Tag: Video

Posted on

Nikon Breaks Out with a D3100 and it’s So Close To What I Want!

In case you missed it, Nikon introduced their New D3100 DSLR body just this past Thursday. This camera was rumored for quite a while and the rumored specs were pretty accurate. So it wasn't a shocker to see it, but there was one feature that I was hoping to see that didn't seem to make the cut. My current travel camera is a Nikon D5000 and I like the size and weight of the D5000 for travel, plus the ability to shoot video. The one thing that would have made me upgrade (or downgrade) to the D3100 in a heartbeat would have been audio in. Sigh…. While the D3100 steps up to 14.2 MP, adds 1080p video (Yay! and about freaking time), continuous auto focus in Live View (we'll have to see if it really works or not) and 12,800 ISO (equivalent), the audio for video recording is still limited to the built in Mono mic. 

 

I want good audio too

Most video cameras have crappy built-in mics. However, most video cameras also let you plug in a better mic via a stereo audio input. To make matters worse is that the built-in audio on Nikon DSLRs is only 11hz. A bad mic with bad compression, equals really really bad audio. Giving this camera 1080p, auto focusing video is AWESOME, but the limitation for many is definitely going to be the audio. Now if you plan to shoot video with your great lenses in all of the D3100's 1080p glory and then add your own sound track or music later, then this won't be a big deal, but if you need the source audio from the event you're recording, then you're going to either have to record the audio on a different device and merge them later in post or have sub par audio to go with your great video.

I would upgrade to a D300s at this point, but I'll continue to wait and see what comes next since the D300s was last year's model. It DOES have audio in, but it's only 720p video and if I'm going to spend the bucks, I'd rather wait since I don't think Nikon is done for 2010 just yet 🙂

 

What to do?

If I didn't already have the D5000, and was looking for a small Nikon DSLR with some pretty cool features, then I wouldn't hesitate to get this one. The price won't break the bank and it has a few features that even the higher end models don't have yet. I may still sell my D5000 (since my D5000 doesn't have audio in either)  to get this if I get a good price on the D5000. For now, personally I'm in wait and see mode.

You can get the D3100 here for a great price of $699.95 with a 18-55mm VR lens

 

Also be sure to check out the NEW Nikon Coolpix S1100PJ Camera with a Built-in Projector!

 

 

You can get the New Coolpix S1100PJ here for $349.95.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

So You Think You Can Be A Photoshop Evangelist?

As Adobe's Worldwide Creative Suite Design Evangelist, a lot of people walk up to me at trade shows or send me emails saying "I would love to have your job!" Well here's your chance to show Adobe and the world how great you are:

 

Calling all Photoshop gurus…

we are hosting a contest to find The Next Photoshop Evangelist and it could be YOU! To enter, you’ll need to submit a video showing us your Photoshop skills. The Grand Prize Winner will Win a trip to Photoshop World in Spring 2011 to demonstrate their video tutorial LIVE! 

Now it's up to YOU! Find out the rules and more info on submitting your video here.

Here's a tip: having the coolest technique in the world doesn't mean much if you aren't good at explaining it to others. So while I'm sure that there are people out there that can do amazing work in Photoshop, to be an evangelist also means getting people excited and making them believe that they can do it too!

So let's see if you can impress me, because I am one of the judges 🙂

 

 

Continue reading “So You Think You Can Be A Photoshop Evangelist?”

Posted on

The Photoshop CS5 Summit and a New Video on Video

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm-smVLREnY

 

My buddies over at NAPP are headed to the Big Apple (NYC) next Friday, June 25th for The Photoshop CS5 Summit. Sadly I will not be there because I'll be in Nice, France presenting at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Somehow I'll suffer though it 😉 Nonetheless, you should check out the Photoshop Guys at this FREE event! Find out all the details here.

 

My Top 5 Favorite Features of the NEW Adobe Creative Suite 5 Production Premium

Although I'm the Adobe Worldwide Creative Suite Design Evangelist and my main passion is for Photography, that doesn't mean that I don't have other interests. Actually my second passion is for digital video. I'm thrilled with all the new capabilities in the New Production Premium Suite and I thought I'd share with you my Top 5 Favorites. Check them out here:

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-DXBmxgstU

 

Do you want MORE Videos on CS5? Of course you do. Check out the NEW Adobe Evangelist TV channel on YouTube. There's lot's of CS5 goodness there including more videos on Digital Video and some HTML 5 goodness. Also if you want to download any of my CS videos and take them with you, head over to my Adobe Creative Suite Video Podcast.

Posted on

Rode VideoMic Review

There is no doubt that DSLR video is taking the world by storm. Canon 5D MkII video cameras were used exclusively to tape an episode of House. As great as the video is on these DSLR cameras and other handheld HD cameras, the built-in mics are often very lacking. My current video DSLR is a Nikon D5000 and while the video is AWESOME, the audio is very weak. Not only from a built-in mic standpoint, but also from an 11khz audio standpoint too. Unfortunately, there's no solution for the D5000 as it lacks an audio-in port. I have my finger on the trigger to upgrade to a Nikon D300s for video, but I'm holding off because Nikon is rumored to be releasing new models "soon". I also have a Canon HF10 HD camera that I use too. Although the mic on this camera is much better than the one on the D5000, very few built-in mics are considered to be "great". Therefore, I'm always looking for better ways to record audio. 

Continue reading “Rode VideoMic Review”

Posted on

One Month Later and Over 500,000 Views!

It was exactly one month ago today that I officially launched my YouTube channel and I've been both amazed and a bit overwhelmed by the success. In less than a month's time I've seen over 500,000 views of my videos, over 1,400 subscribers and literally hundreds of comments. All I can say is THANK YOU!

 

How about a NEW Channel?

I currently work with two other full-time Adobe Creative Suite Evangelists (Jason Levine and Greg Rewis) and I'm happy to announce our NEW……wait for it……. YouTube Channel. It's cleverly named: Adobe Evangelist TV. Although we each have a presence on our blogs, twitter and Adobe TV, social media is about being EVERYWHERE and there's no denying the huge YouTube base. So look for regular videos  and tutorials on the Adobe Creative Suite there.