PAL and NTSC
Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a system for broadcasting color television in many countries around the world, including most of Europe. All of these countries broadcast video at 25 fps and require final output to be played to be at 25 fps. In contrast, the National Television System Committee (NTSC) format used in North and Central America and parts of South America plays at 30 fps.
Table 2-1 lists what we consider to be the best camera for each frame rate (based only on frame rate). All of these recommendations are Canon bodies; note that we make different recommendations later in the chapter when we divide the products by purpose instead of frame rate.
Table 2-1: Best camera at each frame rate
ISO Settings
Choosing the range of ISOs that you will use on your camera is a bit of trial and error. It is somewhat subjective based on the amount of noise you consider acceptable as well as whether you think the image helps the visual look of your film. When choosing DSLR video, your focus should be on high ISOs, because all DSLR cameras perform well at low ISO ranges. Therefore, if you will not have extreme ISO requirements, then ISO will not be a huge area of consideration in camera choice. However, not all ISOs will provide the same quality image, and some ISOs, especially at the top end, may give a video image that is noisier than desired. At high ISOs, camera models with smaller sensors often do not perform as well as larger-sensor cameras at the same ISO. Some cameras provide extremely high-ISO options designed for exceptionally low-light conditions. The best high-ISO cameras are the Sony a7S, the Nikon D4S, and the Canon 5D Mark III, in that order. In general, if you must shoot in low light or “run-and-gun” conditions most of the time, then looking at how the camera operates at a high ISO will save time and gear expenses in lighting in the long run.
If you buy a camera that does not operate well in high ISOs and you find that you need to use them, many post-production options can help reduce the noise in your footage so you can shoot at a higher ISO and still have little to no noise in your finished film.
Here are some general suggested ISO ranges for shooting video on some of the most common DSLR cameras that will leave you with the least noisy image to use in post:
• Canon 5D Mark III: ISO 100 to 1600
• Canon 7D Mark II: ISO 100 to 800
• Panasonic GH4: Up to ISO 1600
• Nikon D800: Up to ISO 3200
• Canon T5i: Up to ISO 800
For more information, see Chapter 3, “Testing and Custom Settings,” for how to test and determine the best ISO settings for your camera. Remember, each person will have a different opinion on how much noise is acceptable, and each project may require more or less noise for the look you are trying to create. There is more room to move to higher ISOs on all these cameras, so these are the ranges that will give you the best image quality with the least amount of noise.
Best Camera For…
Here are our recommendations for the top cameras in various categories:
Best All-Around Camera: Canon 5D Mark III The Canon 5D Mark III (Figure 2-1), in our opinion, is the top camera if you want to shoot a film on a DSLR camera. The full-frame sensor absorbs light in a way that all the other DSLR cameras don’t. Having no crop factor when using old or new still lenses is a huge plus, so you can actually find and get wide-angle shots with little to no distortion.
Figure 2-1: Canon 5D Mark III DSLR camera
Best Camera for Low Light: Sony a7S The Sony a7S (Figure 2-2) is a full-frame mirrorless camera that has amazing low-light capabilities. You can shoot this camera up to over 400,000 ISO so it takes the meaning of shooting in the dark to a new level. Sony’s S-Log2 allows you great range and the ability to shape your video in post.
Best Micro Four-Thirds/Mirrorless Camera: Panasonic GH4 The Panasonic GH4 (Figure 2-3) is a huge step up from the GH3. It has much better performance in low-light situations than the original. It has audio metering built into the camera but not yet professional-quality audio; still, it’s better than the Canon audio options. It comes with a built-in electric viewfinder (EVF), which is a huge help in stabilizing the camera while shooting. Usable ISO range is north of 3200, so it performs well in low-light situations. Add shooting in 4K and this is a great little camera.
Figure 2-2: Sony a7S camera
Figure 2-3: Panasonic GH4 DSLR camera
Best Camera for Stills and Video Usage: Canon 7D If you are equally shooting video and taking stills with your camera, then the Canon 7D is probably your best choice for all-around camera. The 5D Mark II comes close, but if you are not primarily shooting video with your camera, then the 7D narrowly wins this category.
Best Camera on a Budget: Canon T3i This camera is the best value for your money if you are on a limited budget. If you can still find the T3i, it will be way cheaper than the T5i. The feature set isn’t greatly improved, but anything in the TXi line is a great starter camera.
Best Camera for Firmware Modifications: Canon Cameras with Magic Lantern Almost all Canon DSLR cameras have firmware hacks that provide added functionality. The modifications range from increasing the data rate to adding on-screen audio monitors, adding custom crop marks, and creating video peaking. Do an online search to find out the latest cameras with these hacks, and see whether you are interested in trying the firmware modifications.
Mirrorless Cameras
A DSLR camera that has no mirror between the lens and the sensors is called a mirrorless camera. Eliminating the mirror, and in some cases the viewfinder, so you look only at an LCD screen, makes a mirrorless camera much lighter and more compact than a standard DLSR camera. Aside from the lack of a mirror and perhaps a viewfinder, the cameras work in very similar if not identical ways to ones with mirrors.
Manual Controls
One question you must ask yourself when deciding what DSLR camera to use is “What does this camera allow me to control?” DSLR cameras range from no manual controls to full manual controls. The optimal is full manual control. If you are not sure whether your particular camera has full manual controls, do some searching on the Web or get your hands on one and test it. You want to be able to control the following:
• Shutter speed
• F-stop
• Aperture
• ISO
• Frame rate
• Kelvin white balance
Lenses and Accessories
When choosing your camera, you need to decide how to complete your camera package by picking the lenses and accessories to buy or rent. Your camera choice will influence the kind of lenses that you will be using, so the camera and lens decisions should be made concurrently. As you choose your lenses, keep in mind what kind of lens mount you are using and whether your camera will need to be adapted to fit the lens choice.
Trying to pick the best lens or the right lens for a shot is almost impossible. The sheer number of lenses available, the creative reasons for using one lens vs. another, and the subtleties that vary from lens to lens all make choosing a lens