The history of DSLRs with HD (high-definition) movie capture is a short one. It all started with the Nikon D90 that was announced on August 27 2008. It supports movie capture at HD 720p (1,280 x 720 pixels), 640 x 424 pixels or 320 x 216 pixels with professional smoothness of 24 frames per second in motion JPEG format. The camera also comes with Live View mode, IS0 200-3200, 4.5 fps continuous shooting, 11-point AF system, Image sensor cleaning, and a 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel (VGA x 3 colors) TFT-LCD. Its thunder was soon stolen by the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which boasts a 35mm full-frame sensor and 1080p-quality video recording. With the firmware version 2.0.3, it enables full 1080p HD video recording at 24, 25 and 29.97fps to match the PAL and NTSC broadcast standards. It also adds a new histogram display while shooting movies and allows users to manually control sound recording levels. Audio sampling frequency has also been increased to match broadcast material standards.
Using the DSLR video camera, videographers are able to achieve more cinematic effects with shallow depth-of-field. The multitude of lenses available for each system also means that filmmakers have more flexibility and creativity when it comes to framing shots. Here are some great examples of video/films shot entirely using Canon 5D Mark II or Pentax K-7:
HD-quality movie recording is not just limited to midrange and high-end DSLR cameras, such movie capability will become standard feature in entry-level DLSR models also. For beginners looking to purchase your first DSLR camera that can also support video capture, you should review an earlier article titled 2010 Best Entry Level DSLR Camera Kits For Beginners Below $800 - December 2010. For those interested to learn more about shooting pro-level footage with a video-capable DSLR camera, there are classes/sessions available, one of which by Bruce Dorn, a professional photographer and videographer who champions the use of DSLRs for creating sophisticated video. It was sponsored by Canon to showcase the 1080p video capabilities of its new EOS Rebel T2i DSLR. Here are some of his tips:
- It will take some practice, but you must learn to focus manually. For Mr. Dorn, autofocus is just not acceptable.
- If your camera allows, use manual exposure settings when shooting video because exposures will change as you pan the camera.
- A good shutter speed for video is 1/50th second. That's the "classic sweet spot," Mr. Dorn said.
- Set the ISO to 200.
- He recommends an aperture setting of F/5.6, which he says is used by many cinematographers.
- If your camera accommodates 24 fps video capture, use it.
- Avoid auto white balance at all costs. Instead, pick one white balance mode and stick with it throughout the video.
- Use the camera's neutral image setting; it will give you the most latitude for postproduction work.
- Focus where your subject will be, not where it is.
- Always shoot a minimum of 15 seconds per take.
- Never shoot vertical, unless you want to mount your HDTV sideways.
- Invest in a good high-performance memory card. Slower cards will conk out when their buffer becomes overloaded.
- If you're serious about video, invest in an add-on microphone, like the $200 Sennheiser MKE 400 shotgun microphone.
- Use a neutral density filter, like an N.3 or N.9; stick with one brand if you buy several filters.
Here is the latest article comparing the four best DSLR cameras for shooting HD video: Canon EOS 60D, the Nikon D7000, the Pentax K-7 and the Sony Alpha SLR A55 (picture above is the DSLR Gunstock Shooters from Zacuto). PCWorld published a guide showing the general aspects of shooting video with a DSLR and why the author Matt Brown switched to a DSLR for shooting video:
- Cost: The cameras and lenses are much cheaper than any other professional broadcast option, but they give you similarly high-quality results.
- Size: DSLRs are small and compact, and the benefits extend to the front of the camera. People are generally more at ease when being filmed with a DSLR than they are when a big broadcast camera is pointed at their face.
- Ability to shoot high-quality stills and video: Being able to go back to using a camera to take film footage is great. There are different ways you can use a DSLR.
- The look of the footage: The author have used DSLRs on big shoots for TV shows, advertisements, multicam setups, and interviews. The quality never disappoints.
Here are the tips on choosing the right DSLR lens for shooting video:
- The faster the lens, the more freedom you will have.
In this case, "fast" refers to the maximum aperture of the lens. Lenses that have very wide apertures (such as f/1.4 or f/1.8 lenses; the lower the f-stop, the wider the aperture) can gather a lot of light in near-dark situations, and they let you use faster shutter speeds as a result. Fast lenses also allow you to capture footage with a dramatically shallow depth of field, meaning your foreground subject will be in sharp focus while the background is blurry. In general, you get a lot more visual versatility out of a fast prime lens than you do with your standard f/3.5 kit zoom lens. - Spend the bulk of your money on the lenses, not the camera.
Camera bodies will age quickly, and as new technology becomes available your camera body will become obsolete. Lenses have a much longer shelf life, and you should plan to buy a lens that you can use with new DSLRs down the road. If you spend the money on a few good lenses, they'll last you 20 to 30 years. Some of the best lenses around are 30 years old, and they're still just as crisp as anything on the market right now. - Don't buy blindly.
Research is important. The specs for a particular lens may seem perfect for your needs, but there's no substitute for a real-world test drive. Always take your camera with you and test a lens out before you buy it. Get a feel for it and make sure it works for you. Rushing into a lens purchase can often be a disappointment and a waste of money.
Here are some additional topics from PCWorld that might interest you:
- How to Use a Zoom Lens While Shooting Video
- Tips on Clip Length and Storage Media
- Next-Level Tips: Camera Rigs and Stabilization
- Next-Level Tips: Audio and External Microphones
 |  |  |  | |
| Manufacturer | Canon | Nikon | Pentax | Sony |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | EOS 60D | D7000 | K-7 | SLT A55 |
| Style | Digital SLR | Digital SLR | Digital SLR | Digital SLR |
| Megapixels | 18.0 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 16.2 |
| LCD Screen | 3.0" TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor | 3 inch, 920,000 Dots Super Density 170-degree wide-viewing angle | 3-inch TFT IPS (In Plane Switching) color LCD with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating; Resolution - 921,000 dots | 3-inch TFT Xtra Fine LCD (921,600 pixels) Angle Adjustment : 180 degrees from the camera back, leftward rotation in 270 degrees with LCD monitor facing forward |
| Memory Cards | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, via external media (USB v.2.0 hard drive, or via Wireless LAN (Eye-Fi card*)) | 2 Secure Digital (SD) SDHC SDXC memory cards | Internal memory: n/a; Removable memory: SD, SDHC | Memory Stick PRO Duo?/Pro-HG Duo? media; SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card |
| Resolution | 1. Large/Fine: Approx. 17.90 Megapixels (5184 x 3456) 2. Medium/Fine: Approx. 8.00 Megapixels (3456 x 2304) 3. Small 1/Normal: Approx. 4.50 Megapixels (2592 x 1728) 4. Small 2/Fine: Approx. 2.50M | (L) 4928 x 2364 (M) 3696 x 2448 (S) 2464 x 1632 | Still: 14M 4672x3104, 10M 3936x2624, 6M 3072x2048, 2M 1728x1152 | 16:9 : L size: 4912 x 2760 (14M)M size: 3568 x 2000 (7.1M)S size: 2448 x 1376 (3.4M) 3:2 : L size: 4912 x 3264 (16M)M size: 3568 x 2368 (8.4M)S size: 2448 x 1624 (4M) |
| File Formats | Still: JPEG, RAW, sRAW, mRAW, RAW+JPEG Video: MOV (Image data: H.264, Audio: Linear PCM) | NEF (RAW): lossless compressed or compressed 12 or 14 bit JPEG: JPEG-baseline-compliant; can be selected from Size Priority and Optimal Quality MOV | JPEG/RAW | JPEG (Standard, Fine), RAW, RAW+J. PEG Video Format : AVCHD / MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)) Audio Format : Stereo Dolby Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC |
| Focal Length | N/A | N/A | N/A | Depends on lens |
| Shutter Speed | 1/8000 to 1/60 sec., X-sync at 1/250 sec. 1/8000 to 30 sec., bulb (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode) | Fastest Shutter Speed 1/8000 sec. in steps of 1/3 1/2 1 EV Slowest Shutter Speed 30 sec. in steps of 1/3 1/2 1 EV | 1/8000 to 30 sec, bulb | 1/4000 to 30 seconds, bulb |
| Aperture | F1.0 - F91 (0.3 EV steps), Actual aperture range depends on lens used | N/A | N/A | Depends on lens |
| ISO Sensitivity | ISO 100 - 6400 (in 1/3-stop or whole-stop increments) - ISO 12800 can be enabled with a Custom Function | Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity 100 in steps of 1/3 1/2 1 EV Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity 6400 in steps of 1/3 1/2 1 EV Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity HI-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent) Expanded | Auto - ISO 100-3200 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps), Bulb mode up to ISO 1600, expanded range available to ISO 6400, auto ISO range selectable | 100 - 1600; Selectable: 100 - 12800; Multi Frame NR (up to ISO 25600) |
| White Balance Settings | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature setting | Auto (2 types) Incandescent Fluorescent (7 types) Direct Sunlight Flash Cloudy Shade Preset manual (up to 5 values can be stored) Auto (TTL white balance with 2,016-pixel RGB sensor) Fine Tune by Kelvin color temperature setting (2,500 K to 10,000K) Seven manual modes with fine-tuning | Auto preset modes - Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W, L), Tungsten, Flash, CTE; Manual mode(s) - Yes, manual and 3 color temperature selections available; * WB fine adjustment available in all modes | Auto,Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Setting the color temperature, Custom |
| Flash Modes | Auto pop-up, retractable, built-in flash in the pentaprism | Front-curtain sync (normal) Slow sync Rear-curtain sync Red-eye reduction Red-eye reduction with slow sync | On, redeye, slow sync, slow sync + redeye, trailing curtain sync, wireless | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Hi-speed sync., Red-eye reduction (on/off selectable for Autoflash and fill-flash mode), Wireless |
| Flash Range | N/A | Built-in Flash Distance 39 (ISO 100) | N/A | 18mm (focal-length printed on the lens body) |
| Shooting Modes | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature setting | Portrait Landscape Close-up Sports Night Portrait Night Landscape Party / Indoor Beach / Snow Child Sunset Dusk / Dawn Pet Portrait Candlelight Blossom Autumn Colors Food Silhouette High Key Low Key | Mode selection: Green, Program (P), Sensitivity Priority (Sv), Shutter Priority (Tv), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter and Aperture Priority (TAv), Metered Manual, Bulb, X-Speed, USER, Movie; Green simplified mode available: Yes; P/A/S/M/B: P, A, S, M, B (extended modes Sv, TAv); | Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night View, Handheld Twilight |
| Maximum Movie Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD): 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 1280 x 720: 60p (59.94) / 50p, 640 x 480 (SD): 60p (59.94) / 50p), Movie Crop recording in 640 x 480 | 1,920 x 1,080 (24p); 24 fps 1,280 x 720 (24p); 24 fps 1,280 x 720 (30p); 30 fps 640 x 424 (30p); 30 fps | 640 x 416 pixels, 1536 x 1024 pixels, or 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9 high-definition TV proportions) | AVCHD: 1920 x 1080/ 60i (59.94i Interlace recording, 29.97 progressive image sensor output) Approx. 17Mbps (Average bit-rate)MP4 HD: 1440 x 1080/ 30p (29.97 Progressive) Approx. 12Mbps |
| Maximum Movie Frames Per Second | MOV (image data: H.264; audio: Linear PCM (with internal mic: monaural, with external mic: stereo)) | 24/30 fps | frame rate of 30 frames per second | 30 fps |
| Maximum Movie Duration | Up to 29 min 59 sec (or max file size 4 GB) | Limited only by memory card size. | N/A | N/A |
| Macro Focus | N/A | N/A | N/A | Depends on lens |
| Metering | Max. aperture TTL metering with 63-zone SPC with the following selectable modes: Evaluative metering (linkable to all AF points) Partial metering (approx. 6.5% of viewfinder at center) Spot metering (approx. 2.8% of viewfinder at center) Center-Weighted average metering | TTL exposure metering using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor | New 77-segment multi-pattern metering system | Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot |
| Image Stabilization | N/A | N/A | Yes, Sensor-shift Shake Reduction | Yes, SteadyShot INSIDE in-body image stabilization |
| Self Timer | 10-sec. or 2-sec. delay (self-timer/remote control) | 2, 5, 10, 20 sec. Timer duration electronically controlled | 2 or 12 seconds | 10 seconds or 2 seconds |
| Video Out (TV Playback) | Video out (PAL / NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal *), HDMI Type C *, E3 type wired remote control | Yes | Yes, AV out, HDMI out | Yes, HDMI (TypeC mini) |
| Batteries | One Battery Pack LP-E6 | EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery | large-capacity, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which can capture approximately 980 images | InfoLitium NP-FM500H (7.2V) |
| Dimensions | 5.69 x 4.17 x 3.09 in./144.5 x 105.8 x 78.6mm | 5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0 in. / 132 x 103 x 77 mm | 5.1 x 3.8 x 2.9 in. | 4-7/8 x 3-5/8 x 3-1/3" (124.4 x 92 x 84.7mm) |
| Weight | 675g / 23.8 oz | 24.3 oz. / 690g | 22.9 oz | 15.27 oz (433g) |
| Other Info | Continuous Shooting Speed High-speed: Max. 5.3 shots/sec. (approx.) Low-speed: Max. 3.0 shots/sec. (approx.) | Continuous Shooting Options DX-format CH: Up to 6 frames per second CL: Up to 5 frames per second | Continuous Shooting Speed : Continuous (up to 6fps)Speed Priority (10fps) | |
| Release Date | 2010-08-26 | 2010-09-15 | 2009-05-20 | 2010-08-23 |
Twitter
RSS Feed
Contact Us