October 25

Using DSLR Cameras for Video: The Pros and Cons

How To Use DSLR Cameras For Video

DSLR Cameras have become extremely popular for video making. Why is that?  Are they a good idea for you?  What does DSLR actually mean?  This post will answer all that and more.

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DSLR What?

canon dslr 5d mark II camera

When DSLR cameras came onto the market, it was considered a revolution in video production. It was obvious that this was a new breed of camera that gave the photography more flexibility, control, and quality.

Now, there are many options when it comes to finding a DSLR camera.  They are common enough that most folks who have thought about owning a DSLR camera, do.  The general hope for DSLR ownership is the hopes of creating high quality video content in addition to getting quality stills.

The revolution all started with the Canon 5D Mark II, which was the first Digital SLR* to take 1080p video, back in September 2008. While 1080p recording may not seem revolutionary, since HD video camera were already doing this, but a DSLR is going to be significantly smaller and was generally thought of as a still camera.  The video image quality for the DSLR was the revolutionary thing. The images were gorgeous, film-like, and they could all be stored on SD cards, which hold a lot for their small size and are easier than old-fashioned videotapes.  The SD card easy transfers data to your computer for editing.

Like SLR cameras, DSLRs are designed to easily switch lenses, which makes them an artistic photographer’s dream.  (Using a variety of lenses gives the photographer the ability to get closer or further away from a subject as the artistic merits warrant, plus more easily control DOF.)

Because of the lens flexibility, one coveted characteristic of shots obtained on a DSLR is a shallow depth of field (DOF).  You also got a spectacular contrast ratio and dynamic contract with remarkable ease.  In short, the images were simply beyond anything even close to that price range in standard video cameras. (the 5D Mark II camera body was around $3,000 in 2008).

  • (SLR = Single Lens Reflex, which means the lens that forms the image on the film also provides the image in the viewfinder, they are typically thought of as still cameras.  DSLR simply means Digital Single Lens Reflex.)
  • Shallow depth of field is referring to having just a small portion of the shot in sharp focus. Usually, the foreground and background will be out of focus, and the most important (or prettiest) element in the shot will be in sharp focus.
video iterview
This picture has a shallow depth of field. The camera is in focus, but the young woman is not.

When you watch some scenes in films, you’ll notice that the subject is in focus, but the background is nicely blurred out. This focuses your eyes on the subject. This shallow depth of field generally gives images considered higher in quality.  Manipulating the DOF on purpose to get a better image is definitely considered a pro tactic.   You’ll see it used a lot in talking head shots.

Dynamic contrast is a fancy sounding term that essentially means the range of brightness that will show up on your video recording. Cameras with better dynamic contrast can netter show all the colors, from the very dark to the very bright. This is a great feature, because if you’re filming on a sunny day, for example, you’ll still be able to see the blue sky as well as items in the shade. With a camera that has poorer dynamic contract, you will only be able to get detail in one or the other, but not both.

BIGGER IS BETTER

The reason these DSLR still cameras can take such amazing video is that they have a massive image sensor in comparison to a regular video camera, and this is a very big deal.

The image shows the different size of sensors on cameras. Video cameras had the tiny, small boxes in the left-hand corner. DSLR image sensors are represented by the larger boxes. Looking at this graphic representation of the image sensor size, it’s easy to understand why the picture quality with DSLR cameras is so good!

Camera Sensor Sizes

NOTHING IS PERFECT

Along with the strong point of high quality images, there, of course, has to be a downside! There were, and are, many problems with DSLR cameras. Some of them are actually quite major.

  • Audio: They don’t have professional audio inputs (xlr or 1/4 inch) and most don’t have good manual controls
  • Record Time: Many have a 12-minute limitation, while others give you longer (you can press record again after it stops recording, but you can’t record long lengths continuously)
  • View Finder and LCD Screen: There is usually only an LCD screen, which you can’t often rotate. Video cameras usually have both a rotating LCD screen and a viewfinder
  • Zoom Control: DSLR’s don’t have the zoom rockers, that make it easy to zoom in and out. Instead, you need to rely on interchangeable lenses.
  • Interchangeable Lens: Many people who own video cameras under $10,000 have only one zoom lens. DSLR cameras have interchangeable lenses, meaning you can swap out your lens. While this is generally a good thing for creative and professional people, since different lenses are better for different shots, extra lenses = extra money and makes you slower to react to changes when you have to switch from one lens to another.
  • Focus: The only practical way to focus is manually. There is some autofocus, but it does not work as well as a video camera. This would really only hurt you in fast moving situations, since manual control is actually what many pros prefer.
  • Depth of Field: This is generally an advantage, but not in all situations.  The shallow depth of field characteristic makes it harder to keep images in focus, especially during live events where your subjects might move around a lot.
  • Editing: The most popular DSLRs, Canons, encode using the h.264 codec. This codec was not meant to be an editing codec, and thus it is harder to edit as it takes more processing power from your editing system (thus things take longer and may not be real-time like your video camera footage)
  • Peaking and Zebras: Peaking sharpens an image, allowing you to focus easier, while zebra stripes highlight parts of the image that are overexposed (too bright). These features are not generally available on DSLR’s
  • ND Filter: Many prosumer / professional video cameras have a ND (neutral density) filter that shades the lens for bright shooting, like on a sunny day. DSLR’s do not have this built-in, so you would have to screw one on to the front of the lens. This is not too big of a deal, but can be time-consuming.

Despite that lengthy list, the image quality couldn’t be beat… until now. I say the DSLR revolution is over because certain video cameras now come equipped with DSLR sized sensors, such as the Panasonic AG-AF100 and the Sony NEX-FS100. Now, these cameras still have some of the same issues, but they also allowed for some fixes:

  • Audio: Professional XLR inputs and manual audio controls
  • Record Time: With the digital cards, you can record for many hours continuously
  • View Finder and LCD Screen: The AG-AF100 has both, the NEX-FS100 only has a LCD, but it comes with a viewfinder add-on.
  • Interchangeable Lens: They have the kit lens with autofocus that you are used to, as well as the ability to put on different lenses
  • Editing: They use the AVCHD codec, which work better with editing systems
  • Peaking and Zebras: The cameras have them
  • ND Filter: The AG-AF100 has one, the NEX-FS100 doesn’t

So, for anyone who is used to shooting with a regular video camera, switching to a large sensor video camera such as the AF100 or FS100 might be easier than switching to a DSLR camera.

It should be noted, that a large reason for the popularity of DSLR video cameras is also their price point. You can literally purchase a DSLR body and lens for $1,000 and shoot amazing quality video. Something you can’t do with a regular video camera. The large sensor video cameras are in the $5,000 price range, so are more expensive. Of course, if you are shooting video for a living, it may be a necessary extra expense.  Of course, as with everything, the price continues to go up.

Also, technology marches on and as wonderful; and popular as they were, DSLRs have actually been on the decline for the last few years.  Beginning in the 2010s, major camera manufacturers began to transition their product lines away from DSLR cameras, to mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILCs).  They are simpler cameras from a mechanical standpoint.

MILCs were really the next evolution in cameras beyond DSLRs.  They largely keep the advantages of DSLRs without some of the drawbacks.  Mirrorless cameras themselves are not new, but using that design in a DSLR-like camera with the easy ability to change lenses was new.

In September 2013, Olympus announced they would stop development of DSLR cameras and will focus on the development of MILCs. Nikon then made a similar announcement.  They planned to end production of DSLRs in Japan in 2020.  Canon and Sony followed suit.

So obviously time flies and technology moves at a rapid clip.  But there are still DSLRs on the market, just not as many.  Mirrorless cameras have a few drawbacks too, like shorter battery life.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

  • True or False?  DSLR cameras were considered revolutionary when they first became popular.
  • Name three advantages of the DSLR over standard video cameras at the time?
  • What happened to the popularity of DSLR cameras after 2010?

 


Tags

cameras for video, dslr camera, dslr cameras for video, dslr video camera guide, pros and cons of dslr cameras for video production, video cameras compared, what is a dslr camera


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  1. This is a really well thought through guide, great for beginners and more experienced people alike – we love it! Well done 🙂

    Zut

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