Canon video slr's - do we need an EV lens line?

democrates

Firstly, when I've used zoom shooting video I've found it virtually impossible to avoid unwanted camera movement. In fairness it's exacerbated by the combination of me being a twitchy caffiene junkie using an ancient bargain bin tripod (can't type the brand it's in heiroglyphs and certainly not in a cartouche).

That said, I think the lens would still be an issue if I were prozacked up to the lids. The mechanical zoom ring is relatively stiff, and I keep thinking that if it were fly by wire (like some focus rings) and allow featherlight fingertip control then shooting video would be, fun.

Another idea may somewhat beharden Nikonites nipples, and it is this, for creative control, I'd like an aperture ring. Old is new again, smooth varying dof in 30fps hd, just imagine. I wonder is there an exising lens with aperture ring that can go on with an adapter?

If there were to be an EV line offering servo control for zoom, focus, and aperture, now look at the possibilities for pre-programming some takes with the Canon utility software, and maybe a control console with joysticks and wheels etc. Of course you'd need a servo-controlled tilt/pan head and a cherry picker manned by a monkey butler but I'm digressing.

For Canonites who want to push the boundaries of slr video, is EF starting to look like it stands for Epic Fail?

Ricky91t

If you want a device that does all that then you should really buy a camcorder...EF lenses are by no means an Epic fail as a majority of the photo's you notice while reading news stories etc are shot through an EF lens,Now just because it doesn't satisfy your needs it doesn't mean that the lens versions are an "epic fail".

You seem like you want to make breathtaking moving and a Digital slr is not for that,Canon have just added that as an additional marketing extra so it will draw in the new "video bloggers" and what not meaning they widen their market.


My opinion sell your photography gear and get a small loan get a nice video camera and a lens with an aperture and then you will make great videos,Until that,the video on canon is not much more than how technology has progressed and it can be produced cheaply,They would not want to compete against their own camcorders...

Eirebear

IMO we will never get the best of both worlds.

For Approximately 2,500 you can buy a 5D MkII. With it (and obviously the required skill) you can take wonderful and beautiful photographs.

For around the same price (much cheaper second hand) you can buy a Canon XL2, and with that you can shoot some fantastic video...albeit not in 1080 HD.

Just gotta go and make that decision!

Mycroft H

Minolta had these twenty years ago. The xi lenses. These were lenses for lazy people who couldnt be arsed zooming manually.........

democrates

Ricky91t wrote: »

You seem like you want to make breathtaking moving and a Digital slr is not for that...

But are we getting stuck on an arbitrary definition of what dslr is for, instead of what a given collection of technology can do?

Ricky91t wrote: »

My opinion sell your photography gear and get a small loan get a nice video camera and a lens with an aperture and then you will make great videos,Until that,the video on canon is not much more than how technology has progressed and it can be produced cheaply,They would not want to compete against their own camcorders...

Point well taken, if video were my main interest right now I'd invest a few grand(?) in a 3ccd hd box.
While photography is my prime interest the 5dii hd video capability opens up a new vista and with EF lenses the results can surpass far more expensive dedicated video solutions.

I've several EF's two of which set me back >2k each and the others weren't cheap, and I love them so I said epic fail as a fond jest, nevertheless EF lenses are designed for taking stills where you zoom between shots (fx aside).

For shooting video I think lenses with ergonomics suited to that application would be very interesting. Also, HD video lenses don't need the resolving power of L-glass or anything close to that level so there's a huge cost saving on the engineering front which would likely far outweigh the added cost of servos and rings.

landyman wrote:

Minolta had these twenty years ago. The xi lenses. These were lenses for lazy people who couldnt be arsed zooming manually.........

Also handy for the poor auld gimps, bless. Quick google it looks like xi's would go on the Sony Alpha but not a Canon, curse. That fact that servo control is mature tech augments my case.

If video on slr is more than a passing fad then the demand for more suitable lenses is only going to grow. 500d penetration alone will be considerable and Canon can engineer two new L class tilt-shift lenses for a niche (mostly for estate agents and the housing market is on its ass).

Well ok they may be reacting to the recent t/s craze (mostly pp mimics) and anticipating people like me shooting video while adjusting the tilt and shift - bizarre effect but the zoom factor I hadn't really noticed before is quite apparant when you pan/tilt the head to try and counter the lens to keep the composition steady while altering perspective/plane of focus, and the clunk to center is a real bummer with the tiny stiff adjustment knobs (yes I'd the locking nuts loose). I think a lensbaby might be easier.

Anyway the more I think about this, video lenses for the coming hd dslr masses looks like a no-brainer, it might be Sigma or Tamron who spot the oppertunity first, or even Minolta..........

nilhg

democrates wrote: »

Anyway the more I think about this, video lenses for the coming hd dslr masses looks like a no-brainer, it might be Sigma or Tamron who spot the oppertunity first, or even Minolta..........

Or Panasonic could even have beaten them to it

DPReview wrote:

The new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S., which is a versatile 10x zoom interchangeable lens, was designed for movie recording by including a silent and continuous auto focusing function and seamless aperture adjustment.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09030315panasoniclumixdmcgh1.asp

af_thefragile

I really don't see SLR's for serious video shooting.
They certainly are now pretty good like the 5DMKII's 1080p HD quality is really good but then again i feel they're still of very limited use. They're good for hobbyists who'ld like to take occasional videos with their SLRs but i don't think they're for professionals videographers.

So i say, if you wanna take videos in a professional sense, get a camcorder!
Some of them come with interchangeable lenses too right?

Though i'ld say you can still capture some really good quality stuff with your dslr, like check this out taken with a 5DMKII: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SaFRqFnRQQ

Sleepy

I can definitely see them bringing out at least one of these in the consumer range...

Fajitas!

For Canonites who want to push the boundaries of slr video, is EF starting to look like it stands for Epic Fail?

I wouldn't say that just yet. Canon are entering quite unknown territory at the moment, with the likes of the RED systems being the only ones in there before, and there's quite a price difference between the Canon and RED systems. Canon's lenses have, so far, been aimed at a stills market. I know through personal experience how annoying the lenses are on video, but tbh, one can make do... It's just a bit awkward, give it some time!

landyman wrote: »

Minolta had these twenty years ago. The xi lenses. These were lenses for lazy people who couldnt be arsed zooming manually.........

Dude. You gotta get rid of the grumpy.

There are plenty of reasons functions like this are provided other than "These were lenses for lazy people who couldnt be arsed zooming manually" - Locking focal lengths and focusing distances to buttons is invaluable in many areas of photography and videography.

On the upper ranges of video tripods, you'll even find many functions on the tripod itself, to introduce as little movement as possible.

I'm not sure if Canon will be too interested in introducing them just yet though - I'd imaging R&D want to see how successful their video on SLR is before investing into a system like that. It wouldn't be the cheapest.

So i say, if you wanna take videos in a professional sense, get a camcorder!
Some of them come with interchangeable lenses too right?

They do indeed, but by god, they are not cheap. This is where the SLR world is on to a bit of a winner - People will already have a lot of the lenses, and with the announcement of the 500D, it's an easy introduction into video, with suitably good quality. Tbh, I'd even consider a 500D myself.

My opinion sell your photography gear and get a small loan get a nice video camera and a lens with an aperture and then you will make great videos,Until that,the video on canon is not much more than how technology has progressed and it can be produced cheaply,They would not want to compete against their own camcorders...

Why? If you're interested in video, you've got several EF lenses, you can experiment plenty. You've got plenty of creative functions that you're getting on the XM series of Canon's video cameras, at less(ish) price. And besides, just like you can buy all the camera gear in the world and not take a good photograph with it, buying a fantastic set up for taking moving images won't make you a fantastic photographer!

And if, after all your experimentation, you've firmly set your foot in the door (and enjoyed doing so) you can move up along the lines...

democrates

nilhg wrote: »

Or Panasonic could even have beaten them to it
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09030315panasoniclumixdmcgh1.asp

I should have guessed the 4/3rds camp would come up with something, they've a clear mandate from the top to innovait .

Fajitas! wrote:

On the upper ranges of video tripods, you'll even find many functions on the tripod itself, to introduce as little movement as possible.
I'm not sure if Canon will be too interested in introducing them just yet though - I'd imaging R&D want to see how successful their video on SLR is before investing into a system like that. It wouldn't be the cheapest.

Plus Canon will likely carry out such innovation as part of the EOS system so integration with bodies and utility software would draw out the process, but worth it in the end.
Meanwhile the Sigmas etc of this world could come up with a lens with radio remote so a 'pod-attachable console gives you easy control, but maybe that's a stretch given so many lenses that don't even pass back distance information.

The stiff zoom ring got me to thinking about a possible diy hack to make make ring control easier:

Now where's me chisel.

ThOnda

Well, longer arm of a lever attached to the zoom ring should do the job.
I am in favor of video on DSLRs. They are "cameras", not "still cameras". If you want to try using them, do it. If you want to use such feature, do so. If you don't want to use it, don't even bother reading tests and manual for such feature.
Video is one thing I would really consider trying, having it built-in in my camera. Especially with a lens-baby. We will see in a few year's time