This cinematography<\/strong> technique<\/strong> combines\u00a0a Canon DSLR and the Magic Lantern hack to produce a cinematic image with around 13 stops of dynamic range. The dynamic range produced by this method\u00a0is comparable to the 13 stops of usable dynamic range<\/a>\u00a0found in the RED<\/strong> EPIC<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Let’s\u00a0take a look how to get cinematic quality footage using a simple DSLR<\/strong>. While this technique shouldn’t be\u00a0used on a professional film set, it’s a great way for beginner or intermediate-level filmmakers to get cinematic footage.<\/p>\n The Canon<\/strong> T3i<\/strong> is the first DSLR<\/strong> in the T-series to feature a flip-out LCD screen. While the camera certainly shoots good video, you wouldn’t necessarily call the footage produced by the T3i cinematic<\/em> without using the Magic Lantern hack. This camera also shoots pretty decent photos, so if you’re wanting to jump into the photography game as well, it’s a great camera to start out with<\/strong>. You’ll also want to make sure your new camera comes with batteries. If not, you’ll have to buy some.<\/p>\n The Canon 50mm 1.8, or Nifty-50<\/strong>, is one of the most popular lenses in the world. This ultra-affordable lens is actually an incredible tool that can produce professional-quality results at a fraction of the price of other ‘cine’ style lenses.<\/p>\n Of course, the last thing you’ll need is an SD card<\/strong> to record data. The technique mentioned in this article uses a RAW format.<\/strong> Because of this, you’re going to want to make sure your SD card has at least an 80 MB\/s write speed<\/strong> to write RAW\u00a0data to your card. It’s really important when you’re picking out an SD card to make sure that the write speed is fast enough. If not, you won’t be able to\u00a0record your video for more than a few seconds. To install the Magic Lantern for the first time, you’ll need an SD card that is 32GB or smaller<\/strong>. The read and write speed isn’t very important for that step, so\u00a0a cheaper SD card will work just fine.<\/p>\n This workflow is meant to help you get\u00a0amazing footage on a budget \u2014 but with a limited budget comes added frustrations. This workflow isn’t ideal, but if you’re on a tight budget, it’s the best bang for your buck.<\/p>\n If you’re not already familiar with the Magic Lantern hack, here’s the easiest way to put it: \u00a0Magic Lantern is a third-party firmware hack<\/strong> that unlocks features in Canon cameras that are impossible to use otherwise. Notable features include video overlays, zebra peaking guides, vectorscopes, custom audio controls, focus peaking, and (the big one) RAW recording capabilities.<\/p>\n It should be noted: because Magic Lantern is a community-driven firmware, it shouldn’t be considered 100% safe for your camera. Practically speaking, this means there’s a small \u2014 but legitimate \u2014 chance that Magic Lantern may freeze\u00a0your camera forever.<\/strong> That said, I’ve installed Magic Lantern on all of my personal Canon DSLRs and have never had an issue. This warning is simply for legal purposes.<\/p>\n Installing Magic Lantern is a multistep process that requires a computer, an SD card under 32GB, and your camera.<\/strong> In a nutshell, you need to place the Magic Lantern code onto your SD card\u00a0and install\u00a0the hack onto your camera. There’s actually a really great explainer post found on Magic Lanterns forum page<\/a>. Go check it out for a detailed step-by-step walkthrough. If you like a video tutorial better, the following video explains how to install the firmware onto your camera.<\/p>\n
\nThe Gear You’ll Need<\/h3>\n
Canon T3i\/600D<\/a><\/h3>\n
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![\"How](\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Canon-t3i.jpg\" "\\"How")
<\/a><\/p>\nCanon 50mm 1.8<\/a><\/h3>\n
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![\"How](\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Canon-50mm-Lens1.jpg\" "\\"How")
<\/a><\/p>\n64 GB 1000x SD Card<\/a><\/h3>\n
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![\"How](\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Lexar-Card.jpg\" "\\"How")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe Workflow<\/h3>\n
Step 1:\u00a0Install Magic Lantern<\/h3>\n
\n<\/a>![\"How](\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Magic-Lantern-Step-1.jpg\" "\\"How")
<\/a>Image via\u00a0Magic Lantern<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n