For everyone who says dSLRs cannot replace camcorders for normal home movies

J

joescrivens

Suspended / Banned
Messages
15,052
Name
Joe
Edit My Images
Yes
So I see it time and time again on here that whenever anyone asks about video on a dSLR the same advice is wrongly given and that is something along the lines of:

if you are just wanting to record normal home movies then using a dSLR for video isn't really feasible

I categorically disagree with this. 2 years ago I swapped in my panasonic camcorder and my 450d to buy a 7d and changed all my video onto the dSLR. Now I have moved onto the 5d mark 2.

I have seen huge improvements in my video quality, I have no more skills than i did when using my camcorder. I use no accessories, I do everything in manual focus handheld. I find it a dream to record video on my dSLR and this video would not have been possible on my old panasonic camcorder because in the dark areas I was shooting at 1.4. My camcorder wouldn't have given HD quality video at that light level. Not to mention the impossible depth of field changes that add to the interest

So to everyone who says you can't film normal home movies on a dSLR, hopefully this will make you reconsider that opinion. I'll upload more and more of my videos over time. I actually lost my youtube account so need to start from scratch.

[YOUTUBE]XUEytQ8Pqeo[/YOUTUBE]
 
I've come in completely cold on this as my DSLR video knowledge is as good as zero, but looking at this mate it looks very pro to me. Great editing combined with great videography has just given this a fantastic look and great ambience. My wish list for this year is a 5DMkii and this has given me yet another reason to get one.

Nice one.
 
hi Joe

after viewing this I have to agree with you, the doubters should take a good look at this. You have done a wonderful job with the editing, I liked the music that went with the vid and also the stills were well placed to keep the story going.

Make a back-up and then another back-up, this is something to treasure for a long time.

Congratulations are in order for this (y)
 
cheers guys, most certainly do have a few backups :)

I think the important thing to note is that I take just as much, if not more, video now as I did with my camcorder. My editing skills are what they are, whether i am using camcorder footage or not - some of my editing is good, others leave a lot to be desired :)

BUT the quality is where the difference lies between the two and the trade off is a more challenging video recording process, but only if you want to use shallow dof. At the end of the day I could stick the aperture at f/8 get all the scene in focus like a camcorder and up the iso like a camcorder and the quality would still be better.
 
Wow great work! Love it. I find it very difficult to use video on my 5D2 especially handheld add to that the autofocusing. I need to practise hard.
 
Cracking video :D

I couldn't afford the D3s, well I could as long as I only wanted 1 lens :D So had to settle with the D700. Means I am limited to slide shows (http://vimeo.com/22334152 old photos though) and absolutely love this way of telling a story.

I am hoping that the new Nikon video DSLRs are out by Oct, and that I can afford the D4 by then as video is going to be very important to me. Wife got funny when I said I wanted to take the D700 to the labour ward and do a very long timelapse, hoping your video will change her mind :D
 
Thats a great video, and yes, the IQ is better thna most camcorders but i wouldn't say it shows you can replace a camcorder with it.
Its got the pro look due to using a narrow DOF and the stills are fantastic but, IMO, the main subject goes in and out of focus too much when im sure a Camcorder would have kept it in focus.
Using a narrow DOF gives it a nicer look than from camcorder but thats when the problems start. The only bits that look in focus to me are when your Wife (?) is standing in one place or lying on a bed. To me that not how a typical family home video is shot.

Sorry, just my opinion and no, i probably couldn't do any better.

Congratulations on the birth though and no offence meant, its just how i see it.
 
Very good video. Must say, it's a shame that there aren't bright lens with VR as I really notice the VR working with the 70-300, wish the 85 1.8 had it!

Sent from my iPhone 4 using TP Forums
 
dave_bass5 said:
Thats a great video, and yes, the IQ is better thna most camcorders but i wouldn't say it shows you can replace a camcorder with it.
Its got the pro look due to using a narrow DOF and the stills are fantastic but, IMO, the main subject goes in and out of focus too much when im sure a Camcorder would have kept it in focus.
Using a narrow DOF gives it a nicer look than from camcorder but thats when the problems start. The only bits that look in focus to me are when your Wife (?) is standing in one place or lying on a bed. To me that not how a typical family home video is shot.

Sorry, just my opinion and no, i probably couldn't do any better.

Congratulations on the birth though and no offence meant, its just how i see it.
Click to expand...

no offense taken, but all the slight out of focus points are deliberate it's the style i was going for, i don't know what it is called but you see some documentaries where there is a really thin dof and the subject goes in and out slightly, thats what i was doing, if i wanted a flat focus i'd have made the aperture smaller and increased the iso.

i have examples where i have done this so will upload them when i get a chance.
 
Last edited:
Great video Joe.

I'm 50:50 on DSLR video myself. It depends what you film to a large degree. I shoot aviation and a DSLR is USELESS for that because of the lack of continuous AF and powered zoom.
I think for a total beginner who ONLY wants to be able to turn the camera on press a button then film something like their kids or some holiday moments then a cheap camcorder would likely yield better results because they are easier to use on the whole.
 
EMA747 said:
Great video Joe.

I'm 50:50 on DSLR video myself. It depends what you film to a large degree. I shoot aviation and a DSLR is USELESS for that because of the lack of continuous AF and powered zoom.
I think for a total beginner who ONLY wants to be able to turn the camera on press a button then film something like their kids or some holiday moments then a cheap camcorder would likely yield better results because they are easier to use on the whole.
Click to expand...

Heres the way I see it, if you buy a dSLR and all you do is use auto then the video mode will be beyond you.

If you buy a dSLR and understand any of the exposure features then you can easily learn to get great results.

The video above would not have been possible with a camcorder - the dark scenes would have been very grainy. Plus I wouldn't have even been able to capture half the stills in the video because i'd have been filming at the time. With the 5d i was taking stills at the same time I was shooting the video -all of this coupled by the fact I didn't have to take my camcorder AND my dSLR makes it a nobrainer for me
 
Saturday night live uses a 5d2 for their guest shots, from which they pull from video. Jason brittons motorcycle show is filmed almost entirely with the same. Many tv commercials have used the 5d2. Several primetime shows used the 5d2 for their season premieres. Many many many professional videos are shot with a dslr.... I think its just that folks might not understand how well a 'camera' can do video. The technology has improved greatly, humans just haven't caught up yet.
 
Last edited:
jennifer said:
Saturday night live uses a 5d2 for their guest shots, from which they pull from video. Jason brittons motorcycle show is filmed almost entirely with the same. Many tv commercials have used the 5d2. Several primetime shows used the 5d2 for their season premieres. Many many many professional videos are shot with a dslr.... I think its just that folks might not understand how well a 'camera' can do video. The technology has improved greatly, humans just haven't caught up yet.
Click to expand...

well to be fair, all of those shows use an attached monitor to get focus so it's very different to a handheld amateur use, but i still stand by my original point - you dont have to be a pro to get great results
 
First off congratulations on the birth, hope your wife is well too.

That really impressed me as to what can be done on a camera with video, to be honest I would have no use for a video on a camera, I have a video camera now and I have used it maybe 3 times in the 3 years I have had it, but I am never one to say NEVER so if the next camera I buy has video on it it will be fun learning a new skill.

Spike
 
showed my wife the video, her response?

"wow, that looks amazing, he must be a pro?" :p

kind of proves your point! :D Problem is, I can see myself spending on lots of gadgets for video :D

Maybe a set of removable wheels for the old tripod saves buying a rail :D
 
That is fantastic Joe. I have the 5D2 too but don't even know how to use live view yet. :eek:
You have inspired me to learn. Thanks. (y)
 
lol at the wheels harvey! get learning nigel!

by the way my son was born 5 months ago, i just reuploaded this now there is a new video section and I already saw the same old comment from people about normal video use not being feasible so thought it would be a good time to dedicate a thread to trying to prove this remark wrong
 
Lovely record of events Joe and great quality. Wish i had something like that from my three children's births.

It has that very narrow dof large aperture feel which I guess is typical of a lot of DSLR vids but I kind of like that.

Did you ever see the Skywalker Ranch vids

http://vimeo.com/groups/3950/videos/8100091
 
Last edited:
My problem is that I dont imagine that these results are available using the lower end DSLRs (I believe the 5dMk2 is expensive?) etc and hence simply unachievable for the majority of people.

I'm obviously trying to figure all this out for myself at the moment, I'm leaning towards a HD camcorder and a 2nd hand DSLR again for photos.
 
dinners said:
Lovely record of events Joe and great quality. Wish i had something like that from my three children's births.

It has that very narrow dof large aperture feel which I guess is typical of a lot of DSLR vids but I kind of like that.

Did you ever see the Skywalker Ranch vids

http://vimeo.com/groups/3950/videos/8100091
Click to expand...

I certainly did and love phillip blooms work, it was cos of his dublin people video that I traded in my camcorder for the 7d.
 
latercomer2 said:
My problem is that I dont imagine that these results are available using the lower end DSLRs (I believe the 5dMk2 is expensive?) etc and hence simply unachievable for the majority of people.

I'm obviously trying to figure all this out for myself at the moment, I'm leaning towards a HD camcorder and a 2nd hand DSLR again for photos.
Click to expand...

well i would say the 5d offers better results of course but you will still blow the quality out of the water with a 550d and a 50mm 1.8 compared to a prosumer camcorder

just youtube 550d and 50mm 1.8

here's one example, I chose this cos of the song :)

and by the way, full daylight with an hd camcorder you'll enjoy the results, anything but optimum lighting and you can kiss the HD effect away in my experience, and I had "the best" prosumer camcorder on the market according to the reviews at the time, panny sd800 i think it was with the 3mos and leica lens

[YOUTUBE]x4C3eY6YvGs[/YOUTUBE]
 
Last edited:
You don't need a top end one. I get some some pretty awesome movies (search my user name lawrenceots on you tube) with my D5000, that offers perhaps the worst video mode of any current DSLR! Tech's getting better for a lower price - look at the Nikon D3100/Canon 1000D.
 
That was an impressive video - and has made me think I should try out some video. Suspect it will need some practice with the manual focussing!

Couple of questions

- did you shoot all of the video footage handheld?
- what accessories (if any) did you use?
- how on earth did you manage to film that without your wife throwing something at you?!
 
One of my daughters friends in SA shoots pro documentaries on a 5D Mk2. I've seen some of them and they're excellent.
 
Ok a little comparison below. Some segments filmed with a top prosumer camcorder full hd which years ago cost me £800 which had a lecia lens and then some other sections filmed with my 7d and a variety of lenses. Notice the difference in quality for similar subjects, especially the drop in HD quality in anything other than perfect lighting - the indoor shots are particularly bad

forgive the choppy edit with the music and the artifacting on the change of frame rate - i didn't have the time to properly render everything for this rough comparison, i just pulled sample from different videos, but i think you get the point. All footage handheld with no attachments - filming with the 7d was marginally moe difficult than with the camcorder in my personal experience and the results are well worth the extra difficulty

make sure you change the mode to 720p

EDIT - just noticed there is a huge chunk missing from the camcorder footage, must have screwed up the edit, will add separately.

[YOUTUBE]zfnEzw1gqJI[/YOUTUBE]

more of the camcorder footage for comparison

[YOUTUBE]OIJ7zIKQzy8[/YOUTUBE]
 
Last edited:
Will have a look later when I'm back from work. Why did you use manual focus? Is the auto focus poor or just to give you control?

watched the clips and I have to agree based on those that the DSLR results are better. I guess my concern is not so much whether its possible to get good video on a DSLR (without too much additional expense in terms of additional lens etc) but whether I would be able to get decent video. And without being able to try it there is no way to tell. Maybe a trip to a camera shop is in order.....
 
Last edited:
latercomer2 said:
Will have a look later when I'm back from work. Why did you use manual focus? Is the auto focus poor or just to give you control?
Click to expand...

auto focus is not continuous like it is with a camcorder so that is your major difference with why people are of the opinion that it is impossible to use a dSLR for normal handheld video

the fact is, whilst it takes some getting used to, you will find that your video technique will change and you record more short clips you put together rather than one long piece all in focus.

Also this is only an issue with very shallow DOF. If you want you can stick the camera at f/8 up the iso for the correct exposure focus at the start and then film all you like with most of your subject in focus. I'll do this if i'm filming something where there is lots of movement, like in the street example above - I'm at about 20mm on the 7d probably at f/8 giving me infinite DOF which is why the whole scene is in focus and all the people walking in and out can be seen. Try filming a scene like that with a camcorder and getting that quality without a load of noise

the christening scene i was using my 70-300 so I am at 5.6 probably at 100mm and my subject was about 10mm away i suppose so my dof was 2 m hence why when the vicar comes in and takes the child all the subject is in focus
 
Last edited:
joescrivens said:
auto focus is not continuous like it is with a camcorder so that is your major difference with why people are of the opinion that it is impossible to use a dSLR for normal handheld video
Click to expand...

which is why you use manual. makes sense.

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my ramblings, it is much appreciated. (y)
 
I absolutely adore that video - I'm starting to get more and more into shooting video on my 550D/T2i and find it much more rewarding than taking stills for the most part, not that I'm ever going to stop!
Keep up the good work :)
 
That's an amazing video - both from the filming skills and the subject matter. I can't believe the quality difference between that and the HD camcorder shots.

Glad the event all went well for you. There's no way my wife would have been smiling as much as yours, and no way I could even have even concentrated on shooting during the birth of my two.

Might have to start playing around with video again after watching that. I take it MF rather than AF is the way forward?
 
Loved the video, and a perfect song to go with it (side note, I hope YouTube don't remove the audio track!). What a superb way to remember the birth and what a great thing to look back on many years from now :D
 
they wont remove the audio, its by a recording company who allow that track and thats why you get adverts appear on it :)
 
it's a lovely video, Joe. I wished I'd had the presence of mind to have taken my camera into hospital when my little boy was born and created something similar. i can't imagine how amazing your son will find watching it when he's in his 20s/30s, seeing what is poor mum went through.

the dof effect is wonderful, a really dreamy hazy quality, which is kind of how i remember my own experience too (72 hours without sleep no doubt!)

but yeah, i couldn't ever shoot a video on one of those crumby £140 handycams. i love having fully control.

there is one thing i wished my 5d had and that is 60fps shooting. that would be awesome.
 
cuthbert said:
it's a lovely video, Joe. I wished I'd had the presence of mind to have taken my camera into hospital when my little boy was born and created something similar. i can't imagine how amazing your son will find watching it when he's in his 20s/30s, seeing what is poor mum went through.

the dof effect is wonderful, a really dreamy hazy quality, which is kind of how i remember my own experience too (72 hours without sleep no doubt!)

but yeah, i couldn't ever shoot a video on one of those crumby £140 handycams. i love having fully control.

there is one thing i wished my 5d had and that is 60fps shooting. that would be awesome.
Click to expand...

im sure the 60 mode will be on the mark 3 i had it on my 7d and it was good for shooting slow mo but i rarely had the thought to use it to be honest. Its not even one that cheap though mark that produces the lame results. my panny was £800 and was still pants in comparison

the dreamy effect is all from that sigma 50mm
 
I have to say that I find watching someone in labour quite unsettling probably because we skipped the hospital labour and went straight for emergency section instead. That made most things pretty hazy for a few days and I was just spectating.

One final question and then I'll go away (maybe ;) ) did you use an expensive lens for your videos?
 
latercomer2 said:
I have to say that I find watching someone in labour quite unsettling probably because we skipped the hospital labour and went straight for emergency section instead. That made most things pretty hazy for a few days and I was just spectating.

One final question and then I'll go away (maybe ;) ) did you use an expensive lens for your videos?
Click to expand...

the birth one was the sigma 50mm 1.4 which is around £350

the other video was the 70-300 IS similar price i think

but i also have good footage using the 50mm 1.8 - the issue with this lens is the focus ring is very small its not easy to manual focus
 
The birth video is incredible. What a fantastic record of a fantastic event.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top