Micah Mcdowell
Forum Replies Created
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Also, check out the Magic Lantern firmware for the T2i (https://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/550D). The newest alpha version gives the camera on-screen audio levels, headphone monitoring, and the ability to disable the camera’s automatic gain control. I’ve been using it daily for the past couple weeks with excellent results. Goodbye, dual-system audio recording.
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In your situation, I’d hang on to your HVX for a while. If you’re wanting to go all out with DSLR production, $2500 won’t quite cut it.
If I were you, I’d keep using the HVX for general production, and pick up a Canon T2i to start experimenting with. They’re only $800, so hopefully it wouldn’t break your budget. Get a feel for the workflow, decide what accessories you’re going to need in practice, pick up some great shots, and later you can go all out with some 5DmkII bodies and high-end lenses if you like working with the SLRs.
Another option would be to stick with the HVX and use depth of field converters with SLR lenses. This will keep your post workflow the same while giving you that narrow DOF look, but it may or may not be cost effective for you. There’s a great article on the COW about them, so research if it’s a good option for you.
Regardless of what you go with, I think you’ll want to keep the HVX. There’s some things that it will do better (run & gun footage, live events, stuff that requires a servo zoom, handheld video, getting a “video look” if you need it). I use my DSLR about 95% of the time now, but occasionally the old DVX100 still gets pulled out of the case. I also do church media so I’m on the same page with you.
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I bought a camera (Panasonic DVX100) when I started college, allowing me to use it for all of my class work and make a bit of money with occasional side projects. It was a complete life saver for scheduling, especially if your school has a relatively small amount of equipment to check out as mine did (and assuming they would allow you to use your own equipment). However, before purchasing, make sure you’re going to have a use for the camera and that there’s no situation where it will just sit on the shelf. As you’ve noticed, the cameras are obsolesced quickly.
I now own a T2i and it’s really incredible for the low price; if you’re technically inclined you can install the Magic Lantern alpha firmware that came out this month (https://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki) and extend the usability of the camera a great deal.
Another tip; don’t skimp on your other gear (tripods/lights/mics) since you’ll probably be using them much longer than the camera itself. This is especially important for lenses on DSLRs. Good lenses won’t depreciate much (some even gain value over time), so don’t be afraid to spend money on good ones.
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I was just looking at new TVs last night, and I concur that the 120hz mode with motion smoothing is insanely annoying on a 24p film. I can’t imagine that there’s any models which DON’T have a way to disable it; if there are, that’s pretty sad.
Supposedly, a 120hz set with motion smoothing turned OFF still has an advantage when viewing 24p material. It can use 5:5 pulldown from a 24p Blu-Ray (repeating each frame 5x) instead of 3:2 pulldown like most televisions, so telecine judder is eliminated and it gives it motion characteristics like watching a film in a theater. So, there is a bright side to this gimmicky tech.
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Since they’re still sealed, I’d say they’re perfectly fine to use. I’ve seen 8+ year old tapes snap when played back, but it’s the exposure to dust/humidity that seems to make the difference. New, sealed tapes should have no such issues.
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Here’s a great page that gives TONS of info about “bokeh”, the out of focus areas of the image and why they look the way they look:
https://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm
Actually, it’s a great site to learn about photography in general.
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I have the T2i and know someone who has the 7D. The footage is practically indistinguishable.
Both cameras share the same image sensor, so the main difference is in the ruggedness of the camera body itself (7D has a fully weather-sealed magnesium body, but the plastic T2i is plenty sturdy for most uses). The 7D also uses Compact Flash cards while the T2i uses SDHC, and the 7D has more processing power which allows it to take full quality stills faster (doesn’t do much on the video side of things).
The T2i is so much cheaper that I’d go for it unless you really, really need one of the specific features of the 7D. I think it’d cut together fairly well with your camera.
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Depends on your use/destination for the file.
Generally, the higher number is better, obviously. Whenever I’m saving as a JPEG for my own use locally, it’s gonna be set at 12. But for web use, you almost always want to compress the file much smaller than that to reduce loading time. However, I’d use the File>Save for Web option as it gives you much more control. The only time I use the standard JPEG file dialog with anything lower than 12 is if I’m in a hurry and just need to save a comp image to email someone, for example. Also, Save For Web doesn’t get along with really large dimensioned files that well.
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…and it appears I posted the same thing as Todd at the same second.
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What you want is known as selective focus or shallow depth of field.
There’s several factors affecting depth of field; lens focal length, lens “speed” (maximum aperture size), size of the video sensor in the camera. 35mm film has always given a narrow depth of field look due to the large size of the image surface compared to a video camera (35mm vs. 1/3″ on your Canon, for example). This changes the lens focal length relationship (50mm on film is the same as 6mm on your Canon) and gives the video camera much deeper areas in focus. This is a large part of what distinguishes the look of a Hollywood film from something shot with a cheap video camera.
Your Canon has a fairly small chip, so it makes it difficult to narrow the focus that much. Some free tips to try are to zoom in all the way and make sure your iris is all the way open (you may need to use the neutral density filter for proper exposure if there’s too much light). Make sure there’s a large distance between the in-focus subject and the background. Even with these tips, you may find the results unsatisfactory.
There’s some other options. You can purchase a depth-of-field converter that allows you to use 35mm film lenses on your camera (read this article here on the COW for details). These produce an outstanding image but are cumbersome and eat up lots of light. They can also be quite expensive.
Another option is getting a video DSLR camera. Popular models include the Canon 5DmkII, Canon 7D, and Canon T2i (which I own). They produce a great HD image and allow for selective focus shots just like 35mm film. There’s a forum for them here on the COW as well (DSLR Video). They do have some ergonomic and functional challenges since they’re intended to be still photography cameras first and video cameras second. However, the image they can produce is incredible for the price (the Canon T2i is under $900 and looks phenomenal). One would be a great addition to use in conjunction with your XH-A1.