[Paul Sholly]

Thanks everyone for the awesome input. I feel like I actually have a clue in regards to what I need to be looking at. The only trouble now is finding a retailer that isn’t sold out of T2i’s!

[Paul Sholly]

Indeed. I think I can trim my budget by buying some Nikon E series lenses off of ebay. They seem less expensive than the Canon lenses I was looking at.

So far I know I need

Z-Finder
Assorted lenses (some Nikon E series)
Zoom H4n
ND filters
Tripod

Can anyone recommend a good tripod for under $200?

[Paul Sholly]

This is all starting to sound like way more money, time, and research then I was hoping it would be. I’m thinking about just saying screw it and getting that HMC 150. :/

I’ll need a good zoom lens and all sorts of prime lenses. And to add to that, I know practically NOTHING about lenses. I’ve been doing some research but I still don’t know what works best for what situation.

Many people seem to recommend a shoulder mount, but footage with shoulder mounts still look like shaky doodoo. Glidecams/steadicams are nice, but even the cheapest and smallest versions aren’t “cheap” and require dozens if not hundreds of hours of practice.

If I can only use $2400 for DSLR accessories it doesn’t even seem worth it to go that route.

Furthermore, no one has actually told me what THEY would buy if they were given $2400 to buy accessories. But hey, in lieu of that I have gotten some pretty excellent and thoughtful suggestions and resources and I want to thank you all for that.

[Paul Sholly]

Well if I got a handheld glidecam I would be able to practice and hopefully eventually make it look good.

[Paul Sholly]

I hope to be able to go on some wedding shoots, maybe some music video shoots as well. So yes, I’ll be doing some outdoors work. I imagine I will be doing some scenic stuff and some interviews.

Even with shoulder mounts, hand held seems to be pretty shaky on dslr’s. There doesn’t seem to be much to gain by spending hundreds of dollars for a shoulder mount that doesn’t really do much for the end product. I’m thinking of getting a handheld Glidecam (about $550).

Also, I’ll definitely look into those older Nikon e-series lenses. Is there any lens you believe is a MUST?

[Paul Sholly]

Can I ask what advantages you gain from using Nikon lenses vs Canon lenses? Was it just cheaper for you since you may have already had some Nikon lenses around? Also, what size polarizing filter and neutral density filter would I need? I notices there are so many sizes (52mm, 62mm, 72mm, 77mm, so on) and I wonder if these mm sizes refer to.

[Paul Sholly]

Thanks. That’s a really awesome post.

[Paul Sholly]

Thanks! I was definitely considering a tripod and external audio recording device. What about for handheld stuff? Can anyone suggest an affordable option there that would offer good image stabilization? Also, the stock lens for the camera is 18-55mm. Would that suffice for a 35mm lens, or do you still recommend a separate 35mm lens?

Also, does anyone have some good resources on the drawbacks of filming with DSLR’s?

Thanks for the responses.