."
I don't own FCP.
"Then, explain why you're doing it this way."
I'm able to create graphics with plenty of control in a graphics program (PhotoShop in this case).
"There is no dpi in video, there are only pixels."
Sorry, I posted my thread then realized I left out a bit of info, but couldn't edit the post. I should have written that I created my graphics file in PhotoShop, hence the dpi reference.
"A black background for text is not the same as using an alpha channel."
OK. The portion of my video with titling stands by itself; that is, I'm not overlaying titles on existing video. Is there a use for alpha channel if I'm working up standalone title video frames? Uses less data rate?
It seems from your inference I would be best served by purchasing FCP, so I'll probably take that advice and buy it.
From a general video production point of view, I'd still like to learn more about creating titles in a graphics app and bringing them into QT Player; what format to bring them in as (e.g., H.264 into an AVC coding video, as I've done, or ?), and what happens when my graphics video gets converted from 1280x720 to 1286x780 (AVC export to H.264), and then brought into an AVC codec movie, and the movie remains at 1280x720-- does the graphic get horizontally widened, or the vertical compressed? Thanks.
Bob

Lens for Video

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