Juan Pons of DPExperience , Scott Elowitz of LensCoat products and I arranged the shoot of this rare monster lens. It's been the most popular post on our blog, and we thought we would repost it so new readers could check it out.
Archive for the ‘Video’ Category
Monster Lens: Hands on with the Canon EF 1200 f/5.6L Lens
Friday, September 10th, 2010Recording audio with your video DSLR, Part II
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Canon EOS 7D with Rode VideoMic and Zoom H4n
This is the second part of my “Recording audio with your video DSLR” post from a few days ago.
Let's pick up where we left off…
Microphones
In the original article I talked about lavaliere (or lapel), microphones as well as the microphone built into the Zoom H4n. However there is one other microphone that I use specially when shooting wildlife and that is the Rode VideoMic, this is a shotgun type microphone. These types of microphones are highly directional and are used when you want to isolate the sound that is right in front while minimizing sound coming in from the sides and rear.
This is particularly useful when filming wildlife, however they can also be very effective to record an interview when you do not have a lapel type microphone. I have been using the Rode VideoMic for about a year now and have been very pleased with it. Do keep in mind that as with anything else, there are practical limits to how far a shotgun microphone will “reach”. On occasions what I have done is used an extension cable to place the microphone closer to my subjects. Since the VideoMic using a mini jack type plug, I used a simple mini (3.5mm) jack extension cable from Cables Unlimited.
One limitation to keep in mind in regards to the Rode VideoMic is that like most shotgun microphones this microphone records on only one channel. If you need a stereo microphone, I would recommend the Rode Stereo VideoMic, do keep in mind that this is not a shotgun microphone, meaning that it will capture most of your ambient audio.
Zoom H4n output connected to the Canon EOS 7D
Recording Video and Audio
Now that you have all this gear, you are ready to start recording some video and audio. Although recording on two devices is a bit more cumbersome and complex than recording on just one device, the sound you record will be of much better quality and this in turn will significantly improve your videos.
Sometimes the easiest way to learn is by watching someone doing, or at least understand the steps that someone takes in accomplishing a task. To that end here is a quick rundown of my workflow when recording video and audio on separate devices (canon 7D & Zoom H4n):
- Frame, focus, set exposure on the camera
- Check sound levels by checking the meters on the Zoom as well as monitoring the audio coming out of the Zoom via headphones
- Plug the output of the Zoom (after unplugging my headphones) to the sound input of the Canon 7D
- Make a mental note of the sound clip sequence number on the Zoom
- Start video and sound recording near simultaneously.
- Stand in front of the camera, state the date, time and audio file sequence number
- Clap my hands
- Record away
This is an idealized sequence of events, sometimes you are not able to perform all these steps, for example when recording wildlife, but for me this sequence makes is very easy to match audio and video clips together, hence the stating of date, time and sequence number. Plus the clapping of the hands makes it very easy to then synchronize the audio and video manually.
I have also been asked by a few dozen people if and why I connect the Zoom to the camera, and the answer is yes, I connect the audio out from the Zoom to the audio in on the camera; and the main reason is to get as clean an audio recording on the camera as I can. I do this for two primary reasons. First, I have gotten lucky and had decent sound recorded on the camera, and in those cases I was able to use that sound and not have to bother with merging the Zoom audio with the video. Second, as a safeguard in case I mess up somewhere along the line, which happens more than I would like.
Connecting the Zoom and the 7D is easy, all you need is a short Mini Jack (3.5mm) male to male cable.
Merging video and audio
Once I am able to download the both my video and audio files, I simply watch the first few seconds of the video files and listen for my bit where I state the audio sequence file, then it’s easy to find out the matching audio file. I will then add an identifier to the filename of the audio file in order to make it match the video file. This step you have to do regardless of whether you are manually syncing the files, or using automated software like Plural Eyes to perform the syncing.
I have tried using Plural Eyes, and while this plug-in performs admirably, I find that I can sync the video and audio very quickly and with little effort in my video editing system, Final Cut Pro, simply by watching for the clapping movement of my hands and matching that to the audio levels peak on the Zoom audio track. It takes a bit of practice but I am now finding that I can perform this sync in less than 30 seconds per video file.
If for some reason I was not able to perform my ideal recording workflow as I outlined above, it may take me a bit longer to do the matching by using both audio tracks as well as some video clues such as lip movement if I am recording a person.
Detail of my zoom to camera mount
My Zoom H4n to camera mount
I’ve been surprised by the number of questions I’ve received about the bit of kit I use to mount my Zoom to the camera. Honestly this is something I put together from bits I already had. A precondition to my set up is to have an L plate installed on your camera. I have the Really Right Stuff B7D-L L quick release plate on my 7D. This is required for this set up since you will be clamping the Zoom setup to the side dovetail mount. By the way, I have found this L plate to be HUGELY beneficial for both stills and video shooting due to the bi-directions bottom dovetail mount. More on this on a future post.
I use a Kirk 1 inch Quick-Release clamp, mated to a Gitzo G0077 ballhead, to mount my Zoom to my L plate.
I hope you found this article useful. I tried to answer all the questions generated by the first part of the article, but if you feel I left something out or did not adequately addressed your question, please feel free to post in the comments and I will do my best to answer them in a timely fashion.
-J
Follow Juan and co-host Rick Sammon at the Digital Photo Experience.
Recording audio with your video DSLR, Part I
Monday, September 6th, 2010
In the short time I have been shooting video seriously I have very quickly learned that sound is often more important than the video itself.
To that end, I have talked to many folks about how to best record sound when shooting with a Video DSLR, and have experimented quite a bit as well. In this article I will share with you the system that I am now using and which I find is producing great results for me.
Let me first state that if you are serious about your videos, you should be serious about sound; and if you are serious about sound, you should NOT rely on the built-in sound recording capabilities of the current crop (as of Feb, 2010) of video DSLRs. This includes the Canon 5D Mark II, 7D & 1D Mark IV. Please note that I do not have first hand experience with the Nikons, but from what I have been told the situation is similar.
The reason you should not be relying on on the built-in recording capabilities of these video DSLRs, is because these cameras have what is called an Automatic Gain Control or AGC, feature. What this means is that the camera will dynamically and continuously adjust the sound recording level. What this means is that if you are recording in an environment where there is noise all around you, and you are using a lapel (or lavaliere) type microphone, the sound will vary wildly in your recording.
For an example of what I mean watch this video that I recorded in Dec, 2009.
Notice how the sound of the breaking waves in the background changes? Pretty annoying don’t you think? Well the way to get around this is to be able to control the audio recording sensitivity (or gain) and not have it fluctuate while you are recording.
To get good sound in any situation like the one in the video above, what you need to do is set the recording level, or gain, to a level where the voice would be clear, not too loud and not too soft. Wearing a lapel microphone, which is meant to pick up the voice of the speaker, the sound of the surf in the background would be very soft and hardly noticeable. This is both good and bad; good in that now you are able to hear the speaker clearly and at a consistent volume, but bad because sometimes it is nice to have some of the environmental background sounds to place the speaker.
This is easily remedied by recording a separate track, either at the same moment as you are recording the video or at another time. Then in your video editing software package you can mix the sound tracks while adjusting the volume independently.
This is not unlike what we photographers are doing when we shoot two images for later blending in photoshop; in one image we shoot for the highlights and the other for the shadows, we then mix to taste.
For an example of another video where I used this technique check out the video below.
Ok, so now let’s get to the gear. Obviously, if you can’t use the camera to record the audio you will need some sort of external recorder which provides you with much more control over gain levels and ideally provides you the capability to record multiple tracks. For the past few months I have been using a great portable recorder from a company called Zoom. The recorder I am using is the Zoom H4n. This recorder is incredibly versatile, it has a nice and big LCD with peak levels to help you set the right gain, it can record up to 4 channels simultaneously, and accepts just about every type of input you can throw at it. (Mini jack, 1/4″ jack, and XLR). Additionally it allows you to monitor the sound that is being recorded, important to make sure you confirm you are recording.
The H4n records on standard SD cards, and accepts AA batteries, therefore it fits easily with all your other photo accessories. The H4n runs about $300.
Next are the microphones. The Zoom H4n has a pair of GREAT microphones that will record in stereo. If you can get the unit within 5 feet or so of your subject you may be fine using the built in microphones. Also these built-in mics are great for recording environmental sounds, like the sound of the water rushing by on the gloves review video above.
However if you can’t get the Zoom in that close, you may have to resort to other kinds of Microphones, like shotgun or parabolic microphones.
Let’s talk about lapel, or lavs (short for lavaliere), microphones, these are those tiny microphones that you see all the news anchors on TV wearing. They are small and are designed to pick up the voice of the wearer while filtering out most of the ambient noise.
Lavs come either wired or wireless. It goes without saying that the wireless mics are much easier to deal with as you don’t have to worry about tripping over cables. However, traditionally, good wireless mics have been VERY expensive, in the order of $2,000 – $3,000 per receiver or transmitter. Yes you could get cheaper ones, but they where usually not that great. You could get much better sound from an inexpensive wired mic (less than $50) than an inexpensive ($300-$800) wireless system.
However like most other things on this space this has changed, and dramatically. In the past few years Sennheiser has released a series of relatively inexpensive ($500 – $600) wireless microphones that not only have GREAT sound quality, but hav switchable frequencies (important in case you encounter interference), are durable, and use AA batteries.
Late in 2009 I acquired a Sennheiser EW100 G3 wireless lapel microphone system that is incredible versatile, and sounds great.
However if your budget can’t afford the wireless stuff, I have had great results with this Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier wired lapel microphone. You can easily connect this mic to the Zoom and record away!
Another accessory that is a MUST for the Zoom is a quality Windscreen. A windscreen is usually a piece of foam or similar material that you place over the microphone to reduce the noise of wind. The Zoom comes with a cheap foam windscreen that I think is pretty much useless. I use and can recommend to you the windscreens from Redheads Windscreens, these are incredibly effective at cutting down wind noise, plus you can get them in all sorts of fun colors.
I can hear you thinking…. how do I make all this stuff work together and how do I merge and sync my audio with the video…
I will cover that and more on the second installment of this article in a few days.
Check out Juan Pons and Rick Sammon on the great website and podcast Digital Photo Experience.
Video Review: AquaTech Gear
Monday, August 30th, 2010In light of the big price reductions on the AquaTech SportShields in the store, we thought we would repost a little video review of them (and other good AquaTech stuff) by our buddy Juan Pons.
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Juan Pons brings you the features of the AquaTech SportShield Rain Covers, Collapsible Lens Hoods and the AquaTech Soft Cap lens protectors in this informative video.
You can see the entire AquaTech lineup here: AquaTech
Catch Juan at DPExperience.
Hoodman HoodLoupe Quick Review by Hal Schmitt
Friday, August 20th, 2010
www.youtube.com/watch?v=26_5vjgb_Lk
Hal from the Digital Photo Experience gives us a quick review and recommendation on the Hoodman HoodLoupe.
See all the Hoodman Products in the store: Hoodman
Learn more about Hal and his workshops at Light Photographic Workshops.
Video with your DSLR: Why use a Digital SLR to shoot video, The Good
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnZLTzRYw1Q
I am amazed that there is a debate still going on about why anyone would want to use a DSLR for shooting serious video. The arguments remind me of the early days of digital photography, where many out there would argue that images NOT taken on film were not real photos. Today we know differently.
To this end I want to share with you why I shoot video with a DSLR, what I find the be the advantages and disadvantages of using what many are now referring to HDDSLRs (I personally prefer the term Video DSLR).
In this first installment I will talk about what is great about shooting video with DSLRs. Tomorrow I will follow-up with what I consider to be the shortcomings of such systems.
Multiple lenses
This is by far the most important reason for me to use a DSLR to shoot videos. I can use my entire arsenal of still lenses. I can use my macro lenses, my wide angle 10mm, my Super-telephoto 500mm, even tilt-shift lenses. This flexibility is completely unprecedented, that is, unless you had a large personal fortune you did not mind spending it on lenses and cameras. I grew increasingly frustrated with my previous video camera because I could not capture the macro images I wanted to film due to the lens limitations of my camera. The Yellowstone video above I would not have been to capture if I had not been able to shoot with my 500mm lens. Yes there are video camera systems with even greater reach and incredible zooms, but some of these can cost more than $100,000, and at those prices these are out of reach for most people; including myself.
Low Light Capabilities
Because of the large sensors DSLRs have, these cameras have what could be considered nothing short of spectacular low light capabilities. Art Howard, on a recent assignment, was able to shoot video of sleeping bats inside a cave using nothing more than the headlamps they were wearing. Last year I was able to capture some great footage of Pine Barrens Tree Frogs using nothing more than a small battery powered lamp, as you can see the in the video below. Neither of these shoots would be been possible under the circumstances with traditional video equipment as these shoots would have required significant lights, which would have been impossible to use in either of these two situations.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsCnjs6K3S0
Film Like DOF
In photography we control the depth of field in our images by adjusting the aperture on our cameras. The wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field. But did you know that your cameras sensor size also affects the depth of field? True! All other things being equal such as lens and aperture, two cameras with different sensor sizes will produce different depths-of-field. For example, a Canon 5D MarkII will produce a shallower depth of field than a Canon 7D, as the 5DII has a larger sensor than the 7D.
You may now be asking, why does that matter? It matters a lot, as most video cameras have TINY sensors, typically 1/3″ or 1/4″ or 1/5″, compared to a full frame still camera sensor, which is about 1.4″. What this means is that video cameras have a very deep depth of field. Think about this for a minute. As a still photographer, if I took away from you the following apertures (2.8, 5.6, 
how would you feel? I know I would feel severely limited creatively. That's how I felt when using a video camera. True, I’ll take as much DOF as I can get when shooting macro, but everywhere else, I rather have my entire DOF range at my disposal, to use as I please.
This DOF issue is one of the primary reasons why most movies are still shot using film. Film is a LOT more expensive to shoot with, you can’t see the results immediately, and it’s a hassle to deal with. Independent filmmakers have been embracing the DSLR for movie making in droves, because the DOF control these systems offer allows them the tell their stories better without the expense of using film.
If you want to see a great comparison on sensor sizes check out this wikipedia article.
One System
This is my last point, but by no means the least important. ONE SYSTEM. What I mean by this is that I have one type of battery, one type of charger, one type of memory cards, one type of lenses, one type of tripods and camera plates, etc. I don’t have to carry multiple formats of the same thing as my photo equipment serves multiple purposes. But MOST important, I only need to learn and know how to operate ONE type of camera. No need to learn multiple switches, dials, controls, menus, capabilities, limitations, etc. These are the same properties of my still camera, because IT IS my still camera. I know the controls of my camera to the point I don’t need to think about them or look at the camera to make any changes, I just “know” how to make these changes without even thinking about it. This is hugely important, because when you need to make a quick adjustment, you just make it, no thinking about it, no need to try and remember where the controls are on this camera, it just happens, and consequently I get the shots I am looking for, more often than not.
The video landscape is not all rosy–there are certain limitations and issues. I'll cover those issues tomorrow, and what I do to overcome them.
However, in my opinion, the positives FAR outweigh the negatives, but you need to decide that for yourself. Hopefully these articles will help you make your own decision.
-J
Think Tank Photo Modular System – Ben Wilmore
Thursday, August 12th, 2010If you've never used a modular system for carrying your camera gear, check out this video courtesy of Think Tank Photo and presented by photographer, Photoshop author, trainer and guru of digitalmastery.com Ben Wilmore. Ben explains how you can become more efficient, lighten your load and make taking photos while on the go, much easier. Sweet!
You can checkout all the modular belt system options here.
If you'd like to learn more about everything Think Tank Photo has to offer you can check it out right here.
Beginners Guide: Basic Photoshop shortcuts [video]
Friday, July 23rd, 2010If there is one thing I like, it’s to spend more time taking my photo’s than editing them. Of course some degree of processing IS part of the workflow that can’t be avoided…but…you can decrease your time sat in front of the PC by using a few keyboard shortcuts to speed up your Photoshop operation. And what better way to fully show these in operation than a video tutorial!
Less Is More
I try not to do too much editing to my images, with the thought process that if an image requires too much work to get it looking good, I should just go and shoot it again. However when using Photoshop, one of the things that I quickly learned was this…shortcuts make editing a much faster process. There are however MANY to be learned, so I thought I’d go back to basics with a video to show a few of the more commonly used ones as a beginners guide. They may be simple, but once learned, I guarantee they will speed up your editing.
Further down you can see a brief list of what is covered in the video for quick reference. However do check out the video to see examples of them in action, as well as a couple of extra tips that show examples of how you can really use them to your advantage.
In a nutshell
The video above talks about and demonstrates the following basic functions amongst other tips:
B to select the paintbrush
S to select the clone stamp
C to select the crop tool
Change brush size with [ and ]
Change brush hardness SHIFT and [ or ]
Zoom in and out with CMD + and - (CTRL + and - on a PC)
TAB to hide/show palettes
F to cycle through screen modes
SPACE BAR to select hand tool
Also shown is the difference between Undo (Command Z) and Step Backward (ALT Command Z)
Give it a go
I can guarantee though basic, once you get used to using the shortcust Photoshop has to offer (of which there many many more than I have listed) your workflow process will speed up and you will get through your images faster. You may only save a second here and there every time you use a shortcut but if you are editing a lot images you’ll be surprised how quickly that saved time adds up.
Add your own
As I’ve mentioned a couple of times, this video and article is just to show some of the more commonly used basic functions of Photoshop when editing an image. In future I’lI talk about more advanced tools and workflows but for now I want to keep it simple…so with that said, there are obviously quite a few extra tips and tricks out there, so, if you have any good ones that you use when doing basic editing why not share them below for other less experienced users to learn from.
Learn more about Richard, read his articles and view his videos on his blog: Richard Peters Photography Blog
Check out Richard's YouTube channel for great video content, and follow him on Twitter.
Black Rapid Introduces the RS-W1 Camera Strap for Women
Friday, July 9th, 2010
You can learn more about the new RS-W1 in the store here: Black Rapid
Video with your DSLR: Why use a Digital SLR to shoot video, The Bad
Thursday, August 19th, 2010www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C6ysj7wGxQ
Yesterday I wrote about some of the advantages of shooting videos with DSLRs, which hopefully gave you an idea why they have become so popular.
There are two sides to every coin, and video on DSLRs is no different. Some major drawbacks exist as a result of where we are in the evolution of these new hybrid camera systems.
Video capable DSLRs are first and foremost designed and engineered for taking still images, with video being a secondary function. As such, you can expect manufacturers to prioritize functionality and design accordingly. Also expect any compromises that inevitably need to be made, to be made in favor of still photography.
So here are some of the areas that I feel are most challenging when shooting video with your DSLR.
Audio Recording
Audio can make or break your video, and what I mean by this is that bad audio can ruin even the most spectacular video you've ever seen. Yet, good audio usually just goes completely unnoticed. Just like we control the amount of light we let into our camera with stills, we need to control the audio levels as well. Just like we have a viewfinder to see what it is that we are shooting, we need a way to monitor the audio we are recording to make sure we are capturing the right sound.
Unfortunately, most video capable DSLRs don’t have any audio controls. They have something called AGC, or Auto Gain Control, which makes the audio sound terrible in any situation where the sound levels fluctuate.
But there are ways around this. I wrote a two part article here that shows you how to record good audio:
Recording audio with your video DSLR, Part I
Recording audio with your video DSLR, Part II
In the first part I show you some bad audio and some good audio so you can judge for yourself how important this is.
Rolling Shutter (Jello-Cam)
This is probably the biggest issue with DSLRs for which there is no solution. "Jello-Cam" is a phenomenon that is caused by the way the sensors in DSLRs capture the image: they use what is called a rolling shutter. For a good definition and examples check out this wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter
Jello-Cam really comes into play only when shooting fast moving subjects or when you are moving the camera very quickly. For me, personally, this is not a factor, but it may be for you.
No Articulated LCD Screen
Not having an articulated LCD screen can be a a pain, and sometimes quite literally a pain in the neck. In most cases I'm not holding my camera right at eye level. Usually I am holding it lower, or to the side or sometimes up above. Having a fixed LCD on the back of the camera makes it difficult to see what you are shooting in these situations. Attaching an external monitor can remedy this, but they are usually expensive, and it’s just another piece of gear to carry around.
Limited Autofocus Functionality
This is one of the things people complain the most. However most professional camera operators do not rely on autofocus, focus is almost exclusively done manually. In movie sets they have people whose SOLE responsibility is focus! For me this is not a big issue. Yes most AF systems are very good a focusing on what is in front of them, however most AF systems are not very good about reading your mind and knowing exactly what to focus on, and most often than not, the thing I want in focus is not in the middle of the frame.
No Power Zoom
This is another limitation that does have an effect on most folks. Butter smooth zooms and pulls, are often done by motorized power zooms. I don’t know of a single DSLR still lens that has a power zoom. However with practice you can get very good at zooming. I have seen people do it very very smoothly, as well if not better than the best power zooms. So this can be overcome with practice, also you can use a follow focus mechanism for this to make it a bit easier.
No Built-in ND Filters
In the first part of this article we talked about the awesome shallow depth of field that DSLRs provide us with and that this is quite possible the single biggest reason why these cameras are so revolutionary. Naturally, this is something we want to take advantage of, however in very sunny situations we may be forced to deal with smaller than desired apertures to keep our exposure in check. In very bright sunny situations, even at ISO 100 you may be forced to go as low as f16 to keep proper exposure (since you want to keep your shutter speed at around 1/60, this may be a topic for another article). So in a situation like this what do you do? You use a neutral density filter. An ND filter is nothing more than a dark piece of glass that is neutral in tonality so as not to introduce any color shifts, that simply cuts the amount of light entering the camera, thus allowing you to keep a wider aperture.
Why is this a limitation you ask? It’s not, this is something that affects every camera from the cheapest to the most expensive, BUT professional video cameras have built in ND filters in different strengths that you can turn on and off, with DSLRs you need to add ND filters in front of the lens either thru screw-in filters or thru a Matte Box.
Length of Shot limitations
Most video capable DSLRs have a limitation on how long a single shot can take, normally this limitation is time based, sometimes file sized based, or a combination of both. On the Canon cameras it’s a combination of both factors, but it effectively limits you to about 12 minute long shots. 12 minutes is a LONG time for a single shot, so for most of us this is a non issue. I personally never even come close to that, but again depending on what you are doing you might. If you are looking to record hour long interviews with people, this will certainly be an issue for you.
In Summary
Yes there are some serious issues and limitations when shooting video with these video capable DSLRs, specially when compared with dedicated video cameras. But by the same token these cameras provide capabilities and conveniences unmatched by traditional video cameras. As with everything else in life, the choice here is a matter of compromises, so you need to determine what is most important to you and make your choice.
In the end for me the benefits offered FAR FAR outweigh the limitations and inconveniences, so now I shoot video exclusively with my pair of Canon 7Ds!
-J
Follow Juan at the Digital Photo Experience.
Tags: HDDSLR, Juan Pons
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