Is the Canon 70D Good for Newbies?

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

nnowak said:

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I am very much a video newbie, so take my comments with a huge grain of salt...

For still photography, yes, the 70D is a fantastic camera. It works great right out of the box, but has plenty of features and customizations available as you gain experience. Outside of full frame, it is probably one of the best all-around cameras.

For video, things aren't as rosy. The dual-pixel AF and tilt-swivel touchscreen are both great features for doing focus pulls and for tracking subjects with AF. However, the actual video quality is just mediocre, at best. The 70D generates 1080p by skipping lines on the sensor, instead of reading data from the entire sensor. This destroys detail and negates most of the low light advantages of the larger sensor. Also, the readout rate and bitrate are too low, which again destroys detail and introduces artifacts. The 70D is usable, but there are much, much better options.

It is a bit out of your price range, but one of the best current DSLRs for video is the Panasonic GH4. I am not sure how it compares, but the new Panasonic G7 may also be an option, or even the compact LX100. Another option would be the previous generation GH3. I think all of these cameras would produce video quality that easily surpasses the 70D.

If you are still considering the 70D, check out "Magic Lantern" and the RAW video capabilities as it greatly improves the output. However, it will require extensive post processing to reap the benefits.

Click to expand...

skanter said:

nnowak said:

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I am very much a video newbie, so take my comments with a huge grain of salt...

For still photography, yes, the 70D is a fantastic camera. It works great right out of the box, but has plenty of features and customizations available as you gain experience. Outside of full frame, it is probably one of the best all-around cameras.

For video, things aren't as rosy. The dual-pixel AF and tilt-swivel touchscreen are both great features for doing focus pulls and for tracking subjects with AF. However, the actual video quality is just mediocre, at best. The 70D generates 1080p by skipping lines on the sensor, instead of reading data from the entire sensor. This destroys detail and negates most of the low light advantages of the larger sensor. Also, the readout rate and bitrate are too low, which again destroys detail and introduces artifacts. The 70D is usable, but there are much, much better options.

It is a bit out of your price range, but one of the best current DSLRs for video is the Panasonic GH4. I am not sure how it compares, but the new Panasonic G7 may also be an option, or even the compact LX100. Another option would be the previous generation GH3. I think all of these cameras would produce video quality that easily surpasses the 70D.

If you are still considering the 70D, check out "Magic Lantern" and the RAW video capabilities as it greatly improves the output. However, it will require extensive post processing to reap the benefits.

Click to expand...

The OP can simply look at 70D videos on Vimeo and see for himself if video quality is sufficient for his needs.

Click to expand...

nnowak said:

skanter said:

nnowak said:

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I am very much a video newbie, so take my comments with a huge grain of salt...

For still photography, yes, the 70D is a fantastic camera. It works great right out of the box, but has plenty of features and customizations available as you gain experience. Outside of full frame, it is probably one of the best all-around cameras.

For video, things aren't as rosy. The dual-pixel AF and tilt-swivel touchscreen are both great features for doing focus pulls and for tracking subjects with AF. However, the actual video quality is just mediocre, at best. The 70D generates 1080p by skipping lines on the sensor, instead of reading data from the entire sensor. This destroys detail and negates most of the low light advantages of the larger sensor. Also, the readout rate and bitrate are too low, which again destroys detail and introduces artifacts. The 70D is usable, but there are much, much better options.

It is a bit out of your price range, but one of the best current DSLRs for video is the Panasonic GH4. I am not sure how it compares, but the new Panasonic G7 may also be an option, or even the compact LX100. Another option would be the previous generation GH3. I think all of these cameras would produce video quality that easily surpasses the 70D.

If you are still considering the 70D, check out "Magic Lantern" and the RAW video capabilities as it greatly improves the output. However, it will require extensive post processing to reap the benefits.

Click to expand...

The OP can simply look at 70D videos on Vimeo and see for himself if video quality is sufficient for his needs.

Click to expand...

Issues like rolling shutter and aliasing would only be obvious if you sought out very specific videos and knew what to look for. Even then, the high compression of web videos would likely mask these problems. Determining noise levels and bitrate capabilities would be even more difficult.

Click to expand...

skanter said:

nnowak said:

skanter said:

nnowak said:

KayakNatureGuy said:

Hello all! Long time off and on reader, first time poster. Here's my question/situation. I'm a fan of optics, I have lots of action cams and Canon camcorders (Sub $1,000) that shoot HD video with and upload them to youtube.

However, I don't have a high end DSLR. I'm wanting to buy a very nice DSLR for video and photos. I'm more interested in the videos than photos. What I really want to do is buy a DSLR good enough to allow me to shoot stock footage and sale it to online sites.

Iv'e been looking at 70D. This would be my first DSLR camera.

Would this camera be good for high quality video of things outdoors in nature, say lakes, ponds, beaches, wildlife, etc...?

Besides video, I really want to get into photography too and I'm looking for camera that will really take great photos in the outdoors and maybe a few outdoor portraits.

So, would a 70D be a good camera for me or would it be better to get a full frame camera? My price limit is around $1,400 and I would hope to get the body and a nice lens together for that price. A lower price would be better, say $1,200.00 I don't really want to spend more than $1,400.00 Of course $1,000.00 would be great.

My current line up consists of Gopro4 Silver, Garmin Virb, SJCam and a couple of nice $300.00 Canon camcorders that (from what I've been told) have the same sensor as their $800.00 camcorders. And Sony Cybershot point and shoot.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I am very much a video newbie, so take my comments with a huge grain of salt...

For still photography, yes, the 70D is a fantastic camera. It works great right out of the box, but has plenty of features and customizations available as you gain experience. Outside of full frame, it is probably one of the best all-around cameras.

For video, things aren't as rosy. The dual-pixel AF and tilt-swivel touchscreen are both great features for doing focus pulls and for tracking subjects with AF. However, the actual video quality is just mediocre, at best. The 70D generates 1080p by skipping lines on the sensor, instead of reading data from the entire sensor. This destroys detail and negates most of the low light advantages of the larger sensor. Also, the readout rate and bitrate are too low, which again destroys detail and introduces artifacts. The 70D is usable, but there are much, much better options.

It is a bit out of your price range, but one of the best current DSLRs for video is the Panasonic GH4. I am not sure how it compares, but the new Panasonic G7 may also be an option, or even the compact LX100. Another option would be the previous generation GH3. I think all of these cameras would produce video quality that easily surpasses the 70D.

If you are still considering the 70D, check out "Magic Lantern" and the RAW video capabilities as it greatly improves the output. However, it will require extensive post processing to reap the benefits.

Click to expand...

The OP can simply look at 70D videos on Vimeo and see for himself if video quality is sufficient for his needs.

Click to expand...

Issues like rolling shutter and aliasing would only be obvious if you sought out very specific videos and knew what to look for. Even then, the high compression of web videos would likely mask these problems. Determining noise levels and bitrate capabilities would be even more difficult.

Click to expand...

The OP is a newbie who never heard of rolling shutter or aliasing. If you have to "seek out specific videos" to see these issues, probably not a problem for him.

Click to expand...

skanter said:

Vimeo quality is quite good - enough to get a general idea of 70D video quality.

--
Sam K., NYC
http://skanter.smugmug.com/NYC-Street-Photography
“A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.”
-Dorothea Lange

Click to expand...

KayakNatureGuy said:

Will I be able to get the 70d with the 18-135 STM at a good price during Thanksgiving weekend? Although I would like to buy it earlier (if I do pick this camera) I would be willing to wait if I could get it on sale.

Click to expand...

KayakNatureGuy said:

I should add that I don't really know how to do color correcting yet. So that is something I want to get into also.

I just did look up "DSLRs for video" and I did find some sites that recommended the Canon 70d.

Is the video of the 70d comparable to the full frame cameras or do those full frame cameras blow everything else away when it comes to video quality?

Click to expand...