Determining the best dslr for video is quite different from looking at the best still dslr camera. What makes DSLR video so great? Huge image sensors give your video a true film like look. Photo lenses instead of flat video lenses give you depth of field unparalleled in most other kinds of video cameras. For the first time ever, it’s really possible for the average consumer to get film like images without having to spend $200,000 on a film camera. Here are our picks for the best dslr for video. 

Best DSLR for Video: Canon or Nikon. Okay..Canon.

Whether you are an amateur or professional, your choice of the best dslr for video is not going to be a Sony, Pentax, or Casio, or Olympus. It’s going to be a Nikon or a Canon. Sony and Pentax are great for still photos, but getting moving pictures is a different beast altogether. Videographers have a million different opinions about technology. But across the industry, its pretty much accepted that Nikon and Canon make the best dslr for video.

And of the two, Canon is superior and more popular as the best dslr for video. Canons dominate the indie film community to shoot shorts and features. The reason is simple. Canon has been making both video cameras and photography cameras for years. The Canon XL series of video cameras revolutionized video production back in the 90s and early 2000s. It was one of the first 3 CCD cameras to separate out red, green, and blue signals for better image quality. Most people don’t know that Danny Boyle’s Classic zombie movie ’28 Days Later’ was shot on the XL1, on mini DV tapes. The point is: Canon knows video cameras. So when they integrated video into their DSLRs, they are the ones most filmmakers trust.

Nikon, however, should not be totally counted out. They’ve been making still cameras for years and offer some very impressive dslr cameras that shoot great video. But even the more expensive Nikon D5100 which costs about $800 still only has 16 Megapixels, which is less than this winner from Canon.

Best DSLR for Video Under $1000: Canon Rebel t2i

The Canon Rebel t2i is a classic when discussing the best dslr for video. It’s been around for more than 3 years and is a perpetual best seller on Amazon due to its low cost and high video quality.

But check this out. Recently, Canon came out with their Rebel t3i DSLR Camera. This is also a great video shooter. But the only real difference between the t2i and the t3i is that the new camera has a swivel LCD screen and some other doodads. But here’s the kicker:

The electronic imaging sensor and resolution is the exact same for both the t2i and t3i. Both feature a fat 18 Megapixel Sensor with DIGIC 4 Processor. 

But the Rebel T3i costs about $100 less than the t3i. This means that you can pretty much get the same quality images and a great camera for $600!

Up until November 2011, the Rebel t2i with lens cost around $900. Once the t3i came out boom the price dropped about 300 clams. Nice! We like shiny new things, but getting this camera at this price is hard to pass up, and it still holds its own for video. No other brand even comes close to offering you 18MP for this little.

Click here to check out the Canon Rebel t2i on Amazon for 25-30% off!

So let’s talk about this best dslr for video. It is an incredible consumer level camera. For pro filmmaking, it still gets great images…and has the same image sensor as its fraternal twin brother, the Rebel t3i. That would be a massive 18 megapixel sensor and a Digic 4 Image Processor. The camera also allows for 720 and 1080i shooting at 30 and 24fps. (24fps is the frame rate of film, and gives your video that “film look” that so many people love).

But at the end of the day, specs aside, we just look at image quality and are consistently impressed that a camera this inexpensive can get such beautiful images. We scoured the net and found some great examples of why the Canon t2i is the best dslr for video at the best price.

What about the Canon t2i video quality?

Something to consider when watching professional short films online is color correction. Color correction is a post production computer process whereby an image is manipulated to look nicer. Sometimes a good short film will look really polished, but it’s not the same as the video you will get if you just open the box and take out the camera. Most people don’t color correct their home movies.

So for this example, we found two great videos that were done with all of the auto focus and auto exposure features most consumers will be using when taking the Canon t2i out of the box. The first one is a simple video a father shot of his daughter goofing around. With some good focus and music, this looks really great:

The second video is inside an interesting looking warehouse. What’s crazy is that the shooter did no color correction or lighting. It’s just a mad cool location, shot with a cinema feel, and some cool music. This is a real great example of what this camera can do right out of the box and why we think it is the best dslr for video.

Update: This video by Film Riot compares the Canon T2i with the much more expensive 5D. I recommend skipping ahead to 1:52 when the actual review begins, starting out with some low light comparisons between the 2 cameras. Then after about 4 minutes they pause for a sponsored break; you can skip that by jumping ahead to 8:00, when they begin to compare actual image quality.

At the end of the day the amazing thing is that while the 5D typically does outperform the t2i, which should be expected from a more expensive camera, the t2i stacks up surprisingly well. Check it out for yourself.

List price is $900 but you can usually get it for about 25-30% off. This includes the camera body and the 18-55mm lens. The Canon Rebel T2i has about 520 customer reviews on Amazon with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The standard lens is good for most people, but Amazon also has bundle options that include an addition 250mm or 300mm photo lens as well.

Click here to check out the Rebel t2i on Amazon, and read some in depth customer reviews!

Finally, we do not mean to count out the Canon Rebel t3i at all. It is an amazing camera, shoots exactly like the t2i but it is a newer model with a flip out LCD screen. Here’s a professionally lit short film shot on the Rebel t3i that shows why it is also the best dslr for video, it just costs a little bit more:

Click here to check out the Rebel t3i on Amazon too!

Best DSLR for Video Under $2000: Canon 7D

The Canon 7D is the next best dslr for video on our list. The camera costs about $1500 at Amazon with a lens, which puts it nearly half between the 5D and the Rebel t3i and t2i in terms of price. It’s our feeling that the 7D vs. Rebel debate needs to be updated for 2012. After all, the 7D is more than a few years old now, and things have changed.

Here’s the main thing: the Sensor of the Rebel T2i, that consumer level camera bought all over the place, is the same. They are both 18 Megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensors with Digic 4 processors. So why does the 7D cost more? Because it’s got two image processors. Aw yeah. It’s the same resolution but the extra processor does impact the image quality.

The 7D does have some other advantages as well. First off, it’s the construction. The Canon 7D is made of magnesium alloy. It’s sturdy. Whereas the Rebel t2i and t3i is polycarbonate . Of course, if you aren’t out shooting in the wilds of Alaska and don’t throw it against the wall or drop it off a house, you should be okay. Also, the 7D has more points for its autofocus. And it may have slightly better image quality in extreme low light situations, but that’s the kind of thing only the real techie people can see and applies more to still images, not especially relevant when determining the best dslr for video.

The other major advantage the 7D has is street cred. It’s rare to hear of feature films being shot on the Rebel series of cameras, although as you saw in the examples above it can clearly look like a great movie. But recently, several award winning movies have been shot on DSLR, which usually means the 7D or 5D. Here is an example of a new feature called “Like Crazy” that won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2011:

Beyond getting great images the Canon 7D does have over 290 customer reviews with an average 4.5 out of 5 rating, so people do love this camera.

You can check out the Canon 7D on Amazon by clicking here. .

Best DSLR for Video Under $3,500: The Canon 5D

Or is it?! Once you jump up to this price bracket in the search for the best dslr for video, the differences are less subtle. The Canon 5D is the “Big Papi” of the best dslr for video.  Most consumers don’t need to spend three grand on a camera. But as of 2011, as its been for a few years, the best dslr for video is the Canon 5D. This camera has lovers and haters. But at the end of the day it still has the highest resolution of any dslr camera. 21 Megapizels and a full frame sensor make it appropriate for professional productions. To date, the Canon 5D is the only DSLR that’s been used to shoot an entire episode of a prime time TV episode. It was  used to shoot the season finale of “House” during season 6. This is a clip. Narrowing it down to a Nikon or Canon makes things a little easier. But the next factor in determining the best dslr for video is price. Again, may people in the electronics industry agree that the Canon 5D is the best dslr for video, from a purely technical point of view. After all the Canon 5D has the most megapixels, highest resolution, and most sophisticated sensor of any DSLR for video. I simply say that the Canon 5D is the only DSLR camera that has been used in a major mainstream TV or film production, as it was used to film the season finale of Season 6 of House. This is a clip: People argue about the benefits and weaknesses of the Canon 5D vs 7D all over the web. From a purely technical POV, it’s no contest.

The Canon 5D has the better sensor and 4 million more pixels. It also costs $3000, twice as much as the 7D and 3 times as much as the Rebel. The big question for most people is this: are you going to blow up the movie to show in on a movie screen? If so, you want the highest resolution possible. If you want to make a feature, the 5D is becoming more and more popular. In fact, the Canon 5D was used to shoot ” Hell and Back Again”a movie that won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize & the World Cinema Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011:

The Canon 5D is worshiped by many in the film business at the very best dslr for video. Even at $3000 it has over 200 reviews on Amazon and a 4.5 rating.

Click here to check out the Canon 5D on Amazon!