I bought a good camera and I'm learning how to use it in manual mode. I got it to take pictures of my children playing sports but I find myself doing more videos than pictures. I've been reading up on it and I may need a wide angle lense for general shooting and that I can use a 17-85 zoom for "interviews".

Lenses for video

This page had some good information. For a wide angle it suggests a Canon 50. The price is right on that one. Any of you guys have any tips for me or experiences to share? I'm mostly interested in videoing vacations and my kids sports.

I shoot video for a living. All I have ever done. Since I got out of college in 1976 with a degree in Radio Television & Film.
17 years at a TV station in New Orleans shooting commercials, from 16mm film, 35mm and 2" Quad tape to 1" tape to Betacam/Sp/Digital to DVCPro to DVCProHD to today's memory cards.

Currently editing 7 hospital spots I shot with a professional Sony CineAlta Super 35 camera with a Nikon D7200 as a "B" camera.

Movie film travels through the camera from top to bottom so the maximum with is 24mm horizontally.
Still film travels through the camera from left to right so the maximum width is 36mm horizontally.

What I'm getting at is the Nikon DX and the Canon's version are closest to the frame of actual movie film.
Why I am pointing this out is when using still lens on a pro camera like the Sony mentioned these DX lens are a perfect match.



On the D7200 I love my Nikon 17mm-55mm F2.8 and the 70mm-210mm F2.8.

DSLR's are great for video in certain situations like static shots or when you control the environment. Down side is auto focus on every one I have used ranges from terrible to useless meaning you have to pull focus if either the operator or subject is moving around very much. Another big negative is audio. Its tricky to get quality audio with a DSLR. Its possible but you have to work at it and have the right gear.

I shoot video for a living and use both DSLR and traditional video cameras. What I use depends on what I am doing. For interviews DSLR is awesome. For run and gun type stuff they usually suck compared to a quality video camera. My suggestion if you want to use just a DSLR is get to know its limitations, learn how to capture quality audio and try to set up the shoots to favor the strengths of the DSLR and minimize its weakness. I use a 24-105 on a 5D Mk III for 95% of the stuff I shoot with a DSLR. You can spend a ton on lenses if you want and I have but after a decade of doing it for a living I have found that skill, experience and creativity far outweighs gear in all but a few special fields like sports or wildlife. Those will cost you a lot of money no matter how good you are.  

That 50 the OP mentions is a good lens for the money. On a full frame its fairly versatile for video but not quite as wide as I would like. I have a 50/1.4 but rarely use it over over the 24-105. On a crop sensor its going to really limit you.  With a Canon I think something like a 17-40 would be more useful especially on a crop sensor. For audio I usually capture it separate. If I have to I use a wireless lav or shotgun into the camera. Biggest thing I can tell you is just practice with what you have. That will tell you what you need to work on/buy.

There is a blue million videos out there with tips and tutorials.

Thanks.

I have a Canon 7d mark ii so it does have a crop sensor. I have a Canon 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, do you think that would be useable? Also, is the 50mm I meantioned just for stationary shots or can landscape shots and shots while moving be done with it? I'm just interested in making nice amateur video of vacations and my kids sports.

Audio is another subject I need to tackle. Most of what I plan to do is add music to the videos. If I end up wanting to capture more sounds I plan on playing around with a shotgun mic or a remote. That's for later.

What was pointing out in my above post is don't think a "cropped" sensor is a deal killer as the highest end professional video only cameras use virtually the same size sensor. Hell, for that matter look at the video from iPhones.

Thanks for the reply. I was tracking but I had yet to lock on!!!

Do you think a 50mm has any value for what I want to do?

In my completely non professional opinion, what you have will do just fine for what you want to do. Add a video mic and you're golden. The 50mm is usable, but on your crop sensor will be more like 75mm.

I play around with video a bunch using my d4, GoPro, GoPro knockoff, phantom 4 and iPhone. Sure the quality could be better, but like I said, I'm no pro and it's just for fun.

I believe the Canon crop factor is 1:6, Nikon DX is 1:5.

So in the Nikon world a 50mm would look like a 75mm which has it's place, just not a great lens of interest for me.
That's why you'll see the 17mm-55mm and the such. That is roughly a 25.5mm to 82.mm in Nikon and 27.2 to 88mm in Canon land.

When I shot 35mm still film I favored a 24mm F2.8 for my wide, a 50mm F1.4 and the Nikon 105mm F2.5, which was a killer telephoto and a great portrait lens.
As you can see the manufactures have a nice option with the 17mm-55mm.

So, IMHO, your 50mm is a nice group portrait lens to a little long "normal" lens. It's strong side is the fast aperture, usually between an F2 to maybe an F1.2, usually an F1.8 where as my Nikon 17-55mm is a flat F2.8 but is somewhat big and not lite weight and a hearty price tag, +/-$1,500.

Enjoy your 50mm, I have one from the old F3, lol. Great lens.

I've only done a little.  Video isn't my thing.

D7100 + Nikon 24-120

Wow  all these posts are "spot on." I just shoot parent videos at my local high school, and I use a Nikon D5200 & D7100. The problem I have that all of the lenses are manual zoom, so that sometimes the zoom isn't all that smooth.

The only thing I would recommend is an external microphone, I personally just a compact MIC-108A that I paid $60, way better than any built-in mic, but sometimes I can't avoid using the built-in mic, that is just a fact of life that you will have to bare with.

I am co-author of the book :From Still to Motion: A photographer's guide to creating video with your DSLR

It covers all things video on the DSLRs.

Video is a secondary function on the DSLR and mirrorless cameras, so you often have to jump through a few hoops to make it work.

I didn't realize how many share the same profession or interest in DSLR video!  There is some great advice here.

I teach filmmaking and use primarily DSLR cameras (we don't have the budget to use the big guns!).  

Sure there are some limitations but you can do some great things with these cameras.  Getting a 50mm won't hurt, but you may find that you use it more for photography and experimenting with framing and composition.  I dont think it would be the best option for sports though.

The sound options present an interesting variety.  If you are just shooting sports the internal mic may be fine.  I have Rode VideoMics as one option that can be mounted on the camera (which could help with sports sound too) but also used on a boom--they use phantom powe which helps.  I also have a set of Zoom H4ns or Tascam DR-07s that will allow you to dual record and record in stereo (not to mention the ability to patch XLR or 3.5 inputs).

Juiced Link has some cool products that provide some additional solutions.  I haven't used any of them but I have been tempted to pull the trigger to test them out.

What do you video guys use to edit your videos?

Adobe CS6 and CC

Yup Premiere CC all of the way.

I'm not a pro, but I do shoot almost everything with a DSLR and edit with premiere CC