Video Of Son's Dance

[jyl]

Since I am laying around, still recovering from my bout of food poisoning, I've decided to inflict random posts on you guys.

I've mentioned that my son is taking dance classes. Here is a (low quality) video of a dress rehearsal for a recent performance. He's the boy who first appears on the video.

http://youtu.be/v3N4YaLlnl8

[nostatic]

Has he ever seen Pilobolus? They are pretty amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y38bUumNak

[rusnak]

I have no idea what I'm watching, but I think he's really good. You should be proud.

Also, I'm happy that you're using a tripod. You can get good audio with a HD vid cam and shotgun mic. I can share some of my videos of my friend, Lori singing. I use variable zoom when shooting alone with a single take.

[jyl]

That was handheld. I have a tripod but forgot it. My video gear is laughable, a low end consumer camcorder. Someday I'll get a better one.

I'd like to see the video of your friends singing.

[rusnak]

Wow! Then you have a very steady hand, and I am impressed with the quality.

[rusnak]

This was taken around 5 years ago at our little October pumpkin patch that I put on.

My friend Kurt brought the sound gear, and my other friends are on backup vocals. Joseph is lead guitar, Leroy is bass, Bobby Jr. is drums, and Kurt is second guitar. The camera is a 10+ year old cheapo Sony Handycam.

[rusnak]

My best friend, Lori at Borders Music and Books around that same time. Kurt is playing guitar. That odd sound is some kid playing with his Star Wars video game, haha!!

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jyl

That was handheld. I have a tripod but forgot it. My video gear is laughable, a low end consumer camcorder. Someday I'll get a better one.

I'd like to see the video of your friends singing.

Here is Sony A7 handheld, shot by my wife. Audio is a mix of on-camera mics with a Zoom H4N sitting out in the audience. Available light. I think that ended up being around iso 12800 or 25600.



Seriously - get the right "still camera" and your video will be covered as well.

[rusnak]

^ That's some super clean video and terrific audio. Not sure that I complely agree that a still camera can equal a good video camera with adjustable gain control, multiple face recognition, and zoom speed, etc.

[jyl]

Is there a limit on how long a video a still camera can shoot? Can it take an hour of continuous video?

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by jyl

Since I am laying around, still recovering from my bout of food poisoning, I've decided to inflict random posts on you guys.

I've mentioned that my son is taking dance classes. Here is a (low quality) video of a dress rehearsal for a recent performance. He's the boy who first appears on the video.

http://youtu.be/v3N4YaLlnl8

Good for him!

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jyl

Is there a limit on how long a video a still camera can shoot? Can it take an hour of continuous video?

Depends on the camera and the codec. Typically 29 min is common but that is due to tax/policy issues with the EU. The reality is that I've found very few situations where I need a camera to run longer than that. If you want to put a camera on a tripod and let it record a 2 hour event, then going traditional video makes sense. But if a person is operating the camera, then the time limitations becomes a non-issue as you just shoot, stop, start again.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by rusnak

^ That's some super clean video and terrific audio. Not sure that I complely agree that a still camera can equal a good video camera with adjustable gain control, multiple face recognition, and zoom speed, etc.

An episode of "House" was filmed entirely with a Canon D5, and that was several years ago....
I'm pretty sure by now most feature films and TV shows make use of the DSLR for some shots...

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

An episode of "House" was filmed entirely with a Canon D5, and that was several years ago....
I'm pretty sure by now most feature films and TV shows make use of the DSLR for some shots...

I have a video that I shot on our Christmas Facebook page with my still camera. It was a homecoming for an Army guy who's kids had not seen him in a long time.

The video came out OK. I'm not saying it didn't.

But the Canon HD camera has an adjustable gain and a shotgun mic that would have picked up every syllable of every word uttered from 50 feet away.

And this is really important once you get "into" shooting live performances. Zoom speed. It's super hard to maintain slow, even zoom for delicate nuanced details like facial expressions, etc. with a DSLR. They are not made for motion shots, so the zoom is fast, and choppy. A motion camera with a good zoom can make it look like you are a pro, with slow even zoom.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Depends on the camera and the codec. Typically 29 min is common but that is due to tax/policy issues with the EU. The reality is that I've found very few situations where I need a camera to run longer than that. If you want to put a camera on a tripod and let it record a 2 hour event, then going traditional video makes sense. But if a person is operating the camera, then the time limitations becomes a non-issue as you just shoot, stop, start again.

So for a dance performance that lasts 2 hours, if I simply turn it off for several seconds between dances, then the still camera can record the whole thing? That would work. For theatre it might still be a problem.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I have a video that I shot on our Christmas Facebook page with my still camera. It was a homecoming for an Army guy who's kids had not seen him in a long time.

The video came out OK. I'm not saying it didn't.

But the Canon HD camera has an adjustable gain and a shotgun mic that would have picked up every syllable of every word uttered from 50 feet away.

And this is really important once you get "into" shooting live performances. Zoom speed. It's super hard to maintain slow, even zoom for delicate nuanced details like facial expressions, etc. with a DSLR. They are not made for motion shots, so the zoom is fast, and choppy. A motion camera with a good zoom can make it look like you are a pro, with slow even zoom.

I like your videos and your friend has a lovely voice and face.

On the zoom, if videoing with a DSLR, do you zoom manually, by turning the zoom ring on the lens?

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I have a video that I shot on our Christmas Facebook page with my still camera. It was a homecoming for an Army guy who's kids had not seen him in a long time.

The video came out OK. I'm not saying it didn't.

But the Canon HD camera has an adjustable gain and a shotgun mic that would have picked up every syllable of every word uttered from 50 feet away.

And this is really important once you get "into" shooting live performances. Zoom speed. It's super hard to maintain slow, even zoom for delicate nuanced details like facial expressions, etc. with a DSLR. They are not made for motion shots, so the zoom is fast, and choppy. A motion camera with a good zoom can make it look like you are a pro, with slow even zoom.

I have adjustable audio on my A7ii, and can pop a shotgun mic on the hotshoe that is much better quality than you'd find integrated into a video camera.

It comes down to how/what/where you shoot. A few years ago I stuck with dedicated video cameras as still cameras were a pita (e.g. the Canon 5D). But in 2015 the world is different and the gap has changed.

As for power zoom, there are some lenses on mirrorless cameras that do that to give you the slow zoom look, but that often isn't a great effect. It is becoming more common for people to on one hand, edit shots so they'll do a wide shot, then zoom, refocus, and get a tight shot, then put it together. Alternatively, people put up with a lot of crappy video on youtube so a shaky/fast zoom doesn't phase a lot of viewers.

The big deal is chip size - typical video cameras have a tiny sensor compared to a typical mirrorless still camera. That makes a big different in low light and for giving shallow depth of field should you want that.

For the past couple years, it has been pros who have embraced dSLRs for video since they can get results that would previously have required a $100K camera. That tech is trickling down and current mirrorless cameras are getting really good at stills *and* video. And in fact increasingly there are pros who are shooting video and just using frame grabs for still shots.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jyl

So for a dance performance that lasts 2 hours, if I simply turn it off for several seconds between dances, then the still camera can record the whole thing? That would work. For theatre it might still be a problem.

Don't even need several seconds. Just stop, then restart.

If you need unattended camera for 2 hours then you need a video camera or set up your phone to do remote start/stop with the still camera.

The technology has really changed the last few years. I have a drawer full of miniDV tapes and shake my head. Now I have 64GB SD cards that I pop out and slide into the laptop and then edit away.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by nostatic

I have adjustable audio on my A7ii, and can pop a shotgun mic on the hotshoe that is much better quality than you'd find integrated into a video camera.

It comes down to how/what/where you shoot. A few years ago I stuck with dedicated video cameras as still cameras were a pita (e.g. the Canon 5D). But in 2015 the world is different and the gap has changed.

As for power zoom, there are some lenses on mirrorless cameras that do that to give you the slow zoom look, but that often isn't a great effect. It is becoming more common for people to on one hand, edit shots so they'll do a wide shot, then zoom, refocus, and get a tight shot, then put it together. Alternatively, people put up with a lot of crappy video on youtube so a shaky/fast zoom doesn't phase a lot of viewers.

The big deal is chip size - typical video cameras have a tiny sensor compared to a typical mirrorless still camera. That makes a big different in low light and for giving shallow depth of field should you want that.

For the past couple years, it has been pros who have embraced dSLRs for video since they can get results that would previously have required a $100K camera. That tech is trickling down and current mirrorless cameras are getting really good at stills *and* video. And in fact increasingly there are pros who are shooting video and just using frame grabs for still shots.

It sounds like you have a great setup. "Zoom" for the mic is so important. Video without audio sucks almost as bad as shaky video. When I need to, I'll use the Roland portable recorder, and dub in audio. But most times, the shotgun mic set on 90 degrees, with the gain adjusted is all I need.

I always insist on a tripod. I use a portable 4' wide bench to stand on, and shoot video over most people's heads at live concerts.

[rusnak]

Here's another that I shot.

Onboard camera mic.

It's "Cousin Mel" around 2 days before Halloween. We were almost sold out of pumpkins! LOL!