The New 5D – Is it turning photographers into videographers?

Eposure_Tim

Eposure_Tim

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We’re in the middle of a web video movement, and businesses are rushing to get a piece of the action in a quest for more sales of their product.

Video production can be a natural extension of a photographer’s skills which Canon have clearly recognised with the enhanced video capability of its 5D Mark lll.

in my view, this type of video professional photographers could produceand fills this gap very nicely. The stills set up would work effectively for video production, and professional photographers already have an already understanding of the product whilst shooting, so they would understand the additional characteristics to shoot a piece of footage.

Thanks Canon!

Tim
 
Agreed the new generation of cameras are great, but the old or existing stills photographers have only the very faintest hint of relevant experience when it comes to shooting video, its a completely different tin of biscuits.
 
As Oldnick says, the difference between stills and video is quite marked. Some of the skills translate, but there is enough difference to mean that an experienced stills guy couldn't just go out and make a professional looking video straightaway.
 
At the end of the day, using a DSLR to shoot video is still in its infancy so there's bound to be an overall lack of photographers suddenly turning to video as their main creative outlet. Give it another few years and it will definitely be a blurred line going by the number of photographers who talk about the potential of using video in some way or another. It's already happening but there is resistance to change, probably in part because of the lack of understanding by Joe Public of the technology.

Personally, I love filming; I can think like a photographer to get a good shot but it moves and I can capture something that's impossible in a still. The software isn't any hater to learn than some of the imaging software - it's more the skill of knowing how to edit that is the hard part at the moment. Knowing what needs to be cut down and by how much, and how the footage should flow through the duration of the film.

There will undoubtedly be two camps for the foreseeable future but I do think that more and more still-sonly photographers will dip their toes quite heavily into film-making, and vice-versa.... :)
 
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this discussion is about 2-3 years old really, a vast amount of still shoots now have a motion element too, though part of that change is arguably driven more by the need for interactive content.

And many photographers are turning their hand to commercial and corporate videos for their existing client base.

It's lowered the bar of high quality manual video, basically. My 550D cost £300 and shoots better video in the right hands, conditions and enviroments than a lot of £10k pro camcorders a few years ago. Not as reliably, ruggedly, or user friendly, but it can capture very good high resolution video.

I've actually worked in video for longer than I have in stills - and what is interesting to see is the skills that photographers have vs videographers.
Photographers can usually frame, light and compose shots very well - but videographers tend to be more experienced in nailing the sound (which is of KEY importance), and storytelling, interviewing and making a cohesive edit - ie realising that the visuals aren't everything.
 
At Focus on Wednesday I was listening to the Nikon D4 presentation and the guys asked anyone who currently shot or wanted to shoot video put your hands up. Out of about 50 people my brother and I were the only ones.

To be honest I think it might be a case of stubbornness more than anything. I don't want to offend anyone but 99% of the crowd listening were 50 or over and I just wonder if it's something that they are just not bothered about. It seems to me video is often used by younger people.

Video is just another skill to learn. It's really not all that hard to learn the basics and then you can progress from there. I wouldn't say it's too much more difficult that say leaning off-camera flash or something.
 
EMA747 said:
At Focus on Wednesday I was listening to the Nikon D4 presentation and the guys asked anyone who currently shot or wanted to shoot video put your hands up. Out of about 50 people my brother and I were the only ones.

To be honest I think it might be a case of stubbornness more than anything. I don't want to offend anyone but 99% of the crowd listening were 50 or over and I just wonder if it's something that they are just not bothered about. It seems to me video is often used by younger people.

Video is just another skill to learn. It's really not all that hard to learn the basics and then you can progress from there. I wouldn't say it's too much more difficult that say leaning off-camera flash or something.
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I think there's more to it than just stubbornness. I think it also depends on the field of work you are working in. I think if you are working in the fields of photojournalism, commercial/advertising and documentary work you are going to HAVE to adapt and learn video skills because that's how the market is changing.

If you are just an ageing hobbyist I personally don't seem a need to go into video work. At that point you are shooting sheerly out of enjoyment and not from a financial point. :thumbs:
 
The photographer will not be picking the shot, the video will go to the editor / bride / customer and they will pick the frames from the video

its all going to end i tell you.... we're doomed!.......
 
EMA747 said:
To be honest I think it might be a case of stubbornness more than anything. I don't want to offend anyone but 99% of the crowd listening were 50 or over and I just wonder if it's something that they are just not bothered about. It seems to me video is often used by younger people.
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I'm 25 and doing a Physics/Engineering PhD, so I am proficient in lots of technical skills, but I am not interested one bit in DSLR video. So I wouldn't say that it's not stubbornness or their age, more disinterest. I wouldn't say no to a DSLR with decent video capabilities (I'll use it now and again) as long as the stills performance remains.
 
Funny thing is not many people with HDLSR's are making anywhere near as much money out of video as they are with stills, it has it's uses but it isn't changing everything THAT much. (I'm talking from press photo POV). There just isn't as big a market, not to say there isn't one.
 
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