Canon T3i: Affordable, Professional IR Videos
Looking to make your own investor relations videos? Before you break out your Apple iPhone or Sony Handycam, consider buying a Canon Rebel T3i DSLR with an 18-55mm lense. The ~$700 camera is a staple among professional digital photographers and videographers, and can be used to shoot very high quality video that rivals a lot of professional equipment.
Click Here: View the Canon Rebel T3i on Amazon
What’s the Big Deal with DSLRs?
The difference between using camcorders and DSLRs is in the sensors. With their large sensors ability to control aperture, DSLRs like the Canon T3i can create high quality narrower depth of field. An example of this is the effect that you see when a shot is focused on an interviewee’s head with the background blurred or when the focus shifts between two objects.
For more information on using DSLRs for video, check out these resources:
- Vimeo – Introduction to DSLR Cameras
- DSLR Video Shooter
- PC World – How to Shoot Great Video with a DSLR
So, What’s the Catch?
While they can shoot very professional video, DSLRs like the Canon T3i aren’t exactly designed for it and have some key shortcomings. Many of these problems can be solved with third party components, but this does add significantly to the cost of any setup.
Here are some of the key drawbacks:
- Small Screen – The small screens on many DSLRs makes it difficult to frame shots and shortens battery life significantly. However, there are some fixed LCDs that can be purchased and attached to the camera to somewhat solve this issue.
- Poor Audio – DSLRs aren’t designed to record great audio, which is why it’s very important to use third party audio equipment. For example, a Zoom Recorder with some lapel mics or a shotgun mic can help greatly enhance your videos.
- Storage & Heat – DSLRs are known for their small storage (be sure to bring plenty of SD cards to any shoot) and heating issues that may require that you turn off the camera every couple of hours for a bit to let it cool down.
- Zooming Stability – Zooming with a DSLR means moving a lense, which can cause some shaking in the video. There are not many easy ways to solve this problem, but in general, it’s a good idea to keep major zooming to a minimum.
