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D90 True Motion Pictures - One Opinion

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I fully agree with all you said. It seem's that average photographers don't know much about making pro looking movies. When you see what people are doing in trying to emulate 35mm film DOF with theirs consumers camcorders (ex : http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2007/10/15/daniel-schweinerts-3.html ) you better understand the possibilities the D90 bring to you. My main concern about the video feature is how much the MJPG frames are compressed. For what I see, it seem's too much compressed.
junksecret said:
I've read lots of posts complaining about the "limitations" of the
D90's D-Movie mode, especially compared to current consumer
digicams/camcorders. I find quite the reverse to be true.

As a preface, I was an agent in the Television/Film industry for 20+
years and while I suspect I have little talent for actual filmmaking,
I've seen a great deal of it happen.

Shortcoming Misconception A - "the D90 doesn't even autofocus"

Films are routinely shot on 35mm motion picture cameras like the
Arriflex or Panavision camera's which can be a bit spendy ($100,000 -
$200,000 plus). These cameras don't autofocus, they are often
operated by a camera operator who deals with camera movement and
composition and a focus puller who focuses based on markings made on
the lens to correspond with "marks" to be hit by the subjects.

Shortcoming misconception B - "you can't accurately focus when
subject distance changes dramatically"

If you pay attention to a feature film you will see lots of shots
with the camera moving with the subject. Dollies are routinely used
to keep focal ranges relatively constant while maintaining shallow
DOF.

Shortcoming misconception C - "how can it be serious, it can only
shoot 5 min clips"

I'm not a film historian but I would be surprised if any mainstream
motion picture ever had a 5 min. continuous shot. Shots are much
more often measured in seconds rather than mins.

Shortcoming misconception D - "it doesn't even have stereo or an
external mic".

Films routinely use quality sound recording equipment and the sound
is then sync'ed to the motion in post-production/editing.

The fact that scenes can be shot and reshot, take after take, without
the cost of film and processing is also monumental.

Is the D90 for $1,000 plus lenses a replacement for the 1/4 million
dollar film cameras? Certainly not, but it is a far more creative
tool given it's access to a gigantic sensor in digicam terms, it's
access to superb quality lenses and their inherent DOF and creative
flexability, than any current HD consumer digicam/camcorder.

I think all the consumer digicam/camcorders to this point have been
the equivilent of P&S and THIS camera is the begining of the digital
revolution in motion equivilent to an SLR.

I'm so excited to see what the current crop of young bright
filmmakers will do with this camera. Once it gets in their hands it
should change the shape of youtube and micro=filmmaking in ways I can
barely imagine.

Oh and one last aside, perhaps the 5 min clip limit will spare us the
boring soccer games and birthday parties which are much better served
by the current crop of digicams and will bring us some truly creative
and beautiful images (albeit moving), which is the reason we are here.

I can't wait.

Joe
--
'f8 and be there'



Nikon D40 + Nikkor 18~200VR + Nikkor 18~55
Click to expand...
 
linear said:
I don't care what the camera can do in the hand of advanced movie
Click to expand...
could have fooled me do you think that only soccer moms and
acvanced amatures will be the only ones buying this camera
boy are you in for a shock

I think it wil show up in the hands of a lot of up and coming cinematographers if for no other reason than a teaching tool
and a cheap one at that
linear said:
shooters.

I care what it can do in the hands of CASUAL movie shooters.
Click to expand...
not me there D90 movies will suck too just with clearer video than there current camcorder movies suck right now and
they will all be out of focus to LOL

--
Mac OS X: Because making UNIX user friendly was easier than fixing Windows.
 
You are correct that this will have an impact on youtube and viral marketing. Not only that but bands will get on the bandwagon for live shows making their own music videos. Someone will figure out a slick way to merge better audio (cant blame Nikon for a tiny mic, I wouldnt want a boom on my SLR) or to make an external mic work with the Nikon.

Actually, I mentioned that I was getting this to a buddy who is in a band and he brought up the idea. My first reaction was "But the audio will suck." Immediately he pointed out to me that video in music videos never has jack to do with the audio, its all dubbed. I guess I never really paid attention

And other camera makers will have to follow suit because they dont want to be left out in the cold. One will add a plug in stereo mic, another will upgrade the video editing, and eventually both with use the concepts to make an affordable, large sensored handycam that takes their SLR lenses.
 
Luke Kaven said:
It would be nice to be able to film a complete musical performance,
even a ten minute performance, without interruption. We'll have to
wait a generation for that.
Click to expand...
Or else use one of the lower resolutions, which can record for 20 minutes.
Luke Kaven said:
Thom, do you happen to know what the duty cycle is? After shooting a
five minute clip, how long do you have to wait to shoot another five
minute clip?
Click to expand...
From what I've read so far, you can start recording again immediately.
Luke Kaven said:
Luke
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pixelfixer.org
 
linear said:
Time, creativity, planning and talent shouldn't be requirements for
shooting home and vacation movies with an inexpensive camera.
Click to expand...
I thought I was done responding to your "linear" thinking but this response is laughable.

Time, creativity, planning and talent aren't a requirement for shooting home and vacation videos, buy a $100 P&S video cam and have at it. Time, creativity, planning and talent aren't requirements for shooting STILLS of home and vacation images either. Most that want that buy a P&S (hence the name "point & shoot") as I suggest you should if that is your goal.

The point is this is an amazing still camera that at 1K would be a welcome introduction without the video. It just so happens that Nikon has found a way, at virtually no cost to the consumer, to offer something beyond P&S for those who want MORE. It's an opportunity for some to express creativity in ways impossible on current camcorders.

Don't whine about it, you don't whine that your DSLR doesn't have a fixed f22 aperture so there's no need to focus (I don't think you do, anyway). Why can't DSLR's be easy to use like the Kodak Brownie that was used 50 years ago??, because some people prefer more possibilities.

This is, I hope, the tip of a massive iceberg. I'm sure it will improve in future versions by Nikon and other manufacturers but don't ask it to be like current cameras, we have current cameras. Take your head out of "the sand" and embrace some change, if Nikon had made it simply a $100 P&S stuffed into a DSLR, THAT would have been a pity and a waste in my opinion and after all, I started this thread with the title "one opinion", although it appears that many share mine.

Joe

--
'f8 and be there'



Nikon D40 + Nikkor 18~200VR + Nikkor 18~55
 
I'm really hoping that there is at least a 1/8 audio "in" jack. Does anybody know?
 
linear said:
Time, creativity, planning and talent shouldn't be requirements for
shooting home and vacation movies with an inexpensive camera.
Click to expand...
So by deductive reasoning, only the 'Pros' should be using a DSLR? You do need a certain amount of knowledge and experience to get the most out of an advanced camera. By your reasoning, the home and vacation shooters should just stick with a pocket cam? Good point.
 
lorteti said:
The best solution is to add an external unit that function as a
storage media that also record sound simultaneously in one AVI file.
Click to expand...
I wonder if the video function works for tethered shooting. You could run a cable to a laptop and shoot all day. I'm not sure if USB can handle the bandwidth, though.
 
You probably have seen this in film and television...imagine a scene with two actors - one in the foreground, and another in the background, but still in view.

The camera will focus on one actor, and then change the focus onto the other actor, all while maintaining the same camera angle and position.

This dramatic effect cannot be accomplished with auto-focus. Now imagine other possibilities with other subjects.

--
My Hummingbirds!
---> http://www.hummingbirdaddicts.tk

Dragonfly Eating a FLY!
---> http://ImageEvent.com/aceattorney/dragonflyenjoyingmeal

 
I think its marvellous, it gives all of us the means to document whats going on in front of us, and yes you can manually focus as you film- its easy-just turn the lens!! That sais the manual focus lenses will now be in high demand, as they have accurate distance scales marked on the, so no worries then..... The problem is exposure, as MF lenses are not supported for metering with this machine at all, leaving us dependent on those old lenses like the AF-D ones that have approximate distances correct on some zooms.

But to be able to switch from one to the other and to be able to use a camera in terrible light now means no more hassles getting news reportage shots out under ANY conditions.

If Nikon get this on the D700's next version, I for one will be exstatic, simply because those huge invasive machine everyone used to have to use have all the limitations of bulk and slowness.

This is after all just a first. Who remembers now the first AF camera? or lens? Or that first in-camera exposure meter machine? Noone.

In 10 years time all cameras will have this as standard, simply because demand will be such that stills only machines will now longer be in demand, like film for most people now.

I expect next there'll be outcries from the usual cliques about these comments, and from movie directors ensuring only "real" films are admitted to Cannes, etc etc.

The usual rubbish as well from "civil rights groups about invasion of privacy and copyright, though oddly video anmd camcorder enthusiasts hardly get any such flak at all.

It'll look like a still camera and get the hassles still photographers get, which obviously is something of a catastrophe, but what to do?
 
No, the D90 is an inexpensive camera. Casual shooters should not be forced to the crappy quality of a P&S to avoid the hassle of two devices.
 
Great post, i've been posting similar comments all weekend.

It truly is groundbreaking to budding filmmakers and even low-end doco and commercial producers like me!

i was keen to respond to those exact points you made, so thank you :)

I do have to admit though, video features in a photography forum is always going to be an uphill battle. However, I think that anyone who truly is passionate about photography does appreciate cinematography.
 
DA98 said:
If there is no TC available, you can use the mono recording of the
D90 as a reference track, and by comparing the waveforms of the two
sources, put them in sync visually.
Click to expand...
That would work if your audio equipment is running at exactly the frame rate of the D90, but I suspect that might not be the case, which means that you'll likely see some sync slip even over the course of a five minute clip. I don't think the D90 is a guaranteed clock rate.

--
Thom Hogan
author, Complete Guides to Nikon bodies (18 and counting)
http://www.bythom.com
 
Where are these numbers coming from. Don't claim to be a video expert, but can multiply.
 
In my opinion most people complaining about the movie mode are one of the following:

1) Snobs who can't accept any new functions they can't find a use for themselves, bitter because many other people seem to want it.

2) Canon users bitter because the D90 stole much thunder from the 50D announcement thanks to the movie mode.

I am 100% convinced that the movie mode will be put to good use by a lot of people and would love to have one myself for the movie mode alone.
 
linear said:
I don't care what the camera can do in the hand of advanced movie
shooters.

I care what it can do in the hands of CASUAL movie shooters.
Click to expand...
your logic is so flawed. By your "linear" line of thought, a casual person who buys an SLR should be able to produce great photos, just like how a casual person with an autofocus movie camera should be able produce great movies.

For the casual movie shooter, i don't think they even care about things like stereo sound or long clips or even gasp autofocus. They will most likely just post their video on YouTube or Flickr in downsized resolution and reduced quality sound anyways.

Please when you talk about the casual user, consider what the casual SLR user is doing with their photos. They take photos and put them on Picasa/Flickr/SmugMug. Look at all the ridiculously terrible quality videos that are on Youtube. Let's be realistic. Nikon did the right thing, they didn't introduce this feature on the D3 first, they aimed at the amateur who doesn't need perfection.

Photography and video is what people make of it. Time and patience are the two most important attributes to producing good results on either medium of communication. Perfection in capturing device is only a operational nuisance, and not typically a creativity limiter.

--
Karney
 
Best comments and observations about this new DSLR feature yet!

I can't wait to see what we are going to be seeing in the next couple of years.

Personally, I don't think Nikon is going to be able to produce enough of these camera's to meet demand and other camera manufactures are going to be scrambling to integrate this new technology.

it's simply rewriting the rules.

$1000 camera with very fast aperture & or VR lenses & good iso performance. Only the TV/Movie industries had access to this previously. Everything else was out of the price range for normal people.
 
linear said:
Time, creativity, planning and talent shouldn't be requirements for
shooting home and vacation movies with an inexpensive camera.
Click to expand...
Since when is a DSLR a P&S? isn't the entire point of buying a dslr for the options and creative freedom it provides?

In your comments you are implying that this is supposed to be a P&S video mode?

Go buy a $150 p&s camera if you want to take soccer mom movies.
 
....and the not so good, unfortunately. Exposure is unalterable during a shot. So is focus.
 
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