One thing I always hated about my videos was the look. I really wanted the look of film, but since the budget always precluded it and I didn’t have a film camera, I had to fake it in editing, but I was never really satisfied with the results. Color correction, the right blur filter, and mattes can only do so much.
In 2008, this changed with the advent of Canon’s 5d Mark II. Despite some limitations, the large sensor, HD recording capability and the interchangeable lenses made this a great option for creating great video on a budget. Slowly, other models from both Canon and other manufacturers started adding many of these same features.
I remember noticing how beautiful the video shot by these cameras was and starting to want one myself. About three weeks ago, I bought a Canon T3i (which unlike the 5D Mark II isn’t a full frame camera) and started playing around with it. Some of the features of a DSLR are familiar to me, manual focus and zoom, especially. Others are foreign. Since I’m a videographer, not a photographer, the last time I thought about ISO speed was on a 1995 trip to England during my college days. Having only 12 minutes of recording time per clip, is also difficult for me to understand, since my motto used to be “tape is cheap,” but it’s something I’m getting used to.
I’m still new to DSLR shooting, but here are some of the first things I noticed:
Challenges:
A Canon Lens isn’t a Fujinon Lens
I like the look of Canon glass (even the 18-55mm kit lens, my T3i came with), but it’s clear that these aren’t video lenses. The zoom can sometimes be less than smooth. There’s no variable function that changes the zoom slowly based on the pressure I put on a button, so a slow zoom can be difficult to achieve.
I don’t use auto-focus at all. Maybe it’s my years behind a studio camera, but I just don’t trust it to choose what I want to focus on. I do like that there’s a focus ring that enables me to have precise and reliable control of focus, including the ability to pull focus between two objects, emphasizing what I want the viewer to see.
I’m not used to having to change the f-stop in the camera itself electronically. The lenses I’m used to had a ring, close to the body of the camera, that I could set to exactly the stop I wanted. This isn’t the biggest thing in the world, but just different than what I’m used to.
When I bought the camera, I forgot to buy a neutral density filter. The professional lenses that I’ve used included built-in neutral density filters. After a disastrous first attempt at outdoor video, I realized that the lens didn’t have this ability, so I had to buy one.
A DSLR isn’t an broadcast camera
Unless I had no other choice, I never boosted the gain on a video camera. My dslr, isn’t hesitant to use auto ISO unless I make sure the ISO is set to exactly what I want. The range is greater, too. In the past I’d choose between low, medium, and high gain. Now I can go from ISO 100 up to 6400 or more.
Plugging a dynamic or even a phantom powered condenser mic into a broadcast cam is no big deal. You flip a couple of switches, plug in the XLR, and you’re good to go. With my T3i, I have more control over levels than previous models, but monitoring of audio even with specialized 3rd party firmware, isn’t an option. There’s only a single unbalanced input with no provision for phantom power.
A lot of people are using external sound and syncing video in post like they do in film shoots, but it would be nice if these limitations could be overcome more easily.
A small camera isn’t a large one
The first broadcast camera I regularly used was a dockable SVHS unit that was fairly heavy once the batteries were added. I left more than one wedding or campus event rubbing my shoulder to ease the pain. The advantage was a fairly stable shot from the ability to rest my camera on my shoulder, hold it by the handle at various angles, and do a lot of work without a tripod.
To accomplish the same thing, I’ve built a four-rail “rig” that holds my camera and a viewfinder attachment to block the sun from the LCD. It seems counterintuitive that you’d want a larger camera, rather than a smaller one, but today’s cameras are so small that they’re too easily shaken during shots.
Advantages:
An SD card isn’t tape or a P2 card
In the mini-dv days, I had to be careful not to change tape brands because different lubricants would sometimes cause problems with the record heads. More than once, I lost footage because of odd digital artifacts. Mini-dv tapes were fairly inexpensive, but I didn’t trust recording over them very often, so I’d buy new ones for each shoot. Transferring footage meant a real-time capture into the computer.
At my Church, our newest HD cameras capture to P2 cards. They solve the problems of tape, but there’s another problem — they’re expensive. Because of this fact, we only own about four. We really need about twice that amount.
DSLRs capture to much less expensive media. My T3i takes SD cards which cost more than tapes, but seem much more reliable. Transfer is much faster than real-time, more like copying a file from one hard drive to another. I also love that they’re available at places like Wal-mart, electronics stores, and even large grocery stores. I can imagine needing more storage for a longer shoot, taking a run to the nearest store, and picking up more media without breaking the bank; that’s convenient.
DSLR accessories aren’t broadcast accessories
I’ve had problems with lenses or batteries that required I either order a replacement or send the broken piece out for repair. A $10,000 camera isn’t stocked just anywhere, so if I needed a piece for a shoot, I had to plan well in advance, research the best price, and pray it was in stock.
With my T3i, I know at least 1/2 a dozen people I could borrow a lens, battery, filter, etc. from at any time. If I have a big shoot for a client with deep pockets, I can run to the nearest camera shop and pick up a new lens. If I need a polarizing filter, Amazon has it, but so does Best Buy. I’ve already bought an external battery grip. I like the longer shooting times of two batteries over one, but this grip came with the ability to use six AA batteries in a pinch. That’s a handy feature that no broadcast camera would ever do, no matter the combination of size or voltages.
White isn’t always white
With the price of an entry-level DSLR, like mine, being so low, you’d think that some of the features would be lacking. Having done a lot of work with prosumer equipment over the years, I was prepared for the white balance feature to be somewhat lacking. According to my initial tests, this isn’t the case. The colors in my living room seem pretty spot on despite the fact that I have two incandescent lamps, a halogen floor lamp, a nearby compact fluorescent and a few windows to deal with. The presets seemed fairly accurate as well. In professional shoots, I’ll white balance with each lighting change, but I’m happy that in “run and gun” situations it look like I can rely on the automatic white balance to do the job reasonably well.
A DSLR is a DSLR
It’s taking some getting used to, but I like this camera more each day. I’m even starting to venture into still photography; I like the results. The two disciplines share a lot in common and I think the more I get used to shooting video on a DSLR, the more I’ll like it.
[Image via Ove Tøpfer]
herbhalstead says
zoom = non-issue… you shouldn’t zoom while shooting anyway. Use a dolly.
herbhalstead says
You should try magic lantern on your t3i – gives you a lot more tools for video shooting.
Paul Clifford says
I didn’t mention, but I have already put the Magic Lantern firmware on it. It does make things better.
I disagree about the zoom. Zooming is an important part of video. You get a different image with a zoom than a dolly. If you didn’t a DIZO (dolly in; zoom out) wouldn’t give you any sort of effect. If you look at one in Vertigo (for example), you see that the distance between the subject and the background changes as does the depth of field.
In church video, I can imagine a testimony video where the person talks about feeling alone. A DIZO could really highlight that feeling, especially in a crowd.
With that said, a couple of my friends swear by the 50mm prime lens. I’m just hesitant to give up one of the capabilities of the camera. I’d bet we’ll see third-party video for dslr lenses sometime soon.
Thx for the comment.
herbhalstead says
To each his own RE:zoom
Eric J says
the 50mm (i have the 1.4) is a GREAT lens, that said i have the 5dmkii and the full frame sensor. You might want to get a different prime to get the 50mm look with your crop sensor. As for white balance you can set it in kelvins when you want to manually set it :D.
And yeah i miss XLR, zebra’s, and monitoring audio 🙁 also i no longer use magic lantern because i swear it overheated my sensor and caused dead pixels.
herbhalstead says
Man – hate to hear that about your dead pixels. ML definitely uses the camera’s cpu more – you have to manage how many active features you run. I also re-seat the battery before putting the camera away to make sure everything is actually off. That’s a good practice even without ML as canon cameras can sometimes remain functioning even when off. The only continuous feature I use is focus peaking and have never had an overheat issue. I had been using Zebras at the setup phase of a shot then turn it off. But now I don’t use zebras at all, instead I just use a percentage gain indicator at the focus box.
Eric J says
The good news is that i got it fixed under a warranty repair and only had to pay shipping 😀
Paul Clifford says
I used it on a shoot a month ago and wanted to pull out to reveal building and it just wouldn’t do it (too shakey). I settle for pulling focus, but would have liked to have that option.
The 7D is also a cropped sensor (if memory serves) and my buddy uses the 50mm on that all the time and gets great results.
herbhalstead says
Magic Lantern has a rack focus feature… works pretty well, but you’ll hear the motor, so secondary audio is a must.
From a hardware standpoint, you can accomplish smooth action zooms by adding another follow-focus device to your rig, but putting the gear on your zoom ring instead of the focus ring.
Right now, I have one follow-focus attached to the focus ring, but I’ve been considering adding one for the zoom ring for some time. I have not done it yet, because like I mention above, I am averse to action zooms.