The Great DSLR Shoot Out

While looking through Philip Blooms website, I stumbled upon the Zacuto Camera Shoot Out. Basically they grabbed a bunch of experts, DPs, Editors, Colorists, and Directors, and took all of the top DSLR cameras, the Canon line up, a Nikon 3Ds, Panasonic GH1, as well as Fuji and Kodak Film cameras and put them through a bunch of tests to see how they perform.

The Fuji and Kodak film cameras were used primarily for comparison, however, they prove to have some short comings compared to the DSLRs, mainly in low light, and high ISO speeds. Despite the gratuitous use of technical terms, it's easy to understand how things stack up throughout this hour and a half series. *spoiler alert: the short comings of the DSLR cameras seems to consistantly be a loss of detail in highlighted areas, however, many of the experts agree, "if you know this, you can plan your shoot accordingly".

The end conclusion, digital technology is still no match for the tried and true film cameras, however, that wont last long. The footage taken from these cameras is sooo close to looking like film today, that it will only be a few years before technology will advance to where the DSLR may replace the film camera.
Check out the tests, they really put this cameras through the rigors

Waxing Poetic About Rolling Shutter Problems

On another late night walk around the Village, I started thinking about the whole problem of rolling shutters. For those that don't know, rolling shutter refers to a problem with the way a lot of cameras, DSLR's like the canon T2i, and 7D included capture video frames. I can't explain in great detail, but essentially, the censor in the camera doesn't do a uniform scan of the image projected through the lens. Rather, it scans it from the top to bottom, or the bottom to the top, or side to side. I'm not really sure on that. What this adds up to is a bluring or distortion of images moving quickly past the camera, particularly vertical lines.

I've seen people test this "rolling shutter" effect with the T2i by rapidly panning the camera back and forth while aimed at a building, and yes, the building seems to bend and flex, kind of like that silly magic trick with the pencil that was really amazing in kindergarden.

Here's my arguement for those who really complain about the rolling shutter. Who films like that? In what movie have you ever seen someone jerk the camera from side to side? I've never seen it done. What about whip pans? Well my thinking is that a whip pan doesn't really need to be crystal clear until you land on the object of interest. As long as he, she or it is clear when the pan stops, does the rest matter? If all of the scenary between point A and B does matter, are you really going to do a whip pan? Maybe just a smooth pan will work fine.

Furthermore, I think the rolling shutter might become an audience accepted film technique, because honestly, the few times I've seen it in films, it just seems to enhance the feeling of movie at great speeds.

In conclusion, it would be nice if the sensor scanning could be corrected to prevent rolling shutter effect, HOWEVER, I don't think it's as a big a deal as everyone makes it out to be. If you don't believe me, watch 2012, and see if you can spot the rolling shutter in the film.

Which camera to buy?

So in a previous post, I said that I had been dead set on buying the Panasonic GH1 and my entry into the world of digital film making. Well I did what I normal do when considering large purchases, I read... alot, and ask a lot of questions before buying because in my life, it's very rare that a large purchase for me exceeds dinner and a movie with the girlfriend.

Upon reading and asking tons of questions of my Genre film maker Drew Bellware, I discovered that the GH1 might not be the best choice of cameras. The fact that I technically can't afford anything else is unimportant in my mind. When I want something, I figure out what to sell, or where to work to get it. So I start crunching numbers, and the more I crunch, the darker the tunnel gets, and just as all hope seems to be lost, just as I'm preparing to tell all the people I set up video shoots with that it will have to wait... there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Drew found the Canon Rebel T2i. This camera is probably old news at this point, being that it came out in late march, but if you haven't heard of it, hit up google.
You will find many different reviews and spec sheets, and comparisons between the 7D and the T2i, but to make it simple, and put to use the hours of reading I've done:

The Canon Rebel T2i offers nearly all of the same HD video formats and functions as the Canon 7D for HALF THE PRICE! Professional videographers, and photo journalists will say that it can't compare to the 7D, and they may be right in some respects. As far as still images are concern, the 7D takes the cake hands down. As far as a camera that you can drop down a flight of stairs in sleat, dust off and start using again, the 7D still probably takes the cake, because that's what it was made for.

If you are a new comer to HD digital video like me, the T2i is where it's at. You will have to be a little more careful with the camera in harsh elements, but hey, if you stand under an awning to use your iphone, I'd imagine you'd do the same with your camera. In my mind, and from what I've read, buying the T2i is like getting a toyota corola and finding a ferrari engine under the hood. Check out this link, and the video at the bottom, and you tell me what you think.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://philipbloom.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG_0012.jpg&imgrefurl=http://philipbloom.co.uk/2010/03/20/saltonsea/&usg=__uje_Ng4l6M3oLdu7VG7ZtWaePPo=&h=480&w=640&sz=63&hl=en&start=9&sig2=dsyfWSgfWFQvKOg_utU3rw&itbs=1&tbnid=Mob4u6wpFiVxMM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcanon%2Brebel%2Bt2i%2Bcinema%2Bsetup%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=l6bhS_GAPJCwNvicybIC
With video like this, save the extra $800 or $900 you would've spent on a 7D, and invest in some lenses or dolly's or mic's, or cocktails at happy hour.