Am I a candidate for DSLR?

J

jbcon

Active member
Ok, I have been in the market for a new prosumer level HDV camera for some time now and have been looking for deals on used (ebay) cameras for a while, but haven’t found what I am looking for in the $1500 price range. (Canon XHA1, Panasonic AG-HVX200, Sony FX1, etc)

I shoot mostly for personal use to be shown either via dvd/blu-ray or HDD media player to HDTV viewers. Most of my stuff is documentary style and I have been mainly looking for a good device to shoot 24p, preferably in 1080.

This past weekend my brother-in-law; a former film-school graduate, pulled out his hacked Panasonic GH1. He showed me some test footage, and I was impressed enough to come home and start reading up on DSLR’s as DV camera replacements.

Here is my dilemma… is a DSLR a suitable replacement for a traditional DV Camcorder, for someone who uses their camera to film mostly outdoor scenery, etc. A lot of what I do is travel footage and sometimes it is on the fly, without the aid of a tri-pod.

I do all my editing in Vegas Pro 9, and seldom have clips longer than 2-3 minutes each, which I know leads itself to the DSLR… to be honest, what I have read regarding the various DSLR’s has me seriously considering jumping on either the GH1 or T2i and investing in lenses and maybe a Zacuto view-finder, however I am afraid of the form factor as it is stock….

While I have been considering getting back into photography separately, the form factor of the DSLR’s do not seem as comfortable for video and as easy to use as a point and shoot camera and would require much more planning of your shots.

Bottom-line for me… I need an HD camera with a 24p or similar capability, that can do as much in the camera as possible (would prefer to not do it in post-production). -- Works in multiply lighting scenarios, bright sun and overcast; Is rugged enough to travel; stable enough to use hand-held; is reliable and not quirky or cuts off unexpectedly; and offers a stable codec which will not be obsolete in a year.

Am I a candidate for DSLR?
 
If you're shooting scenery, I assume most of it would be deep focus stuff ie; most everything is in focus. you need to be aware that there certain situations that can provoke the sensor to produce certain undesirable artifacts like aliasing/moire. Do a search on these terms in conjunction with the 5DII and T2i and there should be plenty of reading on the subject. The 5DII is an amazing camera for narrative film making where most aspects of your scene can be controlled for and wardrobe can be selected to avoid these artifacts. You can walk away with truely movie worthy footage, but deep focus scenery and buildings could present an issue in certain circumstances. These DSLR cameras really shine with a shallow depth of field and people in focus with great lighting.
 
Thanks. I had read about these issues, but the quality of the picture, vs the cost difference in some of the prosumer HDV cameras has me almost thinking I could work with these issues for the limited circulation I get on my films/videos.

Unfortunately the consumer-end of things for HD Video has fallen off in favor of small optical size and low price... my old SD Panasonic 3ccd has better optics (i think) than any currently comparable consumer setup, and even used the good prosumer machines are closer to $2k...

I hear ya on the limitations of the DSLR's, but I guess I need to look at some more footage from the various cameras. The other issue for me is the form factor... I like the idea of being sort of stealth when filming, but stability and comfort for those long day trips wondering around looking for that perfect shot makes me wonder how hard it would be to adapt.
 
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