Video on a DSLR?

[BoblyBill]

Thoughts on the new Nikon D90... I was interested to find out that Nikon has put video capabilities on the new camera. Will it catch on? I think so, but only more towards the P&S shooters. It seems to me that a pro/semi pro would buy a camera to take stills and a video to take video. Thoughs?

 

[Overread]

*I think we have a talk on this somewhere else possibly - or its another site*

My view is that video is a tool that you can or cannot use.
To those who shoot studio photography I can see that video is something that they neither want not will use extensivly - since its not helping them in any way.
However put the camera in the hands of a professional journalist, sport, action, wildlife, etc... photographer and they will jump for joy - granted it will never be as good as a proper video camera and holding might require a tripod/monopod for better (less shaky) results, but its a way of capturing action that is not available to them out in the field. They have already made the choice to shoot photographs and they still will - but sometimes its desirable to shoot a short video of a sight.

I think this is very much a step forward rather than a copout from the point and shoot market - hence why nikon have gone for a mid-high range DSLR for the feature rather than a beginner level one.

 

[epp_b]

Personally, I'd have liked to see the money spent on this spent elsewhere, like making metering possible and programmable with old lenses as in the D300.

 

[Big Mike]

I agree, this is probably something that will appeal to 'entry level' photographers rather than pros...but soccer moms buy more cameras than pro photographers so that's who drives a lot of the decisions.

It actually seems like a smart move by Nikon. I would imagine that there are plenty of people who are willing to spend $600-$1000 on a camera and when they find out that a P&S or 'SLR-like' camera can shoot video but a DSLR can't...that's a big issue for them.
So if Nikon can get people to buy into an SLR system by offering one with video capabilities, they they have probably hooked that person. They will probably buy lenses or other Nikon accesories and when/if they upgrade, it will probably be in the 'family'.

 

[sabbath999]

Folks, this thing doesn't just shoot video, it shoots high def video with FAST nikkor lenses.

You can shoot video with very limited depth of field (try doing that with a sub $3000 camcorder)!

This isn't a video camera, it is a MOVIE camera... it shoots 24fps with the ability to shoot with big, fast, Nikkor glass.

This camera is a game changer.

 

[Big Mike]

I hear that it's manual focus only, while shooting video.

 

[monkeykoder]

Give me a focusing screen and I'm game.

 

[BoblyBill]

I agree, this is probably something that will appeal to 'entry level' photographers rather than pros...but soccer moms buy more cameras than pro photographers so that's who drives a lot of the decisions.

It actually seems like a smart move by Nikon. I would imagine that there are plenty of people who are willing to spend $600-$1000 on a camera and when they find out that a P&S or 'SLR-like' camera can shoot video but a DSLR can't...that's a big issue for them.
So if Nikon can get people to buy into an SLR system by offering one with video capabilities, they they have probably hooked that person. They will probably buy lenses or other Nikon accesories and when/if they upgrade, it will probably be in the 'family'.

I agree totally Mike. Which I believe is a good move by Nikon. The video funtion would not be something a pro would use that much, I don't think. Especially because it looks like it doesn't have plugins for a dedicated microphone, so though it might get some good motion pictures, I believe the mic from with the little slit in the side would be rather subpar. With that in mind, someone wanting to use this for motion pictures would have a great time with it, but they would have to rig it up with some decent sound recording equipment and sync in pp to get good quality sound Making it much to be desired for making video in my opinion (I record my own music so sound is a big thing for me) (also supporting this theory that it was marketed for the average consumer wanting a camera for memories and family outing than for someone wanting to get quality videos out of it).

Edit: I just looked on Nikon's website and they are really pushing the auto modes in the presentation of the camera as well.

Believe me this is not an anti-Nikon thread so please don't think that. The camera itself looks like a great camera, I just though that putting video was a strange and intreging (sp?) step. However, I believe this step will be a good one for the company itself.

 

[THORHAMMER]

how are you going to edit your video, its mjpeg.
Correction,

I didnt realize its actually an AVI file, but mjpeg frames, weird...
My bad, I guess you could edit it just fine.

also sound is supposedly realllly bad on mjpeg, you cant change the compression ratio, unless they tweaked something major with the file format.

I did hear that mjpeg sound is horrible though, maybe a MIC would fix it.

 

[jayreilly]

i am interested in video on a dslr and i love the manual focus , narrow depth of field option, i would be interested.

 

[usayit]

just linking in another ongoing related thread:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135724

 

[Hooligan Dan]

Like I've said time and time again, this is a perfect backup camera for many photojournalists who are having to shoot web video. A decent second body to have and video without the extra equipment.

D90 in action: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQX1rC-fRA[/ame]

 

[jayreilly]

Like I've said time and time again, this is a perfect backup camera for many photojournalists who are having to shoot web video. A decent second body to have and video without the extra equipment.

D90 in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQX1rC-fRA

no doubt, perfect for that format and i cant imagine the higherend cameras not having something like it in the future

 

[Iron Flatline]

It's really not that big a technological leap. If you can flip up the mirror and enable Live
View, you can also record the ongoing data stream. It's just more code.

AF doesn't work while LV is running.