SLR video report

myDesert.com (website of The Desert Sun, Palm Springs) has an article from Jefferson Graham of USA Today about the Nikon D90 and Canon 5D Mark II that focuses (pun!) on these cameras video capabilities: New Canon, Nikon SLR cameras shoot video. The article pretty much confirms what I've picked up from other sources, but it's always good to hear that what you think is true, still seems to be so.

His main points:


  • [he doesn't like] Live View. If you try composing your image in bright sunlight, it's nearly impossible to see.
  • [these cameras let you] make use of the mouthwatering, supersharp, add-on accessory lenses that camera makers promote to let us zoom in really close or go wide for wonderful vistas.
  • Auto focusing is very problematic, more so on the D90 than the 5D [on the D90 it's manual focus only once recording]. [...] On the 5D, Canon adds a cool button on the back of the camera to keep the image in autofocus.
  • Advances in low-light sensors have gotten so good, you could shoot a movie practically in the dark with the new 5D
  • ...videos are likely to be less steady than on a video camera, your zooming rocky and the images shakier. [.. His] advice: Use a tripod for your SLR videos.

The Nikon D90 is available now, the Canon 5D MkII sometime in November (though the way the economy is melting, maybe it'll never get here...)

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