Over the first seven months of 2010, some of the most interesting imaging products and product announcements have come from segments of the imaging market other than the HDSLR/DSLR segment. Other than the Canon 5D MarkII Firmware update/upgrade, there has been silence on the HDSLR front so far this year. This will undoubtedly change over the next few weeks, as many camera manufacturers will be unveiling their latest products since August typically signals the start of their new product announcement season. Additionally, some manufacturers may have been holding back and timing announcements to be made closer to the start of September’s biennial Photokina imaging exposition in Cologne.
The growth in the number and popularity of small interchangeable lens mirror-less cameras like those offered by Panasonic, and Olympus, followed by Samsung, and Sony has been surprising to some. It is a testament to the fact that DLSR-sized sensor and image quality need not be packaged in a larger body, and confirmation that there is an element of the camera-shooting public that is attracted to smaller options. The recent revelations by Nikon and Canon that they too are working on small-body interchangeable lens cameras, (and in Nikon’s case “with enhanced video performance”), should come as no great surprise to anyone. In 2009, Leica demonstrated with its M9, that a full frame, 35 mm size sensor need not be housed in a bulky and/or heavy package, and imaging manufacturer Ricoh pushed the envelope with a modular interchangeable lens/sensor unit with its GXR camera.
Between the growth in smaller form-factor still/video enabled cameras with: RAW capability; continuous auto focus during video capture; enhanced/articulating LCD screens; the growing number of optics becoming available (including the announcement by Panasonic of the development of a 3-d ยต4/3 lens,) coupled with the announcement of dedicated interchangeable lens movie cameras from Panasonic and Sony with DSLR-sized sensors, some have opined that the run of the HDSLR as a movie making/motion capture tool may be coming to an end. The question is “Will the HDSLR become the technological equivalent of the two-minute man?”
HDLRs appeal to many different audiences. The wide selection of lenses and camera bodies at various price points and the resulting capabilities underscore their versatility. While the small interchangeable lens camera segment grows in number and popularity, the number of lenses available for them at this time, pales in comparison to the range of lenses available for HDSLRs/DSLRs. As is often the case, sometimes the needs of one audience for a particular product overshadow the needs of others. The focus on filmmakers’ use of HDSLRs and contests for filmmaking often seems to garner more attention than use for and/or by other types of users: The wedding photographer who uses it to capture some motion memories; the photojournalist in the field; the parent shooting stills that sees an opportunity to catch a moment where the kids are running; or the person who is shooting stills and sees a moment to capture something they want to share with their friends on Facebook. For filmmakers, HDSLRs are allowing access to high definition motion capture and creativity with DOF and framing given the lens options at extremely attractive prices. For the person aspiring to make films, they offer an inexpensive entry into the arena. For many aspirants, an $800 offering like the Rebel T2i will be a more attractive proposition than a dedicated $2,000 or $6,000 movie camera with a DSLR-sized sensor despite the HDSLR’s perceived shortcomings. I’ll be the first to admit that HDSLRs do not have many of the creature comforts offered by the average consumer camcorder, but then what camcorder up to this point has offered the creativity and flexibility associated with interchangeable lenses and full resolution RAW still capture? Some of the critics of the auto focus capabilities and clip limits of most HDSLRs fail to mention that for most movie makers or television productions, projects are shot using manual focus; and movies are filmed in scenes or clips, rather than extended continuous action.
The focus on filmmaking has also implied that HDSLRs need to be outfitted with expensive accessories to be functional. Critics of the HDSLR as a filmmaking tool rarely mention that filmmakers have been outfitting dedicated movie cameras with all kinds of accessories to improve operation long before the arrival of the first HDSLRs. Movie cameras have routinely been mounted to video tripods with fluid heads, and on stabilizers like the Steadicam® Merlin™ and the Glidecam to achieve the best results. There are and have been numerous products available to enhance consumer camcorder performance as well. The use of matte boxes, external monitors, follow-focus, rails, dollies, and gliders all pre-date the Nikon D90 and Canon 5D MarkII, as have the need for external microphones and other sophisticated equipment for motion capture sound recording. These facts are easily overlooked as HDSLRs seem to have spawned a “unique and robust” accessory market.
I am constantly amazed at the number of people who tell me they have not explored the video capability of their camera because they don’t have or want to buy the numerous accessories to make them functional: or that they don’t want to spend a king’s ransom for editing software. They are unaware that a tripod, a monopod, a flat surface or even just a camera strap pulled taut against the neck, is all they need to get started capturing motion or that there are very capable editing software options that are attractively priced or—best of all—free.
There is no doubt that we live in a multi-media age. For the person shooting stills and prefers the DSLR form factor, whether they earn a living at it or just do it for enjoyment, HDSLRs offer an opportunity to mix things up in a single package. And none of the cameras/packages available to date or those that have been announced are 100 percent perfect for every use. I maintain that the most capable camera is the one that is in your hand or bag. Each of us is responsible for understanding its strengths and weaknesses and putting it to use to our best advantage.
There is no doubt in my mind that the HDSLR will be around for quite a while. As they continue to evolve, it will be important for the manufacturers to incorporate the amenities that the larger consumer groups desire, rather than just those desired by filmmakers. Some of the features we will see in the near term include:
• The availability of continuous auto focus during video capture.
• Faster AF during video capture
• The ability to capture still image and video simultaneously without interruption
• Articulating LCD screens
• Better sound dampened dedicated auto focus lenses
What I have come to realize is that imaging is at a crossroad. The crossroad is not the convergence of still and motion because we have been there for a while even though some people have refused to acknowledge it, but the crossroad of cameras shedding their analogue lineage and truly becoming electronic devices. Thanks to live-view, sharper displays and now video, DSLR shooters are embracing and relying on the LCD screen display (as most point & shoot and cell phone-camera users have) more and more. HDSLRs have also helped to redefine the concept of what a “professional” camera is, as some amazing projects have been shot with cameras that are classified as “consumer/pro-sumer cameras” in many still photography circles. There is a certain irony to hearing someone boast that “I use the same camera and lenses to shoot video of my kids in the backyard, as they used to shoot the last episode of House.”
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