We have seen a massive growth in the rental business at Cam-A-Lot Rentals where DSLR cameras are being used to film productions. Filmmakers have been doing it for a couple years now, but it is still surprising to see just how popular this way of shooting has become, and how it is still growing.
There are a couple of reasons DSLR for video is such a wide spread phenomenon, and will continue to be, going forward. The main reason is price. To hire a DSLR body costs less than almost every other camcorder which rental houses have on offer. The second reason it is so popular is the quality of the footage you can achieve. Generally, the images produced have a rich colour and contrast which makes the footage look graded before you even put it on a timeline. The sensor on a full frame DSLR like the Canon 5D Mark III is also larger than all the middle of the market rental cameras. The large sensor in conjunction with the ability to change lenses to primes, offers the much-sought after ability to achieve shallower depths of field.
It is worth noting that there are also considerable compromises when using a DSLR for filming video. Recording the sound becomes a little more intricate as inputs and their controls are limited with DSLR bodies. For most productions, you will need accessories to ensure professional audio quality is maintained during recording. Zoom recorders such as the H6n have become a very popular accessory, you will however need to synchronise the audio in post. Another limitation to consider is the inability to use the zoom while recording. With a photographic lens it is very hard to achieve a usable zoom in camera. This is fine for any narrative work where you almost never use it. If you have any unpredictability, or journalistic or ‘reality’ type shoot this setup is not well suited.
Stability comes from weight, so while a DSLR camera body is kind to your back, it is inherently unsteady. Their light weight and ergonomics make steady handheld shooting hard without additional support rigs. There are several options such as shoulder rigs or cages available to stabilise the camera. Once fitted to such a rig, you can add follow focus controls, matte boxes and monitors if it makes getting the shot easier. One of the best solutions is the Ronin which has a motorised gimbal, a far cry from the steadicam rigs of yesteryear.
We are seeing another popular trend on the rise now at Cam-A-Lot Rentals, and that is for productions to be shot at 4k resolutions. Cameras capable of shooting 4k are also becoming increasingly common, with few new models not having the capability. They can be divided into two resolutions where 4 096 x 2 160 pixels is referred to as DCI 4k, and 3 840 x 2 160 pixels is referred to as UHD. It is currently still rare to deliver the final version of a production in either of these resolutions. The main reason for the popularity of the format is due to the flexibility it allows during the editing process.
If you shoot with all those pixels and your final delivery product is HD, you have the ability to ‘punch in’ and re-compose a shot without a loss of detail. The professional cameras capable of shooting 4k have generally got some impressive sensors with ever-increasing exposure latitude. Having a camera which can handle wider exposure contrast allows for more creative possibilities within the edit suite. The combination of footage with a wide latitude, high meg rates and raw file formats allow for far superior grading possibilities within the edit suit.
My personal favourite currently is the Sony PXW-FS5. The FS7 is also a great camera producing superb images in DCI 4k, but it is far bigger and bulkier than the FS5 which offers a lot of bang for the buck. I really enjoy the ergonomics and ease of use the FS5 offers. You get a super 35 sensor with 14 stops of latitude. If you’re willing to drop the resolution, you can crank the frame rate up to 800 frames per second. The best part is that this camera uses the cheap and easily available SD cards. It creates footage with all the advantages DSLR’s offer, with none of the disadvantages.
By John Onderstall, Cam- A- Lot
