10 replies to this topic

[Cal]

Hey Wetpixelators,

I love my camera and all things underwater photography related. I'm hoping to branch into underwater videography after playing with a friends setup.

Can any one link me to some guides that cover the basics of equipment, editing, software and the flow of it all?

Cheers,

Cal

[stewsmith]

[quote name='Cal'

Can any one link me to some guides that cover the basics of equipment, editing, software and the flow of it all?

Cheers,

Cal
[/quote]

http://www.personalloanuk.com/

Heres where you will end up Cal.

[Cal]

haha nice one!

I thought i'd end up at

www.whorepresents.com

Cal

[sjspeck]

Hey Wetpixelators,

I love my camera and all things underwater photography related. I'm hoping to branch into underwater videography after playing with a friends setup.

Can any one link me to some guides that cover the basics of equipment, editing, software and the flow of it all?

Cheers,

Cal

Here's a couple. I have Annie's DVD and the Hammerhead book - both were useful when I was starting out.

http://www.diveintoy...d,6/Itemid,103/
http://www.hammerhea...gitalvideo.html
http://underwatervid.../dvb/index.html

[scorpio_fish]

Understanding Video

Sometimes I even know what Drew, et. al. are talking about now.

I quit taking the tape to the store to get it developed.

[loftus]

OK; so it appears I'm going to have to learn a little about video. Anyone have suggestions for books or online resources for learning the basics and progressively more advanced concepts of video. Even a good glossary of terms, discussion of various formats, post processing concepts etc.

[sjspeck]

http://www.diveintoy...d,6/Itemid,103/
http://www.hammerhea...gitalvideo.html
http://underwatervid.../dvb/index.html

For non-uw video tips there's these forums:

http://www.videohelp.com/ check the How-to's
http://www.dvinfo.net

If you have a Mac, google Ken Stone FCP for some good tutorials on Final Cut Pro. There's also a couple of uw video tutorials mixed in.

Edited by sjspeck, 13 December 2008 - 06:54 AM.

[Drew]

I put all the requests for video material threads together for easier searching.
My 1 cent is that if you are a photographer and somewhat of a film buff, you are already halfway there since the eye and the ability to understand the shot is about 40% of the way. Understanding the camera/lens and its limitations/idiosyncrasies is also vital. The technical aspects like NLE and post production is probably the most daunting part since it can be endless.
I personally don't see the point of instructional DVDs but that's individual thing. They tend to be definitive in how things are done and it limits a person. I tend to reverse engineer for a more in depth look. So I'll throw in a few basic suggestions on how to start research.

1. If you are staying consumer/prosumer, the formats you will need to know (for this month anyhow) are XDCAM EX, HDV, AVCHD, H264, DVCPRO HD. Understand the pros and cons of these formats and the cameras that use them. Each format has limitations and strengths.
2. Camera choice is dependent on budget and the type of shooting you want to do. Right now there's a camera for everyone but not necessarily a housing. The underwater world has always been Sonycentric because of lanc and their popularity. Low end cameras change annually and mid to high end perhaps bi-annually. Sensor choice between CMOS and CCD is important for the type of shooting you do. Find out about a sensor's strengths and weaknesses and how it'll affect you.
3. Editing packages are based on your computer platform and how deep you want to involve yourself in post. There are free programs for basic editing (splicing different clips together and throwing in a few text here and there). Once you start into color correction, you have to look at complete packages like Apple's FinalCut, Adobe CS4 production, Sony's Vegas, Avid Media Composer, Pinnacle and of course Wagsy's favorite Edius. Each package has limitations so it's best to check if your camera's codec is supported and how it is supported. For eg, the Canon 5D2 H264 presently is limited to 16-235 RGB signal due to Apple's handling of the H264 codec. Then you have to consider if the NLE package has native support or requires transcoding to an intermediate codec. Transcoding to an intermediate codec is usually a step to protect the content from being overly compressed. Examples of intermediate codecs are Apple's ProRes, Avid's DNxHD and Ediu's Canopus HQ.
Of course, after you decide on the software and camera, you have to find out about the housing and how versatile it is to your needs. Optics, vital controls (a great picture requires more than just aperture and shutter speed controls) and handling are all important. Only after housing research can you decide on a camera that fits it. Confused yet?
At every level, budget plays heavily into the decision process. Freddie Mac is already in trouble so don't join in

[loftus]

Thanks for all these resources guys.
I think the link that George suggested at Luminous Landscape is really a good overview.
http://www.luminous-...eo-primer.shtml
I have a few questions:
How does one get low light capability info on a videocam? I don't see ISO numbers quoted for videocams.

Would it be fair to say that video quality of say the Sony SR12 would essentially be equivalent to the 5DMkII? If not, why not and under what circumstances?
Would the only advantages of the 5DMkII be still cam lenses /DOF and low ISO?
Any thoughts on the 10MP still image quality of the SR12?

I'm definitely going to start playing with this. Any thoughts on starting with a D90, or will the video quality be so bad I just get frustrated?

Edited by loftus, 16 December 2008 - 11:38 AM.

[Drew]

Actually the Reichman overview isn't all that great. Quite a few omissions and errors. But I'm not one to dwell on that. Try provideocoalition.com

For light gathering index, video manufacturers use lux ratings. Problem is there isn't an industry standard like ISO (and even then ISO100 in Canon isn't the same as Nikon) so results between different manufacturers are not comparable. It is possible to get a ISO rating via testing but not from the manufacturer.

The 5D2 codec is about 40mbps and SR12 is 17mbps. However, the DSP on the SR12 is dedicated whereas the 5D2 cuts corners in its implementation for the smaller DIGIC IV processor to cope. Still I'd say it's better quality than HDV and AVCHD in terms of bandwidth, which helps when scenes get busy.
With fast f1.4 lenses and the big 35mm sensor, the lowlight ability of the 5D2 is better than any video camera with less than 2/3" sensors. The top video cameras like the F23 has DSP which lowers noise considerably. Be interesting to test though.
I suggest you go to a store and record off the D90 and see if you're happy with it.

[Steve Douglas]

OK; so it appears I'm going to have to learn a little about video. Anyone have suggestions for books or online resources for learning the basics and progressively more advanced concepts of video. Even a good glossary of terms, discussion of various formats, post processing concepts etc.

For books, the Peachpit Press produces a multitude of excellent books covering the gamut of applications. Most of these books come with DVD tutorials and support files. For DVD tutorials in the Final Cut Pro groupings, I would suggest the Ripple Training Series of tutorial discs.
Steve