Help a noob out...clear something up

I've been getting back into photography -- I was into film many moon ago and then a year ago, I bought a digital point n' shoot and was hooked. Any way, while looking at all the latest and greatest, I notice one of the biggest new features isn't more resolution but VIDEO...huh? I don't get it

For a given sensor size, increasing resolution can increase noise. Most people would rather have a few less pixels but better high ISO performance. As far as video, its one of those things where all the components required are already there so camera makers just add it as a feature to move more cameras, especially at the lower end.

thanks mike d. the one thing i'm really appreciating w/ digital is the instant gratification compared to film. the one thing i'm not diggin' is the crop -- grrr -- and FF is a tad pricey for membership at this point in time.

They make lenses specifically for crop frame cameras so there is no real difference for field of view. Don't worry about FF vs Crop, just enjoy taking photos.

Unless you are working with 2 cameras (one FF and one crop) then there really isnt anything to worry about.

All that differs is the field of view. Eg a 50mm lens will give a certain FOV on a crop but you would need approx 33mm on the crop (assuming a 1.6 crop) for the same FOV. This is why EF-s lenses have a different range than EF (16mm upwards compared to 24mm).

If you are only using a crop, there is no comparison needing to be made (unless you brain processes the potential shot and tells you "I would need 50mm on my film camera for this composition").

fstopped wrote in post #9536613
thanks mike d. the one thing i'm really appreciating w/ digital is the instant gratification compared to film. the one thing i'm not diggin' is the crop -- grrr -- and FF is a tad pricey for membership at this point in time.

Just pretend your shooting film, but instead of using Kodak 135, you're using 240. Would you shoot any differently? No, you wouldn't.

Do the same with digital. Just shoot the image you see in the viewfinder. Don't worry about "crop factors" [God, I hate that term!]. They have nothing to do with the images you capture.

Why is video such a hot new feature? I think the Magic Lantern site explains it best:

This camera (the 5D2, and now a few others) is a "game changer" for independent film makers:

* It allows the use of a wide range of lenses (anything that can be adapted to the EF mount).
* The 35mm full-frame sensor is larger than the RED ONE's sensor, Super 35 film. It is approximately the size of VistaVision. This means shallower native depth-of-field than anything on the market, except for the Phantom 65.
* The dynamic range and latitude are close to the capabilities of high-end HD cameras.
* The low-light performance is currently unrivaled, even by the RED ONE.

Why not just buy a video camera?

If you can find a video camera that a) shoots HD, b) has a 50 mbps data rate, c) has interchangable lenses, d) has a 35 mm or larger sensor and e) costs less than $150k (without lenses, like the CineAlta F35), then buy that one instead.


So I'm guessing dSLR cameras w/ video have more to offer to videographers. As long as It doesn't impare the camera's still abilities in any way, it's fine by me. does come in handy sometimes.

fstopped,
I was in the same boat as you...old film guy coming to digital. I avoided moving until the FF option (5D in my case) was available. I worked primarily with a 35 prime before (Leica) and knew what that FL could do and how to use it. Digital has tremendous advantages, one of which you mentioned:
1. Instant gratification
2. Almost infinite shooting capability. No 24 or 36 roll limitation.
3. The ability to change ISO/WB with each SHOT! I used to change film mid-roll to switch ISO (ASA then), or to go from daylight to tungsten.
4. Along with 1 above, the ability to experiment on the fly...change ISO/WB, general exposure and see the results immediatly.
It's changed the way I shoot and I'm a much better photographer as a result.

fstopped wrote in post #9536505
I've been getting back into photography -- I was into film many moon ago and then a year ago, I bought a digital point n' shoot and was hooked. Any way, while looking at all the latest and greatest, I notice one of the biggest new features isn't more resolution but VIDEO...huh? I don't get it

Well they stick still and video and GPS and all sorts of stuff into cell phones, too. Resolution only goes so far, and they have to burst into a new generation of lowered noise or increased dynamic range. So it's just the begining of cramming more stuff into dSLRs to get people to ditch the 2 year old body and buy a new one.

fstopped wrote in post #9536505
I've been getting back into photography -- I was into film many moon ago and then a year ago, I bought a digital point n' shoot and was hooked. Any way, while looking at all the latest and greatest, I notice one of the biggest new features isn't more resolution but VIDEO...huh? I don't get it

Wilt wrote in post #9548168
Well they stick still and video and GPS and all sorts of stuff into cell phones, too. Resolution only goes so far, and they have to burst into a new generation of lowered noise or increased dynamic range. So it's just the begining of cramming more stuff into dSLRs to get people to ditch the 2 year old body and buy a new one.

That's it in a nutshell... So many of the features added to cameras these days are there strictly from a marketing standpoint.

We just acquired a little Sony point and shoot camera (unclaimed lost and found item at my wife's work) and it's crammed with what I consider useless features; things like face and smile recognition, and video, to mention a couple. The only reason we decided to keep it was for the compact size...

The addition of "features" (and I consider that word to be the wrong description—it should be "nuisances") to SLR cameras was going on long before digital. The first was the built-in pop-up flash. I've had five Canon SLR cameras with pop-up flashes, two film and three digital, and the flash never worked reliably on any of them. Just another gimmick to sell cameras...