Читать книгу The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook - Andersson Barry - Страница 13

Choosing a camera is a bit overwhelming. Several manufacturers make DSLR cameras, and the prices for cameras vary from $700 to $800 all the way north of $5,000 just for the body. Of course, features vary from camera to camera, even from the same manufacturer.

As you begin the decision-making process, it would be beneficial for you to physically handle as many different cameras as you can after you narrow down what cameras might work best for you. It is also beneficial to look at examples of footage produced by a variety of DSLR cameras. Video from DSLR cameras is often referred to in vague terms like “the cinematic look” or the “incredible ability to handle light.” These descriptions are compelling, but in the end picking the camera that is able to produce footage that you appreciate is the goal, so go look at footage!

As you choose your camera, you’ll have other considerations, too, such as the particular parameters that are imperative to a shoot’s success. Budget (either the overall budget or the camera-specific budget) for a lens mount that is compatible with lenses you already own. If you are coming from a still photography background, being able to use your available still lenses should not be taken lightly. This may steer you to a camera model that matches your lenses or, if your lenses can be used with an adapter, that frees you to choose any DSLR camera that will accept an adapter with your brand of lenses.

The Canon EOS mount and the Sony E Mount are the two most flexible lens mounts currently available. They allow more adapters and lenses to be mounted to cameras than any others on the market today. Just a few key features will help you focus on what cameras to choose: sensor size, resolution, frame rates, lens mount, and ISO sensitivity. These key features will determine how you pick your camera and help you know exactly how your camera will handle various shooting scenarios.

It is impossible for us to cover every possible use for each camera and recommend just one type of camera. So, the best way to decide is to look at what options you need or want on your camera and find a model with those options that is closest to your budget. Refer to our chart in Chapter 1, “Fundamentals of DSLR Filmmaking,” for a list of features available on many of the DSLR cameras.

Decisions in Choosing a Camera

In terms of camera choice, you have a few major decisions to make:

• What sensor size do you want?

• What frame rates do you want to shoot at, and can your camera handle those frame rates?

• What ISO do you need to be able to work with?

• What resolution do you need to shoot? Is 1080p footage OK or do you need 2K or 4K video?

• What lens mount do you want on your camera? This impacts what lenses you can use – either older vintage lenses or new lenses.

Sensor Size

Which sensor is best for you? As we described in Chapter 1, there are about five different major sensor sizes for most DSLR cameras. They range from full-frame sensors all the way down to micro 4/3 sensors. Each different sensor size has pros and cons of working with it. APS-C sensors are close in size to the 35 mm film used in movies and TV shows. A full-frame sensor is more like a VistaVision film frame and has a much shallower depth of field and better light sensitivity (in other words, you need less light and will get a less-noisy image). In general, the smaller the sensor size, the cheaper the camera. If you are on a tight budget, then paying attention to sensor size may lead to a price point that is perfect for you.

Large, full-frame sensors have several benefits. The potential shallow depth of field allows for a varied range of cinematic shots. One key element of cinematic shots is that they feel like shots you would see in a movie theater. In most movies, there is a very directed focus that helps lead your eyes to something in the frame. Out-of-focus areas of a given shot can be part of the deliberate artistic look for a given scene. Cinematic shots are not just shots that have a shallow depth of field, but they also selectively focus on what the filmmaker wants the audience to see in the frame and allowing for greater creativity in the filming process. The large, full-frame sensor allows for beautiful selective-focus shots that have a shallow depth of field in close-ups under low-light conditions. Obviously, the full-frame sensor is not limited to just the shallow depth of field and will allow for wide depth of field in medium and wide shots, but this depth-of-field capability makes it unique in the DSLR video world.

Additionally, large, full-frame sensors often have pixels that are larger than pixels on smaller sensors. A larger sensor size allows for larger pixels, but it still maintains a tight pixel density. Pixels that are tightly spaced can actually increase the noise of an image; however, these larger pixels are better able to gather light and often handle contrast better.

For the most desirable video image, our recommendation is a full-frame sensor. More full-frame sensor cameras are becoming available all the time. A general rule is that the bigger the sensor, the better the image quality overall. Another benefit of full-frame sensors is that you can use standard 35 mm still lenses and there is no crop factor. So, if you have a choice when buying your camera, we recommend that you buy a full-frame sensor.

Still, there are advantages to cameras with smaller sensors in many situations. In general, they are cheaper and sometimes can be adapted to other lenses more easily. Some lenses have a large rear element or an area at the rear of the lens that sticks out a bit; this can run into the mirror on the Canon 5D Mark III but might not hit the mirror on a Canon 70D or Canon T5i due to the smaller sensor size. In addition, some older Nikkor lenses have a metal tab that sticks out and will cause problems on the 5D Mark III if not removed. Do some research if your lens has any elements that look like they may come close to hitting the mirror. Another advantage to smaller sensors, such as the APS-C, is that they are closer in size to a 35 mm motion-film frame. If you want to shoot with cinema film lenses, some old cinema lenses can be inexpensive when compared to cinema lenses designed for a full-frame sensor. Also, if you really want to use standard cinema lenses, you will be dealing with PL mount lenses. To use PL mount lenses on a DSLR camera, you need to convert the camera to have a PL mount (which is not inexpensive). However, a converted PL mount 7D or T5i has major advantages over a converted 5D Mark III. Since PL mount lenses were designed to have a field of view to fill a 35 mm motion-picture film frame, this means the full range of PL lenses will work on a converted 7D or T5i. If you use some of the wider-angle PL mount lenses on a converted 5D Mark III, you will get major vignetting because the lens was not designed to fill a frame that large.

If budget considerations make expensive rigs out of the question for you, the size and weight of the camera are important factors, and the smaller sensor cameras may be a good choice.

Frame Rates

What frame rates do you want to work with? This is somewhat easy to answer. If you plan on shooting a lot of slow motion, only a few DSLR cameras have that option.

You can use software programs to convert your footage into slow motion. We cover this more in Chapter 10, “Converting and Editing Your Footage.”

If you are shooting a movie or shooting for television and don’t require slow motion, then you can choose from almost any DSLR camera because they now support the major standard frame rates (24, 25, 29.97, and 30 fps).

The golden standard for what is known in the video world as the “film look” is 24 fps, because motion-picture film uses this rate. The look of a movie at the movie theater or on DVD is shaped by the 24 fps frame rate of the image; therefore we perceive 24 fps to be more “cinematic.” Most DSLR cameras now natively shoot in 24 fps, so your choice in cameras has grown since they first launched. However, not all cameras have the 24 fps option, so if you want a look that is closest to film, this is something you need to double-check.

If you are doing production in Europe or somewhere that your final output is PAL format, then you must buy a camera that shoots in 25p because frame rate conversion is not reliable; it is a tricky process that involves a lot of planning to effectively do in post.

PAL and NTSC

Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a system for broadcasting color television in many countries around the world, including most of Europe. All of these countries broadcast video at 25 fps and require final output to be played to be at 25 fps. In contrast, the National Television System Committee (NTSC) format used in North and Central America and parts of South America plays at 30 fps.

Table 2-1 lists what we consider to be the best camera for each frame rate (based only on frame rate). All of these recommendations are Canon bodies; note that we make different recommendations later in the chapter when we divide the products by purpose instead of frame rate.

Table 2-1: Best camera at each frame rate

ISO Settings

Choosing the range of ISOs that you will use on your camera is a bit of trial and error. It is somewhat subjective based on the amount of noise you consider acceptable as well as whether you think the image helps the visual look of your film. When choosing DSLR video, your focus should be on high ISOs, because all DSLR cameras perform well at low ISO ranges. Therefore, if you will not have extreme ISO requirements, then ISO will not be a huge area of consideration in camera choice. However, not all ISOs will provide the same quality image, and some ISOs, especially at the top end, may give a video image that is noisier than desired. At high ISOs, camera models with smaller sensors often do not perform as well as larger-sensor cameras at the same ISO. Some cameras provide extremely high-ISO options designed for exceptionally low-light conditions. The best high-ISO cameras are the Sony a7S, the Nikon D4S, and the Canon 5D Mark III, in that order. In general, if you must shoot in low light or “run-and-gun” conditions most of the time, then looking at how the camera operates at a high ISO will save time and gear expenses in lighting in the long run.

If you buy a camera that does not operate well in high ISOs and you find that you need to use them, many post-production options can help reduce the noise in your footage so you can shoot at a higher ISO and still have little to no noise in your finished film.

Here are some general suggested ISO ranges for shooting video on some of the most common DSLR cameras that will leave you with the least noisy image to use in post:

• Canon 5D Mark III: ISO 100 to 1600

• Canon 7D Mark II: ISO 100 to 800

• Panasonic GH4: Up to ISO 1600

• Nikon D800: Up to ISO 3200

• Canon T5i: Up to ISO 800

For more information, see Chapter 3, “Testing and Custom Settings,” for how to test and determine the best ISO settings for your camera. Remember, each person will have a different opinion on how much noise is acceptable, and each project may require more or less noise for the look you are trying to create. There is more room to move to higher ISOs on all these cameras, so these are the ranges that will give you the best image quality with the least amount of noise.

Best Camera For…

Here are our recommendations for the top cameras in various categories:

Best All-Around Camera: Canon 5D Mark III The Canon 5D Mark III (Figure 2-1), in our opinion, is the top camera if you want to shoot a film on a DSLR camera. The full-frame sensor absorbs light in a way that all the other DSLR cameras don’t. Having no crop factor when using old or new still lenses is a huge plus, so you can actually find and get wide-angle shots with little to no distortion.

Figure 2-1: Canon 5D Mark III DSLR camera

Best Camera for Low Light: Sony a7S The Sony a7S (Figure 2-2) is a full-frame mirrorless camera that has amazing low-light capabilities. You can shoot this camera up to over 400,000 ISO so it takes the meaning of shooting in the dark to a new level. Sony’s S-Log2 allows you great range and the ability to shape your video in post.

Best Micro Four-Thirds/Mirrorless Camera: Panasonic GH4 The Panasonic GH4 (Figure 2-3) is a huge step up from the GH3. It has much better performance in low-light situations than the original. It has audio metering built into the camera but not yet professional-quality audio; still, it’s better than the Canon audio options. It comes with a built-in electric viewfinder (EVF), which is a huge help in stabilizing the camera while shooting. Usable ISO range is north of 3200, so it performs well in low-light situations. Add shooting in 4K and this is a great little camera.

Figure 2-2: Sony a7S camera

Figure 2-3: Panasonic GH4 DSLR camera

Best Camera for Stills and Video Usage: Canon 7D If you are equally shooting video and taking stills with your camera, then the Canon 7D is probably your best choice for all-around camera. The 5D Mark II comes close, but if you are not primarily shooting video with your camera, then the 7D narrowly wins this category.

Best Camera on a Budget: Canon T3i This camera is the best value for your money if you are on a limited budget. If you can still find the T3i, it will be way cheaper than the T5i. The feature set isn’t greatly improved, but anything in the TXi line is a great starter camera.

Best Camera for Firmware Modifications: Canon Cameras with Magic Lantern Almost all Canon DSLR cameras have firmware hacks that provide added functionality. The modifications range from increasing the data rate to adding on-screen audio monitors, adding custom crop marks, and creating video peaking. Do an online search to find out the latest cameras with these hacks, and see whether you are interested in trying the firmware modifications.

Mirrorless Cameras

A DSLR camera that has no mirror between the lens and the sensors is called a mirrorless camera. Eliminating the mirror, and in some cases the viewfinder, so you look only at an LCD screen, makes a mirrorless camera much lighter and more compact than a standard DLSR camera. Aside from the lack of a mirror and perhaps a viewfinder, the cameras work in very similar if not identical ways to ones with mirrors.

Manual Controls

One question you must ask yourself when deciding what DSLR camera to use is “What does this camera allow me to control?” DSLR cameras range from no manual controls to full manual controls. The optimal is full manual control. If you are not sure whether your particular camera has full manual controls, do some searching on the Web or get your hands on one and test it. You want to be able to control the following:

• Shutter speed

• F-stop

• Aperture

• ISO

• Frame rate

• Kelvin white balance