In 2009 Canon introduced a disruptive technology. His name was the 5D Mark II and it was the devil incarnate. At the time they had a pro line-up of video camcorders like the XL2 which were used by filmmakers all over the world. Canon’s 60+ year old management probably thought they’d just killed an entire business, by accident, with a consumer DSLR.
Read moreCanon – the REAL technical and political reasons behind the lack of decent video
This report is based on a pre-production model.
The GH3 is Panasonic’s most far-reaching attempt yet to take on Canon’s DSLR-market domination. So popular were Canon’s DSLRs for video that they were able to found the entire Cinema EOS business on the back off it (and in doing so, arguably they turned their back on the enthusiast DSLR video market).
But there was always a dark horse and that camera was the Panasonic GH2, with a better image and feature-set than any APS-C Canon DSLR for video. Now the dark horse has come of age but question marks remain. Is the mass market educated enough to choose more discerningly when it comes to DSLRs and DSLMs?
And is the GH3 good enough?
Read morePanasonic GH3 real-world test (pre-production firmware)
The Canon C300 produces a very clean 1080p image from a 4K sensor. How does the Blackmagic Cinema Camera compare in raw mode?
Read moreCanon C300 vs Blackmagic Cinema Camera – chart test
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/44077443[/vimeo]
The 550D was released almost exactly 2 years ago and it was a great leveller of the playing field, since it brought similar video quality to the 7D down to a more reasonable price point.
Read moreCinema5D review of Canon 650D confirms no fix for moire and aliasing
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/39594898[/vimeo]
Update: James has had a full day’s shooting now with the modified 5D Mark III. Check out the footage above.
Warning: please wait for this to all shake out. Don’t hastily modify your 5D Mark III without the necessary technical knowledge and research. Opening the camera voids the warranty and risks irreparable damage.
James Miller has decided to open up his brand new Canon 5D Mark III, tear it down and remove the blurring anti-aliasing filter from in front of the sensor. It does seem like a particularly strong optical low pass filter on this camera, which produces very soft results in video mode.
Freelance BBC shooter Johnnie Behiri has had his hands all over the new Nikon DSLRs recently and has been keeping me informed about their pros and cons. The big news here is just how good the Nikon D800’s video with cutting edge Sony sensor is relative to its big brother the D4.
Read more$3000 Nikon D800 thrashes flagship $6000 Nikon D4 for video
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/36305675[/vimeo]
Above: Joy Ride shot on the Nikon D800 streams in full 1080p so make sure to view full screen!
The long rumoured and leaked Nikon D800 was officially announced today. This is Nikon’s equivalent of Canon’s upcoming 5D Mark 3 and is a very attractive camera which brings almost all of the Nikon D4’s pro DSLR features down to $2999 (£2399 in the UK) but sacrifices cutting edge low light ability for crazy resolution.
Read moreFirst impressions of the $2999 Nikon D800’s video mode
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/29069158[/vimeo]
Buy the Mosaic Engineering VAF-5D2 Anti-Aliasing Filter for $385
The biggest issue with Canon DSLRs is the rainbows – I don’t so much mind the lack of resolving power relative the GH2, sometimes a softer image is more organic and cinematic. Certainly when you project the footage on a big screen and sit back, it looks detailed enough yet organic. Quite unlike on an LCD monitor. The worst thing you can have is an image that isn’t organic but over-sharpened with the bright high contrast jagged lines around every single detail – it’s extremely tiring on the eyes and very DV.
Read moreAnti-moire and aliasing filter for the 5D Mark II – is it any good?
