mixing dslr video and minidv shots

Z

zantero

New member
I currently own a miniDV camera and a nikon dslr (D80) with a few good lenses,
now I would like to incorporate the DOF possibility of a DSLR in some shots.

I am tempted to buy a new DSLR body with video function but I would like
to be able to mix shots from the DSLR with shots from the miniDV camera .

I am uncertain if the result will be satisfactory as the sensors of both systems are totally different , has anyone experience with this setup ?
 
I just finished shooting a small project shot 50/50 miniDV (HV20) and DSLR (T2i). Going over the footage the main difference I note first is the dynamic range. The DSLR's larger sensor can get more highlights and blacks in one exposure than my miniDV. Just starting to look at the footage now, but that's what caught my eye initially.
 
Depends on what you mean by miniDV - are you shooting DV or HDV?

If you're shooting high-def then you'll probably notice a difference in sharpess, and you might need to soften the HDV footage in post a little to get them to match.

Other than that the biggest difference is the dynamic range.

It will also depend on what brand cameras/camcorders you are using - most brands have a somewhat consistant 'look' across their handycams and models from one company might not mix well with cameras from another company. Depending on how good you are with grading, you can usually get them pretty close, but it makes it a whole lot easier if the images are similar to start with.
 
Thank you for your replies .

I am currently shooting DV witch a Sony handycam DCR-PC4E
It is now clear for me that trying to mount clips from a Sony handicam with those of a Nikon DSLR will not be garanteed to produce a good result.

I understand that it is better to stay with the same brand of equipment if one wants to mix DSLR and video camera images.
 
You can mix brands if you're willing to deal with the way two different cameras handle their color.

I recently did a project that mixed talking head footage from the Canon 5d and a Sony Ex1.

Before I started, I thought I would use the EX1 as my wide camera and stop down the 5d for my closeup (this would widen the DOF to try to match the EX1)

When I prepped my first shot, I found that the 5d gave me a gorgeous wide shot (with a nice soft background). With the Ex1 zoomed in I could approximate the shallow DOF in a close up shot.

So that's basically what you have to strategize - how to use the cameras so that you don't exagerrate the difference between them - because the difference between an HD-DSLR and a 1/6" chip handycam are HUGE.
 
This video is a mix of vx2100 and 550d footage, I was surprised at how well I could make them match.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later.
I AGREE
 
BenMarshall said:
This video is a mix of vx2100 and 550d footage, I was surprised at how well I could make them match.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later.
I AGREE
Click to expand...

It looks good but you must have have made an SD film with the 2100 being mini dv,how did you overcome the 2100s 4x3 ratio i expect there is a simple answer.
The 550D i have just got gave an oversaturated look on its colours in my first days filming whites and blues were fine but yellows were overcooked making things like dry grass /light brown cliifs /peoples faces all too yellowy,i am hoping changing from standard to neutral and cutting saturation by one notch will improve things because what i did yesterday is not in my HV30s league.
 
aye, i made it all in sd. Not the optimum solution but it let me cut on the laptop I was on. As far as widescreen goes, I simply cropped the 550d footage when I put it into the 4:3 timeline.

Try changing the cam to the flat settings, Neutral with sharpness and contrast all the way down and saturation decreased by 2. From there it should be possible to tweak the image in post to match.

Just a thought, maybe it is possible to make yourself a custom picture style that matches the hv30 more accurately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top