The Current Range of HDSLR and ILML Cameras

An updated and expanded edition of Going Beyond Stills:  HDSLR and Interchangeable Lens - Mirror-less (ILML -because we hate referring to them as EVILs)  Cameras is now available.  You can view it by clicking on the "image" embedded below. 

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2010 Holiday Ideas To Take Your Imaging Beyond Stills

Recently, I've gotten numerous e-mails from people asking about accessorizing their HDSLR for motion capture.  So I decided to put together a little "guide" of  holiday gift ideas that includes some of my favorite "affordable" HDSLR accessories and gear:  With the exception of the cameras, most items listed are below $200.   I actually own and use every piece of equipment listed.  Additionally all the equipment is available at B&H. 

If you want to see the gear upfront and personal and you have any question about this gear, gear in general or HDSLR motion capture, join me on Thursday December 2 from 11to 1 in the B&H Event Space.  For more information or to register for the event click here.

The revised and expanded 2nd Edition of Beyond Stills:  HDSLR Motion Capture for the Non-filmaker will be available shortly.  The Second Edition has been revised and expanded to include a more general discission of camera settings and controls regardless of brand, as well a sections which cover the menus and movie controls for the latest Canon and Nikon releases. Much of the information and the links to product Websites that was formerly included in the seperate Interactive Resource Guide have been incorporated in the second edition. A notice will be posted here when the book is available. In the meantime, please enjoy idea guide!     To view the guide, click on the publication embedded below.

Open publication - Free publishing - More stabilizers

The HDSLR Camera Class of 2010- The Newest Arrivals

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A Light and Portable Handheld HDSLR Stabilizer From Cavision

Recently, I was getting ready to go out and shoot some stills and motion for a personal project, and needed to travel as lightly as possible; this meant no monopod, tripod or larger stabilizer for video capture. I wanted a stabilizer that I could fit in a small to medium size camera bag, that was easy to store, required minimal assembly, and was lightweight for use with my 5D MarkII. My search led me to the Cavision Single DSLR Handgrip with Integrated Viewfinder. The Handgrip package is available for both the 5D MarkII or the 7D. (The difference between the 5D package and the 7D package is an additional spacer plate required because of the camera size differentials.)

On paper the handgrip package has a lot going for it: it is compact and the handle folds down, has an integrated swing away viewfinder which offers 6x magnification, is lightweight and best of all, is priced at $199. So I ordered one from a local retailer.



The stabilizer delivered all that it promised. It is lightweight, easy to get in my bag with the camera attached or detached, and nicely finished. No instructions are required as it is obvious that the camera is mounted by screwing it to the mounting plate. It also takes about two seconds or less to figure out how to engage and disengage and lock the hinged viewfinder. In terms of stability, with the camera mounted to the rig, there are three points of stability: One point at the hand grip, a second point at the eyecup and a third point can be established by the free hand, should you choose to place it on the camera.

In real world shooting, it works quite well with my collection of normal zooms and sub-200mm primes. But mounting the 70-200 zoom on it was challenging for me after a few minutes because the lens weight and length makes the rig front heavy. The viewfinder is a mixed blessing. I love the magnification; but it does not have a diopter adjustment which some users might prefer, nor is the viewfinder focusable. There is a price that one pays for the 6x magnification factor: There is some visible pincushion distortion (the corners bowing inward) when you view the LCD through the viewfinder. I mention this because some people may be disturbed by the visual effect of viewing the LCD where the corners lose their flat perspective and it potentially could affect critical manual focus of off-center subjects. I gave the rig to a couple of other photographers and they only became aware of the effect after I pointed it out. I did confirm that representatives of Cavision are aware that there is some pin-cushioning as a result of the higher magnification factor of their viewfinder. If you are using autofocus prior to the commencement of motion capture, the pincushioning if you notice it, is only a visual annoyance.

According to Bernie Koth-Kappus of the Vancouver based company, “We do have a wide variety of products for DSLR cameras, both at varying price points and for various different functions. One of Cavision’s primary goals is to create products that are universal and can fit a large variety of cameras. Because most of our systems are customizable and we already have many different types of components available, we can usually come up with a configuration for almost any camera.” As the HDSLR market continues to develop and mature, the ability to deliver products for various camera bodies and configurations is going to become increasingly important. In addition to the spacer plate to allow the 5D MarkII and the 7D to use the same stabilizer solutions, Koth-Kappus cites the development of a setup that would be suitable for the 5D MarkII with battery grip or Beachtek adapter (shown below on a shoulder mount stabilizer with extra accessories)



as examples of the ability and commitment Cavision has to crafting solutions. The company has an impressive lineup of attractively priced HDSLR related products from handheld stabilizers to shoulder mounts with follow focus ranging from $75 to around $900USD. Click here to visit Cavision’s website.

Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration.


As always we invite you to look through the current issue of "Outfitting Your HDSLR" by clicking on the pages on the embedded magazine below:

The H(d)SLR Evolution – Beyond the Stills and (e)Motion

I was very excited with the announcements of the first HDSLRs nearly a year and a half ago. The promise of being able to capture some quick video clips while shooting stills was so alluring. During this period I have been shooting still and motion, I have not only shot clips as part of still projects, but ventured beyond. I asked myself if I was just getting caught up in the film making juggernaut or was there something else going on. After a lot of examination, I concluded that my thought processes and use of stills and motion was a natural evolution, which happens with availability, exposure and comfort. Do I consider myself a film maker or aspire to be one? Not by any stretch of the imagination, but I do find myself thinking about my work differently: I now consider motion capture as a part of my normal shooting options. Motion capture is also something clients looking for stills do not even know they want–until they see it.

While HD video is a feature which I showing up on a growing number of new DSLRs, it is still in its infancy and therein lies the problem: Whose baby is it? Is it for the enthusiast who is buying the camera primarily for still capability to capture personal images? The inclusion of HD video on entry and some mid level products from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and Pentax, would suggest that it is. Is it for the budding film maker? The changes that Canon in particular has made since the introduction of the 5D MarkII in frame rates and controls, says it is. The huge number of accessories available from manufacturers to make Canon, Panasonic, and Nikon HDSLR offerings more “movie maker” friendly, suggest it too.
And of course, the inclusion of video capture on the “professional” photojournalist and sports big guns from the big two DSLR makers suggest that the motion capture has professional overtone for even these primarily still shooters. It seems that the HDSLR is everyone’s baby!

The challenge for some HDSLR users is figuring out how to use this capability without taxing their budgets and intestinal fortitude as it relates to getting their motion work from the camera to the Web or small screen. This may describe the people who want to use the video capability without having to get into the intricacies of codec and wrappers or can warrant/justifying spending a “king’s ransom” to make their camera more video friendly. The good news is that they do not have to if they choose not to. They need to be thoughtful with respect to the equipment and software they are considering. They also need to remember before they start shooting that motion capture is about the visual story and sound.

Film makers and aspiring film makers have a different set of challenges. They understand the significance of the story and sound. The film maker is often working with other people with specific expertise and defined roles in the movie making process. They need to make a tool with drawbacks and limitations work for them. Obviously, the limitations pale in comparison to the benefits derived from the larger chip and greater depth of field control that HDSLRs and the lens options offer at a fraction of the cost of traditional movie cameras. How important are film makers to the HDSLR evolution? They are very important, and Canon, cites film makers’ desires and needs as a factor in changes and further development and refinement of their HDSLR offerings.

While the film maker is concerned about camera stabilization, more often than not, the concern is over stabilizing more than just the camera. A host of other accessories and equipment is often used to optimize their capture work. The need to attach sound equipment, focus follows, matte boxes, and monitors among other items. The film maker also has a different set of video editing needs and will usually require substantially more expensive and/or involved software solutions. The use of separate recording devices can add another level of complexity to after-capture work flow as the footage and sound must be synced, and multiple tracks of sound may be needed. The advantage the film maker picking up a HDSLR has over other users is a better understanding of its limitations, as well as what things they will need to make it work for them.

For the camera makers all of this means that they have a lot of markets to address and try to keep happy. A few years ago, the concerns were over dynamic range, improved autofocus, better in-camera white balance, and other things relevant to still capture. Today, in addition to having to address issues related to and improving still capture, the DSLR manufacturers have to address issues and enhancements related to motion capture. It will be interesting to see how everyone’s baby grows up.

To view the current issue of the guide, "Outfitting Your H(d)SLR" click on the embedded magazine below and enjoy checking out the H(d)SLR friendly gear.

Filter This: The Indispensable ND Filter

One of the early lessons I learned in my photographic journey was to pay attention to the “small stuff.” It is a piece of advice that I often share in response to the increasingly popular question: “What accessories should I consider getting for my H(d)SLR?” In the quest to get the perfect tripod, shoulder stabilizer or viewfinder accessory, an accessory which is often overlooked is a filter, and more specifically, a neutral density or ND filter. These gray, filters are all about exposure control: A neutral density filter effectively reduces the amount of light which hits the camera sensor. In still photography, that light reduction translates into longer exposures(shutter speed adjustment,) and the ability to blur motion such as waterfalls, currents and waves. For still photography as well as motion capture, the reduction in light can translate into the ability to shoot with larger apertures in order to obtain a shallower depth of field, a reduction in scene contrast, and/or the ability to reduce the risk of overexposure. If you are planning on shooting motion outdoors in bright light or shooting scenes with highly reflective materials in them such as sand and snow, or steel and glass structures, consider ND filters, H(d)SLR essential accessories.

The amount of light reduction that a ND filter facilitates depends on the strength of the filter you use. Different manufactures utilize different designation for filter strength. They are commonly expressed in "density value," "filter factor," or f-stops.

- A density value of .3 equals a filter factor of 2 which equals one stop.
- A density value of .6 equals a filter factor of 4 which equals two stops.
- A density value of .9 equals a filter factor of 8 which equals three stops.

Using a one stop ND filter will result in 50% of the original light intensity being transmitted to the camera sensor; a two stop ND filter results in 25% of the original light intensity being transmitted to the sensor; and a three stop ND filter results in 12.75% of the original light intensity being picked up by the camera sensor. A true ND filter will not alter color balance, as it is color indifferent or neutral. The the filter strenghts listed above should be more thatn adequate to handle the typical photographers needs, there are stronger ND filter available for more specialized usages.

Neutral density filters are commonly used in video capture. There are several brands of camcorders that have ND filters built into the camera. With professional cameras, you will often see them seated in the matte box (lens hood equivalent) apparatus filter holder if a scene calls for them.

If you are going to use neutral density filters, on your H(d)SLR, you may want to disable auto ISO, in order to have the greatest control of the exposure as well as the results. You should consider buying the best filters you can afford. At the very least, consider multi-coated filters, as the coatings reduce reflections and make it less likely that your captures will experience ghosting and flare. Several manufacturers offer filters for high definition capture as well. Tiffen, Schneider, Hoya, Singh Ray and Cokin are among the most popular filter manufacturers and these companies make ND filters in various strengths and sizes. While I carry a one stop and a two stop filter in my camera bag, if came down to having to carry only one ND filter, the two stop filter would be my choice.

ND filters are a small item, that can make a big difference!

To view the current issue of "Outfitting Your H(d)SLR" click on the embedded magazine below.