Best rebel series for film making

[Paulyfe12]

I have looked at the t2i t3i t4i t5i and even the t6i as a worthy buy for a film making camera. The issue I am having is making sense of all the minuet differences when it comes to film making and video only as most reviews focus mostly if not all on pictures. I figured the t2i or t3i shooting raw using magic lantern would get me the detail I want for post production editing. However the thought of causing issues with my camera scares me. Which is why I have a few questions. Btw my up coming project is going to be an action/horror film. Basically requires detail for post editing and use with adobe after effects and a good amount of low light shooting.

1. Is there a point in the rebel lineup (t2i t3i t4i t5i t6i) where the features given by magic lantern become default on the camera? (Thinking of raw footage, slo mo, etc). And of course if one model has features that don't benefit a film maker then please let me know to drop that option.

2. would the Panasonic gh4 with the metabones speed booster (raises low light performance) be a better choice for overall film making for the money or is the price for that setup just way too much compared to the cost efffectivness of the rebel series?

3. Is there a speed booster(or something that raises low light performance) for the canon rebel series?

This is going to be my first dslr and my first serious dive into HD film making. A good friend told me to work on my story telling and shot setup before taking this leap. But I realized where the ceiling for picture quality, editability, and shot design without the great glass and components of a dslr.

Any help would be great, thank you

[John_SD]

Film making?

[Paulyfe12]

Short films, indie, trailers, etc.

[RobertTheFat]

A Rebel - any Rebel - is a still camera, not a video camera. Its video capability is basically an add-on. Your requirements make it sound as though you need a video camera. Is there some reason why you're not going down that road?

[Waddizzle]

The best way to answer your questions is to gain some experience.  In fact, you may have bigger questions looming at you.  Camera selection is important, but it is just the beginning of the process of producing a feature length film.  In most cases, post production is more time consuming than the filming phase.

1.  I would not recommend installing Magic Lantern on a new camera that is still under warranty, although there are a great many people who swear by the software.  I would note recommend installing it on a camera that is out of warranty, either, because I feel it pushes the limits of the hardware beyond the design limitations.

2.  I am not familiar with the GH4 and the Meabones boosters, although I have heard of them before.  A Rebel would not be my camera of choice for shooting a feature length film.  In fact, most DSLRs are tend to overheat with extended use in video mode.  I would suggest that you aim a little bit higher than a Rebel, quite a bit.  Looks at the Cinema EOS C100 cameras.

3.  I am not familiar with any speed boosters for Rebels.  Seeing how Rebels are such a poor fit for serious vide applications, I doubt if anyone has produced one.  Boosters are for cameras with poor dynamic range, and limited ISO range.  Or, for use with lenses with narrow apertures.  I would recommend buying better gear, instead of resorting to such gear.

In general, DSLRs are not designed for making feature length films, although some of the top of line models can do it, and are designed to be able to do it.

[Paulyfe12]

I was looking at dslr's due to them being kinda the next rung on the ladder as far as tech goes for me and I wouldn't be doing anything longer than 45 minutes. As well as the price tag being lower than the c100 so I could afford some glass. Had no clue the c100 even existed actually. I pretty much went online and looked up bet beginner cameras for film makers and dslrs were the only ones on the lists. So I figured that would be a good starting point.

[Waddizzle]

---

@Paulyfe12 wrote:
I was looking at dslr's due to them being kinda the next rung on the ladder as far as tech goes for me and I wouldn't be doing anything longer than 45 minutes. As well as the price tag being lower than the c100 so I could afford some glass. Had no clue the c100 even existed actually. I pretty much went online and looked up bet beginner cameras for film makers and dslrs were the only ones on the lists. So I figured that would be a good starting point.

---

Would 45 minutes be the length of an edited "film."  Or, would that be the length of a continuous shot.  I ask because DSLRs are limited to 29:59, or less than 30 minutes.  Furthermore, DSLRs tend to overheat with extended use in video modes.

A Rebel is a good place to start.  I would recommend the T7i, but it has a smallish battery.  A better choice would be the 80D for film making.  LIke I said, Rebels are not well suited for shooting video.  They are designed to be easy for new users to learn how to shoot still photographs.  The ability to record video is an afterthought feature, added only because the nuts and bolts to do it are already there in place.  All it requires is additional programming in the firmware.

[Paulyfe12]

Yea it would be an edited 45 minute film, continuous shots would only last about 2 minutes or so. And like I said I have been using very low level stuff, at one point I was playing with iPhone videos just as a means to work on editing scenes together and setting up transitions. But like I said the use of lenses and depth of field changes give a cinematic look and feels. That's kinda where I felt like Next step would be for me.

I have looked at the t7i, but like I stated in my question, I am curious if it's features extend way beyond what's important. Like wifi connectivity, and photograph only focused features aren't too important to me. That's why I was leaning towards the t5i as it seems to possess the best video recording abilities of that group and the t6i and t7i have extraneous features that would not be usable for my needs. Basically, the best functioning of the bunch for video recording, video quality, low light performance, etc

[Paulyfe12]

I'll have to look at the 80dband see if it's feasible price wise

[Waddizzle]

---

@Paulyfe12 wrote:
I'll have to look at the 80dband see if it's feasible price wise

---

Check out the Canon Online Refurbished Store.  There is a link in the lower right corner to the home page of the Canon E-Store.