I have the Nikon D90 and for stills photography it is superb. If I were buying a camera today I would buy the Canon 7D or save up for a bit longer and get the Canon 5D Mk II. However, the DSLR would only be used for the odd fill in movie clip on a production. The Sony EX3 would still be my main camera for a full blown production.

So you think I should go the canon route. The only cams in my price range are the 50d and t1i then (plus a lens). Do you think the 7d will lower in price to maybe 1500 bucks in a couple months.

The one thing that I have learnt over the years is that buying something below what you realy want is always a false economy. Go for the camera that you realy want, even if it means you have to wait for a bit. Yes, I expect in the new year prices will drop, also be aware that VAT here in the UK will go up again in the new year.

Had the opportunity to use the D3S yesterday shooting second unit for NCIS: LA. Didn't get to see the footage we shot though. Victor Hammer, the DP on the show, is beta testing for Nikon and using the camera here and there for specialty shots.

The Nikon D3s manual describes that the camera adjusts shutter speed and ISO sensitivity automatically, but if you put the camera in manual mode and hit the OK button you can also manual adjust the video settings.

For a view of the changing shutter speeds, view this video:

d3s shutter speed test on Vimeo

Here is also a comparison between the Nikon D3s and the Red One at 720p:

Red One & Nikon D3s @ 720p on Vimeo

So you think I should go the canon route. The only cams in my price range are the 50d and t1i then (plus a lens). Do you think the 7d will lower in price to maybe 1500 bucks in a couple months.

I don't look for the 7D price to come down soon. The 5D MkII price has stayed at the same level for the most part since it's introduction. As long as demand is as high as it is on these 2 models I look for prices to stay where they are for a while.

The T1i on the other hand has come down from the darn near a grand I paid for it when it first came out. Available with 18-55mm kit lens for $749 today from B&H:

canon t1i (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=canon+t1i&N=0&InitialSearch=yes)

Many will "pan" the T1i, I almost didn't get it for two reasons; no manual control in video mode and the 1920x1080p "funky" 20fps frame rate.

But I saw some very stunning video done with it and ordered one. I do NOT use the 1080p and it's 20fps, it may be OK if you don't have much motion, but the 720p works just fine and since Nikon, Pentax, and some others are not even trying the 1080p route you may not be giving up much.

No manual control in video mode: Well, there are some workarounds to get manual aperture control; two to be exact and I've tried and do use both. One is manual lenses with an aperture ring and an adapter to the EOS mount, I have an old 50mm F1.8 Nikkor AI-S and that works great, just turn the aperture ring to where you want it and the camera adjusts shutter and ISO to give you "correct" exposure. You have an exposure override of sorts but using the exposure bias for 2 stops under to 2 over. And you can "lock" the exposure so it doesn't change as you pan to different lighted areas.

Some degree of shutter control can be done with ND filters, I use .6 and .9 (for 2 stops and 3 stop reduction respectively), "stacked" you get 5 stops reduction and that usually works for me in daylight to get the shutter down to 1/125 or under depending on the lighting.

With Canon lenses you can "unlock" the lens and twist slightly while pressing the DOF prevue button (in Av mode) to "freeze" the aperture at the dialed in value. It remains at that value until the lens is either turned back to the "click" (locked) positon or removed.

Even if the camera is turned off and then back on.

If you don't hold the DOF prevue button in the lens stays at maximum aperture.

I probably should have sold my T1i when I got the 7D, that would have helped "finance" it. But I decided to keep it both as a possible "backup" for the 7D but also as a lightweight "runaround" DSLR that does excellent stills as well as video I can work with if caught out without video gear.

The 18-55mm "kit" lens is not bad, gives moderate useable wideangle to moderate portrait perspective telephoto. Actually this range is not bad for video work and outdoors where the lighting has fair contrast the video actually looks quite sharp (edits in nicely with my HF100 video). And last night I put that lens on the 7D just to see how well it does low light on neighborhood Chrismas light displays. The results satisfied me that I can use that lens while someone drives me through the city's "Tour Of Lights".

I need to use the 18mm wide perspective to enhance motion while my driver goes slow.

Things you will need:

1. Something like the Hoodman Hoodloupe 3.0 (and I recommend their elastic "cinema strap" to hold it on over the LCD) which not only lets you "see" the LCD in daylight but also can be a third point of contact (against the eye or eyeglasses) for stabilizing handheld work. www/hoodmanusa.com

2. Some kind of "stabilizing" rig. I use the SpiderBrace 2 "Combo", cost me around $100 shipped to my door. home (http://www.spiderbrace.com) And a close to half priced version from Easy Brace (http://www.easybrace.com)

Both of these are quite lightweight but very useful for handheld work.

3. Some kind of audio recorder since the audio on this camera is mono only. There is no external mic jack so good audio will be achieved only with an external recorder. I use the ZoomH2 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=zoomh2&N=0&InitialSearch=yes priced at $139.95 at B&H today. I paid almost $200 for mine a year or so ago. Used outdoors you will need a furry windmuff over the foam one that comes with it. I got mine from www.thewindcutter.com. I usually mount my ZoomH2 on a lightstand just out of camera view but close to the talent and I find it's internal mics very conveniently get me a good audio recording. I edit/trim the audio in the free Audacity editor and place the WAV files on the separate audio track in my video editor. Sync is done by "sliding" it in place until audio waveforms match those of the camera's audio. Then mute the camera audio and I have synchronized stereo audio.


Finally if you haven't seen these before here are a couple of short demos of shallow DOF control with the T1i that I've done (am currently working on a video tutorial to put on DVD on how to get the most out of video mode on the T1i).

Be sure to read the comments on vimeo on these. They can clarify what you see in the video.

Using Canon EF/EF-S lenses
Shallow DOF on T1i with Canon EF/EF-S lenses on Vimeo

Using a Nikkor lens
Canon T1i with Nikkor lens on Vimeo

Some extra information with diagram on how to perform MUNUAL CONTROL WITH VIDEO function when using the latest NIKON D3s:

http://nikonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/nikon-d3s-manual-video-mode.jpg

proper moving image acquisition with equipment that has the form factor/mechanics of a DSLR is so frustrating difficult, if not impossible. The ergonomics of any of them is a real nightmare.(...) Without a proper mounting rig (...) most of the video DSLRs today are next to useless as a professional video tool. (...) But shooting has to be under controlled environments where almost every filming element such as lighting, sound and the subject's movement or composition is pre-arranged and can be controlled.

Are you basing this on your actual experience using one of these cameras, or just on what you've read? Because my experience has been very different. The SLR ergonomics aren't ideal but they aren't the nightmare you make them out to be. My XHA1 has been gathering dust in the year I've had the 5D, and it's worked well in all kinds of situations - my preferred setup is nothing more than an ultralight monopod, prime lens and an H4n for sound. There are situations where I'd prefer different ergonomics, but there are other situations in which the size of the camera is a real advantage - in other words it's a trade off just like any camera would be. I certainly wouldn't recommend an HDSLR for every shooter or situation, but to say it's next to useless as a pro video tool is simply false.