Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Mustang Time Lapse Video Revisited

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Some of you may recall the above time lapse video from the dash view of my Ford Mustang as part of my review time with the Nikon D5000.  The D5000 offers an interval shooting mode that you can set up directly in the camera without tethering to a computer, which is required for the Canon counterpart.  The original post is here and here’s the full Nikon D5000 Review.

I have had a few questions lately about the details of the settings I used and thought I’d take the time to revisit the setup here. [Read more…]

 

Canon Dust Delete and Mapping for Video Files

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Canon has a Dust Delete Data process in its recent EOS DSLRs.  Essentially, this process records where the sensor dust is located on your camera’s image sensor and appends that information to each image file.  This file appendage is then interpreted by Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software and applied to the imported images in order to automatically remove dust spots from your images.  Canon says this is for RAW and JPEG images only – not H.264 video files.

The recent surge in video recording capabilities for DSLRs like the Canon 5D Mark II, Rebel T1i and Canon 7D have made it apparent that similar technology is needed for video files.  As far as I can determine, this technology is not available in-camera yet.  From my limited knowledge of video post-processing, it is possible to remove dust spots, hot pixels and the like from video files, but it is not an ideal solution and must be done in post-processing.  However, that is something that Canon aims to change. [Read more…]

Nikon D300s Videos

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Here’s a few videos that show off the new Nikon D300s and give you a little taste of what you can expect from the video capabilities.

I don’t know that we needed the subtitles on the last one; however, it was nice to see a little more of a home cooked version of video from the D300s. More info about this camera is available on Photography Bay’s Nikon D300s Reviews and Resources.

Miniature City Video with a Canon 5D Mark II

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This is an impressive little video shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and a couple of tilt & shift lenses – the PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm F2.8D & MC ARAX 2.8/35mm.

The miniature city effect is produced by the tilt & shift lenses and unique depth of field.  The effect is particularly pronounced when shooting from high above your subject at a steep angle, which produces the illusion of looking down on a miniaturized model or toy.

Canon 5D Mark II – Manual Exposure Control in Video Mode

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Canon has apparently been reading the numerous forum posts where 5D Mark II users have requested – nay, demanded – manual exposure control for their videos.  Well an email from Canon USA has confirmed that it’s coming . . . in June to be exact.

Canon will issue a firmware update to enable full manual exposure controls while shooting video, including ISO, aperture and shutter speed.  Although, I’m not sure what they mean by shutter speed. Isn’t the shutter always open in video mode?

Advanced Sound for DSLRs

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Advanced Sound for DSLR’s from Steve Weiss, Zacuto USA on Vimeo.

If there’s one huge gap in the video features of new DSLRs like the Canon Rebel T1i and Nikon D5000, it’s the sound.  Simply put, it was an after thought that seriously handicaps these cameras.  This video from the guys at Zacuto talks about how fix this problem with a little $349 solution called the Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder.  They also give you a couple of quick and simple tips for synching your audio with your video in post-production.  Good stuff.

Canon Rebel T1i vs. Nikon D5000 – Video Comparison

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In my ongoing review of the Canon Rebel T1i (aka 500D) and the Nikon D5000 (see the T1i vs. D5000 ISO Comparison), I decided to take a closer look at the video functionality of these two cameras since it is one of the headline features in both models.  Below, you will find a review of each camera’s video capabilities, followed by some embedded samples and a link to download the full resolution video files.  Each camera’s kit lens was used in the samples below. [Read more…]

Zacuto Gunstock Mount for DSLR Video

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Introducing the DSLR Gunstock Shooters from Steve Weiss, Zacuto USA on Vimeo.

Shortly after the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D90 cameras were announced last Summer, Zacuto brought us some really cool video accessories to turn these hybrid-DSLRs into pro-capable video cameras.

Well, Zacuto just made things a lot better with their new gunstock rigs for DSLRs.

The key here is not to encage with metal, keeping it light at 6.5 lbs. including camera & follow focus make it the only true portable capable of shallow DOF.

Steve Weiss, product designer, Zacuto USA

They also became much more reasonable in price, going from the $5k range down to the $2k range.

More details on Zacuto’s site.