Did some video testing with a 550D last night. Hadn't read anything about how good/bad their resulting video was. A guy at the local BMX track had one so I asked if I could take it for a spin while I was there.
Overall, nice crisp clean footage with great control for "contrived" shots (where you get to set the shot up, know what the focal distances will be etc).
Not so good is the inability to auto-focus while videoing (as has been covered in this forum before).
The fact that you cannot auto focus basically takes away the ability to do a big zoom pull/push during a shot too (at least I have found that to be the case).
Most of what I shoot is BMX riders heading towards me from anywhere from 60-100 metres away. At their closest they'll only be 3-4 metres away from me. That's a big focal/zoom range. With a camcorder I'd use the zoom control and let the focus take care of itself.
Obviously with the 550D this isn't an option due to the lack of autofocus.
So, my question is;
Has anyone here successfully shot anything like what I am describing with the 550D?
I am thinking that if I stopped the lens down to say f22 (bright conditions - middle of day, sunny etc) I might be able to "get away with it" to a certain degree.
"Why not just use a camcorder?" I hear you say. Well, despite the fact that I want to do the types of shots mentioned above, I also want more control over any "artsy" stuff I do, like focus pulls, high shutter speed control, over/under exposure etc. So ideally, if I can learn to use the 550D for the above shots, it could be useful all-round.
Anyone got any suggestions, or am I wasting time trying to get the shots I want using the 550D?
Thanks.
Cliff
