We need a video section!

johnriley wrote:
It seems a lot of kit to go with a Pentax Optio P70.....

gartmore wrote:
I think it is inevitable that we should have a video section. More and more pro short form work is being shot on DSLRs. 'HD' magazine which is a high end trade glossy recently carried an extensive feature on various pop promos etc which had been shot mainly with Canons. The K7 isn't as good but that will change no doubt with future models. It was quite amusing to see professional matte boxes and follow focus kit which would cost more than a K7 with a relatively tiny camera behind.

Some purists seem against the idea of combined video and stills but it has already happened, and I believe it isn't going to go away, with the Red and Scarlet HD video cameras which are being used by major Hollywood studios and remember Hollywood is a very conventional place where film still dominates.

I have very limited experience of editing on Windows. I tend to use Apple G5s with either Avid or now, more likey, Final Cut Pro. Adobe Premier is totally hopeless, very unstable and has more crashes than the Whacky Races. I hear that Sony Vegas is good though. I should also point out that I don't do my own editing in the sense of operating the machinery, there are professional film editors with more skill and knowledge than me!

One of the difficulties I can see is in the ergonomics. A DSLR is designed to be held against your face and take one shot at a time. To get decent video it will really have to be on a robust tripod with a proper fluid head.

Interstingly most of the work, and much of it is impressive, I have seen shot with DSLRs has been shot mute and the audio added later. Perhaps by the time you start adding mics, booms, and audio mixers and crew to the equation any advantage of size has been lost and you might well have just used a conventional camera in the first place.

I have shown this picture before but sometimes this is what you need to shoot a small movie (and the back seats were folded down too!: