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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Nikon D300s Video experience
Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 12:01 AM on 09.02.09 |
->> I received my D300s today and was super excited to give the video a try. I put on my 24-70 lens a fresh 8g card and went out to video my son in the backyard. Well of course my son who is about 22 months old was running around the yard while I tried to video him. The camera had a little trouble keeping focus on him as he ran back and forth but I was also using the camera handheld and had trouble keeping the focus point on him.
After about 10 minutes of playing around with it I was very impressed with the ease of use to switch from photo and video and how easy it was to play back..
I took out my card put it in my reader and was able to import and watch the video in about 5 minutes in iMovie.
My biggest complaint was the noise the microphone picked up of the lens trying to focus and the noise of me zooming in and out. Does anyone know of a good external Mic for the D300s.
I know the Photo part of the camera is going to be great since I had the D300. |
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Brandon McKenney, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Portland | ME | United States | Posted: 10:05 AM on 09.02.09 |
->> Can't wait to get my D300S.
I've been using the Rode Stereo VideoMic on my HV30 for about a year now and it's a great little mic. I plan on using it for the D300s. Has a hotshoe mount and comes with a shock mount as well. Really great little mic for the price. You can also try their shot-gun version. |
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Joseph D. Sullivan, Photographer
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Long Island | NY | USA | Posted: 10:44 AM on 09.02.09 |
->> Shane,
Since I'm still with Canon, I recently purchased the 5D mkII. Someone helped me set it up and the HD videos are amazing. I bought the Rode Videomic for it. I think it's monaural and not stereo but for what I use it for, it doesn't matter. It's hot shoe mounted but has a strange shock absorbing system as part of its structure. Fitted with a sound muff, it works quite well.
Give us a ring stranger. |
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Robert Beck, Photographer
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Carlsbad | CA | USA | Posted: 11:32 AM on 09.02.09 |
| ->> I was under the impression that the user could not use the autofocus function when the camera was in video mode. Am I wrong? |
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David Manning, Photographer
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Athens | GA | | Posted: 11:40 AM on 09.02.09 |
| ->> A friend of mine also uses the Rode Stereo mic on his 5Dmk2. Works fantastic. |
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Debra L Rothenberg, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 12:32 PM on 09.02.09 |
->> other than having video, is the D300s "better" than the 300?
how so in your opinion |
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Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 12:52 PM on 09.02.09 |
->> Is the auto focus function better than the AF in the "Live View" on the rest of the Nikon line ?
I was really excited when I heard it was going to have AF, but having tried to use live view AF I found it next to useless because its so slow. It can take 10 or 15 seconds to lock onto a static subjects sometimes. If its the same implementation I can't see it as being very useful.
Panasonic GH1 on the other hand has an amazing AF ability use the same contrast detection technology so its certainly doable.
I know pro videographers prefer MF most of the time but they have camera systems with very smooth focus and zoom rings, not to mention years of experience.
For me as a video novice, I really find AF to very valuable tool. Its just very hard to track and focus on moving subjects using a DSLR for video and the very thin DOF makes its even harder. I found most of my clips I've tried to always have the focus off and be rather useless.
I'm crazily enough having my best video results for a little pocket camera I bought, the panasonic ZS-3. It not only allows AF but also has a smooth electronic zoom while shooting and does a pretty nice 720p video. Nice stereo mics as well.
Certainly not the best by any means, but given my clips actually are in focus its the best tool for me still lol. |
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Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 1:59 PM on 09.02.09 |
| ->> Hey Joe can you send me a Link to that Mike if you get a chance |
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Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 2:03 PM on 09.02.09 |
->> Debra,
I just know that there are a lot of features that have changes between the two bodies. Video of course is the big one. I just got it yesterday and the video is what made me get it. Other changes that I liked were the controls on the back have changes and are more in line with the D700. Auto focus has been upgraded and seems a little faster and the 7fps as opposed to the 6 on the 300.
If the D300 is working for you and you do not need video, the D300 is great. Just remember the D300 is already 2 years old and the D300s does have improved technology.
Shane |
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Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 2:05 PM on 09.02.09 |
->> Rob,
You can use autofocus in video mode and it works pretty good the only problem is the mic pics up the lens focusing and you can hear it.
Shane |
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Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 2:08 PM on 09.02.09 |
->> Jeff,
The auto focus is pretty good and if you have to manually focus the Nikkor lens is pretty smooth and fast. It does take a little getting used but with practice and an external mic you can produce some amazing things with this camera. |
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Joseph D. Sullivan, Photographer
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Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 3:44 PM on 09.02.09 |
| ->> Thanks Joe |
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Mark Loundy, Photo Editor
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 3:59 PM on 09.02.09 |
->> Jeff,
Most prosumer video cameras have servo-manual focus. That is to say that they have terrible manual focusing systems. Only at the higher-end is there good-quality mechanical focusing.
The reason that videographers prefer manual focus is to avoid auto-focus hunting, or even worse, focusing on the wrong subject, during a shot.
I usually shoot on manual but use the momentary autofocus button to acquire initial focus.
Manual follow focus for moving subjects is an acquired skill. Unlike DSLRs, the view through a video camera is through the stopped-down iris.
--Mark |
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Grant Blankenship, Photographer
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Macon | GA | USA | Posted: 10:49 AM on 09.03.09 |
->> Shane,
Talk a little bit more about the switch to and from still to video via the controls. Are we talking about a second for the camera to flip around from one to the other? A fraction of a second? If you were shooting a hunk of breaking news and being expected to come back with a little video, some stills, etc., would this thing be able to keep up with the speed of your mind as you made the decision to move from one medium to another? |
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Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 5:12 PM on 09.03.09 |
->> Grant,
Super quick, All you have to do is hit the LV (live View) button located on the back of the camera and push the center of the wheel and you are recording, hit the LV button again and you are snapping photos it is that quick.
Play back is just as quick.
Shane |
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Danny Gawlowski, Photographer
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Bellingham | WA | USA | Posted: 6:22 PM on 09.03.09 |
| ->> Thanks for posting, Shane. It's good to hear your first impressions. |
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Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 11:55 AM on 10.19.09 |
->> some hang gliding video with the D300s on youtube. Decent enough walk thru of the process about how it was done.
http://tinyurl.com/yjkk3qv |
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Jamey Price, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Charlotte | NC | USA | Posted: 12:29 PM on 01.10.10 |
->> "Super quick, All you have to do is hit the LV (live View) button located on the back of the camera and push the center of the wheel and you are recording, hit the LV button again and you are snapping photos it is that quick."
Its actually quicker then that. Just hit the shutter and youre taking photos. Great camera. |
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Matthew Bush, Photographer
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Hattiesburg | MS | USA | Posted: 1:34 PM on 01.10.10 |
| ->> What plug-in's are yall using to kill the jello effect ? |
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John J. Kim, Photographer
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chicago | il | usa | Posted: 2:22 PM on 01.10.10 |
->> i did a fair amount of reading up on both the d300s and the canon 7d, as i was going to buy one or the other.
long story short, i chose not to buy a d300s for these reasons:
the d300s has a noticeable jello effect (rolling shutter) issue because the sensor isn't quick enough to capture all those pixels. if you even pan somewhat slowly on a horizon/landscape, it distorts objects within the lcd (buildings become leaning towers of pisa). read up on it by typing "rolling shutter d300s." if you plan to do anything sports-related, video-wise with this camera, forget about it; unless you're shooting soccer from, like, 100 yards away and don't have to move the lens too often.
second, why in the world does it only do 720p, when the chip's sensor for stills is shooting, like, 12 or 13 megapixels? sure, it's not absolutely necessary to have 1080p for what news photographers do, but it's not that difficult for the camera gizmo scientist-engineers to make a 1080p chip, is it? why dole out a 720p, then a 1080p (in the future, i'm sure) camera? just for marketing purpose? we don't really need 13 to 18 megapixels for a still image for most of what we do, but can you imagine going back to a 4 or 5, or even 8 mp file size camera today? if not, why put in a 720p video capability when you know they already have the 1080p capability?
third, there is a fair amount of noise in the dark areas when shooting in low light - lots of noticeable grain in the darker areas of the frame.
fourth (this is as much a problem with the canon 7d as it is with the d300s), the supposed auto-focus is pretty much useless. that is, the concept of continuous focus, like in shooting still pictures, does not exist yet in a dslr. it would be nice if future generation cameras do offer it; but in truth, you'll be impressed at how well you can re-learn to manual focus - especially considering that video focusing is much much more forgiving that stills focusing.
what is disappointing is that so many folks are rushing out to use the d300s for its video capabilities (the camera's stills capabilities are just about the same as the d300). truth is, in one year, it will introduce a camera with the same chassis but with 1080p, little/no rolling shutter problem, and there will be better audio options, and much more..
maybe i'm just disappointed in nikon for shafting the consumer again with all this marketing/word-of-mouth advertising for a product that is kind of sucky, but they could have made the video functions so much better than what is currently available on its products.
john
post script - regarding the external mic, i hear the sennheiser mke 400 (around $190-200) does a really good job on dslr's. |
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