What is this equipment?

[yetanotherlogin]

Hello

I saw this picture and was wondering what equipment it was:



It looks like a kick-ass DLSR with a directional microphone + stabilizer attached.

Thank you.

[PGB]

As you say, it looks like a Canon DLSR that's been rigged to record HD video. There've been a few films shot in this way.

Here's one such: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/building-silent-house/?_r=0

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks. What's the point of adding so much gear instead of using a good camcorder? Because that person mostly takes pictures and would rather just use their DLSR to record videos occasionnaly?

[PGB]

Partly it's the cost saving of using equipment most people already have and partly it's because the quality of DSLR lenses is much higher than those of most camcorders (as well as being more capable) so the picture quality is higher. I'm not aware of any feature films that have had theatrical release (i.e. been viewed on a full-size cinema screen) that were shot on camcorders - the picture quality just isn't good enough. Documentaries, yes, but people have different expectations and apply different standards when watching factual films.

Obviously there are trade-offs in terms of the ergonomics: DSLRs aren't designed for film-making and so they're rather awkward to handle (as you can see in your photo!).

[smrpix]

Based on the size and shape of the camera, I'm guessing its a Canon C300 with the viewfinder on an extended handle. No cheapie DSLR that one.

[julitomg]

Canon EOS C100, EOS C300 or EOS C500

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/944453-REG/canon_6340b010_eos_c100_ef_camera.html

[julitomg]

I'm not aware of any feature films that have had theatrical release (i.e. been viewed on a full-size cinema screen) that were shot on camcorders - the picture quality just isn't good enough.

Yet, there are...maybe not many or very well known, films like Barbet Shroeder´s "Our lady of the assassins", shot with a Sony HDW-700 camcorder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_the_Assassins_(film)#Film_production

or Agnes Varda´s "The gleaners & I" ("Les glaneurs et la glaneuse") http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247380/ an award winning documentary shot in mini DV (you can even see in the film the camcorder she used, a humble Sony TRV900), the film was certainly shown on large screen.

[smrpix]

maybe not many or very well known, films like Barbet Shroeder´s "Our lady of the assassins", shot with a Sony HDW-700 camcorder

And of course it's successor the HDC 750 which was used for parts of Star Wars Episode 1. I seem to recall seeing that on a big screen -- and it's fairly well-known.