New Video Shoot Imminent

Ok so, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and shooting my next project on a HDSLR. I've managed to get my hands on a Canon 500D aka Rebel T1i. This is NOT the new fancy shmancy 7D in a plastic body aka Rebel T2i aka 550D, this is its 30fps 720p little sister. (No disrespect to Wil for lending it to me) but on closer examination, I'm learning the hard way of all the limitations this camera has in terms of video use or what canon like to call-Movie Mode. I'm shooting for a music video with a web release only so 30fps will be fine in this instance & I really want to try out a HDSLR on the field before I take the plunge myself. At this stage I'm tempted to go for the 7D as the build quality of the T1i is more plasticy than I expected. My cheap as chips Nikon D50 is more sturdy than this fella.

Anyway, I'm beginning to realize why the T1i 500D did not make the impact it could have when first released. I can't seem to find a way to manually control ANYTHING with this camera. The flicker from a tungsten source is maddening as you can't do anything to compensate it, but hay, its for a music video, so I'll live with it for now. No control over ISO and its a night shoot, I'll just have to push the exposure compensation up 2 stops and cross my fingers. The only saving grace is that I'll have total control over aperture. I have ordered a EOS to Nikkor lens adapter off Ebay allowing me to use my Nikon glass with this camera and thus giving me aperture control. (you can set the aperture with the stock lens, by setting the camera to aperture priority mode, choosing the aperture and the unlocking the barrel and twisting the lens slightly till you get an error reading, then flicking back to movie mode, essentially disconnecting the lens from the camera).

So until that part arrives from the UK (hurry up! it was ordered on saturday! It's only ash!) I've been experimenting with the camera and popped it on my Fig Rig. With the strap round my neck pulled taught, I can get surprisingly very smooth movements & its much lighter that having the HV30/Letus35 rig attached. Only problem is focus, but again its a music video, so I'm allowing for these inadequacies now and calling it "style" later on. I'm not prepared to fork out for a remote control follow focus just yet.

Funny thing is, I was contacted by a record label in London to make this video and it turns out to be for me old mucker Corrugated Tunnel! (see below).

I'll be posting more progress as this experiment continues.