Digital SLR Video Convergence

The headline feature of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is certainly its capability for recording video. Not just any video, mind you, but full on 1080 HD video. And, it's not just your plain vanilla video. Thanks to the full frame 24mm X 36mm sensor and Canon's extensive lens setup, the video can be shot with the kinds of depth of field effects that just, well, awesome to view. Vincent Laforet jumped in fast with the 5D Mark II and has made quite a splash with his short piece, Reveire. If you haven't seen it yet, do so now. And be sure to catch the behind the scenes video as well.

The 5D Mark II isn't the first available digital SLR to sport HD video. Nikon's recently released D90 supports the ability to shoot 720p video. I have to admit, based on the samples I saw from the D90, I was a bit ho-hum about having video features added to a still camera. I wasn't sure I saw what the fuss was about, or at the very least, I wasn't sure it was something that I personally would be interested in. But then along comes Vincent's video which—in a pretty compelling and resounding way—shows that there's something to all of this.

Of course, Vincent's video also shows what you can do with a solid mastery of light—and let's make no mistake on this point, Vincent is a master of light and his photographic skills are what makes his video so effective. It also shows what you can do when you combine an excellent photographer with a capable tool, a $5000 budget, actors, production assistants, helicopters over New York, and tens of thousands of dollars of lenses. Let's be clear, there's a lot more to the magic of this particular video than just the 5D Mark II. But, with all that said, it does show the capture capabilities of the 5D Mark II and shows it the whole idea of converging still and motion hardware has game.

This isn't a completely unexpected turn of events. The release of the 5D Mark II and the D90 are the latest and most visible chapters so far in a wave of still/video convergence that is really just starting to show above the waterline. There's a lot more that's going to happen in the months and years to come as this wave really shows its shape and strength. It's not just Canon and Nikon playing here either. Certainly Sony and others are also working on their own hardware efforts. Just imagine a full frame Sony video camera with the ability to use their very nice Zeiss lenses. And I can't leave out RED who has been spending some time leading the charge on Panavision's dominance of Hollywood. By the time the tsunami settles in four or five years, the ability to make cinematic masterpieces, documentaries, and high quality video photojournalism will be more approachable and affordable than ever.

In all of the excitement about the convergence of video and still capture devices, however, let's not forget that these really are two distinct disciplines with two distinct approaches. When shooting stills, a photographer can recompose at will between frames. She can review the last frame and try a new angle immediately. As she works the shot (as we say in the lingo), she slices off small snippets of time here and there.

Shooting video requires a different approach. You can't work the shot in the same way. If you did, you'd end up with something much worse than the most horrific home video in terms of jerks and swings. When shooting video, you have to think in terms of pans and controlled camera movements. Instead of slicing out small chunks of time, you have to work in longer periods of time of seconds or minutes. Sure, you can jump between angles and fields of view between takes, but within a take, you really need to be deliberate and controlled.

Because of this difference in approach, I fear the time when almost all of the still photographs in our news media will be composed mostly of frames grabbed from video streams. Sure, it's efficient and cost effective for the media to look at deploying these convergence devices and results in the ability to provide video as well as stills with a single resource and photographer. But, without working the shot with an eye for stills, I fear we'll end up with an even more restricted visual vocabulary being used in mainstream media photographs.

On the other hand, I really am excited that this convergence will allow photographers with amazing mastery of light and composition to apply their skills to creating motion videos that are amazing. In my opinion, some of the best cinematographers have strong backgrounds in still photography and it shows in their motion work. Being able to have affordable tools for these people to move between still and motion work will certainly allow an entirely new group of photographers to express themselves in motion and I really look forward to what they create.

Another thing I look forward to being able to do is to replace quick bursts of still shots, say at 5 or 10 frames per second, with short bursts of videos that I can then extract the single peak action frame from. I know I just got through po-pooing the small size of video frames from HD video compared to what a still shot can provide, but at the same time, sometimes you just need a small shot. Of course, the current set of controls on convergence cameras might not lend themselves to picking up a quick burst here or there, but I'll be surprised if that doesn't change for the better soon.

No matter what, however, convergence of still and motion hardware is upon us in a huge way and it's going to open up new doors of creativity. Some of these tools are going to be awesome, and some are going to show growing pains that are natural in a developing environment. But all are going to change the landscape of our toolsets completely over the next five years or so. Not all of us are cut out to be motion photographers, but for those that choose to cross the line, we're in for one heck of a ride.

As for me, I don't think there's a 5D Mark II in my future. I've already chimed in on my thoughts on the camera for still use, but I know that if I had a need to shoot video right now, it'd be the first camera on my list. Screw other video cameras with their small sensors and lack of interchangeable lenses. Those beasts are dinosaurs and fated for extinction at all but the lowest end of the market.

Related Posts:

• Canon 5D Mark II Initial Thoughts
• Source of the 5D Mark II AF Angst