Sony polls for interest in Video DSLRs

[KevinBarrett]

How important is it for you to have video capabilities on a digital SLR camera?

• Very important
• Somewhat important
• Not at all important
• I don’t want a digital SLR with or without video

Sony has just posted this poll within their Frontline Community on their Backstage 101 site. I hope the users here might head over there and show some interest in this feature as Sony seem open to the possibility now. Whether you want the feature or not, I believe video capability is at a make-or-break stage for the DSLR manufacturers. Therefore, if you have any investment in the Alpha mount, please go over there and show your support!

This poll might also suggest that there isn't even a video-capable DSLR in the Sony Alpha pipeline yet.

[jbtaylor]

I must agree for the most part. It seems Sony believes that the most effective marketing is to keep your vision a secret. Pretty radical for am image company.

[bfitzgerald]

I would vote yes for video, even though I don't have much interest myself. (I might goof about a bit with it, kids playing etc, but won't be making my own movies etc!)
Reason, simply they have no choice..being last is not a good idea
The only condition I would add to this is don't stuff up the still's function with video, and I ain't paying a premium for it

Oh can we have a sensor based live view as well, that could be useful for tripod work, and close up stuff. Should have been done ages and ages ago

Sony do indeed appear to have missed the boat..and are now trying to thumb a lift

[David Kilpatrick]

I've been using the D5000 and would vote for video, but I will add that MUCH better sound input is needed - or far superior built-in mic/preamp/autogain circuitry. The D5000 is excellent video-wise and terrible for sound. Unfortunately, I judged it on the basis of video performance, without realising the sound could be so bad it rendered videos of concerts or even small solo performances (something I wanted to do) unusable. We now have a Sanyo XActi HD camera which does superb sound from built in widely spaced stereo mic.

David

[bfitzgerald]

Maybe makers should consider an external mic add on.. hot shoe mounted for improved sound.
I believe you are stuck with the onboard with the D5000 (from pics I have seen)

This explains why most of the videos I have seen look good, but have been done to music etc, and not the main unit's sound!

This is one of the problems they will have, there isn't a lot of point if sound quality is really poor, it seems even the cheap ish camcorders offer better sound.

[Dr. Harout]

Very interesting point in the following article:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/revie ... -cam.shtml

[Birma]

Thanks for the link Doc - a nice clear explanation.

[bonneville]

Personally, I have no desire for video in a D-SLR.

I do own a state of the art Sony camcorder but I rarely use it, rarely bother to look at previously taken footage and cannot see what the draw is.

I suppose rattling off a few feet of video and scrutinising every frame for the ideal shot is on the cards, but is that photography? Not in my book it isn't.

Indeed the Minolta film cameras of yesteryear are more interesting to me now that I have discovered this wonderful world of STILL photography.

[PhotoTraveler]

Don't look into it much. I look at things like this as fake polls.

Any decisions on video were done long ago. And the results of this don't matter. Companies don't get their data through random polls in hidden corners of their websites. They study the issues internally, hire outside research companies to do studies for them.

In all likelihood all the Japanese Camera makers find themselves often getting their market data from the same source since it will be done by 3rd parties.

Polls like this tells me they have all ready put video in a model coming up soon. They are just doing this as an after the fact, possibly to get some input for Press Releases shortly before they launch.

[adakshi]

I agree with PhotoTraveller, this poll cannot be the only source for the big decision. They already have decided and implemented. Till now they have only 16 responses

[Greg Beetham]

Exactamundo PT, what is the use of the last question? what a waste of space that one is.
Who is going to be bothered answering a question that asks if they want a DSLR with or without video, if they don't even want a DSLR in the first place? ......Keh!....what tha?
Greg

[PhotoTraveler]

They should have just put things like.

"Do you expect Video in DSLR within the next month"

"If you are buying a DSLR in the next month, is video important"

"Are you buying a Sony DSLR next month because it has video"

[KevinBarrett]

Sony actually emails "surveys" out to their Frontline Community members that sound very much like that, except that they are more leading, and the later questions change depending on your answers. For instance, I received one polling my interest in a new rechargeable battery technology, asking at what price I might buy the new rechargeable AAs, whether I preferred rechargeable AAs over standard AAs, and and whether I still prefer standard AAs despite these several advantages of the new rechargeable AAs.