After working with DSLR cameras at college, I decided I would buy one myself to improve the quality of my films. I purchased a canon 650D with a 18-55mm lens and a fixed 50mm lens. I knew the basics from college but had never been brave enough to fully explore the cameras features for fear of breaking it! but now I had my own, I had the opportunity to do so!
There are hundreds of different settings and I could ramble on for ages! Instead I will mention a few of my favourites.
Probably the most helpful id the moveable display screen. It flips away from the camera and rotates making particularly low and high angle shots much easier to get right. There is also the option to switch between the display screen and the viewfinder when taking photographs.
Aside from the physical features, there are also several in-camera features to enhance the footage. I recently filmed a music video in monochrome, without having to add effects during editing. My favourite photos are those that are in black and white so instantly adding the effect gives me the finished product straight off!
The ability to alter ISO and aperture can help to create a variety of moods within shots - bright and happy, dark and tense before editing has even begun.
I recently purchased a shotgun mic to accompany my camera. So far its working great! It attaches easily to the camera and provides clear sound much louder than that recorded by the cameras internal microphone.
This is my favourite piece of equipment and to anyone looking to get into photography or film I would definitely recommend this product. For me the additional recording switch to the on/off button makes putting the camera into film mode a lot quicker which is why I chose the 650D as opposed to the 600D. I hope to invest in more lenses in the near future, the first on my list being the micro lens for extreme close up photography!
