DSLR or HD camcorder

[budwzr]

Shooting good wedding video is only half the equation. It requires skilled and creative editing. Much more so than even a major motion picture IMHO. Especially if the bride and groom aren't liked by the camera.

And the sad part is they're very fussy about the final, then just end up throwing it in the closet. Tough job. I have no patience for that sort of work.

[glenpinn]

Shooting good wedding video is only half the equation. It requires skilled and creative editing. Much more so than even a major motion picture IMHO. Especially if the bride and groom aren't liked by the camera.

And the sad part is they're very fussy about the final, then just end up throwing it in the closet. Tough job. I have no patience for that sort of work.

i wouldnt say its that difficult, but sometimes yes it can be frustrating work, but for the most part, not many couples getting married have the sort of budget that allows them to be in a position to pay a lot of money for a full wedding video production, especially as most couples will always invest a lot more money having a photographer shoot all their photos for them, and when it comes time for working out a budget, photos will always take first place over video of the wedding.

many couples just rely on random video shot by family members or friends on whatever camera they have on hand, to them a video is a video, but a photo isnt just a photo, if you get my drift.

nearly all my work is what i call "budget" video production, where i hit the middle ground between them having shit family shot video, and having a multi thousand $ full on production with all the bells and whistles, usually involving more than one camera, which i personally think in most cases can be a bit of an overkill as well.

i usually shoot my work as a single camera unit, with my Rode VideoMic pro attached to my camera for all my random close up video shoots (during the bridal party getting ready and the reception) and at the cerimony i have a side kick helping me with the Mic boom pole and running the audio cable back to the camera for me while i am roaming around and cant get close enough to use the mic attached to the camera.

pricing for a single camera production varies based on what the bridal couple want included in their production.

$1500 for just the cerimony only, an additional $500 for the after cerimony photo session video, an additional $750 for the reception, and $750 for the pre-wedding bridal party getting ready etc.

as part of my work, i also produce a "bloopers" video for them as well, because in every wedding there are lots of funny moments that are filmed, but cannot be used in the actual wedding video (for obvious reasons) so the bloopers video just adds another touch that many clients appreciate.

i also do a kids parties at places like Macca's or at private homes a few times a month (now this is very challenging work) which varies in cost between $350 and $600, but its usually a very easy 2 to 3 hours of work with an hour or 2 to do the editing, and i call this my pocket money work.

[fvisagie]

I'm in a similar position as rbacevac (original poster) and have read this thread with much interest. Instead of upgrading from my old DV camera I'm looking at possibly getting a Canon EOS body so I could use my wife's lenses (she has the whole OIS range), apart from any other DSLR benefits. I'm only a hobbyist who's maybe just a little more serious than casual and I take the occasional wedding video for friends and family. I do love shallow depth of field, though! My wife has the 650D and I'm considering getting a 600D which has slightly better Magic Lantern support at the moment.

They skip every nth line to reduce it to 2MP (some exceptions like the 5DMKIII). While the sensor is great for stills, it's mediocre for video . Those are the 2 main achilles heels of DSLR's in terms of image quality - bad rolling shutter from slow scan rate of the sensor, aliasing/moire.

How much of this is attributable to the sensor itself, to processor and to firmware? I.e. on the 600D how much improvement might one expect from "replacement firmware" like Magic Lantern? And how might results on the 650D compare to the 600D - I only have the 650D to test with, but that has the DIGIC 5 processor, while the 600D has the DIGIC 4 processor?

Bottom line, would the 600D be at all suitable for hand-held shooting, or would one be limited to tripods or rigs as has been suggested?

Thanks,
Francois

[glenpinn]

hi, the 600D will be ideal for hand held/roaming video, and mainly because it has a flip out and rotating screen making it possible to shoot video from almost any position that you hold the camera in because you can move the screen to any angle so you can see it.

im not familiar with sensors in the 600D, my son was using a GH2 but moved to a 60D which also has a rotating screen as well, and has the same sensor as the 7D.

if shooting in hand held mode, you may find that you need a lens with optical image stabilization like my son uses.

cheers

[poisondeathray]

They skip every nth line to reduce it to 2MP (some exceptions like the 5DMKIII). While the sensor is great for stills, it's mediocre for video . Those are the 2 main achilles heels of DSLR's in terms of image quality - bad rolling shutter from slow scan rate of the sensor, aliasing/moire.

How much of this is attributable to the sensor itself, to processor and to firmware? I.e. on the 600D how much improvement might one expect from "replacement firmware" like Magic Lantern? And how might results on the 650D compare to the 600D - I only have the 650D to test with, but that has the DIGIC 5 processor, while the 600D has the DIGIC 4 processor?

In terms of rolling shutter , aliasing/moire, zero improvement from ML

Bottom line, would the 600D be at all suitable for hand-held shooting, or would one be limited to tripods or rigs as has been suggested?

Of course it's suitable. Many people still use them handheld, but you just need to be careful with steady hands. It also really depends on your expectations and the type of look you're going for, the context you're shooting in

[fvisagie]

Thank you for the responses.

[Stears555]

Do not forget the lower visible resolution of DSLR cameras! It is disadvantageous for fine details