Things have been quiet on the blog but not so much in the JLP offices as I’ve been bouncing back and forth between FL and NYC, trying to stay sane between the +/- 50 degree temperature changes between the two HQs. The new year has already brought some fun (and very challenging) commercial and editorial shoots. Right now I’m getting things planned for an upcoming shooting trip that I’m excited about mostly because I’m going to be attempting some motion work which like everyone else I’ve been thinking a whole lot about over the past several months.

Dipping your toes into video isn’t that expensive these days for most of us (because of course the Nikon and Canon DLSRs utilize the same lenses) but operating on any sort of legit production value level can certainly get out of control and up to your neck in pricey accessories in an instant. I’ve decided to start small and try to build from there depending on specific projects and what I want to say with motion. And that last bit there has been why it’s taken me so long to engage in video… I don’t really want to be involved unless I have something to say with it. Seems silly to mention, but I wonder how much of the 2nd generation (I remember the initial newspaper platypus/multimedia “revolution talk” 10 years ago) video buzz is actually connecting on that line.

The only thing I’m sure about regarding video is that I’m definitely going to make a lot of mistakes before I learn my unique way, so I’m going to over share on the blog in an effort to perhaps help others climbing the same hill. I welcome any ideas and feedback into my initial video gear in the comments below.

So to begin (on what is the really boring shit) here is my recent Amazon/B&H shopping cart carnage: Canon 7D body, extra batteries, a couple more of the badass SanDisk Extreme 32GB CF UDMA cards, Hoodman 3.0 loupe w/ strap thing, Manfrotto 701HDV fluid head, Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 CF trip legs, and finally a Tamron 17-50/2.8 APS-C lens.

Some notes about above: obviously the kit is missing audio and post production… I already own an Edirol R-09 recorder and Sennheiser ME66/K6 shotgun mic set-up and don’t plan on doing any interview type stuff at all right now or I would probably invest in a wireless lav system; and I already own most of the video editing software I plan on using. Also I don’t plan initially on doing handheld/follow video type stuff or I would (gulp) consider something like the Merlin or Redrock Micro… enter thoughts of the coyote stepping off the cliff just before he notices there is nothing but air underneath.

Now, the 7D… honestly I don’t like any of the current DSLR choices for my work but the 7D won my purchase because of potential resale (at least in 2010) and because of timing (my upcoming trip will begin before the XTi is released). I read a lot of reviews (the blog ProLost is a fantastic resource that I used at length though I still don’t understand more than about 30%) and because the 5DM2 still doesn’t have 50/60 fps shooting option (which plays heavy into my ideas about what I want to do with motion) I think the 7D is the right choice for me, even though I’m definitely not psyched about using a non-full frame sensor (for the first time in 4+ years).

I bought the Tamron lens because I was going to need something super wide due to the 1.6x conversion (I went 3rd party because the Canon 17-55/2.8 is not well reviewed, very similar, and more than x2 as expensive – plus the slow focus of the Tamron means nothing if I’m shooting video because its all manual). For me, and probably everyone else, the best DSLR is the one that Canon hasn’t announced yet… one that will both be a back-up or replacement to my 1DsM3, eg. full-frame, and with more robust and distinct video features (the 7D has a full-time record button, which is a start).

The DLSR video accessory marketplace is obviously evolving so fast that buying anything is sort of tough because its going to be replaced with something likely to be a whole lot better/cheaper in a matter of months. I found 3 price points in a variety of accessories: $40-$80 for something that simply won’t work or is insanely fragile, $100-$150 for something that will do the job 60-80%, and then $750-$1200 for the real pro solution which immediately makes you think about rental until someone else is paying the bills.

So I hope some of my thinking about my initial video kit helps. I’ll definitely share what else I pick up and how all of it works for my initial projects. Next time I’m going to talk about some of my early inspiration in motion that has me excited about trying to figure out my own style in video. Lastly I want to say hi to some new visitors who might be checking out the blog after a little write up in AdBase today.