Tag Info

How important is sharpness? 1080p video is barely 2 megapixels, so it would stand to reason that an ultra-sharp lens is not really necessary to get sharp-looking video. Is this an accurate assumption? It depends on the way the DSLR is capturing it's video from the sensor. The first method is the most obvious one, take the image and scale it, but there's ...

The main advantage is cost. There are two main types of imaging sensors currently used, CMOS and CCD. CMOS has historically been used in digital cameras (because of the higher quality images it can capture, the lower cost, and the fact that digital cameras only have to capture a single moment). CCDs on the other hand have been historically used in video ...

I'm biased, but before anything else, invest in AUDIO GEAR. Far too often, filmmakers forget to keep audio on an equal par with picture. Invest in some good, quality mics. Shotgun? Meh...a good, all purpose cardioid like the reasonably-priced ElectroVoice RE-10 can hold you over for a while until you get some audio recording practice under your belt. ...

The H4n has a decent heritage as a consumer-level device, but you may wish to consider slightly more expensive gear. Depending on your budget, you can go for a Nagra (Swiss-made, a venerable heritage as THE highest quality reel-to-reel manufacturers and today they also make very pricey but excellent - solid state units). If you don't have a blank cheque to ...

You will hear many responses, but let me make one point very clear. If you are using an HDSLR for video, your primary concern will be your ability to focus or autofocus. If we are using a true SLR - i.e. a camera with a reflex mirror, you will either need a loupe attachment or an attached LCD. Here's the kicker - the 5DII, darling of the indie movie ...

Good advice in regards to sound from dwwilson66. My favourite accessory for my camera is this shoulder rig. There are heaps of stores selling them on eBay for under $100. They're great for how much you pay.

While recorders with built-in microphones like those from Zoom are quite popular, I consider them badly-suited especially for video purposes. You definitely need the possibility to plug in decent external microphones, and then it's questionable if you will ever need any internal microphones at all. If you can afford it and don't mind carrying the weight, ...

I do video with my Canon 5d Mkii. I am a beginner at video, but I have done photography for years. 1) How important is sharpness? My lenses are all about the same sharpness, and I've never A/B'ed two different lenses at the same focal length. In my experience, lens sharpness is at the bottom of the list of problems with a shot. Getting enough light, ...

It cannot officially record video, but there is an open source project to allow recording direct to a computer. Source Given that it doesn't support video natively then there won't be a built in microphone to record sound. If you went with the open source software you'd have to record the sound separately and sync it afterwards - which is not a ...

If anyone was curious, I managed to pick up a 400W halogen work light (supposedly delivering equivalent to 500W) and the exposure within a few metres (3-4) was spot on. I also bought a 250W halogen that I would probably use more as a fill light as it's a stop or so darker. At f/2.8, ISO 100-320, 1/100th at 50 frames per second, the exposure on the histogram ...

I have accumulated several tripods over the last 30 years and here is what I've learned that might help you. 1) If you want to do pans or tilts with a tripod be sure to get a tripod that has a fluid head and is heavy enough to support your camera with a good wind and not get any shake. A nice way to make these pans and tilts a lot smoother even with a fluid ...

A fig rig would be an excellent choice for an action piece. If the fig is out of your budget range look at the Opteka X-Grip. Cheap ($30) and pretty flexible, especially if you mount it sideways instead of with the handle parallel to the lens barrel when the shot needs it. Also if you have access to After Effects spend some time learning the stabilization ...

The 650D (Rebel T4i) does autofocus in video mode, but only with the STM lenses. Currently, there are only 2 STM lenses, a 40mm STM pancake and a 18-135mm STM. I haven't used them, but tests I've seen online show that they have decent autofocus in video mode, but still not up to par with an actual video camera. This is a good video showing how well the ...

As far as I know the Canon 650D is the only Canon DLSR that has full auto focus during video recording. Not sure about the face recognition though. Do some research on it. If you really like the DSLR look then I think this is the camera for you... especially as you'll be able to use your 85mm and 35mm lenses. I don't know too much about other camcorders ...

With canon the first DSLR that can do that is the 550d (you need to set the movie mode to manual in the settings otherwise it will adjust automatically). However i would suggest something with a swivel screen (600d and up) because it's very useful while shooting video. The 60d and 7d have more options for video (frame rate for one) but it depends on your ...

You are correct. You're shooting at a much lower resolution on video than stills, and so your effective circles of confusion are much bigger. So you can get away with glass that a decent stills photographer wouldn't touch. This is speaking from experience at work where I share DSLR equipment with a bunch of stills photographers who are always complaining ...

Zacuto makes an EVF monitor that is 3.2 inches, and I can say from experience this is the real deal...Has built in sharpening monitoring to help with focus support, and has a detachable eyepiece...also look into their camera rigs fro your skateboarding videos, they could be really helpful for you. http://www.zacuto.com/zfinderevf

You almost seem to already have answered your own question, but I'll try and help. I would personally go with 2 or 3, taking 1 out of the question. With #1 you will still get some noises from the camera. It's pretty much unavoidable. Why #2? Because it might be cheaper and is less cumbersome. You will get rid of most of the noises the camera makes and be ...

No, if the lens is soft while shooting video you will notice. However when shooting any of the Canon Cameras, 5D mark three to be exact, the camera is very susceptible to sharpening in a proper grading software or VFX software, AE can do this, so can Nuke, Flame, Smoke, and many of your color grading softwares. So yes you will notice if the lens is soft in ...

It's not on Youtube, so I can't embed it, but there is a nice tutorial here that looks like a simple, and very inexpensive method to achieve the streak filter. (link is to vimeo) Basically, you affix a piece of fishing line across the lens.

DSLRs don't have decent auto-focus that can be engaged during video recording. The proper way to work with a DSLR when shooting video is to plan your focus in advance of your shot. If you need to move the focus point during the shot, then your preparation will include setting up all the focus points in your shot, marking the position of each in the focus ...

I vote for audio accessories first then the rigs and tripods. Just want to mention that you can make a lot cool tracking shot stuff very cheaply with PVC pipe and skate wheels. Here's a good example: http://www.diyphotography.net/diy-pvc-table/skater-dolly-for-video-photography The key to making this work well is to be very precise with where you make ...

In my kit, I've got a BUNCH of halogen worklights. Maybe 2500W altogether & most of the time, they're way to bright. However, with a very basic knowledge of electronics, you can build a dimmer switch. http://filmflap.blogspot.com/2010/02/build-dimmer-switch-for-725.html is a good site that explains/shows how. Working with electricity is dangerous...make ...

The built-in stabilizer in Vegas Pro is very convenient, but some may still want to use Deshaker because it is more flexible. It is available as an FX plug-in for Vegas Pro: http://www.vegasvideo.de/plugins/104-deshaker-interface-for-sony-vegas-pro.html Some people report having problems getting the plug-in to work, and continue to use the very handy ...

#2 - You definitely want the largest aperture you can afford for video. The higher ISOs very quickly add a lot of noise, and you won't want to drop below a 1/60 exposure (180* rule), which only leaves aperture. #3 - I haven't done alot of comparison, but I've never noticed any noise from it. The general consensus on this thread seems to be that it's useful ...