Professional video companies are regularly using video equipped DSLRs for high end video productions. Parts, and in some cases, all of theater quality movies have been shot with them. Video pros like video DSLR as it allows them to use the wide variety of lens offered by companies like Nikon and Canon. It gives them to ability to be much more selective in their lens use which means more control over the look of the scene. For example, they use low light (fast) lenses to get more selective depth of field control or super-wide angle lenses for the special look they provided.
This two-in-one technology offers a great opportunity for the photographer who has not used video before and let's face it, there are just something that look better in video. There are just some stories that a still images can't communicate.
We were in Haines Alaska photographing bald eagles fishing the last salmon run of the year. One of the eagles picked up a fish that was too heavy for it and could not get enough lift to make a full take-off. Instead, it had to abort take-off and landed in the river. The eagle than began to use its wings to literally swim to the shore. I shot a number of still images of this event but Paula shot the action in video. The stills looked okay but really just showed an unremarkable image of the bird in the river. The video, however, was amazing . It told a much different, much more dynamic, story watching the big bird swim.
There are downsides to consider when using the DSLR as a video camera as well. I'll discuss a few of these in my next blog.
