DSLR HD - Latest Comments

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

videoreflex(.)org — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 07:31:15 -0000

Great video, I'll probably link to it in my next article.

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Adriel Brunson — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:42:15 -0000

Hi Esben,

My choice would be the RØDE Lavalier. At about $249 USD you can afford to take three of them with you - an extra mic when you're on location is always smart. The RØDE Lavalier sounds great and comes with a protective case and two types of weatherproof "furry" windscreens.

It uses something called the MiCon connector system. You'll need the MiCon 5 for an XLR connection with 48V phantom power. There are other types of MiCon connectors that screw into the lavalier cable. That means you can carry extra connectors and cables that fit both the Zoom and the 5D MKII.
The Zoom H4n will supply 48v phantom power for the RØDE. I haven't tested it to see how long you'll get on a set of batteries but that shouldn't be difficult for you to find out.

I'm sure the Sanken cos-11d will also work but my experience with RØDE mics is superb and I recommend them without reservation.

I always recommend that you get one and try it out in using the exact equipment you plan to use for your project. And I highly recommend bringing headphones or earbuds to check the output of the H4n's before recording. You don't want to guess about the quality of the audio.

I hope this helps, good luck with your project. I look forward to seeing your video on the web.
-a-

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

esbenpersson — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:26:29 -0000

Hi Adriel,

I have some questions, I can't seem to figure out on my own and I realize that you might be able to help me out. I' from Denmark and are going to Alaska in april to shoot a film within a period of 90 days. We are recording the film on a canon 5d mark ii, but have a hard time to figure out the right audio solution. We will have very long periods, where it will not be possible to get any real power supply, so we need to do the audio driven on 100 % battery supply (like AA or something alike). We will be shooting vocal from two persons and want to use lavalier mics for this purpose. We have 2 Zoom H4n recorders and wants to connect 2 lavs (XLR) into these, so we are able to record each vocal separately. The audio quality needs to be quite good. Most of the recordings will be made outdoor and there might be a lot of wind (and water?) - it needs to be quite robust.

So my questions is as follows:

* What lavalier mics will be the best for such conditions? (budget: aprox. 400 $ per mic)
* We thought about using 2 Sanken cos-11d mics, but I read that these runs on 48V phantom power. Can it be powered by using the two AA batteries it takes to run the Zoom H4n?
* In your opinion: what would be the best solution using two Zoom H4n?

I really hope you have the time to answer our questions - we will be very grateful.

Thank you!

Regards

Esben Persson

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Adriel Brunson — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:32:14 -0000

I like the way you think!

The reason the lav sounded clear from six feet is that is was on my chest. Mics are more sensitive to proximity than to where they are pointing (in most cases).

As for your sitations:

1) Lavs on actors are great but you need to listen carefully for clothing rustle or muffled sound if you hide the mic under their clothes.

2) Sound effects with a lav (especially in a 'pickle') will work fine. Most lavs are omnidirectional and that can be useful for sound effects as you get more of the whole sound. But sometimes you just want part of the sound and for that a directional mic is more useful. I think you'll want at least of omni and one directional mic in your kit.

3) I've clipped a lav on a fixed boom when I had to shoot a small group of people and wanted a second mic in addition to a shotgun. You will pick up more ambient noise with an omni lav in most cases but you never know - it may be a mix of the two mics will work best in post.

4) You could use the audio from a lav in post without much tinkering if it's recorded very well. My goal is to record the audio as cleanly as possible so that I can easily tinker in post. It's kind of like shooting with a extra-flat camera profile so you have more to work with in color grading for post. Strong clean audio tracks give you the most options in post and that's always a good thing.

Thanks for stopping by - let me know how things go. I look forward to seeing your films on the web!
-a-

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Adriel Brunson — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:02:05 -0000

If you go through the Zoom you'll get two recordings of the audio - the Zoom and the T2i. If you just go through the Beachtek you'll only get the T2i and that camera does not have manual adjustment of the audio level or anyway to monitor the audio.

Two copies of the audio is the best and well worth the extra effort in my opinion. If you get a splitter cable you can also plug in a set of headphone to monitor the recording, also an excellent idea in my opinion.

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Eddie Bailey — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:08:29 -0000

Question: I want to know what the difference is between connecting a sennheiser 100 into the T2i and the beachtek vs connecting the sennheiser to the Zoom mic? Is one better than the other?

Re: Lenses

Adriel Brunson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:16:12 -0000

I enjoy the quality of both brands for the cost. Sometimes I miss the super smooth focus ring from a Canon L lens but mostly I set focus and leave it alone while shooting.

I'll check out the Sigma 30mm. As you said, that could be a very useful length for a crop sensor camera.

Thanks for stopping by,
-a-

Re: Lenses

Fraser_firstpremiervideo — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:20:59 -0000

Good info, thanks. I'm thinking about getting the Tokina at some point. I use the Sigma 30mm 1.4 most often. Its a good option for crop sensor cameras like the 7D and is relatively inexpensive.

Re: Panasonic GH2 vs Canon 60D

Verena Faden — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:53:38 -0000

I've read and seen so many test videos and I can't decide which DSLR to
buy. I record a lot of events and seeing as how everyone has a 7d here,
it makes it hard to judge. I know this much. I can't always afford to
do 2 or 3 camera shoots for events or low paying clients. The camera
shutting off after 12 mins. could cause a pretty big issue during a
speech. I have used the 7d and I like it. I think it will be difficult
to stay in focus during moving shots. As far as the GH2 I've seen some
beautiful looking video and some that doesn't look as visually
appealing as 7d footage. I'm nervous about not being able to shoot in 25p mode. Good sound, being able to control focus
easily, professional cinematic looking images is important to me. Any input would help.

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

bubblez_nk — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:32:18 -0000

EDIT: Sorry, double post.

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

bubblez_nk — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:30:22 -0000

Thanks for the video! I'm planning on making my first short films as soon as I can get the audio part figured out. People don't value good audio enough!

Would you mind if I picked your brain a bit?

I was surprised to see you could use the lav MIC from 6 feat away and had none of that horrible room echo like the shotgun did at the same distance. It sounded amazing, which made me think: Is there any reason why a Lav Mic couldn't be used as a primary MIC for making short films? More specifically, would it work in the following situations:

1) Sticking to actors body underneath a shirt for Dialogue and other ambient sounds? Especially for scenes or sequences with just the one actor.

2) Picking up sound separately for effects/foley in post, whether used with an external recorder like the Zoom or even and Iphone/ipod if in a pickle. Or, maybe even just plugged straight into the camera? I have a 600D/T3i, so I have manual gain control.

3) Used as a primary MIC on a boom, I assume it picks up enough ambient noise and what not?

4) Because of the lack of horrible echoing, if recording a short film or scene indoors, could you use the audio wild (as is) without much post tinkering on it like Foley or ADR? (outdoors might be a little too noisy!)

Thanks so much!

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Maayan Laufer — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:23:05 -0000

Awesome, thank you!

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Pedro Lopes — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:16:30 -0000

Thank you for the quick reply. The video will take me some time to make because I have to find some friends to be the actors, since I'm more of a behind the camera guy.

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Adriel Brunson — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:19:31 -0000

I'd recommend going with the Zoom H1 and a low cost lavalier instead of the Zoom H2. For the same money you'll have more options and you'll always keep the H1 even if you end up with something else.

Get a wired lavalier, plug it into the H1, set the levels, start it recording, lock it, and drop it in your talents pocket. If two people are talking get a small table top tripod and get the H1 as close to the dialog as possible.I look forward to seeing your videos on the web! -a-

Re: DSLR Audio – Lavalier vs Shotgun Microphone

Pedro Lopes — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:21:45 -0000

I have a Canon t2i and I wanted to get a microphone but I'm on a budget, how well would the Zoom H2 preform in recording movies, nothing fancy, it's mostly talk

Re: DSLR Video Buyer’s Guide Updated, now on Kindle!

Adriel Brunson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:31:49 -0000

Ian,
I've put a redirect in to make sure you get to the right place http://dslrhd.com/equipment/

Thanks, again, for the heads up.
-a-

Re: DSLR Video Buyer’s Guide Updated, now on Kindle!

Adriel Brunson — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:29:12 -0000

Thanks, Ian. I'll correct that and let you know.

Re: Head-To-Head Review: Canon T3i Vs. Nikon D5100 | TechCrunch

florence22 — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:53:52 -0000

These are both great cameras, especially for the price. I nearly bought the D5100 but then realised it didn't have an auto focus motor so 'had to' plump for the D7000 which is a lovely bit of kit, though I would have liked the tilt and swivel screen of the D5100.

Re: Panasonic GH1 Hack – Stunning Video

5dhdvideo — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:49:38 -0000

There is only one process for hacking a GH1 that I'm aware of and that's via Vitaliy Kiselev's ptools. What's the other process you know of? Yes, it is possible to revert back to the original firmware, However, if for whatever reason you mess up and brick the camera, well.....kiss the reverting option goodbye. In fact, kiss the camera goodbye as Panasonic will NOT warranty an unauthorized firmware attempt, in this case.

Re: Panasonic GH1 Hack – Stunning Video

Adriel Brunson — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:22:16 -0000

Depending on the camera and the process, it is possible to revert to the original firmware. If you have an issue with the hardware you can still maintain the warranty.

Re: Junk Your Canon T2i/550D For A 60D?

Adriel Brunson — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:20:35 -0000

All Canon DSLR's use a file system with a limit of 4Gb per file. That ends up being about 12 minutes of 1080p video. Drop the resolution of the video to 720p and you'll get between 25 and 29 minutes of video per clip.

Regular video camcorders that have the same file size limitation create a series of video files that are joined into the original clip length when you use Log and Transfer in FCP. But DSLRs just stop recording at 4GB.

You can use two cameras and stagger their start times then manually stop and restart so you always have one camera recording. Yes, that's pretty messy and it's easy to screw it up.

If you regularly shoot longer clips you'll need to use a regular camcorder. The new camcorders from Sony, Canon and Panasonic with DSLR sized sensors can all record continuous video to fill the size of your SDHC card.

Hope this helps!
-a-

Re: Junk Your Canon T2i/550D For A 60D?

tjk545 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:59:06 -0000

How do you address the issue of the 60d auto shut off during movie recording after about 12 minutes? I've searched the manual for awhile and have not yet found an explanation so I started to google it and came across your site. Also I just bought my son a T3i. How does that compare? Thank you

Re: Panasonic GH1 Hack – Stunning Video

5dhdvideo — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:53:49 -0000

"While the changes to the camera may not be easy for everyone they are programming changes and do not violate the warranty."

Yeah whatever, just try sending a bricked camera into Panasonic with an unauthorized firm ware. It will absolutely, positively ,void your warranty. What would make you think it wouldn't?

Re: Equipment

Adriel Brunson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:00:20 -0000

Thank you Andreas, I've reinstalled everything and it seems to be working again.
-a-

Re: Equipment

Andreas Fuchs — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:40:43 -0000

its not...