In the past few years, the digital SLR video feature has gained popularity among many professional wedding vouchers, events, and short video filmmakers. Many of these Avid video professionals are turning their attention to this device as the main workhorse going forward. So what are the advantages of using the digital SLR camera to video? What are also some of the disadvantages of using this device in video shooting?
Let me qualify to do these analyzes and comments. I have been taking weddings and events for a couple of years. I started out as a photographer and over time decided to transfer some of my photography skills to video. I own both a digital SLR camera and the famous Canon XHA1 Video Camera Pro-consumer. Let’s look at some of these highlights on this topic.
1) Price Point
One of the key propositions of the digital SLR is the Price point. Pricing for the device has been anywhere from $ 500 to $ 2000, lower than most professional video cameras on the market. As the market demand for this range of cameras is much higher than professional camcorders and the competition is much stiffer, the price will certainly be much lower. I believe the price of digital SLRs will continue to decline over the next several years as market adoption continues to grow.
2) Versatility
Digital SLR is certainly more versatile than the traditional camcorder. Asides from the expensive Professional Studio camcorders, this camera allows videographers to shoot with a wide range of lens and also allow the achievement of the depth of field with ease. You can go up on the zoom to capture scenes from a few hundred feet away and you can perform a close-up shot of a bee on a working flower with a close-up lens switch. You can also achieve a good shot in a small room using a wide-angle lens or even achieve a fancy effect with a fish-eye. All of these switching and changing lenses are generally not possible with pro-consumer camcorders, except those in the highest range. Thereby,
3) Weight and height
Digital SLRs weigh much less than conventional Pro-consumer camcorder equivalents. As the device is designed to be held in the hand, it is also relatively small, especially when compared with large shoulder-mount camcorders. Well, being one of the videographers, I have to admit that maybe small steps need to be a good idea as it will affect the stability of the shoot. Unlike photography which is essentially a game of going and manipulating, video requires firm and stable handling for an extended period of time. Videographers are also required to “move” the camera in a smooth and steady technique to achieve the beautiful shots on the move. The shoulder-mounted camera allows the shooter to hold the camcorder firm on the shoulder for the most shoot, so it may be harder to handle the small size and lightweight DSLR. Well, the good news is that many manufacturers drill and gadgets are creating good rigs for such cameras to allow them to be mounted easily on the shoulder. Its lightweight also allows it to be easily attached to a stabilizer which is infamous for smooth moving shots. So being small and light is definitely a big plus. Its lightweight also allows it to be easily attached to a stabilizer which is infamous for smooth moving shots. So being small and light is definitely a big plus. Its lightweight also allows it to be easily attached to a stabilizer which is infamous for smooth moving shots. So being small and light is definitely a big plus.
4) Format
Perhaps, the one feature I hate the most about shooting with such a video camera is its current primary recording format. The process of cameras and storing images primarily in “AVCHD” format which, if required very small footprint, is very hostile to most conventional editing software. Thanks to its high compression, we will require a very powerful processor as well as software to be able to process and edit the images with ease. Besides, the compression also introduced more noise into the video as a result. Nonetheless, I believe that this issue will eventually be overcome with the deployment of more powerful processors, efficient codecs, better memory storage devices, and more powerful editing software on the market.
In summary, I believe that digital SLR video is here to stay and will dominate weddings, events, and short film video jobs. I’m also happy that it’s becoming more affordable for many great movies to create and bring out the beauty in life better.
Vince, a wedding, an event as well as a short film videographer, and also a web developer, has been actively recommending video and DSLR cameras.
