I think I buying one today

[Jerry Porter]

You don't need that lens, but I love mine. I do use the kit 24 to 105 most of the time though. the 70-200 is just SO pretty when I do get to use it. The 5d3 can go with the f4 version as well as the 5d2 can use the f2.8 version with better results because of the ISO performance. So that will save you half the cost. Don't sweat it now, but you will want one eventually.

[Michael Thames]

Originally Posted by Jerry Porter

the 70-200 f4 L IS is my GO TO LENS. Don't need the 2.8 with the 5D3. ISO on this this is CRAZY good.

Well yea that's what I was thinking. Since the 5d3 is so good in low light what's the point? Ha ha! I'm not shooting in candle light, even though it looks like the 5d3 could.

One of the reasons I decided to get the 5d3 is to shoot in natural light. The A1/Letus is really bad for this...... I'm still a bit traumatized from a few times I used the Letus and the video was way too dark once I imported it.

[Michael Thames]

Originally Posted by Jerry Porter

You don't need that lens, but I love mine. I do use the kit 24 to 105 most of the time though. the 70-200 is just SO pretty when I do get to use it. The 5d3 can go with the f4 version as well as the 5d2 can use the f2.8 version with better results because of the ISO performance. So that will save you half the cost. Don't sweat it now, but you will want one eventually.

Eventually? I want one now!

[Charles Newcomb]

Michael:

I think the 50mm suggestion is a good one for what you do. But spend the extra $150.00 and get the f1.4. It's sharp as a tack and the images hold up really nice when you zoom/crop in edit.

[Michael Thames]

I found one on Amazon for $120, that Ken Rockwell said was better than the more expensive Canon lens!

It's made of plastic, but after shelling out all my loot on the MK3 this might be a viable starting point?

Canon 50mm f/1.8

[Michael Thames]

I do have a question that's been in the back of my mind since getting the MK3 (which will arrive next week)..... is my XH-A1 now a dinosaur? I don't care about the tape issues...... I kinda like it actually.

Since you guys all have much more experience than I do, will I ever want to use the A1 again after the MK3?

I'm not a professional and just shoot guitar related stuff at home, I have an HV-40/letus, that covers my video point and shoot stuff.

I guess what I'm asking is for shooting guitar video's am I better off selling my A1/letus rig and just buying another MK2 for a 1000 bucks on Ebay for a second angle camera?

[Brian David Melnyk]

I got rid of my xh-a1 for a 5dmkii. The xh-a1 was a great camera, but low light made me very sad!
I miss all the pro controls, but now use an xa10 on a tripod to cover all the essential aspects the xh used to handle, while I get creative with the dslr on a monopod. The xa10 covers audio and a wide (in-focus!) shot that I cut to while I'm finding an interesting angle with the 5d (magic lantern makes focusing possible on the 5d lcd, and i actually use the histogram to judge white balance for both cameras). I think the combination is great, though matching the shots can be a challenge in post (i shoot both cameras pretty flat with sharpening turned down in camera, sharpen in post). Some slight diffusion, vignette and edge blur on the xa10 can help. If you are filming guitar players, you can get pretty artful with the look...
I don't miss tape one bit, but transcoding to pro res takes a lot of time and disk space.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Michael Thames

I found one on Amazon for $120, that Ken Rockwell said was better than the more expensive Canon lens!

It's made of plastic, but after shelling out all my loot on the MK3 this might be a viable starting point?

Canon 50mm f/1.8

Keep in mind that Ken Rockwell shoots photos, not video.

The 50/1.8 has excellent glass and makes beautiful images, but is built with a very inexpensive body and a very poor focus ring. The ring is very narrow and is right at the front edge of the body. It has a lot of play and only turns 77 degrees from near to far. That's fine for autofocus photos but not so good for manual focus video. With the ring at the edge, an ND filter or polarizer (especially if oversized) could prevent you from controlling focus at all.

The 50/1.4, on the other hand, has a wider focus ring that is comfortably located and turns 204 degrees, end to end. The ring also has some play, but with such a long throw, it's quite usable.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens Specifications and Measurements

FWIW, here is a video I shot of my daughter playing guitar. She played the song twice, once where I concentrated on her face (that's the master track for the audio) and one time when I shot her hands and other b-roll. Here, I used the EF 85/1.8 wide open for a dreamy, shallow DOF look. (The DOF of an 85 at f/1.8 is probably about the same as a 50 at f/1.4.) Of course, you can always stop down if you want deeper focus. Obviously, it was shot handheld. What's not seen is the homemade shoulder rig I built out of about $50 of aluminum, screws, nuts, and BMX bike handle grips. The key was to turn the focus ring to roughly the right distance and then to fine tune focus with my feet. Still, the most amazing part of the video (to me) was Melissa's ability to nail the song in one take while playing outside with a camera in her face.

"High and Dry" Radiohead Cover - by Melissa Fairy on Vimeo

[Phil Goetz]

Jon - That video was from 3 years ago. You should shoot another with her.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Phil Goetz

Jon - That video was from 3 years ago. You should shoot another with her.

That's really up to her. :)

She's now in a band that performed publicly for the first time a month or so ago. I expect that my son and I will film them at some point...

[Michael Thames]

Jon, beautiful video your daughter is very talented, and photogenic!

Thanks for the advice to step up from the cheaper 50 mm, that makes good sense. I'm learning a lot about camera lens, I've only been a point and shoot guy up until now, and only used a XH-A1 with a zoom lens so I'm looking forward to getting a little more creative and knowledgeable.

I like your idea of having her play it two times and using a different camera angle on both, rather than just one shot, nice and creamy, videos like yours were the primary reason I got the 5D iii...... I'll give that a try since I really can't see using the A1 in the same timeline as the MK3. I think I'll sell the A1 and just buy a used MK2 on Ebay. I actually love my A1 she was my first love but time to let her go, I have an HV-40/letus to get through the lonely nights.

I still haven't told my wife I bought the 5D iii, and it's scheduled to arrive tomorrow from B&H, I've lost a couple nights of sleep rehearsing my sales pitch, but I think selling off the other gear I have will fit nicely into the storyline.

Recording classical music is a bit challenging! I spent 4 hours recording my friend and got about 30 minutes of perfect takes. Editing music separate from video is easy, and editing video without music is easy but put them both together then is a bit more difficult.

It was a steep learning curve for me to learn the video stuff, now I'm learning the audio side of things and it's hard to edit audio ( I'm using Reaper) . Actually it was a difficult decision for me to get the 5D iii because I was also considering a pair of Scheops, but in the end the 5d iii won out.

Thanks for the advice!