The excellent DP Review has published what looks like a good introduction to using digital cameras with HD video capabilities. Beginner’s Guide to HD Video is a good read and definitely a must for those who consider buying such camera or for those who, like me, have been experimenting with HD video for the past several months or so.
Last week I was using a semi-professional HD video camera to film a friend’s wedding, but also used Canon 5D Mark II for the more informal clips too. And I absolutely loved it! The fact that you can use a selection of lenses, including good quality prime lenses, is just fantastic.
I seem to understand the difference between a camcorder and a HDSLR better now and the DP Review article does a great job in listing the advantages and disadvantages of using them. There’s also a short comparison of a selection of HDSLRs, an explanation of the various video resolutions, shooting modes and file types.
There are also some sample videos, but be warned – you’ll need a pretty fast broadband connection to watch them as they are uncompressed and quite big.
They didn’t spend much time talking about editing HD files, but, as they rightly noted, mastering some high-end editing applications like Final Cut Pro is a steep learning curve and actually requires a separate guide.
And – after my initial adventures with HD video – I’ve decided that mastering Final Cut Pro will definitely be one of my New Year resolutions for 2010.