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Why We Are Thoroughly Embarrassed to Be Shooting Video with DSLRs

56 points| merrick33 | 16 years ago |canonfilmmakers.com | reply

20 comments

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[+] wmf|16 years ago|reply
It looks like the disruptor doesn't like being disrupted. While Jannard is taking years to get Scarlet right, his "worse is better" competitors Canon, Nikon, and Panasonic are eating his market out from under him.

Here's Jannard's original rant: http://reduser.net/forum/showpost.php?p=615431&postcount...

Commentary from a prominent DSLR cinematographer: http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2010/06/17/hddslr-vs-red-has-...

A technical discussion about "line skipping" vs. "binning" (averaging): http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3871...

[+] freescale|16 years ago|reply
For an alternative take on why DSLR video is fine for large Hollywood productions but not for amateur use:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/5d-mk-ii/video.htm

[+] anigbrowl|16 years ago|reply
Rockwell is weird. Nobody in Indie production uses autoficus because even on pro camcorders like Vatican's it looks awful for most narrative work.

You do not need 45 people to do good, controlled work with a DSLR (or a film camera). 3-4 skilled folks are sufficient crew for most non-ensemble work.

[+] mtw|16 years ago|reply
ken rockwell is a photographer and has no credits in video production

Amateurs can get a Panasonic GH1 with the 14-140mm lens. This lens is optimized for video work and will autofocus, with a performance on par with regular video cameras.

You have to take his writing with a grain of salt.

[+] Keyframe|16 years ago|reply
Sorry to weigh in like this, but both sides are equally right/wrong and stupid. Cameras are just like programming languages, just tools. Some cameras are great for one thing, while they suck for another thing. You make decision based of your shot list you have to make, plan for lights accordingly and thats it. Whining and "one tool to rule them all" doesn't help when job is about to be done.

One thing I've noticed though with smaller "toy sized" cameras is that actors don't like them. Yes. At least most of them (especially ones without stage experience). They tend to use camera bulk as a viewing audience, and I found an easy and cheap way to fix this. Just slap a huge matte box on camera and that's it. Psychology is a funny thing.

[+] omouse|16 years ago|reply
Appeal to popularity, appeal to $$$. Not much of a rebuttal :/
[+] zweben|16 years ago|reply
There wasn't much to rebut in the first place.
[+] zokier|16 years ago|reply
Whats lineskipping?
[+] merrick33|16 years ago|reply
Take a look at the 54-59 second mark on this video:

http://vimeo.com/8186279.

Look at the chest area of the guy wearing a striped shirt to the right of girl in shorts. You'll notice the stripes look weird and are morphing. It's referred to as aliasing as well.

[+] ethan|16 years ago|reply
Nice rant, but doesn't really address the validity of using DSLRs for video...
[+] jrockway|16 years ago|reply
Someone on the internet made fun of the author, and the author rebuts this by saying that he gets paid to do it.

Who cares?

[+] anigbrowl|16 years ago|reply
No...someone with a very good product which they have been promising will become the New Industry Standard did not make fun of, but rather trashed the professionalism of everyone who is getting stuff done with alternative products that are technically somewhat inferior but also much cheaper and more accessible.

It's a seismic shift in the video industry, comparable to the shift away from mainframes to COTS.