Now I may know very little about Video, but when you are talking about a display medium (in this case a HDTV) that displays a maximum of 2MP (1920×1080) I don’t see how a larger sensor is an advantage? And the D90’s output is only 720p anyway, which is roughly 1MP (1280×720). I won’t deny that interchangeable optics isn’t interesting.

The professional Video cameras are much more expensive because of the extensive adjustability of settings that they have, there ability to be time synced with multiple cameras to allow for editing from multiple sources and that they have 3 imaging sensors instead of just one.

By the way, I was at a B&H demo recently where Canon was presenting its professional level DSLR and Video line. The name escapes me right now, but they mentioned that there is a major motion picture being shot currently where the Vixia consumer level HD camera was the main camera being used for shooting with Professional Level camcorders being used for back up and specialty shots. Its small size gives the film makers options that they couldn’t get with the larger cameras.

I for one hope Canon never adds video to their DSLR’s. All that will do from my perspective is add more clutter to already complex menu’s and just add a level of complexity that will give more opportunities for something to go wrong with the camera. And again my feeling is it is like using a hammer to pound in a screw (Or a D3 to pound in a nail if you have seen the D3 torture tests on YouTube). It will probably work, but it isn’t the optimal tool for getting the job done.

on another note, i think that it’s always nice to have a video feature on a camera to catch quick moments in time that you wouldn’t have had otherwise (especially as a parent of a baby!). most people own a camera and not a camcorder so the only way they catch those precious moments is with video clips on their camera.

Anyway, I read your blog everyday Scott, Love it! Keep up the good work.

It was great checking out all the new technology at the Photoshop World Expo 2008….

The manual focus on the video feature for the D90 makes sense. On an SLR, the mirror usually needs to be down for the autofocus to work. That is why of your D300 in Live View the mirror briefly flips down to allow for the autofocus system to lock focus before you take the picture.

Yes, DSLR’s with live view also have the ability to focus directly off of the sensor as well, but this is usually very slow in comparison to the dedicated autofocus system.

I know that everyone got all excited about the video feature on the D90, but in my opinion, it is like a Swiss Army Knife. While it is handy to have all of those tools in one package, not one of those tools does the job well enough. A chef wouldn’t use a SAK in his kitchen, and electrician, carpenter or a home builder wouldn’t use the SAK’s wire cutter or saw or screwdriver in their profession, so I am not sure why Nikon or DSLR users in general felt the need to have video on a prosumer level DSLR.

The DSLR isn’t design for video and to bastardize it doesn’t make all that much sense. I am pretty sure Scriv won’t be taping PSUTV using a D90 anytime soon; he will use a tool for professional video.

And there are cameras out there like the Canon G9 that do a pretty good job of taking Raw Stills (12MP) and a decent job on HD Video. Personally though I still like the photos I get from my 20D (8MP) better than the G9’s and if I needed good video, I would probably look to something more like Canon’s Vixia line of Camcorders.

One of the jobs of a professional is knowing the right tool to use for a given task and that is no different for a Photographer than it is for a Doctor or a Chef or a Craftsman.