The Need of Recording Video Can Become More Important Than a Typical Full Frame or Medium Format DSLR Can Ever Deliver. Here is a Guide For Videography Camera Selection For Your Need. Nowadays, a good DSLR can take enough great Video Recording for the purpose of Podcasting, Streaming over the Internet, Distribution via YouTube for Earning money purpose. That is what basically Robert Scoble also uses. Why Robert Scoble? Because once on Google Plus talked about this. The reasons are quite obvious and mainly for cost-effectiveness. If we use a good DSLR and good post processing software on a Mac (which is, virtually The Standard) that will give a good result. But for high end and specific need, we need to use dedicated Digital Cameras which are intended for recording in the way we need for typical cinematography or for filmmaking purpose. In advanced Internet of Things ready high end Orthopedics OT, we also use quite high end camera. But, they usually can not be used for the big screen.
Videography Camera : Selection Depending on Need
In older days, we had lot of difference between the Film Cameras. It is quite normal today, to have professional video recording for serious events of life – like for Wedding. Basically it made the things to odd situation.
The required quality for post processing will be hugely different for a common person’s need and the need of Prince of Wales. A HD Digital Camcorder for Holidays is basically very low priced. The difference with a typical full frame DSLR camera and a point and shoot camera is actually huge. We talked about What Specs Matter in a DSLR.
Understand the practical thing – you will see in the movies, the running videos has kind of same effects like we perceive with DSLR Photography – like Bokeh. A typical example can be given – Canon EOS C100 is a professional grade Cinema camcorder with a price tag of near $6,000. It has an advantage for the existing Canon DSLR users, it natively fits the EF-mount DSLR lenses. We talked about various kinds of mount for DSLR.
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Sony, Panasonic, JVC and Canon offer bodies for shooting high-definition video. But; in contrast, Sony, Vision Research, Arri, Silicon Imaging, Panavision, Grass Valley and Red offer more higher resolution and dynamic range that exceeds that of the common digital video cameras, which are designed for the need of the segment. Television is known as Small Screen. We definitely watch movies on 15″ MacBook Pro, but a Movie not “manufactured” for that way of limited delivery. You heard of IMAX, IMAX is an acronym for Image MAXimum. Heard of PIXER? PIXER is of Steve Jobs. Apple Cinema Display.
Usually 15/70 mm negative is used for the Movies, with IMAX DMR (DMR means Digital Media Remastering), digital conversion became a bit easy in the highest possible niche. In our IoT ready high end Orthopedics OT, that Canon C100 is more than enough. We do not need IMAX DMR. We are explaining you the practical part of DMR, later.
We talked about Point of View Shot in Portrait Photography, that POV is used hugely in Pornography Movies. High end Pornography Movies will have almost the same equipments like original movie. A kind of sarcasm, usually added. The reason the vulgar topic is introduced is for a phrase – Homemade Pornography Movies. Bad directors, ammeter grade video camera gives that kind of output. That is for a kind of Internet based consumers.
If you are thinking for creating films to release, there will some kind of – Board of Film to pass. People commonly refers as – Sensor Board. There will be a scanned notice before starting the movie. We talked about IMAX, in IMAX; the image resolution is hugely increased by using a large-frame film; for a practical comparison – a frame of 35mm film produces approximately 6K lines of horizontal resolution, an IMAX-format film produces approximately 18K horizontal resolution stuff. So, we went back to Film again. To make it natively digital, there is another type – Digital IMAX. But what will happen with the Film camera taken videos? That is IMAX DMR (Digital Media Remastering). It is a process like scanning the Negative films. So,
- IMAX Format is equivalent to Film SLR Camera for Still Photography with 35 MM Negative
- IMAX DMR Format is equivalent to Scanning the 35 MM Negative
- Digital IMAX is exactly what is real equivalent of Medium Format or Full Frame Digital Camera
That Digital IMAX is a kid – it came in 2008. Matrix series went through Digital Media Remastering. IMAX is a format, there are other formats.
Now, if you are going to create a News website with some team, you will need the ENG cameras. ENG means electronic news gathering. These cameras are for the video productions of dramas, documentaries, music videos, corporate video training. Usually they use Direct-to-disk recording for writing the high speed data. You can understand – at so much high resolution, with 24 FPS speed, how much big the files can be.
All these can be shortened in to an existing terminology – Digital cinematography. Like we have Digital Photography section, if we had more detailed few hundred articles explaining these stuffs, then technically we would need a category – Digital Cinematography. Google will get more confused if we create such, because this sections’s matters would not exactly will be much towards Technology, unlike Digital Photography. Digital Photography or rather Still Photography is the base, may be traditional drawing is the base.
Videography Camera : Can You Kindly Make the Selection Depending on Need Part a Bit Easy to Understand?
First, for the movies part in short; basically the Movies are projected and the screens are hugely large. At least these two factors make a fully different segment. Dynamic Range is also different. Many film directors do not like this Digitalization part. Movies, essentially are a different thing.
HD is a consumer gradation from the point of production level. 1080P and 720P are enough for Internet based materials. For Movie production, there is K – it has crossed the 1080 mark. 4K is 4096×2160 pixels and 2K is 2048×1080 pixels. Apple iTunes store sells the specific higher pixel wise higher material for 15″ and above Retina Display. What we said, can be seen if you visit these pages :
Note : Copy Paste the URLs on a plain text editor like Notepad or Vim. Then copy the URL from there to browser.
http://cinemaeos.usa.canon.com/products/eos-c500-eos-c500-pl/
http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/features.jsp?model_id=MDL102153
For more specific, you can see :
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/cinemacameras
http://www.red.com/products
The above are for Independent Filmmakers and none can deny the output as substandard.
So, in short :
Independent Filmmakers
If you are going above documentary, then you may consider BlackMagicDesign and Red. Reusability matters, cost saving matters, device convergence matters. Many years ago, people used to throw the stuffs after one Movie is done with nth number of peoples. Now, the same stuffs can sold over the Internet at 50% price, can be used for Podcast and for your media company for creating demand based advertisements. People who has Independent Filmmakers, will not read this article, this is basically for the aspirant Independent Filmmakers.
EOS C500 (PL) is may be a good choice at $16,000, if you have a good DSLR body, you can easily use the Lenses. In that way, The Matrix can not be made, that is not possible. Because, The Matrix will need more cameras, the thing is difficult to explain in words. But, if you think about a shot of Titanic – Kate Winslet and that guy was dancing – only one camera was used for the over the shoulder shot. Here is a test sample for EOS C500 (PL) for quality part :
http://vimeo.com/65330502
Good camera but Small Budget
Canon EOS C100 without any doubt is good. Canon supports the Lenses of DSLR camera. So you can use a Carl Zeiss easily. Canon has everywhere service centre. Same logic – if you have a good DSLR body, you can easily use the Lenses. In this way, Matrix Revolution can not be made. But, if you think about that shot of Titanic, that can be made. Here is a test sample for quality of EOS C100 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e50i5KxFZ8
Good camera for Non-Movie Usage
Canon EOS C100. Same logic. We are talking about interviews, taking OT videos. OT means Operation Theatre. There can never be more high-end place than a modern Orthopedics Operation Theatre.
Good Quality Camera For Podcasting and Other Stuffs (1080P)
CANON EOS 1D or 5D Mark III
Good Quality Camera For Professional Grade Video (720P)
CANON EOS 1D or 5D Mark III
Sensor overheating is the only problem of the DSLRs. Otherwise Canon has hundreds of advantages. Where you can mount a Carl Zeiss Prime Lens of those mid range camcorders. Here is for 5D :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umKrecfkW2I
Homemade Videos
From $20 – $300 – there are hundreds of options.
This was an on-request article. The person asked about Sony HXR MC1500P :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIjlZvCss44
It will feel like, it is better to buy Vivitar DVR 910HD at lesser cost. It is looking like that, because the person’s level of skill is for the consumers who will like it and feel it to be romantic.
Matching with our recommendations, CANON EOS 5D Mark III is the closest choice, for the person who asked for. CANON EOS 1D or 5D Mark III are so rarely purchased that you can not ask some friend to test it for 30 minutes. Sensor overheating is the basic issue – aha, use a Fan inside as we wrote for noise reduction. Panasonic AG-AC90 is said to be alternative cheaper option to Canon EOS C100. CANON EOS 5D Mark III with proper gears, will far exceed any camcorder unless you need to jump, move very fast. The exact digital counterpart of the old kind of analog segment actually does not exist.
Not bad as a DSLR videography :
http://www.alexandrosmaragos.com/2012/08/shooting-interviews-with-5d-mark-iii.html
We talked about Microphone. That was for studio recording. Basic, is the same, the form will be different in this case.
If you need to jump and run like James Cameron for Titanic’s that shot, then use Zacuto’s rig for DSLR. Those camcorders basically are tweaked for even a near 80% noob. Here is a head to head test :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRILDcq_9ZY
As with all the things, with a compromised lower budget, you’ll need higher experience and skill. The dynamic range is different for movies than Still Photography. From EOS 5D, you can not basically convert to typical big screen movie format. BlackMagicDesign Cinema Cameras cost far lesser than EOS Cxx series but produces the output in typical Big Screen movie form factor.
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