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Hello. I am fairly new to shooting dslr video. For the past several months, I've been shooting with a Canon t3i // Canon 50mm f/1.8. I'm now looking into wider (budget-ish) lenses. Obviously there are some really really nice ones I could get for $1000+, but for right now I'm looking for something a little cheaper.  The main two I've been looking at are the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 and the Sigma 30mm f1.4. My main concern with the 17-50mm is that I'm not going to be satisfied with the f2.8 and might want something even faster. I want my shots to look very cinematic and professional, which this may be a good lens for that, I don't know. My concern with the 30mm is that it won't be wide enough. I don't like how close up my 50mm is on a glidecam, when I shoot outside and want to get a wide shot of the landscape or something. I'm just not sure that the 30mm will be THAT different from the 50mm. Working on a tight budget, I need my lenses to be usable for many different things until I can build up my inventory. The kinds of videos I would shoot are promo videos and weddings, mostly, but I also want to shoot videos of outdoor adventures I go on.   I plan on renting lenses before I make a final decision, but I wanted to get some input before I even did that.   Thanks for your help in advance,   Josh

Hi everyone, this is my first post to the forum.   I have been contracted by the school that I work for (as an English teacher) to create a short film (7-10 mins) about 20 Mexican students that will be studying with us for the better part of a month. The idea I have is: - student walks into a coffee shop and tries to order a coffee, but the barrista can't understand him. - student goes to the school, and a montage of studying, field trips and dramatic music starts. - montage ends and the student is back at the coffee shop ordering a complicated drink like a pro. - next there will be some comments by the students about their adventure to Canada.   1. What do you think of this story line? 2. I currently have a t3i + kit lens +50mm 1.4 +  40mm 2.8. I don't have any microphones aside from the one in the camera. Also, I am thinking of purchasing a Tonika 11-16 to aide with the shots,  or some quality lighting equipment. I have a budget of about $700 so I can't get all 3. Do you think it would be the most beneficial for this project to buy a nice shotgun/ stereo mike or the wide angle lens or some pro lighting? Which choice would really pump up the quality of the video to resemble something that is nice for the students and their parents? 3. Has anyone had experience with a DIY stedicam? can you point me in the direction of one that worked for you?   Although I the school won't be using the video for marketing purposes, it is intended to be a passive form of marketing, where if it turns out well, the students will show their friends and it will be passed around that way.   Thanks so much for your time!

Hello,   I've spent weeks researching, and I've decided to turn to some aficionados.   First up, Camera: I've found that the GH2 is the best price/performance camera. Is this still true today, or are there better ones, such as the Olympus E-M5? Or, would it be best to wait -- do you think there will be anything extraordinary worth waiting for in the first few months of 2013?   Lastly, Lens: I've seen some people use old TV SD 2/3" Lenses, like B4 and C-Mount, etc. Are these worth it? I've heard that (for the most part), the IQ isn't very good, and there's a large amount of work (modifications) to get them to work.   Should I instead be looking at native lenses, like the Leica 25mm? Lots of people talk about anamorphic lenses, and the Voigtlander f/0.95. It seems like almost everyone raves about the Voigtlander, and while it seems expensive, is it truly worth it (price/performance) over say the Panny 20mm or even the Leica 25mm?   Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope this topic helps others as well! -Josh