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Reader SurveyShoot Expertise: The Shooter's Toolbox
Jul 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Barry Braverman
Digital SLRs come in handy for storytelling.
The digital SLR (DSLR) can be a powerful addition to the shooter's toolbox, enabling capture of specialized scenes such as this time-lapse of a Los Angeles freeway. Other DSLR applications might include shooting background plates for DVD menus and visual effects or as a second-unit capture device for 2K and 4K productions.
The times are a-changing for shooters as our imaging tools are becoming increasingly varied. For specialized applications such as stop-motion and time-lapse, the multifaceted all-purpose camcorder is no longer the only tool at our disposal; this new era of image creation being apparent in post-camera tools such as Adobe After Effects and the high-resolution frames captured in the ultimate slow-motion capture device: the digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR).
For itinerant shooters with the frequent-flyer miles to prove it, the DSLR is rapidly gaining traction as a key tool in our arsenal of tricks. As evidenced by the use of DSLRs in such feature films as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (reportedly shot with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II), the time has come for many of us to consider versatile and rugged high-resolution still cameras of 11 megapixels or more.
The question remains, however, how to harness the DSLR's inherent high resolution for motion-video applications. The still camera's role in a video shooter's workflow is not yet entirely clear, and there are still some technical and craft issues to resolve. But one thing is certain even at this juncture: There's plenty of storytelling potential in a DSLR if the shooter plays his CF cards right.
The DSLR arrives on the scene
As professional HD shooters, chances are we've already considered a DSLR for specialized work such as time-lapse and stop-motion animation. Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and others manufacture a range of mid- and upper-end models that support these particular functions.
Impervious to the elements and extremely rugged, the Nikon D3 is the ultimate workhorse for time-lapse and stop-motion applications.
If time-lapse is a primary goal, it's important to consider your camera's intervalometer capabilities. Some cameras require an external control — such as the TC-80N3 for the Canon EOS 5D, EOS 10D, EOS 20D, and EOS 30D models — while some Nikon DSLR models, including the D300 and D3, feature a built-in intervalometer function.
The flicker problem
Inconsistent exposure from frame to frame is an occupational hazard when employing a DSLR for motion applications. Mostly, this condition can be attributed to a camera's auto-iris, which tends to overreact to shifting conditions within the interval.
Given this propensity, it's important to know that most flicker artifacts can be mitigated post-camera in Adobe After Effects' Color Stabilizer, which can track and compensate for most variations in frame density.
Of course, many shooters may question the wisdom of using auto-iris in the first place because a fixed aperture eliminates the flicker risk entirely. Trouble is, this approach is often impractical in setups covering a wide range of ambient lighting conditions — say, over a 24-hour period or multiple days.
The lower-cost D300 features the same onboard intervalometer functions.
Shooters with a manual frame of mind may want to use a dual-exposure approach, one setting for night and a second for bright daylight. The exposure can be switched in the overnight hours, with a long dissolve added in post to help smooth out the transition.
You can conduct a simple test to ascertain which approach is right for you. Using the Nikon D3, I set the camera in full auto and let it run over a 48-hour interval. In the end, the camera's auto-iris performed very well; my Los Angeles cityscape scene exhibited little if any exposure shift from frame to frame, as evidenced by the camera's recorded frames metadata.
Interesting to note, this subtle shift in exposure could not have been achieved manually; the degree of precision required at the frame level is simply not possible or practical over many hours or days.
Under some circumstances, shooters would do well to not blithely trust the auto-iris. In brief-interval applications, manual control of exposure is usually imperative and will likely produce the best results. If your camera has an interchangeable lens and lacks the manual ability to fix the iris, you can simply twist the lens off its mount about 30 degrees to lock out the auto-function. This strategy disables all other auto functions as well, so due diligence must be exercised when using this technique.
