What you need to know to make beautiful, inexpensive movies. Last updated 02.17.2010

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Intro

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That “movie mode” hidden in the menu system of your new DSLR? It’s not just a novelty feature. It’s nothing short of a revolutionary, democratizing, disruptive moviemaking technology, as important as the invention of color film, 16mm, or HDTV. Not convinced? I’ve written more about how the DSLR is affecting the future of not only cinematography but also photography, as well as how their low-light sensitivity enables a whole new generation of international filmmakers to tell their story. However, the proof is in the pudding, so here are ten examples of stunning DSLR cinematography.

As for my own DSLR qualifications, I recently shot two episodes of the WBP Labs/Babelgum show RADAR on a Nikon D90; several behind-the-scenes videos for Focus Features on a Canon 5d Mark II; some other DSLR footage I can’t yet talk about publicly; and I’ve lensed plenty of pre-DSLR projects (e.g. The West Side, or a music video I shot when I was 19).

Digital cinematography is changing so rapidly these days that a printed book on the subject will likely be outdated by the time it reaches store shelves; this is especially true when it comes to the rapid release cycle of DSLRs. Up-to-date information can be found on online forums, but forums lack the organizing principles of a book, and as a result it can take a ludicrously long time to piece together reliable information (I spent months forum-surfing to assemble my own camera package). Thus, this guide: I hope it saves readers money they would’ve otherwise spent on an out-of-date book, and I hope it saves forums from so many newbie — sorry, “n00b” — questions.

DSLRs are a great enabler on the “no film school” front, as they are priced to own and allow aspiring filmmakers to follow the “buy a camera and learn” lesson plan. But as with any creative tool, a DSLR is only as good as the person using it. While these cameras offer a world of advantages, they also come with considerable drawbacks. However, these drawbacks are worth dealing with in order to get the kind of amazing images possible with an imaging sensor that has twenty to thirty times more surface area than that of a similarly priced, dedicated video camera. To emphasize: these cameras are not designed to shoot movies. Their primary function remains to shoot still photos, but it just so happens that they shoot amazing video very inexpensively, and for that they are worth tinkering with, hacking, and jumping through a lot of hoops to use. And make no mistake: to modify these still cameras to behave like “real” movie cameras, there are a lot of hoops to jump through (thus the length of this guide), but you will be rewarded by using a camera that many of us could only dream of a few years ago, for cheaper than any of us imagined.

This guide assumes some basic knowledge of moving images, such as exposure, shutter speed, focal length, and frame rate. It focuses on the technical challenges unique to DSLR cinematography — it won’t teach you how to light scenes, stage camera movements, or cook a full English breakfast. It will, however, give you a huge jump start in figuring out how to make beautiful, inexpensive movies using a DSLR.

Only a small percentage of the knowledge herein is attributable to myself. The vast majority of it comes from terrific user forums like DV Info, Cinema5d, DVXuser, REDuser, and Creative COW; news sites like FreshDV and Pro Video Coalition; and noted DSLR users like Philip Bloom, Dan Chung, Vincent LaForet, Jon Fairhurst, Stu Maschwitz, and Shane Hurlbut (not to mention firmware luminary Tramm Hudson). I’ve tried to credit and link to others wherever possible, but ultimately this is one person’s opinion. I’ve taken a lot of findings from the forums and aforementioned users, combined them with my own experiences, and distilled everything down into one time-saving guide. Plenty of people will disagree with some of what I say here, so please make the forums your first stop after reading this guide. Let me repeat: if you have questions, take them to the forums — you’ll get a faster response and benefit from the wisdom of the crowd. Finally, take into account the crucial fact that this guide is free! It’s saving a lot of people a lot of time, and it costs nothing, so with that in mind, please keep your comments and suggestions constructive.

The guide is organized in order of basic-to-advanced, meaning you can read it from start to finish if you’re new to DSLR cinematography, or jump around using the table of contents if you’re a seasoned vet. Without further ado:

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Getting Started

Basics you’ll need to start shooting; what to buy and how to buy it

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Choosing a camera

This guide focuses on Canon’s EOS series of DSLRs (1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 7D, Rebel T1i, Rebel T2i), but also pertains to Nikon’s cameras (D90, D300s, D3s), as well as other video-capable DSLRs like the Panasonic Lumix GH1 and Pentax K-7 HD. If you’re wondering why some DSLRs shoot video and others don’t — or why none did a couple years ago — check out Gizmodo’s article.

One could write an entire guide on choosing a DSLR, but that is a never-ending debate that I can’t resolve for anyone; each shooter’s DSLR choice comes down to availability, price point, and their own particular needs. To go into it briefly: at this point in time I believe the Canon series offer the best quality and flexibility for filmmakers, due in part to their superior h.264-based codec (which is of higher quality than the MJPEG codecs of Nikon and the lower-bitrate AVCHD codec of Panasonic’s offering). The recently announced, but not-yet-shipping Canon Rebel T2i (a.k.a 550d, due in March) looks like a hell of a deal — it’s basically the same camera as the 7D for less than half the price (some differences: less weather coating, slower continuous shooting in still mode, and SD cards instead of CF). The 7D ($1,700) and T2i ($800) share the same APS-C sensor size, although preproduction tests of the T2i reveal it to be slightly worse in low-light than the 7D. For these results, and a good comparison of the Canon EOS line, see DxOmark’s database. As you can see, the 5D’s biggest advantage over its lesser cousins is its low-light performance thanks to its full frame sensor. With the announcement of the T2i, the 7D has effectively been dropped into no-man’s land for DSLR filmmakers. Thus for $800 you can get an APS-C-based camera, or step up to the full-frame 5D¹. For even better low-light performance, the $5,000 1D Mark IV, despite its smaller sensor, will generally be a step up from the 5D due to Canon engineers squeezing better low-light performance from a smaller chip thanks to some newfangled technologies (some illustrated at Gizmodo).

One important issue regarding your DSLR choice that you won’t find in a manual or spec sheet is the camera’s hackability; so far the shining example of this is Tramm Hudson’s Magic Lantern firmware, which is a free firmware update that adds many helpful/necessary filmmaking features to the 5d5D (much more on this later in the guide). At present the ML firmware is only available for the 5D but it should be coming to the 7D and eventually the 1D as they share similar codebases; the best way to assure this is to donate to the project.

When budgeting for a camera package, assume the camera itself is going to make up a third (or less) of your overall expenses. This is just a rough rule of thumb, but if you have $3k to spend, don’t target a camera that costs $2,600; consider a $1k camera body and then budget for lenses, tripod, audio equipment, etc. and see where you end up. DSLRs are capable of capturing great moving images, they are by no means optimal for movie making in terms of features or ergonomics; thus a plethora of add-ons are necessary to make a DSLR behave like a “legitimate” movie camera. Unfortunately, much of the add-on market is targeted at accessorizing cameras that cost several times as much as a DSLR; when your camera costs $40k, it makes sense to spend $2k on a matte box; when your camera itself cost $2k, it’s a bit harder to justify. This guide focuses on finding quality equipment on a reasonable budget.

Buying the camera

Once you’ve decided on a model, buy it from an authorized dealer. If you’re in the US, confirm on the manufacturer’s website that the dealer is authorized (here are the dealer search pages for each manufacturer: Canon, Nikon, Panasonic). Digital cameras in particular are notorious for being sold through unauthorized channels, and while you’ll see a number of seemingly great deals, many of these are gray market — they are new, sealed, genuine products, but they’re being imported directly from Taiwan or Hong Kong and are therefore bypassing the US division of the camera manufacturer. This is a sizable investment on your part and though the listing for “HUGE KIT!!! Camera, 7 lenses, 3 tripods, 48 batteries, and maid service” may be appealing — it’s probably cheaper than the camera alone from an authorized dealer — buying a gray market camera means you’re ineligible for warranty coverage in the US, which is not something to skip, especially if you plan on putting your camera to professional use.

Stuck pixels

Another reason to buy your camera from an authorized dealer is the all-too-common issue of stuck pixels (see the purple dot at right; also known as “hot” or “dead” pixels). With the extremely high pixel counts (and massive sensor sizes) of current DSLRs, you will almost certainly get a camera that ships with a few hot pixels. For pro DSLRs that ship with 20 million pixels, several stuck pixels are well within a manufacturer’s tolerated specs, and pro photo applications like Lightroom or Aperture often detect and fix stuck pixels automatically when you import still photos. However, there is no such fix for video, and while one stuck pixel out of 20 million static pixels isn’t very noticeable on a still photo, one stuck pixel out of two million moving pixels is often noticeable (DSLRs record video in a reduced-resolution mode; e.g., 1080p is just shy of 2 million pixels). While it’s not entirely necessary to test for stuck pixels in still mode with your new camera — you’ll drive yourself crazy thinking about your “defective” camera (if you really want to geek out, though, they have programs you can use to test your camera), you should absolutely enter a low-light setting, crank up the ISO, and pan across a plain wall in movie mode to see if you have any persistent dots. My first 5D had 16 stuck pixels in still mode and 1 on video, so I exchanged it (my second fared better, with 7 stuck/hot pixels in still mode, but again a sole offender in video mode, for which I’m currently having it serviced). The hot pixel issue alone is a good reason to buy from an authorized dealer with a decent return policy, as every DSLR is like a box of chocolates. Except these days a box of chocolates is not, in fact, like a box of chocolates: there are pictures on the outside of the box and you usually know exactly what you’re going to get.

Saving money

In putting together a shooting package, eBay is your friend. By buying used items from reputable sellers, you can save hundreds. You can also check out the used department of camera stores like B&H, KEH, and Adorama. There are deals at the camera stores if you shop around, and their used listings are often handy for discerning market value. If you know exactly what you want, however, you can get the best deals by keeping an eye on eBay and bidding wisely. Then combine savings offers (as seen here) — from ebates (2% off), eBay bucks (currently in beta; 2% off if you’re invited), and bing (up to 8% off if you search for an item on bing.com and then click through to eBay) — for serious savings. This is in addition to any incentives you’ll receive from your own credit card (use your credit card on Paypal instead of a direct bank account transfer). For example, the 5D body goes for $2,699 at an authorized dealer. But by putting to judicial use the savings offers above, you could purchase a 5D from an authorized dealer (there are several selling on eBay) for several hundred dollars less. In putting together my own shooting package, I saved enough money to eat via the above incentives alone (my bing savings are pictured at right), and double or triple that by buying used equipment; the end result is either significant money saved or more equipment purchased. A final tip: if you think you might freelance and charge an equipment fee, keep in mind your producer won’t know if you bought your equipment used; good used equipment is always better than cheap new equipment.

Lenses

“Buy used” has seldom been more true than when it comes to DSLR lenses. New DSLRs come with autofocus lenses, which work great for still images, but in video mode they’re stuck using a contrast-detection method which is too slow to be viable; no one should be using autofocus on narrative films anyway. If you buy the camera with a bundled lens, you’ll get a solid all-around lens for taking still photos; however, if you’re on a tight budget and are mostly interested in shooting movies, you can skip the bundled lens, buy the body-only version, and spend the savings on used lenses. Here’s where the great advantage of “obsolete” technology comes in: there are thousands of manual focus-only lenses available with a deflated value because of their relative uselessness on modern DSLRs — except when it comes to video mode, where they’re suddenly useful again. While you can’t beat good cine lenses, at this price point it’s a blessing to have so many interchangeable lenses available at bargain prices. Also, whereas many of these older manual lenses may not be up to the task of resolving 21 megapixels with aplomb, they don’t need to; in video mode, 1080p amounts to just shy of 2 megapixels, and any decent SLR lens outstrips this resolution. For the web almost any SLR lens will be sharp enough, but if you’re planning on going to the big screen (theatrical, a festival run, etc.) then you’ll want to make sure you’re getting a sharp enough piece of glass.

For narrative filmmaking, primes are your friend. Documentarians will probably want more zoom lenses in their kit for flexibility, but primes (meaning, lenses with a fixed focal length) are generally faster (for better low-light performance, and a shallower depth of field) and less expensive. When it comes to assembling a kit of lenses, most filmmakers like to choose a brand and stick with it, so the visual characteristics of the lenses match up from shot-to-shot; with the same brand lenses in your kit, the lenses will also handle similarly (some have dampened focus rings and true aperture rings, whereas others rely on the camera for aperture selection electronically and have looser focus rings designed for autofocus). Matching a lens brand to your camera — a common practice in the still world, and often a necessary one given the differences in lens mount electronics between manufacturers — is not nearly as important for video.² And thanks to the widespread availability of quality, low-cost lens adapters (pictured right) that allow one manufacturer’s lenses to work with another’s camera, you don’t have to put Canon lenses on a Canon — you can generally interchange manual lenses at will with the right adapters. Users report widespread praise for those sold on eBay by kawaphoto, and my experiences have bore this out (adapting both Olympus and Contax-mount lenses to Canon EOS). Considering some lens adapters run $50+, being able to buy a $10 adapter for every lens in your kit and not having to interchange them in the field makes it feasible to base an entire lens kit around glass designed for a different camera, further saving you money. For example, Dan Chung has recommended buying Contax/Yashica-mount Zeiss lenses — less expensive than other Zeiss lenses due to their obsolete nature — and adapting them to Canon (advice that I followed).

For the particular characteristics of each lens brand, I’ll defer to DP Shane Hurlbut (Into the Blue, Terminator Salvation), who summarized them nicely on his blog:

• Canon lenses “produce wonderful skin tones, have medium contrast and give you a wonderful gradation into the blacks.” The problem is, any recent Canon lens relies on the camera’s electronics to control the aperture (not a good thing; most camera operators, myself included, would rather have instant, tactile access to exposure controls), and older manual Canons are generally thought of as being slightly optically inferior to their Nikon counterparts. However, if you’re buying a Canon EOS and going the hybrid route — you plan on shooting a lot of stills in addition to video — you will definitely want some quality, modern Canon glass.
• Zeiss lenses “produce a colder, contrasty feel. They are incredibly sharp… Be sure to use more fill light when using these lenses and also control your highlights.” Shane’s absolutely right; one of the disadvantages to a DSLR movie when compared to, say, 35mm film is the DSLR has less dynamic range (and, to date, lacks some of the gamma knee options of a sophisticated video camera to control highlights). A very saturated, contrasty lens like the Zeiss would often be an advantage, and I do appreciate their aesthetic (I own a Zeiss set myself), but you have to be even more careful with Zeiss lenses to protect your highlights from blowing out harshly (tip: use the Magic Lantern zebra stripes). Zeiss lenses are famous for having very large, all-metal focus rings with a lot of fluid drag, which many DPs like (I actually find the action a tad too heavy for handheld work), and they share many rendering qualities with Zeiss cine lenses, which is to say: they’re beautiful.
• Nikon lenses “are sharp with a little softer contrast than the Zeiss lenses.” In my own experience, Nikon lenses are generally the most widely available and least expensive. They have manual apertures and a light touch to their focus rings (which I happen to like, but some don’t), but they have one main problem: their focus rings turn in the opposite direction of every other lens (which can be confusing for operators or focus pullers). This means instead of turning the focus ring clockwise to focus nearer, you turn Nikon lenses counterclockwise. I can’t explain how infuriating this can be if you’re used to the “standard” configuration; there are reversing gears for use on a follow focus, but it’s a consideration regardless.
• Panavisions, of course, “are the ultimate lenses.” But you can’t afford them (in fact, you can’t even buy them). If your production has a sizable budget and you’re planning on renting equipment (and are shooting on a DSLR for some reason), by all means check them out, but know you’ll need special adapters as well.

While SLR lenses are very inexpensive, there are disadvantages to using them for cinematography; these shortcomings are chiefly noticeable while pulling focus. For one, most still lenses breathe, meaning, they actually change focal lengths slightly while racking focus, which can be visually distracting for those used to cine lenses (which do not). As a related matter this breathing is accompanied by a physical lengthening (or shortening) of the lens while pulling focus, which can wreak havoc with the ability to use a matte box (see Matte box). However, SLR lenses are exponentially cheaper than cine lenses — not to mention your DSLR probably doesn’t have an Arri PL mount or any way of easily affixing cine lenses — so go with used SLR glass and be happy that you’ve got a video camera with interchangeable lenses for several times less $$$ than any of us would’ve imagined a few years ago.

When it comes to choosing focal lengths, the first lens you should purchase is a 50mm prime, which is wide enough to get room coverage, yet not so wide that it introduces much geometric distortion. Hitchcock used it for the majority of his shots, and I shot 90% of The West Side with a 50; they’re workhorse lenses and are generally inexpensive. When buying lenses you will generally want faster glass for the best low-light performance and flexibility (f/1.4 is basically as fast as it gets). To the layman, f/stop numbers seem undifferentiated, but the drop-off in light transmission from stop to stop is significant; exposure is logarithmic, so f/1.4 transmits twice as much light as f2, f/2 twice as much as f/2.8, f/2.8 twice as much as f/4, etc. After the 50mm one should expand in both directions, adding a 28mm or 35mm lens on the wider side as well as an 85mm and 135mm on the zoom side (these numbers are approximate, given the varying lens lineup of different manufacturers). It’s also a good idea to have a general zoom lens to hit particular focal lengths, especially on the longer side, so something like a 70-200mm would serve you well.

If you’re just getting started and don’t have a whole lot of money for lenses, ask friends and family if they have an old SLR they’re not using, and if you can borrow/have their old lenses. Get an adapter for that brand and try them out (note that some manufacturers designed their lenses with rear tabs or flaps that may interfere with your camera’s mirror, so you may have to file down such protrusions). If they perform well, then you’ve just saved yourself some money with the added bonus of clearing out your aunt’s closet space. You’ll probably want to upgrade eventually, but this can be a good way of shooting ASAP and learning on the fly.

Once you’ve got your lenses and start shooting, you’ll notice that fast primes have a very narrow depth-of-field when wide open. This is mostly a blessing: for years, guerilla filmmakers have been after a narrow depth of field (previous video cameras in this price range had tiny imaging sensors, which yielded images with a very deep DOF), as most audiences associate shallow DOF with narrative filmmaking. A shallow DOF also allows you to defocus backgrounds that might not be production-designable and direct the viewer’s attention to what’s important in a scene. However, when working with full-frame sensors like that of the 5D, your DOF can become too narrow, so that it’s nigh impossible to achieve sharp focus on a moving object (like a person’s face). Also from Shane (he’s talking about a full-frame sensor): “With a Canon 85mm lens, at a 1.4 T-stop you have a 1/32” of focus.” This means: even when you have part of your subject’s face in focus, it might be limited to the tip of their nose and not their eyes, or vice versa; this can be distracting to say the least, especially over the course of a shot. Even if your subject is stationary (say, in an interview), when they lean forward they might drop out of focus if you’re using a wide-open aperture, and so you’ll have to choose your f/stop wisely. Note that, at the same f/stop, perceived DOF is deeper on wider lenses and shallower on longer lenses (I say perceived because technically this is not true; see this article on DOF for why). To further understand the relationship between sensor size, lens length, and f/stop, you can use a calculator to figure out the depth of field for a given lens (this is calculated based on “acceptable sharpness” a.k.a. the circle of confusion).

Storage

Buy name-brand, large-capacity memory cards (CF, SD, whatever you camera takes). In the case of the 5D, its 38Mbit video datarate works out to about 5 megabytes/sec,³ and Canon recommends cards with a minimum sustained transfer rate of 8MB/sec. The 7D’s data rate is slightly higher, but you still won’t need UDMA cards (which promise 45 MB/s); however, you will still want plenty of datarate headroom and it’s a good idea to buy reliable name-brand cards rather than save a few bucks on generic junk that might ruin a shot (you’re spending thousands of dollars on equipment, don’t risk data loss in order to save $30). I purchased Sandisk Extreme III 16GB cards based on the recommendations of others and haven’t had any dropped frames, but I have gotten buffer warnings — others report Kingston Elite Pro 32 GB 133x cards offer a good value (Stu Maschwitz also changed his own recommendation to these cards). As for how much storage space you’ll need, it’s a matter of how much shooting you’ll be doing between chances to offload the cards; in the case of the 5D, a 16GB card holds roughly 45 minutes of footage, so calculate accordingly.

So far there are no external-storage recording options for DSLR users, but memory cards are fast and cheap; be glad tape is dead.

Support system

DSLRs are so lightweight that they don’t move like a film camera; if handheld, they jitter like a consumer camcorders, instantly marking your footage as amateur. And in many cases DSLRs are ergonomically worse than a camcorder, as they are designed to shoot stills, not video. There are two main steps in adapting your DSLR to handheld video work. One, add weight in order to increase mass and minimize jitter, which many of the add-ons discussed below will do. Two, add a third point of contact to stabilize the camera against your body (and relieve some of the burden from your arms). Because the mirror of your DSLR is raised during video shooting, you can’t use the viewfinder to press the camera against your face for a third point of contact as you would while shooting stills. This leaves you with needing some sort of attachment to adapt a fundamentally unergonomic chunk of metal to your fleshy human form.

Many of the accessory manufacturers in this space have a background in the film/video world, not photography, so at first glance their offerings may seem somewhat large and overbuilt. However, this is usually not a bad thing as the extra mass and size will contribute further to your DSLR behaving like a “real” motion picture camera, which is not only something you perceive as the operator, but something audiences perceive (perhaps subconsciously) in the camera movements. Manufacturers currently making suitable DSLR support systems include Redrock Micro, Zacuto, Cavision, Vocas, Chrosziel, and Cinevate. Zacuto’s kits range from $550 to $5,500 and are generally the most expensive, but if you’ve got the money they are widely thought of as well-built and reliable solutions. Cinevate offers a number of DSLR rigs at generally lower price points ranging from $720 to $2,600; Redrock offers a plethora of options ranging from $440 to $1500 (availability does vary, however, with some reports of fulfillment issues – something to consider if you need your setup in time for a shoot). Cavision’s DSLR products are inexpensive (specifically, a kit like this retails for $500 at B&H) but in my experience they have a somewhat lackluster build quality. This is less of an issue when dealing with a lightweight DSLR; I’ve shot several projects on my Cavision rig, but I wouldn’t want to put a heavier camera on it. Other manufacturers in this space include Varizoom and Cinecity (Indian knockoffs on eBay; worth a look if you’re on a very tight budget). The industry standard rod system for camera support is based on 15mm rods spaced 60mm apart (there is also a larger standard based on 19mm rods which is overkill for DSLRs), so you can mix and match most parts from different manufacturers to build your own frankensystem. In my own experience it’s a trial-and-error process to piece together the ideal kit for your particular shooting needs, so this is one area for which you should definitely spend some time on the forums.

Cinema5d has a 60-page DSLR gear review covering a number of DSLR rigs, although there have been rumblings about the methodology and objectivity of their roundup; as with the info in this very guide, seek out as many experienced opinions on the forums as you can before you pull the trigger on a purchase.

Power

Shooting movies on your DSLR drains batteries rapidly, so you’ll need plenty of spares. For the 5D and 7D, each genuine Canon battery runs $100 (retail; $65 at Amazon), which can add up quickly. Nikons aren’t any better on the high end, although the D90 does have cheap batteries available. However, generic imports for both can be had on eBay for $10. The difference? In Canon’s case, the cheap imports lack the internal computer chip that their genuine batteries have, which tells you how much battery life remains. The cheap ones, therefore, could potentially run out at the worst time during your shoot: mid-take. Then again, you can get 6 of them for the price of one “real” battery, so they’re an attractive alternative for no-budget filmmakers. It’s also important to note that the knockoff batteries won’t work in Canon’s charger; they require their own. The first time I plugged in the off-brand charger that came with my generic batteries, it fried itself in 5 minutes (the seller sent me another); YMMV. Finally, off-brand batteries do not work with the Magic Lantern firmware (as of version 0.1.6).

You can also purchase a battery grip (for the Canon 5D: BG-E6; for the 7D: BG-E7; for Nikons) for double the battery life, although many still photographers purchase a battery grip is for the ergonomic aid it provides while shooting vertically in addition to the extra battery life. For filmmaking shooting vertically is a moot issue, but considering most support systems require a riser to raise the low-sitting DSLR into a suitable position, the battery grip can also serve such a purpose. Generic battery grips are also available for 1/3 the price of their genuine Canon counterpart (for both Canons and Nikons users report Zeikos makes a quality alternative). Currently there are hopes for development of an external powering solution, where a cable can run from your battery compartment to a sled of rechargeable batteries; this may be yet another development reliant on the inimitable Tramm Hudson, but it’s not coming anytime soon.

Overheating

DSLRs weren’t designed to shoot video in a bona fide video production environment, so no matter which DSLR you buy, you’re likely to have overheating problems. This is when the DSLR’s operating temperature rises to the point where the camera either shuts down automatically, or the image becomes noisier due to the excess heat. This generally happens after several minutes of continuous shooting; in the case of the Nikon D90, the camera will just shut down and you’ll be unable to enter Live View mode until it has sufficiently cooled; in the case of the 5D the camera will allow you to shoot as it overheats but your image will become noisier due to interference from the heat. Overheating is an unfortunate side effect of getting a whole lot of camera for very little money, and the best solution is actually to get two camera bodies so you can shoot with one while the other cools. Or, if you’re on a major production, get 13 bodies. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot you can do to prevent it, other than to take the camera out of Live View whenever possible, keep the shooting environment as cool as possible, and plan your production’s breaks accordingly. On staged productions where cutting often is a standard operating procedure, DSLR overheating is not a deal-breaker; if you’re considering a DSLR to shoot interviews, however, this is a major consideration as your camera will inevitably run into issues in the middle of an interviewee’s spiel.

Audio

DSLRs aren’t designed to record high-quality audio; they lack professional inputs for microphones and have an auto-gain circuit that ruins any chance of manually setting your levels. That is not to say you can’t record theatrical-quality audio on your DSLR production; you just need the right equipment. Essentially, you have two options for audio recording: on-camera, or separate-system. On-camera is what any video camera user will be familar with; you plug in your microphone(s), and the audio is recorded together with your video. Separate-system is what filmmakers accustomed to shooting celluloid will be familiar with; you record visuals to one medium and sounds to a separate recorder, and then have to sync the two up during editing (thus the need for a clapper on shoots). Both approaches have their pros and cons (briefly: separate system affords you higher quality audio recording at the expense of convenience in the editing room; on camera is the converse), and which approach you go with will depend on your production needs and whether you even have the option of on-camera recording (your DSLR may not have a mic input, or you may be unable to disable the auto gain).

For a series of very helpful DSLR audio recording tests watch Jon Fairhurst’s roundup of audio recorders (he also makes uncompressed audio samples available):

1. Boom Mic
2. Camera Mounted Mic
3. Wireless Lavalier
4. Foley
5. Noise
6. Conclusions

Thanks to Magic Lantern, on-camera audio recording is viable for the 5D: the firmware hack offers the opportunity to turn off AGC and also enables some advanced in-camera audio settings. With ML running the 5D is capable of CD-quality audio (44.1kHz, 16 bit), as long as you pair it with a XLR adapter with a decent set of mic pre-amps.

The consensus on “best pre-amp/XLR adapter” is the Juicedlink CX231 ($300). It offers pristine mic pre-amps, good construction quality, very low noise, and phantom power for your mics (if you don’t need phantom power, the CX211 is cheaper). To use it, you screw the Juicedlink onto the bottom of your DSLR (or attach it elsewhere on your rig), plug in your balanced XLR audio cables into the Juicedlink, and run the included 1/8″ stereo cable to your DSLR’s mic input. Run the ML firmware, set your levels, and you have perfectly synched, CD-quality audio. There are still a few issues — namely, headphone monitoring is in mono and the levels are quite low. To address these problems, Jon Fairhurst recommends a Boostaroo headphone adapter to achieve a usable monitoring volume (I’ve found the Boostaroo makes the audio approximately twice as loud, which is adequate for most situations).

If you aren’t keen on the idea of relying on a user-hacked firmware for your audio but still like the concept of on-camera sound, the JuicedLink DN101 offers a solution to defeat DSLR auto-gain. But whereas the ML firmware defeats the AGC in software and retains both channels of audio, the DN101’s hardware solution gives you one channel instead of two (it defeats the AGC by blasting the unused channel with noise). This is fine if you’re recording one microphone, but if you want two discreet channels of independently-adjustable audio, you should stick with Magic Lantern. ML has one other advantage over the $139 DN101: it’s free. However, ML is currently limited to the 5D MkII, whereas the DN101 will work with any DSLR with a mini-jack.

It’s worth noting that Beachtek offers a DSLR solution, but its tone-based method of defeating AGC is, in my opinion and a lot of others’, unusable for pro audio. As with any XLR adapter of similar size, a Juicedlink or Beachtek can also double as a riser plate on your support system. Furthermore, the Juicedlink website offers a catalog of very helpful audio recording tutorials — indispensable if you find yourself trying to turn a friend into an audio crewmember.

If on-camera audio recording isn’t an option for your DSLR — or if you have a need to untether your audio from your camera — there are a number of quality flash memory recorders available at very inexpensive price points. One of the most widely-used is the Zoom H4n (review, review), which records at (up to) 24-bit/96kHz on SD or SDHC cards. It offers 2 XLR inputs, a built-in stereo mic, and offers 4 tracks of simultaneous recording, which enables the ability to simultaneously record its own stereo pickup in addition to audio from the 2 XLR inputs; for filmmaking where foley won’t be possible, this can offer a nice mixing alternative, in that you can adjust separately-recorded ambient levels independently from your boom and lav levels. Having such a scratch track, assuming the H4n is protected by a windscreen and is well-positioned, can be a boon for post-production turnaround time on low-budget shows that have web, mobile, or low-end TV releases in mind. At $350, the H4n is a great deal. One alternative: The Tascam DR100, which others review well, but I witnessed the silver jog dial fall off repeatedly on a shoot (YMMV).

In addition to these two methods of recording, there’s a third approach: purchase a CX231 to enable on-camera audio when you want it, and add a flash memory recorder for separate-system sound when the production calls for higher quality audio or needs the recordist to roam. A top choice for this purpose is the Sony PCM-D50, which is similar to the H4n in size and functionality, but it only accepts a 1/8″ stereo input. However, when connected to a CX231, the combination offers a great combination of mic pre-amps and recording medium — you could use this recording setup for a feature film, the self-noise is so low. Videographer/reporter Dan Chung has reported good results, and my own tests to date have confirmed this (however, your audio will travel over an unbalanced 1/8″ cable for a short length, so you’ll have to be vigilant for interference). An important feature of the PCM-D50 (review, review) is its built-in limiter, which records each input at two levels simultaneously and automatically switches to the lower level if clipping results at the higher setting. For DSLR-based crews where the audio guy might not be a union man with decades of experience, this extra fault tolerance is crucial. Other advantages include 4GB of built-in flash memory (good for 6 hours of 48kHz audio), a 5-second pre-buffer (you can automatically start the recording 5 seconds before you pressed the button in case you weren’t rolling for something), and a real, rideable input level knob (instead of the H4n’s pushbuttons). Disadvantages to the PCM-D50 include its higher price, its 1/8″ input, and its reliance on proprietary Memory Stick cards (honestly, Sony, still?).

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Beyond the Basics

You’ve got your basic equipment, have done some shooting, and are ready to further hone your craft

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Magic Lantern firmware

The Canon 5D shipped with an amazing movie mode that was often infuriating because it lacked basic video camera functionality. Canon has done a nice job of adding some of the missing features — manual aperture and shutter speed, and soon, additional framerates — but the camera would still be unusable for professional applications without Tramm Hudson, who hacked the camera’s firmware and developed new features for the camera all on his own. I wondered about the 5D’s hackability before the camera was even released, and I cannot overstate the value of what Tramm’s managed with this free downloadable upgrade.

The Magic Lantern firmware adds the following features (taken from the ML wiki):

• On-screen audio meters
• Manual gain control with no AGC
• Zebra stripes (video peaking)
• Custom Cropmarks for 16:9, 2.35:1, 4:3 and any other format
• Control of focus and bracketing

These aren’t “nice to have” features — they’re must-haves. Here’s Tramm with a demonstration of ML’s capabilities (including some upcoming features):

The Magic Lantern firmware is currently only available for the 5D but is coming soon to the 7D. As Andrew points out, however, it’s currently incompatible with the 5D’s latest firmware (1.2.4), so if you’re a current 5D owner, be wary of upgrading (and if your camera came with 1.2.4, you can downgrade in order to use Magic Lantern). Unless someone develops a similar firmware for Nikon or Panasonic DSLRs (which seems less likely given custom firmware is more common to Canon cameras, as CHDK has been around for years), ML offers a very compelling reason to buy Canon. The firmware is free, so please donate to Tramm to support ML’s continued development and to thank him for his considerable contributions to DSLR cinematography.

Matte box

A matte box serves two purposes: one, to cut down on unwanted lens flares; two, to allow for easily changeable filters in front of your lens. You may not need one; it depends on how you feel about lens flares, whether you’re planning on using filtration, and how high-profile you can afford to be if you’re on a guerrilla production (a matte box screams “real film” more than perhaps any other accessory, which I suspect is why a large portion of filmmakers run around with one attached: to look legit).

Because matte boxes have historically been used on “real” films (meaning, on productions using cameras that cost several times more than a DSLR), many manufacturers are accustomed to charging five figures for a device that essentially amounts to a box with attachable metal flaps and a couple of slots. To be sure, it is important to get a quality matte box if you’re adding one to your rig, but it doesn’t make any sense in the world of relatively inexpensive DSLRs to spend as much on a box that sits in front of your camera as you did on the camera itself.

In the sub-$1000 category, shooters laud the Redrock Micro microMattebox as a good value if you’re looking for something large for narrative filmmaking, or the more compact Genus for run-and-gun and documentary work. Other low-cost options include those from Cavision and GearDear. Because I am a poor independent filmmaker I went the route of purchasing a matte box from an Indian ebay seller (the matte box seems to me like a good area to save money in order to divert funds towards other equipment, e.g. another lens), but I plan on replacing it with something more professional soon. FreshDV has a good roundup review of a number of matte boxes on the higher end (the Genus is the least expensive in the review).

The issue with any matte box is getting its rear opening to fit your lenses; generally a matte box’s rear opening is 105mm or larger, and your lenses likely have various front thread sizes ranging from 49-82mm. Some matte boxes come with a set of “donuts” for stepping down to a variety lens sizes, whereas others come with a single ring. I prefer a universal donut like those from Zacuto or Genus, which can save you a lot of time when it comes to changing lenses (you don’t have to change the donut at the same time); a universal donut will also give you some leeway with your lenses displacing as they focus (extending or retracting).

Filtration

If you’re coming from a background in still photography, one of the first things you’ll notice while shooting video is this: once you lock in the shutter speed, you don’t have nearly the amount of control over exposure that you did back when shooting at 1/1000th of a second was viable. Motion in video will look stroboscopic at higher shutter speeds (see: the action scenes in either Saving Private Ryan or Gladiator), and for motion pictures the standard frame rate is the equivalent of a 180-degree shutter: on 24p cameras, 1/48th of a second, and on 30p cameras, 1/60th. In daylight, if you want to maintain a relatively open aperture (for shallow depth-of-field) at either shutter speed, you’re going to need neutral density (ND) filters. If you’re coming from a background in video, you’re likely used to video cameras having built-in, switchable ND filters; welcome to the world of still cameras, where this is no longer the case. Therefore ND filters are the first thing to add to your filter kit; they come in a variety of strengths, with the most common denominations being 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 (respectively, 1, 2, and 3 stops of light reduction). You can stack them in a mattebox for greater light attenuation in order to maintain your desired shutter speed and aperture in bright settings.

The above method is the traditional “movie” way of doing things — using drop-in glass filters in a matte box — but in our new era of hybridized imaging, another option is to use a variable ND solution. In this situation, rather than using a drop-in filter or combination of filters in hopes of getting your ideal exposure, you can continuously adjust a rotating filter to darken the scene faster and more precisely.⁴ A variable ND setup offers as little as 2 stops and as many as 8 stops of attenuation; the Singh-Ray is the original variable ND filter but the Fader series of filters on eBay are just as good and a lot cheaper. Here is a clip of a variable ND filter in action:

In practice, you wouldn’t do this during a shot; to use a variable ND, you lock in your desired shutter speed and aperture, and if the scene is overexposed (often in daylight), you use the ND filter to bring down the exposure to the correct level. Note with a screw-in variable ND filter, you will want to buy the size that fits your largest lens (e.g. 72mm) and then use step-up rings (CameraFilters.com is a good, inexpensive source) on the front of your smaller lenses.

Once you have your ND filters, there is a whole world of creative uses for filters beyond simple exposure correction. This could be its own guide, so for now here is an overview of some different types of lens filters. Note that filters are going in front of your lens, so they are one area where bargain-hunting can be risky; whereas a cheap shoulder support could give you a sore shoulder, a cheap filter could outright ruin your image; beware the reaper of cheap glass.

Particular to the DSLR world is the issue of aliasing (demonstrated on the REDuser forums with this test image, but also seen in my own experience, which I wrote about here). To date I haven’t found a good softening filter to lessen these issues.

LCD viewfinder

A video camera has an electronic viewfinder that you can adjust vertically to accommodate typical videocamera shooting positions (handheld, on the shoulder, low angle, etc). A SLR film camera, on the other hand, has a fixed optical viewfinder requiring you to press the (much smaller) camera to your face. When shooting movies with a DSLR, however, the camera’s mirror is in its locked-up position, so if you look into the camera’s optical viewfinder all you’ll see is black. Today’s DSLRs offer an electronic solution similar to video cameras: the Live View LCD was one of the first steps in enabling DSLRs to shoot movies, and as a result, the LCD screen is what you’ll use to frame and focus shots.

However, there are a plethora of issues with shooting movies on a small, fixed LCD screen; an add-on viewfinder is one way to address (some of ) these issues. A viewfinder usually provides magnification and allows you to isolate the LCD screen from sunlight; additionally, it provides a crucial third point of contact for stabilizing all-too jittery DSLR shots. An LCD viewfinder is basically just a loupe that you attach to your DSLR’s screen (via straps, adhesive, a fixed mount, or magnets). Models vary in their magnification, optic quality, and attachment method; I’ll spotlight two popular models and provide my own review of a third option.

At the top of the heap is the Zacuto Z-Finder. Here’s a review by a self-professed “Zacuto fanboy,” but everyone else seems to love it too; for $395, it better be the best. For that price, one has to question whether they would rather have an external monitor, but if you’re planning on shooting primarily handheld and on-the-go, a good viewfinder is a worthwhile investment, and the Z-Finder is the one to beat. The Zacuto provides 3X magnification, attaches via an adhesive frame, and offers a diopter for shooters who wear glasses.

At half the price of the Z-Finder is the very popular LCDVF, which was bootstrapped in Estonia by Cinema5d user Tonis. Originally sold direct and now distributed by a network of dealers, the LCDVF is available for $159, offers 2X magnification, and attaches via a magnetic frame. There are some user opinions here, and even Philip Bloom (the aforementioned Zacuto fanboy) seems to like it; dozens more reviews can be found via search. Tonis might just have hit the sweet spot for price/performance, but the LCD omits an adjustable diopter: if you wear glasses, you may or may not be able to focus through the viewfinder.

Because I had some old Cavision parts lying around from my previous camera rig, I went with the Canadian manufacturer’s LCD model because I liked the idea of having a viewfinder that could swing-away. However, while the direct sales staff were very helpful, I can’t say the same about the viewfinder itself. Cavision parts are modestly priced, but many of them are also modestly manufactured, and I’ve found that the viewfinder has too narrow a field of focus, so that the edges of the screen appear blurry. With a magnification factor of 6X, the Cavision offers the largest image size of the bunch, but I’ve also found this to be a disadvantage for two reasons: one, the resolution of DSLR LCD screens isn’t high enough to support a 6X magnification, so you become too aware of the distracting gridlines between pixels; two, the image is large enough that it takes up too much of your field of view and it’s not easy to “take it all in” for composing shots. I found my eye frequently panning across the magnified image, and I’d rather have something that doesn’t force me to shift my focal point so often. It’d be like trying to compose a shot with an IMAX screen in front of you; as a cinemagoer, the huge screen size offers an immersive experience, but as a cinematographer you’d want to back up for framing purposes. Some of these issues have been corroborated by others, so I’d have to recommend one of the other two options.

Field monitor

First off, I don’t currently own a field monitor. This is why the section was originally “coming soon,” but I’ll add what I know for now. Why don’t I own one (other than the fact that they cost money)? Well, I’ve been waiting for Tramm to get 1080i HDMI-out enabled during recording on the 5D (which may or may not make it into the next release). Currently, as soon as recording starts on the 5D, the output resolution drops to 480p, which makes an external monitor much less useful for focusing. This change in resolutions also introduces a number of issues with monitor switching; every monitor is different, but many monitors take a few seconds to switch modes, and repeated hundreds of times a day, this can be an exercise in frustration. The 7D has its own issues as well, and presumably the T2i will have a host of new (but different!) problems. Because of all these issues, I’m currently waiting for the Magic Lantern issue to shake out; I’m also curious what will be announced at NAB in April.

However, to digest what’s currently being said on the forums:

For $230 the Lilliput 669 is a great cheap option. A monitor at this price point isn’t going to have a lot of adjustment options and won’t offer the most accurate color reproduction, but again, if you spent $800 on a DSLR then you probably don’t want to spend $1,000 or more on a field monitor (some would disagree). The Lilliput has a 7″ screen and is 800×480 native resolution; there’s a lot of good info in this thread at Cinema5d. Note for the Lilliput you will need a few accessories (miniHDMI to HDMI adapter, batteries, etc.) to get properly connect and mount the monitor; I haven’t tested it myself but there are some forum tips in here as well as more details on battery options.

For $800 the SmallHD DP1 is a very popular choice; it has a higher 1024×768 resolution for what approximates to 720p resolution. Similarly to the LCDVF, the guys at the North Carolina-based SmallHD bootstrapped their own 10″ LCD monitor and are now selling them at volume, and the general consensus on the forums is the SmallHD can’t be beat at the $800 price point. SmallHD may announce new monitors (other sizes, resolutions?) at NAB, so stay tuned if you’re in the market; I’ll probably be a SmallHD customer soon (after all, I have to help my fellow Carolinians raise up).

There are plenty of more expensive monitors on the market from manufacturers like Marshall and Panasonic, but for DSLR use I’ll move on; if you’re spending $2,000 on a field monitor, you’ll probably want to do your own research rather than take my word for it. If I do come across any of these other monitors, I’ll add my thoughts.

I’ll also update this section when we have a more concrete answer on the ML firmware issue; when new NAB models are available; and when I purchase my own.

Follow focus

Section coming soon.

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Advanced Usage

Knowledge you won’t find in any manual but which will make you a better shooter

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Picture Style Editor

When shooting with a Canon DSLR one of the first things you should do is switch the Picture Style from “Standard” to “Neutral” and dial down the contrast; this will give you a flatter image that gives you more flexibility with the image in post.

NOTE: I’m leaving the following section as-is until I do further testing on shooting with custom picture styles; see the last paragraph in this section for why this advice is changing.

Shooting with the factory-supplied Neutral setting is just the beginning of optimizing your camera for filmmaking. The next step is to put to use the Picture Style Editor software, which is one of the most important features for Canon DSLR cinematographers (Nikon users have a similar software, the Picture Control Utility). The software allows you to make a wide range of adjustments to your camera’s “look” — color response, gamma curve, etc. — sort of like giving you a choice of film stocks. It’s a bit user-unfriendly, but it affords you the ability to implement a pesudo-RAW workflow (it’s not a true RAW image ala the RED camera, wherein one can losslessly manipulate the camera’s white balance, brightness, contrast, etc. after the fact), and used wisely, you can get a nice, flat, gradable image out of a camera that ships with woefully pumped contrast and crushed blacks. The fact is, many guerilla cinematographers were happy to have Cinegamma and other custom knee settings when they made their low-end debut on the venerable DVX-100 in 2002, but most of us wouldn’t have guessed that gamma curves and color matrices would ever be user-editable on a $2,000, mass-market camera. But it just so happens that Canon’s software for customizing photo styles also works in movie mode, and thus another feature from six-figure cameras has made its way down to four-figure DSLRs.

Here’s a great video tutorial, with example shots, of the benefits of using the Picture Style Editor:

Using the Marvels, Superflat, or my new favorite, Extraflat picture style gets you a long way towards gradable footage. I recommend further customizing the downloaded files based on what lenses you use and what type of shooting you’ll be doing, as each of these files was user-created on what is likely a different set of lenses under different circumstances. Finally, if you’d like to experiment with emulating specific film stocks, feel free to experiment with the picture styles posted by sumitagarwal.

However, something is rotten in the state of the Picture Style Editor. Using custom picture styles is becoming more controversial, with many shooters (myself included) noticing some drawbacks to using over-flattened picture styles. While you often gain perceived latitude and shadow detail by using custom styles, you can also lose detail and introduce more noise and banding thanks to the h.264 compression algorithm. I’ve noticed these artifacts in post-production with footage shot with the Marvels and Superflat styles, and am currently shooting using Neutral with contrast dialed all the way down; I will update this section as I discover more.

ISO noise

The 5D and 7D’s “native” ISO levels are 160, 320, 640, 1250, and 2500 ISO. While the cameras have dozens more ISO settings, it turns out that settings in between these values are artificially boosting (or lowering) the camera’s exposure compensation; you don’t actually gain any highlight headroom (e.g., ISO 200 is just an exposure-compensated ISO 160). While the difference between “native” and exposure-compensated ISO levels is not drastic by any means, if you’re shooting in a difficult situation without any lighting options it can help to know that a shot at ISO 1250, boosted in post to the same perceived brightness as an ISO 1600 shot, will be cleaner than the native ISO 1600 image. You can see this on a noise levels graph and it also apparent in these 5D highlight tone priority tests.

LCD screen protectors

Okay, so nothing about a flimsy screen protector is “advanced,” but there’s a large market for selling protectors for your camera’s rear LCD screen: packs of adhesive plastic film retail for $10, whereas glass protectors can sell for upwards of $30. It makes sense to protect such a crucial part of your investment, right? Well, yes if your camera is a 7D; not necessarily if yours is a 5D. A little-known fact about the 5D is the camera’s LCD screen cover is itself replaceable, which calls into question whether it’s worth looking through an extra layer of glass for the life of your camera when the screen you’re carefully protecting is somewhat disposable. Whether or not you want to engage in the relatively simple operation is up to you, but if you do damage your 5D Mark II screen, here are the parts you’ll need to order from the Canon Parts Center in New Jersey (732-521-7230):

LCD screen window CB3-4948 ($24)
LCD screen adhesive tape CB3-4949 ($1.50)

For the 7D, Canon switched to a non-(user)-replaceable glass screen.

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Post-production

The native video files from DSLRs aren’t ideal for editing, so you’ll need to jump through a few more hoops during post

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Viewing

First things first: if your computer has a firewire port, buy a firewire CF reader (assuming your camera shoots on CF cards). Firewire-based readers are far faster than their USB counterparts, and this simple purchase will save you a lot of time in offloading the sizable movie files. Once you’ve copied the files (preferably to an external hard drive with a fast interface, like Firewire 800 or eSATA), you might discover that your computer can’t play back the files smoothly. These are high-resolution, highly compressed files — and while the compression does a good job of keeping file size down, it also means you need a sizable computer to decode them. While you may be able to playback the native files without any stuttering if you have a recent and/or expensive desktop — or if your camera uses an inferior MotionJPEG codec (as do all Nikon DSLRs to date) — if the files play more smoothly on your camera’s LCD than they do on your desktop, try downloading the latest version of VLC (PC and Mac), and follow these instructions to configure it for playback.

Transcoding

The h.264 files that Canon DSLRs shoot aren’t well suited for editing, what with their 4:2:0 chroma subsampling and processor-intensive, intraframe codec (the same goes for the files spawned by Panasonic and Nikon DSLRs). You’ll want to transcode the clips into a format that will play smoothly and maintain quality during color correction. If you’re going to be editing in Final Cut Pro, download MPEG Streamclip, a cross-platform freeware utility for transcoding footage. Note that Premiere Pro CS4 on a Mac, in my experience, is unable to adequately handle any flavor of Canon DSLR footage, so for Mac users I recommend Final Cut; on the PC, users report good experiences with Vegas, and the Windows version of Premiere Pro CS4 will also edit Cineform files. My recommended MPEG Streamclip solution is free but only works if you’ve got FCP installed (because of FCP’s bundled codecs); if you’re going with a different NLE, Cineform Neoscene is a good method (note the software costs $129 (or $99 at Videoguys). Here are some Neo Scene workflow tips.

With the FCP/MPEG Streamclip method, for maximum quality batch-convert your footage into Apple ProRes 422 1080p (use the same framerate as your source). Of, if you’re short on hard drive space, aren’t going to do aggressive color correction, or are going to be releasing on the web, XDCAM EX 1080p 35mbit/s is good option (with smaller file sizes than ProRes). For users of Final Cut Pro 7, James points out that there’s also a suitable lower-datarate ProRes option available, ProRes(LT). See how to batch-transcode in MPEG Streamclip in Philip Bloom’s tutorial.

You can also use Apple Compressor (part of Final Cut Studio) for batch conversion. There’s a free set of Compressor droplets available for download, collectively known as 5DtoFCP, and Canon is releasing their own high-speed plugin for Final Cut (though it’s not yet available). On most reasonable Macs, the ProRes and XDCAM clips are laptop editable in real-time (with the FCP viewer zoomed to 50% or less, my four year-old laptop can edit the 1080p transcodes from an external USB 2.0 hard drive in real-time).

Audio sync

If you’re shooting separate-system sound (see Audio), you’ll have separate audio clips on a recorder or memory card and will need to sync them to your video files. However, unlike ye old method of using sticks (aka a clapper) and visually matching up the audio waveform to the video by hand, you can use an automated plugin called Pluraleyes. This plugin will take your high-quality audio files and automatically sync them to your “dummy” track (the inferior audio recorded on-camera), as illustrated in Philip Bloom’s tutorial. Pluraleyes is currently available for FCP and Vegas, and plugins for other NLEs are reportedly on their way.

Audio drift

Depending on your DSLR, you might experience audio drift when working with longer sequences. Audio drift is when a shot’s audio and video are in sync at the beginning of the shot but not at the end. This is most common with the Canon 5D because it currently records at 30 frames per second, not the industry-standard 29.97fps.⁵ Most NLEs are configured to interpret imported audio at 29.97, not a “true” 30p, and this discrepancy can cause audio sync problems. Many users have reported that slowing audio clips to 99.99% in the editing timeline fixes the problem, but a better solution is to start with the correct setup in FCP, which keeps both video and audio at native settings without any drift. Bruce Sharpe illustrates this and even offers the correct FCP setup file for download. If you’re using Cineform Neo Scene for transcoding, it should automatically correct this problem.

Color grading

Color grading is commonly known as “color correction,” but I prefer the more British term “grading” since “correction” implies a colorist’s job is to fix mistakes; it’s much more creative than that. In fact, the line between cinematographer and colorist is increasingly blurring, and today you can’t be great at one job if you don’t have a good understanding of the other. Since this is a “cinematography” guide, I won’t go too deep into grading other than to say that you should absolutely have a project-specific aesthetic in mind before you shoot, as opposed to figuring it out once the footage is already in your NLE. As for how to grade, Stu Maschwitz has a terrific tutorial demystifying color correction (using his own software Magic Bullet Looks / Colorista). The techniques presented herein apply to any three-way color correction tool (e.g. the stock options in Final Cut and Premiere Pro, the incredibly deep but frustrating Apple Color, or the oft-overlooked Color Finesse plugin that ships with After Effects). Deft use of digital color grading, in conjunction with the shallow depth-of-field images via to the large DSLR sensor, can make for amazing images at incredibly low prices points.

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Thanks for reading

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If you found this guide helpful — or if you have any corrections or suggestions — please let me know in the comments below. The more I shoot — and the more suggestions I get — the more I will be adding to this guide, so stay tuned. And please buy any DSLR gear via the Amazon links above — it won’t cost you a penny more, but it might help me buy a much-needed extra lens or two! Finally, please share the guide around via Digg, Twitter (follow me at @ryanbkoo), Facebook, Delicious or however you socialize online. Thanks for reading; now get shooting!

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1. The 5D’s larger sensor makes it more sensitive than the T2i and 7D in low-light situations, but the T2i/7D currently have more frame rates, including the narrative-standard 24p; however, Canon has announced that the 5D will be getting these additional frame rates via free firmware update early this year. [↩]
2. The newest version of the Magic Lantern firmware includes auto rack-focusing as a feature of software; it remains to be seen how practically important it is, but it does offer a compelling reason to stick with Canon autofocus lenses, if you like the idea of automated focus pulls. [↩]
3. To calculate megabytes/sec from a megabit specification, divide by 8 — there are 8 bits in a byte. [↩]
4. This is achieved by using two polarizers (a circular and a linear) in conjunction with each other; because a polarizer filter only allows light to pass through in one direction (which makes it most commonly useful for eliminating reflections off of windows or water), when stacked with a second polarizer, the two can be oriented so each only allows light through in the opposite direction of the other; therefore, no light is transmitted. [↩]
5. 29.976 frames per second is an industry standard as a result of the legacy NTSC field rate of 59.94 Hz. [↩]