Another D5000 video

[David Kilpatrick]

Put up a quick test after receiving the D5000 kit yesterday:

http://www.dphotoexpert.com/2009/06/04/ ... ull-focus/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

David

[bfitzgerald]

That looks very good to my eyes. I heard the D90 was hmm for video, this looks a bit more like it.

I note your comments on the Canon, 20fps just ins't enough really..and it shows on videos I have seen.

[David Kilpatrick]

I've just looked at pictures with grass in the shot from D90 vids and D5000 vids - I am sure the D5000 has a much improved MPEG compression method. I've sent a screen shot comparing the two to an old professional friend who has just bought a D90 the same day I got the D5000 - he thinks he might get the D5000 as well, after seeing the difference. It's like the old Canon grass versus Minolta grass - mush versus blades - thing. The D5000 videos really have texture and detail, the D90 videos have equally sharp edges but foliage and textures are blended into smooth tone. That is also how the Canon cams treat the compression.

David

[bfitzgerald]

What about the rolling shutter thing? Is that solved on this one??

I know a few folks who might have an interest in something like this..but they are looking for something good, as a camera..mostly, but able to do nice quality video (with some effort of course)

[David Kilpatrick]

The 'rolling shutter' thing doesn't affect normal video shooting, only certain types of very fast action panning. Normal movement is not affected visibly. The cause of this effect does result in some stepping on angled subjects but you don't see it unless the frame is frozen. The D5000 appears to be very good indeed as a camera, sort of midway between the A350 and A700 in qualities - and list price. I would say it was the camera Sony has to compete with. The Canon models may sell more, but the more I use them, the more I wonder why.

David

[Birma]

Thank you David. It was worth waiting for a few minutes to download the HD version - it looked great. A very impressive compilation of clips - I really enjoyed them. It was interesting to see how short clips differ from stills - I think there were someclips that would have been very dull as a stills, but with that bit of movement in a video were really effective. The classic (iconic?) shooping trolley in the river was a startling start! Many of the other example clips I have seen seem to be attempts to use the camera just as an ordinary camcorder, and of course they look wobbley. This set shows where a video dslr can excel. Was all of the PP done with iMovie? Did you use a tripod?

I hope that Sony can work out "how to do it right" soon so we can get an a-mount version with this capability soon. I'm not sure that I want to go "dual-system", but the D5000 is a very compelling deal. Already seems to be down to the £630 mark with the 18-55 VR kit.

[David Kilpatrick]

I did use a tripod, and this is the kind of subject where the DSLR wins. Think AV twin dissolve shows etc. But - the tripod was only a 30 euro cheapie. Next serious shoot, I will use a heavier duty tripod!

David

[KevinBarrett]

Nice videos. You're really making a good case for V-DSLRs as large format video cameras, even if the format has a lot of kinks to work out. BTW, what's with the goofy transitions between clips?

[Birma]

David, just a couple of further thoughts. Could we have a DSLR Video section in the forum? This would help finding the relevant material (for those who want it ). I know this is an alpha forum, but I wonder if you have any further thoughts on the D5000+kit as a stills camera (assuming you have moved it off the video setting yet ). Thanks for the info so far and I for one am looking forward to the next video outing.

[David Kilpatrick]

The D5000 as a stills camera is pretty much an A700 sensor in an A350 body, in terms of optical viewfinder quality and size. It is a good 12 megapixels but no better than a Firmware v4 A700, same ISO range, very similar sharpness and noise levels, not unlike the A700 in colour rendering too.

I'm still learning what to do with video - for example, you can end a video clip by pressing the shutter release, and get a still frame (raw or whatever prefs you have set). With the wildflowers and birdlife, there were two or three takes I might have liked to have as stills - but I completely forgot I could have captured stills, and just used the OK button to end the video clip instead. The final shot, of three wild geranium (herb Robert) flowers, I would have found useful as a still.

I guess you are right, we should have a video forum. I'll get one set up and move relevant headed threads into it, but I may not be able to find all the huge Sonolta threads with videos which occur in non-relevant subject headings.

David

[Birma]

Thanks for the thoughts of the D5000 David, and for giving some thought to a video section.

I ran in to a friend this afternoon who has recently bought a D90. He has only ever used P&S before, decided he wanted "better" pictures, and that £800 on a dslr would equal better pictures . I had a quick play and it seemed a nice piece of kit. Chunky and solid, more like an A700 then my A100. Quite heavy with the 18(?)-105 VR lens. Lots of buttons. Fabulous screen. Fast focus in doors. The inbuilt flash was a better alternative to ISO 1600 indoors (not exactly a scientific test!), although the ISO1600 result was better than my A100 would manage. Can't see the point of the top mounted LCD.

It was surpising how different the control system is to Sony's. It took me 5 minutes to show him how to change ISO as he had not got to this bit in the manual, and at first I didn't realise there was a scroll wheel on the front of the grip. I'm not saying the Nikon control system is worse, just that I thought I would have a vague idea, but I didn't! Sadly politeness precluded me totally monopolising his camera to play with the video - on this occasion.

[bakubo]

Ken Rockwell says that the D5000 is very quiet in normal mode and then when switched to quiet mode it is even quieter than his Leica M7. Have you noticed this?

[David Kilpatrick]

I can't say it is especially quiet compared to a similar Canon, in normal mode, but it's much quieter than any current Sony (A330 etc being unknown quantities). It does have a very annoying noisy video OK button to start filming, this leaves an audible click at the start of every take which must be trimmed off.

David

[bfitzgerald]

Dp have the Nikon review up.
Leaving aside the video thing..looks like Nikon are now high ISO champs as well

[stevecim]

Hi David

I noticed on the DPreview the view finder is lower mag than the a700 does it "feel" smaller?

Cheers, Stephen