Nikon D90 or Canon 50D MK II – Twitterstream
ConstantChange
To @5tu and @EugeniaLoli – friend got hands on Nikon D90 – prefer or not over Canon 50D Mk II?
Stu Maschwitz
5tu @ConstantChange Not.
from Tweetie in reply to ConstantChange
ConstantChange
@5tu I guessed so. The footage I’m seeing from the D90 really looks nice though. http://ri.ms/rfv4 (D90 Grammy spot shot by friend)
from web in reply to 5tu
EugeniaLoli
@ConstantChange That’s because the scenes are so short that you don’t get to see all the disadvantages of the D90. Choose 5D.
from web in reply to ConstantChange
ConstantChange
@EugeniaLoli Cheers, as I told Stu Maschwitz – that was what I suspected, wanted to confirm it remained true after firmware updates etc ty!
from web in reply to EugeniaLoli
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ConstantChange
The film we are shooting in Hawai’i right now is using a RED camera
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EugeniaLoli
Ordered the Rode Stereo VideoMic, a dead kitten for it, and a 2.5 m boom pole too. Should be fun.
ConstantChange
@EugeniaLoli – I love the rode mic for my HV20. Have the boom pole too but the attachment screw for it is not well designed.
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(Meanwhile back on Stu’s Twittertstream:)
Stu Maschwitz
@debonbon Actually (Nikon D90’s) 720p is a wonderful resolution if everything else is done well. What Nikon needs is manual control.
Tyler Ginter
@5tu If rolling shutter is the same on the D300s as the D90 and D5000 then Nikon is just showing how little pride they take in video… IMO
Stu Maschwitz
@tylerginter Agreed. The 5D2’s rolling shutter is nasty but workable. The D90’s is a dealbreaker.
5 minutes ago from Tweetie in reply to tylerginter
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Eugenia Loli is a videographer, tech journalist, developer who writes an excellent blog about video, post-production and color correction at http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/
Stu Maschwitz is a founder of The Orphanage and author of the DV Rebel’s Toolkit. he runs http://prolost.com/ an astounding resource on everything from After Effects and color timing to the very latest in HD cameras and shooting techniques.
Constant Change is the author of this blog.
**Full disclosure – although Stu and Eugenia are both critical and discerning and do not work for either of the companies being discussed, I did first come across each of them through their enthusiasm for, and my interest in, the Canon HV20 camera.
Canon HV20 vs HV30 vs HV40 – What’s the Difference?
Canon has announced the release of the Vixia HV40 – the next iteration of the Canon HV20 HDV camcorder that we have so come to love here at thehv20experiments.com.
With the HV30, not much changed except for a new black paint job, the ability to shoot 30P and a slightly bigger LCD screen.
Canon Vixia HV40 HDV Camcorder
With the HV40 – same thing except that Canon has since done some optimization of it DIGIC II processor for HD, and more importantly, added the ability to shoot 24P (something we will also see the company adding to its new HD Video-shooting DSLRs like the 5D MK II in response to overwhelming user demand).
The main thing to consider is that with any of the tweaks and tips and tricks you have already learned by visiting this site, you can accomplish anything that can be accomplished with the HV40 with ease.
Click here to see a side-by-side comparison of the three models and their respective feature sets.
Interestingly, the Canon HV20 is the only one of the three that offers SD/MiniDV recording at all. Why you would think this is a bonus is up for debate, but you never know – sometimes lower quality formats become desirable for retro effects or otherwise and presently the HV20 is the only one to offer this flexibility.
The HV40, being a new product will set you back a thousand bucks. The HV30 is now going for around seven hundred give or take. But not much has changed since the HV20 which was used to shoot parts of the sequel to Crank starring Jason Statham and in theaters nationwide, and can be found for as little as US$399.
Looking at the basic math, the Canon HV20 is still the way to go.
You may also consider looking at Canon’s other offerings, however, if you prefer to not use HDV tapes (which are basically good quality MiniDV tapes) and go solid state. That is something I will cover in a future article.
LitePanels Micro Is A Perfect Fit For Your Canon’s Hotshoe
Although the light on my Canon HV20 is quite powerful and actually quite gentle on my batteries the biggest design problem I have encountered is that putting Canon’s own wide-angle lens on the camera obstructs more than half the light and makes them impossible to use together effectively.
A company based out of Van Nuys called LitePanels has come to the rescue. I was able to stop by their booth at the NAB show this year and check out their latest offering – a perfect little dream of a unit called the Micro – that, like the Rode VideoMic feels like it was made especially for us.
Created in response to the overwhelming popularity of the MiniPlus the Micro harnesses the company’s ultra-efficient LED technology in a lightweight package. Ideal for any camcorder with a standard size hotshoe camcorder (like any of the Canon Vixia cameras or HD video DSLRs like the Rebel or 5D MK II) it mounts unobtrusively on top of the camera to provide soft, directional lighting.
Weighing less than 4 oz. (.11kg) and measuring 3.3″x 3.3″ x 1.5″ (83.8mm x 83.8mm x 38.1mm), Litepanels Micro produces 1.5 hours of continuous output from four on-board AA batteries (either standard or rechargeable). Or power can be supplied through a convenient 5-14V input jack located on the back of the unit.
In addition to the fact it has a standard hotshoe mount, the unique design of the mount features an adjustable tilt mechanism to allow for multiple mounting configurations. Additionally, an integrated on/off/dimmer dial conveniently facilitates smooth and instant 100%-0 dimming. Awesome!
The unit also features a flip-down filter holder for use with the system’s color/diffusion gel filters. Three filters are included: soft diffusion, 3200º tungsten conversion, and 1/4 warming (CTO) which means you can match daylight or indoor tungsten lighting with this little beauty.
For more information, contact your favorite dealer or Litepanels, Inc. at their excellent, informative website: www.litepanels.com
