Posted on by Terry White

Photographers, Do You Care About Video?

There's lots of buzz out there about DSLR video. The benefits of lens selection and a more film like feel to HD video shot with these cameras can't be denied. However, from what I can see the people that are most interested in this new power are typically people that were already doing video. In other words they are videographers who see this as a way of getting better video. Now don't get me wrong, I know that there are some photographers out there that are certainly excited about the possibilities of adding video to their digital story telling. However, I'm just not seeing a landslide (yet) of "traditional" photographers getting into it. I have some theories on why this is and I think it has more to do with the post processing than anything else. Photographers already know how to capture a good image. It's probably not a stretch to say with practice they could capture a good video too. With that said, is there time for both? If you're shooting  a wedding for example, chances are you're going to concentrate on one of the other. You don't have time to capture both great stills AND great video as the bride is walking down the isle. So this means having someone else that can be on hand to capture the video. Let's call that person the "videographer." 🙂

Moving off that situation for a moment, let's say that it's something that's not as time critical as a wedding where you don't have the ability to do it over. Let's say that you are capturing portraits of the couple before the big day and you also have time to capture some video clips of them interacting with each other. Great! Now you've got both good video and good stills. What next?

 

What do you want or need in a video editing tool?

Here's where I think a large part of the problem lies. Many of the photographers I know, don't like to do image retouching and spend a lot of time on the computer working with photos. They'd rather be out shooting. So now we bring video into the mix and most of the "traditional" video editing tools are just as complex if not more so than Photoshop. Sure there are some easier programs out there like iMovie, Adobe Premiere Elements and the basic editing in Aperture, but in many cases even those apps can be daunting to a person who has never edited video before (and probably doesn't want to). So let's step back for a moment and ask the question, "if someone were to build the perfect video editing tool for a PHOTOGRAPHER, what would it have in it?" I have some ideas, but I want to make sure that I didn't miss anything, so please chime in if I did:

  • Of course it should be as easy to use as possible!
  • It should support the vast majority of video file formats coming out of DSLR cameras today, NATIVELY – No transcoding
  • We need transitions (duh!)
  • We need the ability to incorporate stills
  • We need the OPTION to zoom/pan those stills with human controls ala Ken Burns
  • We need to easily add music
  • We need to be able to EASILY add titles anywhere we want for as long as we want them to be
  • We need the ability to easily output various formats for sharing
  • I'm assuming we need to easily be able to burn a DVD/Blu-ray for people that want it on a disc
  • We need to lose the video vocabulary: I should never see things like CODECs, H.264, 16:9, 4:3, Rendering, etc. in the app. Change the terminology to be simple and plain english. ie. Export for YouTube, Save for HDTV, etc. Remember, these aren't video editors and this App isn't for video editors. They already have lots of Apps.

 

Those are the ideas off the top of my head for what I would see in a dedicated simple video editing App for photographers. Now let's say this App existed and was reasonably priced. As a photographer would you do video? Do you care or do you feel that video work should be done by people that do video? Or tell me why you're just not interested in doing video if I've missed your reasons.

 

This will make the shooting part easier

It's called the Zacuto Z-Finder Jr. It goes over the back of your LCD so that you can really have a much better idea of when something is in focus or not. You can get the Zacuto Z-Finder Jr. here from B&H.

Or go with the PRO model if you really want a great one (thanks Bruce):

The Zacuto Z-Finder Pro goes for $375.25 at B&H here.

 

P.S. My buddy Jason Levine has recorded some videos on DSLR Video Editing. Check them out here.

14 Replies to “Photographers, Do You Care About Video?”

  1. Strait and to the point would be my biggest “want” for a video editing software. I was looking through your learn CS app last night at the edit DSLR video, tutorial by “wolverine”(hey he DOES look like wolverine) and even after watching that and some other tutorials, I’m lost. I have been shooting video clips as of late, but I don’t do any editing to them. No intros, no fades etc. I want, need to learn this stuff. If such an application as you’re describing above doesn’t become available, can you recommend a good starting place to learn CS video editing? Thanks Terry. Jason

  2. At this point I’m not really interested in shooting video, although that might change in the future. If I were to do any editing, I would want it to be very simple.

  3. I’m interested in video, but only as something supplemental to my still images. For example, it may be convenient to have for “behind the scenes” shots. It may give me an opportunity to capture part of the story that needs motion.

    I’m curious about extracting stills from video. Having never worked with it on a DSLR, I’m wondering if I could shoot an action scene and pull out a still from the peak of action, and then incorporate the two together in a findl presentation.

    I’m an Aperture user, so I could still use that for managing my video clips. I haven’t investigated the differences between Apple & Adobe products for video, so I’d go with whatever best meets my needs.

  4. I have used final cut, after effects, and premiere pro. All I need to get a great video is to have the ability to add transitions/custom mask transitions, adjust opacity, have at least 5 video layers, and auto ripple. Ken burns would be a plus! A built in slideshow creator would be great addition, along with a title creator.

    For the title creator I would like it to work like after effects. Just select the text tool and start typing. Then have the the effects, and parameters be viewable/editable like photoshop/after effects.

    Of course, tight integration with other cs5 products.

    I would not mind seeing the animation tools in photoshop enhanced with these updates. Staying in a photoshop like environment would help ease the transition from still to video.

  5. Since I switched back to Mac the only program I miss is Photodex Proshow Producer. There is nothing like it on the Mac platform. Its like PS & Final Cut rolled into one for Slide shows. With a learning curve of PS elements or Iphoto. Just can’t decide whether to use Boot Camp or VM ware. I want to use video so much but doing both as one person is not easy. So many videos out there that are inspiring people to shoot Video with their stills are off the cart for many when you get to see a behind the scenes of what went into it. Take this for example. A friend at work got an Canon 7D & asked me why his video didn’t look like Vincent Laforet’s stuff. Once I showed him some of the equipment he used & some other videos of guys like that . He was so bummed that he has not shot any video in about a week. Not to mention that he had to get a new computer to handle the editing of HD video & larger Hard Drive to store HD content. For me Its just the Editing Software I’m not sure what I want to use. Should I go & spend the 1000 bucks $ & get Final cut & start climbing that steep learning mountain. My marriage wouldn’t survive me getting rid of my D3 just to get the D3s for video. Hell the D3 almost got me divorced, but thats another story. So my HD comes from my Iphone 4, Kodak Play Sport, Canon camcorders & my new toy GoPro HD camera. I do want to story tell with video & stills more that I even like to admit. It’s just What Program….. Any thought ?

  7. dSLR video. Kind of like using your car as a toboggan.

    Zooming with a dSLR is only slightly easier than getting the car back up the hill.

    Next the camera companies will be adding X-ray, for those times when you want to undress the hot babes with your lens.

    Ooooo! Ooooo! I want nightvision!

  8. So… you want iMovie & iDVD? 🙂

    Seriously: You are either editing, or you are just dragging the un-edited files to a burner like Toast, and adding a simple menu.

    You are asking for the Picasa 3 of video editing, with an equivalent of that programs “I’m Feeling Lucky” button for adjustments [I’m not making that up: Picasa 3 does have that button on its adjustments panel].

    Especially the comment about codecs and transcoding. Its like having a photographer say “Don’t talk to me about RAW or jpeg, I just want to take great pictures”.

    Remember the old maxim: If you make a tool that any fool can use, only a fool will want to use it.

  10. After analysis of options I have no interest in dslr video. Several reasons make it a no go, first the requirement to add another 2-5k$ of attachments to my $5k camera to do anything better than my cell phone. Second the requirement to add another $1k or so in software to end up with something usable beyond preview mode. Third the additional storage requirements beyond my existing 3tb. Fourth the time for the software and behind the camera learning curves. Fifth the lack of need or use for video in any practical sense. Lastly my normal subject matter rarely would benefit from a video component, landscapes don’t move often.

  11. You might want to check out the book Photo Fusion ( http://amzn.to/bO3Qyc ) for an interesting concept of what you might think is NOT practical or possible. The concept of still photographers not doing video might just be the same discussion 10 years ago that digital photography will never replace film.

  12. Hi Terry, I have a 5D MarkII, would like to learn to how to edit video, but it just
    it just seems very confusing. A program as you have described in your post
    would be great! With regard to your Zacuto recommendations above, there equipment appears to be good, but it is really expensive. Hoodman
    makes a video stabilizer system that straps to your wrist along with viewfinder
    accessories that seems pretty ingenious and the entire system I think is less
    than the Zacuto Z-Finder Pro. Hoodmanusa.com It would be interesting to get your opinion of their system in one of your reviews. Scott Kelby has has started to flirt with some of the editing techniques via Rich Harrington via Kelby Training.
    I may drop them a line asking them to start doing more.

    Regards,

    Jim Talbot

  13. ProShow Producer easily provides your wish list to embed video in a photomontage. I have been using it to capture the final foul shots in high school tournament basketball games. I can get it steady enough by shooting from one knee and using the “knee to elbow” to steady the shot. The reaction from the crowd is not captured by the best still. Only a few of these quick video’s are included in my Producer shows. It also works great to capture individual songs in a choral concert, particularly if you can get on the balcony. The sound is surprisingly good. These are basically static scenes, which my Nikon D300s handles nicely. However, Producer doesn’t provide editing of the video itself. That’s a dyi.

  14. Terry, I think you really nailed why newbies aren’t getting into videography. As a mom the video feature in my D90 is great, I don’t need to carry a video camera as well as a camera to kids concerts, the park etc. But what do I with the files when I get home?? Nobody wants to watch the unedited file on my laptop. And Photoshop CS5 or Lightroom 3 aren’t going to help me out.

    Yes I would be interested in an app like you described. Premiere Pro is $800 and even if I could afford it, it won’t run on my Dell laptop (because of the graphics card requirements) so the other option is Premiere Elements which I haven’t tried. But then again, where is the support for Premiere Elements? How complicated is it? Would I need a book or a training course? Is anyone actually using that program??

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