One of the
most appealing attributes is the shallow depth of field that these cameras
offer for recording. They also provide a larger imager and more pixels than
many handheld video camcorders.
You will most
likely achieve a more professional quality video shot using a DSLR camera than
an average camcorder. However, this will depend on the type of lens that you
use. With a camcorder, you may be able to interchange certain lenses. With custom LED Video Lights, you can
change lenses easily and effectively, however the cost of these lenses can be
prohibitive for many people.
It’s also
important to understand about file compression. With digital recording
equipment, the files need to fit onto the space provided within the camera
itself. Whether you use a SDHC memory card or some other memory card for
recording, there are limitations on space. As a result, most of these video
recording cameras compress the images in order to fit on the memory cards. What
happens during this compression is that a higher quality image with sharper
detail becomes less sharp and can appear duller than what was actually
recorded.
Another
factor to consider with a DSLR camera is the accessories that you may be
required to have in order to film quality video. Many camcorders have a light
source built into the camera even though you may be best served with a three
point lighting setup. A DSLR camera may only have a built-in flash for still
shots and no other internal light source. A built-in microphone on a DSLR
camera will be of low quality and will be often embedded into the video itself.
In order to record quality audio to complement the video, you would need an
external microphone and audio recording device, then the ability to synchronize
the two together using SMPTE time coding.
Arguably, the most important issue
when it comes to a DSLR camera is the way that it compresses the image you
produce. Having only been on the market
since 2008, DSLR cameras are still making inroads into video recording. The
quality will continue to improve and the affordability will make them available
to more people with limited budgets in the coming years.
