Category: Industry | video production industry updates

OK, to those in the know, this is not news, as the revolution started around September 2008 when Nikon released the D90 – but my clients, when I explain the following, are as amazed as I was when I got my Canon EOS 550d a month ago.

If you read my post on using 35mm adapters and prime lenses, you’ll know that creating a shallow depth of field is key to achieving the gorgeous film-like look that professional videographers desire.

The HD video camera / adapter / prime lens combination’s main disadvantage is that it’s quite cumbersome:

So, for some situations, like solo shooting, a lightweight, compact alternative would be welcome – enter DSLR cameras that shoot full HD video, aka HD-DSLRs, or Video DSLRs.

Because they have full frame or near-full frame 35mm sensors their image quality is stunning, and as they use 35mm lenses they automatically have a shallower depth of field – the “film look”. And the video is recorded to memory cards, so there’s easy integration into the tapeless workflow that most pro videographers now employ.

There are some disadvantages:

- the sound quality is poor and HD-DSLRs are not manufactured to accept professional xlr microphones… although adapters are now available

- the record time is usually limited (eg 12 minutes)… but you just need to hit record again

- the LCD is fixed, so high and low angle shots are difficult to monitor

- the LCD is hard to see in sunlight, making focus difficult

But now that HD-DSLR shooting has been embraced by the professional video community, we’ll surely see the 2010-11 release of new video cameras that combine the sensor and lens mount of a DSLR camera with the audio and monitoring capabilities of medium sized video cameras. In fact Panasonic announced the first just a few days ago – the AG-AF100

It’s an exciting time! For me, the best thing about the Canon EOS 550d is that because the camera is a lightweight “prosumer” stills cam it has become part of my daily life – much more easily than a high end video camera; immediately there is a normalness of form that makes it very relaxing to use.

revolutions from Mark Slocombe on Vimeo.

Canon EOS 550d

18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

Handheld

music: Swan Lake

by Yuri Goldfuss / Asimbonanga

Panasonic have announced a game-changing AVCCAM HD camcorder, the AG-AF100, the first professional micro 4/3-inch video camcorder optimized for high-definition video recording.

Why is this important? ‘The design of the AF100’s micro 4/3-inch sensor affords depth of field and field of view similar to that of 35mm movie cameras in a less expensive camera body.

freshdv_nab10_Panasonic

I established CreationVideo in 1993, and as a filmmaker I’ve always sought to achieve high production values, not only to give our clients best value, but also because I’m a perfectionist (I’m told!) and I love what I do.

Of course, there are no higher production values than those achieved in the movies, which are always shot on 35mm film. We all know that budgets for these are enormous, partly because 35mm stock, equipment and technical requirements are so expensive.

So the challenge has always been, how can we achieve the look of film in our productions (thereby setting our clients’ films apart from their competitors), on realistic budgets?

The key factor that differentiates the look of 35mm film from the look of video is the shallow depth of field achieved by its film camera lenses. Depth of field is the distance between the nearest and furthest parts of a subject that can be imaged with acceptably sharp detail at one focus setting of the lens.

So a shot with a shallow depth of field is one where the area that the lens is focused on, is smaller, and the rest of the shot is out of focus.

Watch any movie shot on film and you’ll see this. The effect of shallow depth of field is to concentrate the viewer’s attention on the subject in focus. And, compared to video, it looks gorgeous, because there’s an overall softening. Video is much more ‘hard’ or flat-looking, as much more of the shot is in focus.

This chart, from Letus, compares the depth of field of different cameras (click for bigger):

You can see that consumer cameras have the greatest DOF, and 35mm movie cameras the least. So, how can we achieve this prized shallow DOF with our professional video cameras?

The breakthrough came in 2007, with the arrival of affordable 35mm lens adapters – adapters for using 35mm photographic lenses on DV and HD cameras. These adapters, from manufacturers like Letus, are attached to the camera’s lens, and the 35mm lens goes on their other end. The image from the 35mm lens – with its shallow depth of field characteristics – is projected onto a screen in the adapter, and the camera’s lens is focused onto that screen’s other side, and records the image. For a fuller explanation, see Wikipedia here.

The 35mm photographic lenses are the key to the film look; it’s best use fast prime lenses that compensate for the fact that the adapter causes some light loss to the final image. Fast = having a wide maximum aperture, eg f1.2, f1.4 or f1.8 – allowing more light in. Prime = having a fixed focal length, ie non-zoom.

This video compares a sequence (on the left) filmed without a depth of field adapter, to the same sequence filmed with our Letus Elite 35mm adapter:

Two years later, I am still awestruck when I see the film-like quality of the HD images we are able to create using the 35mm adapter and Nikon lenses with our Sony XDCAM EX1; compared to the images from the high-end DVCAM cameras we were using previously, they have a gorgeous softness, an organic feel to them. Here are a couple of examples of films we’ve made with the Letus: Achieve Global and NHS Breast Screening.

So what are the latest developments for filmmakers seeking the film look? We need look no further than the latest DSLR cameras….. HD-DSLRs – but that’s another blog entry.

EX1 + Letus Elite from Mark Slocombe on Vimeo.

CreationVideo’s EX1 + Letus Elite, shot on a JVC GY HM-100

I find it useful to see a camera / accessory combination when thinking about upgrading, but with more specialist rigs like this, that can be difficult, so hope this is useful for those considering the EX1 / Letus combo. We’re using Nikon prime lenses.