Nikon d3100 or d7000 and chromakey

[Brian Charles]

A chroma key relies on good color sampling for a discussion of sampling types (4:1:1, 4:2:2, 4:2:0, 4:4:4 etc) see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_subsampling

It may be possible to pull a good key from those cameras, but the specifications don’t indicate the video color sampling capabilities of either camera.

Any compressed video format or one with a long GOP would need to be transcoded before pulling a key in After Effects.

I’ve had some success with chroma keys using AVCHD footage from a Panasonic GH1 but I paid careful attention to lighting and did several tests before proceeding.

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

If you want to shoot chroma you need the best possible method of capturing the image. Although in the end, for a student project, you can theoretically shoot chroma with an iPhone4, that would not provide you with the best results. Even if the footage shot with a DSLR looks good, it is compressed, that means it looses color information that is precious for a good key. So for best results in post get the best camera that you can- RED One or Alexa would be at the top of my list, followed by a full HD camera that captures using as little compression as possible. If you can use a good HD camera and capture to hard disk with no compression at all that’s even better.
So my answer is no, I would not recommend a DSLR for shooting chroma for a professional project.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Brian Charles]

I’ve used an HVX200 many times with excellent results. It captures in 4:2:2, enough for chroma keying.

Many of the jobs I do are on tight budgets and can’t afford RED or ARRI gear.

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

I did quite a few low budget jobs where I had to use a HD camera – see the clip below- it works to a certain extent, with careful planning (like Brian said). However I stand by my previous post- DSLRs are not quite the best option when it comes to chroma.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WcSPl76Vdg

I think it was a SONY HDW 650

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

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[Alex Badila]

Hi. A DSLR that records in AVCHD, it’s good for Chrome?
AVCHD is compressed codec? I saw Lumix gh2.
https://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/panasonic-lumix-gh2-officially-debuts-16mp-1080p-movie-mode/
About Firestore FS100 records in avi 1, avi 2, quicktime ? these codecs are compressed?