Panasonic TM700 or Canon 550D?

What would you choose?

I have read alot of great reviews on the TM700 but how good is it for shooting stock?

I have alot of Nikon lenses so will use adaptors to fit on the Canon 550D? from 12-200mm

Are there huge benefits of shooting on a DSLR or is it mainly DOF?

The other question I have is will a Rode Video mic fit easy on both on these items? Do I need to buy a bracket?

Thanks for your replies.

I have a 2+ year old Rode Video Mic. If you do not keep the rubber bands lubricated it makes squeaky sounds that gets into your sound track. The mic is great but the mounting is awful. If you already have one, all you need is an adapter to make it a mini-plug from Radio Shack. I would buy the 550D/T2i, more professional look, many more accessories available, better low light performance and many people think it video is superior to the TM700.

Thanks for your reply and suggestion for the 550D? You lost me with Radio Shack part. I dont have the mic at the moment but would like an external mic to have sound. Can you tell me what sort of adapter I need to attach the mic to the camera?

Alternate cheap but quality zoom mic with a better mount:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/444022-REG/Azden_SMX_10.html

Miniplug adapter:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102666

I would buy this more versatile mic for the camera:
Tascam DR-08 or Zoom H1 with a camera mount adapter.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/699403-REG/Zoom_H1_H1_Ultra_Portable_Digital_Audio.html

FOLLOW THIS BLOG - ITS GREAT:
http://cheesycam.com/

Make a search here in Pond5 for T2i and TM700 compare the quality of the clips and which of the 2 is more popular among P5 members. If you have the extra cash buy the new Canon 60D.

The way things are right now, I would prefer a Panasonic Lumix FZ100 on my bag than a Panasonic TM700.

Thanks alot for all the good advise I appreciate it.

Interesting you would recommend the Panasonic Lumix FZ100 what makes you say that? At the moment Im looking at the Canon 550D and the Azden mic as you have suggested. However swapping to my nikon lenses will be a real hassle.

Another thing I am try to understand is with the Zoom H1 audio mic does this record sound to a seperate card? So isn't it a problem to try and sinc the sound all the time. Surely it is better to use an on camera mic and not have to worry about syncing sound all the time?

Thanks again.

The Canon 550D sound quality is not broadcast quality and unless they have corrected the firmware, the gain is in auto. This means that volume will go up or down with no control. Many P5 members using vDSLR are using the Zoom H4n mic, but it is expensive. Getting the audio signals in sync during edit is not difficult. Once in sinc, you would mute the lower quality 550D audio. You can also record independently with the H1 mic and connect it via a cable to your 550D mic input. You also eliminate the need for a wireless mic since you put the H1 in the pocket of your talent and connect a lavadier mic to the unit. Yes they record to an SD card. If the H1 had existed 2 years ago, I would not have purchased my Rode Video Mic nor my Nady wireless mics.

Remember that stock video is "silent". Most stock videos do not contain any audio.

I mentioned the Lumix FZ100 because it records 1080i 60fps at 17 mbs in AVCHD. If I remember well, that is exactly the top AVCHD recording quality of the TM700 which has being heavily criticized for not offering 24mbs like Canon models. There is a debate if the quality 1080p mpeg @ 27mbs is equal, better, or worse than 1080i 60fps AVCHD @ 17mbs. I think is equal, but I am not a pro. Furthermore AVCHD 17mbs is the same bitrate as Panasonic's GH1. You will find plenty of GH1 clips in P5. Panasonic was asked if they were not killing the GH1 sales by offering the new FZ100.

1080i AVCHD @ 17mbs is fine for most stock videos because most stock videos are taken with a static camera in a tripod. You only need 24mbs+ when there is action in the shot, excessive details or if your are doing fast pannings. I guess that I mean is that in a tripod, filming a panorama, you would not notice any difference between a FZ100 and the TM700. The FZ100 has a bigger chip which should give better results in low light and 700mm optical zoom to film wildlife, birds and the naked girl next door. The FZ100 shoots full resolution photos at 11 fps, that's impressive. It's a do it all carry along personal camera. There are still no FZ100 clips in P5.

But with the Canon 550D/T2i there is a noticeable increase in quality since it records nearly at 40mbs.

So in mathematical terms:
FZ100 is almost equal or equal to TM700 (video specs wise)
550D is far superior than the TM700 for stock video.

The only problem with the 550D is no auto-focus during video shooting and zoom is by hand.

The other two cameras provide auto-focus during filming and a zoom rocker.

If you have the money Go Pro and look Pro - buy the 550D or be a Pro and buy the Canon 5D.

If you are starting from scratch with your video portfolio, just like me, you should know that your "Return on Investment" is maybe years and hundreds of clips ahead. Buy intelligently.

You can also wait for Nikon to release an improved D3100 that can shoot 1080p @ 30fps.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/730210-REG/Nikon_25472_D3100_Digital_SLR_Camera.html

I just want to add that your clips will be more attractive for buyers if they are taken with the 550D than with a TM700 or FZ100. Canon vDSRLs have won the confidence of the video industry.

Thank you kindly for your detailed reply. You explained it very well and have an indepth knowledge. I definitely prefer the look of the 550D so will purchase that one shortly.
Sadly the D3100 does not enable external mic so have to pass on that. It would have complemented my nikon lenses very well.

Thanks again. Good luck with your shooting.

I have a 550D/T2i and I love it. I also use a couple of Nikon lenses and I bought some Nikon to EOS adapters on eBay for $15 each. It's important that the Nikon lenses have manual aperture control, otherwise you may not get the look you want. Aperture control is disabled on camera when using an adapter.

I love my 550D with a passion. After going through the hassles of miniDV, then HDV, and finally switching to the Canon 550D for video (I had already been shooting stills on the canon Rebel XT, aka 350D for years) I could not have been happier for the amazing improvement in the image quality, as well as the manual controls I was used to with photography.

As a production film sound major, I agree %110 with LUXORPYRAMID and others who have recommended getting an audio recorder, such as one of the zoom devices, to record your sound. This way, you can either record the audio in conjunction with filming, mounted on your camera or near the subject, or you can record the audio seperately from the image and get closer to the source of the sound; this will produce much more clear and professional-quality recordings compared to audio straight from the camera's microphone.
For syncing the image and the sound from your audio recorder, all you need are your hands clapping or better yet, a clapper-board/slate in order to sync you clips. I've been working that way with not only my stock but on other video/film shoots which are double system, it the workflow is very easy once you get the hang of it.

And as you know, glass is very important in how the image looks, so invest in some good lenses when you can. To give you an idea as to how good of an image the T2i can produce when shooting with good lenses on in natural lighting, take a look at http://www.filmsoconnor.com/FilmsOConnor.com/Home.html I shot in Yosemite Valley National Park. I still can't believe that the camera costs $899 and yields such quality images!