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Using Nikon D5000 in my documentary to shoot remote interview
Hi:
I have to conduct one remote interview and won’t be able to travel there with my camera gear. I’ve found a friend of the subject who has a Nikon D5000 which can shoot video but I don’t think it will be up to par. I’m wondering if I should go ahead with it or not. Or perhaps just shoot stills for the subject and have other footage fill the screen during the interview. Any ideas are very welcome. Below is a paragraph on the technical specs of this camera:
HD movie mode is the second major feature of the Nikon D5000, capturing 1,280 x 720 resolution movies at 24 frames per second. As with all digital SLRs so far, the Nikon D5000 is better for capturing video snapshots that you can string together in a video editor, rather than longer recordings, because the camera can’t autofocus while you record. Called D-Movie clips, movie files are recorded in Motion JPEG AVI files. The major benefit of capturing video with a digital SLR like the Nikon D5000 is that you can take advantage of the wide range of SLR lenses, from extreme wide-angle to telephoto.
Lillian Fidler
Jillian Productions
St. John’s, Newfoundland
Canada -
4 Replies
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I am not sure there is much you can do with the D5000. The D5100 does 1080-30p, and with a NikonHacker firmware upgrade, you can get manual ISO and increased bitrates. The D5000 does not appear to have a hacked firmware that can be applied, so you are stuck with the video modes on the stock firmware. If you have to use the camera select very well lit area to shoot in. Nikon of that generation used auto everything in video mode, and would ramp the ISO before altering the shutter or stop. There is likely a menu setting for locking the exposure before you roll, so it is not changing during the shot.
The fact it shoots in MJPEG is not necessarily bad, since it is a intra frame codec vs AVCHD.
Audio sucks and so you better have an zoom or something running for audio.
I would say have them ebay the d5000, and get a ebay d5100 or better, if they have lens they want to keep.
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Thank you. I’ll definitely look into the sound issue and make sure we have a secondary recorder. I’m wondering if this type of video will hold up in the more professionally shot interviews around it? or is there a technique I could use – for example,making the frame smaller or just using still shots instead of video… any ideas welcome.
Lillian Fidler
Jillian Productions
St. John’s, Newfoundland
Canada -
What is your primary camera, and resolution you plan on achieving for display/distribution?
720p will upres to 1080P just fine. The footage will have softer look to it. You could your friend shoot a few short test shots and upload it to dropbox, and test how the footage will compare. You could also do the News/CNN thing of creating graphic surround and inserting the 720p PiP scaled to 100% or smaller.
A d3200 at Target or Best Buy is only like $500 out the door, and the D5100 on ebay is <$300. The firmware for the D5100 and possibly the D3200 is free. That way you can get a rough 35mm look in a 1080-30P file. The firmware allows bit rate up to 36-54Mbs, but you will need a good SDcard like a SANDISK Extreme Plus, so it can keep up with the camera.
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Thank you. I’ll forge ahead with that camera as I don’t have it in a budget to upgrade and it’s not my camera 🙂 I will however use a secondary audio device so that we can ensure that the audio is good.
Thanks so much for your advice and input, that really helped!
Lillian
Lillian Fidler
Jillian Productions
St. John’s, Newfoundland
Canada
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