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There is a fascination with DSLR cameras today. For individuals who are interested in creating movies or professional grade videos, a DSLR camera can be a viable option. One of the most appealing attributes is the shallow depth of field that these cameras offer for recording. They also provide a larger imager and more pixels than many handheld video camcorders. But is having more pixels the only advantage and the only consideration that one should make when determining whether to choose a DSLR camera or camcorder? You will most likely achieve a more professional quality video shot using a DSLR camera than an average camcorder. However, this will depend on the type of lens that you use. With a camcorder, you may be able to interchange certain lenses. With a DSLR camera, you can change lenses easily and effectively, however the cost of these lenses can be prohibitive for many people. It’s also important to understand about file compression. With digital recording equipment, the files need to fit onto the space provided within the camera itself. Whether you use a SDHC memory card or some other memory card for recording, there are limitations on space. As a result, most of these video recording cameras compress the images in order to fit on the memory cards. What happens during this compression is that a higher quality image with sharper detail becomes less sharp and can appear duller than what was actually recorded. Another factor to consider with a DSLR camera is the accessories that you may be required to have in order to film quality video. The first thing that you will need is an effective light source. Many camcorders have a light source built into the camera even though you may be best served with a three point lighting setup. A DSLR camera may only have a built-in flash for still shots and no other internal light source. A built-in microphone on a DSLR camera will be of low quality and will be often embedded into the video itself. In order to record quality audio to complement the video, you would need an external microphone and audio recording device, then the ability to synchronize the two together using SMPTE time coding. Arguably, the most important issue when it comes to a DSLR camera is the way that it compresses the image you produce. There is no point in paying thousands of dollars for a camera to capture sharp images that will only be negatively affected when the file is compressed to fit onto the memory card. Having only been on the market since 2008, DSLR cameras are still making inroads into video recording. The quality will continue to improve and the affordability will make them available to more people with limited budgets in the coming years. Rick Davis, an experienced TV Producer/Director, invites you to increase your knowledge of video and television production. He has plenty of free how-to videos and PDF cheat sheets to help make your video productions easier. To see more details on this topic check out his YouTube video entitled: Effectiveness of Your Video Production .
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Compression, Depth of Field, DSLR, Video, Cameras,
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