Things change. Gone are the days where we used gelatine based films to recored images or movies. We’ve all gone digital now.
With the arrival of the newest breed digital (still) camera’s such as the Canon 5d MKII and Nikon’s D3s (which I’m using most of the time) we’ve seen a new possibility with these camera’s, which is recording movies.
The biggest advantage of a 5D MK II and a D3s is the availability to record scenes with prime lenses (such as a 50mm f1.4) costing a fraction of the prime lenses of an expensive recording device. More over, the possibility of recording at an ISO rate of, say, 12800, makes it possible to record a movie with continuous, ambiant light without having to use expensive cinématographic lighting.
One of the drawbacks of using a DSLR for video recording is that one cannot view through the view finder as the view is blocked by the mirror when opened. One could look at the display at the back of the camera, but it makes it difficult for the (art) director to look at the frames being recorded, together with the cameraman.
Robert Benson, a USA based photographer (www.robertbenson.com), has come up with a solution for Canon users by using a wireless screen that uses the signal from a transmitter attached to the camera, to view live what’s being recorded.
Benson shows us the invention in this quick You Tube broadcast.