Re: D5100 or 550D
 

Laurence -- I use the $25 Hoodman HD300 on my GH2's flip out LCD (which is 3" -- the same size as the D5100 screen). Very helpful in sunlight.

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

As a Nikon D90 owner as well as a large collection of old and new Nikon lenses I'm looking at the D5100 as a compliment to my EX1. I have to shoot in 25p.

How likely is it that Nikon would add full manual options to the D5100 firmware? Have they ever added more control? I've looked at Nikon Rumors past posts and it seems unlikely?

I'm sure at some point there will be a Nikon camera that does what we all want, it's just holding fire until then.

I might just get it anyway as I shoot a lot of stills at home, and manual controls aren't always necessary as long as you can lock exposure down.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

I have the exposure lock button set to latch and it works just fine. If you set the D5100 HDMI port to PAL, 25p becomes one of your format options. In aperture priority mode you can set the aperture and focus manually. Exposure is automatic but you can add or subtract from it easily and then lock it down with a single button push. Definitely good enough for me.

If you shoot in 720p mode, the footage will play back natively on an iPad. I can immediatly edit this footage with an app called "Splice" but not iMovie for the iPad. Anything I export the the camera roll from splice can be edited in iMovie however.

I edit with Sony Vegas and a not too powerful 2 core laptop. On that computer I need an intermediate to work with 1080p, but 720 edits natively as easily as standard definition! Very cool.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

Hi, so another couple of questions. Can you zoom into the video image to check focus on the 5100? And what does the HDMI output do during recording? Duncan.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

There is a function to digitally zoom way in to check your focus. I don't know what the HDMI port is outputting when you shoot. I'll see if I can check it out tomorrow. Good question.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

Great Thanks.

It's also worth asking does the zoom in function allow you to more around the frame too. And does it stayed zoomed in while recording to help with focus pulls?

Thanks.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

Sorry for the late reply. We are currently working on a new DVD title "a guide to HDSLR video" This should be released mid August. A sampler will be cover mounted on What Digital Camera magazine, October issue, out in September.

I will be setting up a web page with a sampler chapter on my web site photo-i.co.uk

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

No, once you start recording the zoom goes back to normal viewing.You can move the frame about by using the rear cursor keys. Press the centre OK button to instantly go back to full image view with the focus square back in the default location.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

OK well after watching this short: I've ordered a D5100.

It's good to see properly structured narrative work, instead of the usual 'bloke film out of a window, drifting the shot around until you find something in focus' type stuff. The pictures looked very clean and it wasn't all about small DOF thanks goodness.

So the next thing will be to get my head around the locking down exposure situation.
I hope new firmware does come along to do this, it'll be easier to get repeatable results then.

Finger's crossed.

By the way I bought the UK spec D5100 from here: BNIB ? NIKON D5100 DSLR CAMERA & 18-55mm ZOOM LENS KIT | eBay very cheap and with the 18-55VR (which I'll put on my D90 when I sell it)

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

Great video, Duncan. Thanks for sharing.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

Interesting filming, not so sure it's a great story though.

I have noticed a lot of mediocre films appearing on the web. Are people being seduced by the fact that this was shot on a HDSLR and forgetting about the story.

I guess everything is still in it's infancy

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

I guess that's true. Nobody will be interested in footage from an XL-1 or a DVX100 anymore, would they?

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

"I guess that's true. Nobody will be interested in footage from an XL-1 or a DVX100 anymore, would they?"


Why not, if the story or visuals are good then who cares what it's been shot on.

The scenario is a bit like hearing a five year old virtuoso playing a Beethoven concerto, we are fascinated by the ability of the child, but the quality of performance and interpretation may be lacking in many ways.

The same holds true for HDSLR videos.

Wow, this was created with a Canon XXXD or Nikon DXXXX, the image quality is great, never mind the content, think of the camera it was shot on. Are we now in danger of this line of thought?

Whilst the Fragments video clip holds a small amount of interest, it's hardly a great video.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

The context in which I mentioned it is in terms of those who are interested in HDSLR videography. Otherwise, content is everything.

Re: D5100 or 550D
 

I bought that one and while it did a nice job of showing the video, the numbers at the top and bottom of the screen are not visable.

I just ordered this one which should be a better fit (and let me see the info at the bottom of the LCD screen)

http://=http://www.amazon.com/3-Camc...7913295&sr=1-4