Great Digital Cameras for Movie Making
Video has come of age in digital cameras. Here are five cameras that give you the best movie-making options. Plus: Handy tips for shooting video on your camera.David English
Both digital cameras and digital camcorders have their strong points, but it isn't practical for most of us to lug around two devices. Fortunately, most digital cameras combine these two functions. If capturing photos is your main objective, you could purchase a digital camera that records both photos and video clips. While the video won't look as good as the video from a dedicated camcorder, the quality may surprise you. This often-overlooked feature has improved to the point where it's more than adequate for e-mail attachments, Web downloads, and camera-to-TV viewings. And most digital cameras with video options also offer sound.
These days, you'll find some form of this video feature in most digital cameras that range in price from about $250 to $1000. Digital cameras that cost less than $250 usually come with a limited set of features and lack the video option. Manufacturers typically target the single-lens reflex (or SLR) models at professionals, or "prosumers," who are simply not interested in video--unless it's at least camcorder quality.
In this story, we highlight the important things you need to consider if you're interested in using the video capabilities of a digital camera. We point to product examples from PC World's Top 10 Digital Cameras (Point and Shoot) and Top 10 Digital Cameras (Advanced).
Already own a digital camera? We also provide some advice on how to make the most of the camera you use so you'll end up with the best possible footage.
Shopping for Screen Gems
While you're looking around at the various brands, you need to keep several factors in mind: Resolution, frame rates, and compression (the biggie).
Most video-compatible digital cameras support a 320 by 240 video resolution, though an increasing number of newer ones support 640 by 480. When you consider that the popular miniDV camcorders, such as the Canon ZR80 and the JVC GR-D70US, sport a resolution of 720 by 480, you can see that some digital cameras are approaching the pixel resolution of the camcorders.
Frame rate is another important consideration. A camera that supports a resolution of 640 by 480 at 30 frames per second would compare favorably with a typical camcorder (although the digital-camera movie quality still won't match that of a dedicated camcorder). If you go with a camera that offers 15 fps, you may see some jerkiness, especially with fast-moving scenes--say, if you're filming your friend sprinting to the finish line during a race. Drop the frame rate to 8 fps, and the result will be jerky all the time. Expect to see a wide range of frame rates with different cameras.
A third factor is the level of compression. A superior resolution and frame rate won't help much if the video is so heavily compressed that you can't recognize the people you've filmed. All manufacturers compress the video to fit more onto a flash memory card. Unfortunately, compression quality is often difficult to determine from a product brochure or specifications sheet. So if you can, before you buy, visit a retail store and play around with the video capabilities--or ask a salesperson to explain what you're getting.
Other Nifty Options
Which video features should you look for in a digital camera? Some cameras, such as the Minolta DiMage A1, provide an anti-shake feature that helps steady your shots. Expect to dig deep into the manual or online specifications to determine how the video modes operate and which features are associated with their use. For example, with the $650 Olympus C-5060 Wide Zoom, the zoom and focus controls cannot be adjusted during video shots. This is true of almost all digital cameras, although some will let you set the aperture. Remember also that if you're shooting video inside at night, say, you usually can't use your digital camera's flash.
Camera manufacturers have steadily improved the quality and resolution of the video, in part because memory cards are becoming less expensive. This makes it more feasible to store large video files (although these larger files are not suitable for e-mailing). While some cameras limit the length of the video clips, a growing number let you save clips as large as the storage media can hold. When shopping, look for cameras that support more than one video resolution, as you'll find that high-quality video can quickly fill up a memory card. The $700 Fujifilm FinePix S7000, for example, can save only 55 seconds of 640 by 480 video (at 30 fps) or 109 seconds of 320 by 240 video (at 30 fps) to the 16MB card that ships with the camera.
Check out our following selection of five models that offer one or more exceptional video-related features. None of the five can compare with a moderately priced camcorder, but they all have features that could be very useful when you don't have a camcorder with you--or don't own one.
Minolta DiMage A1
Many digital cameras lock out the zoom when you're shooting a video clip. But not the $900 Minolta DiMage A1. Its 7X optical zoom lens is fully functional when shooting videos. This model also sports an unusual night-movie mode. The night movies are rendered in black and white, but you're able to record scenes in extremely low-light environments.
The A1's menus offer a generous selection of settings, including exposure compensation, contrast compensation, color-saturation compensation, and white balance. You'll also have access to the camera's built-in effects, which can add a color tint to your video. When you combine the filters with the night-movie mode, you can give the black-and-white tones a surreal quality.
Almost every consumer camcorder has a built-in image-stabilization feature that reduces camera shake. This is especially helpful when shooting distant objects with a zoom lens. The DiMage A1 is one of the few digital cameras that provide a similar anti-shake technology for its photos, and you can apply it to the camera's video recordings. If you like to record video in stadiums or auditoriums where you're positioned far away from your subject, this could be a make-or-break feature. Why? Because images tend to shake most when you're shooting using an extreme telephoto setting.
Finally, while the maximum resolution for video capture is 320 by 420, this camera has a special 640 by 480 time-lapse mode. Using the interval feature, you can capture a series of still images at regular intervals and combine the images into a time-lapse movie that plays back at 4 fps. You might speed up the blossoming of a flower, traffic at an intersection, or clouds moving across the horizon.
See PC World's full review of the Minolta DiMage A1.
Fujifilm FinePix S7000
For a true 640 by 480 video-capture mode, you might turn to the Fujifilm FinePix S7000. It offers both 640 by 480 and 320 by 240 resolutions for its video recordings, and the size of the video clips is limited only by the size of your memory card. This camera has two memory slots: one for an XD-Picture Card and another for a CompactFlash card. With two slots, you can have plenty of onboard storage available for both photos and video clips.
The S7000's CompactFlash slot can also accommodate a Microdrive card (not all CompactFlash slots can). Most digital cameras have a Type I slot, which isn't large enough for a Microdrive. Microdrives, which require a Type II slot, are miniature hard drives that are available in 340MB, 500MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB sizes. The S7000 can save more than an hour of 640-by-480-resolution video at 30 fps, or more than 2 hours of 320 by 240 video at 30 fps, to a single 4GB Microdrive. For a 340MB Microdrive, that works out to approximately 5 minutes of 640 by 480 video or 10 minutes of 320 by 240 video, both at 30 fps.
This camera's 6X zoom lens could be useful when shooting video from a distance. Unfortunately, the zoom controls aren't available while recording video, so you'll have to adjust the zoom before filming. For point-and-shoot fans, that could make the zoom one less thing to worry about. For video enthusiasts, it could be a source of frustration because they can't zoom in and out while shooting.
See PC World's full review of the Fujifilm FinePix S7000.
Nikon Coolpix 8700
If you're intrigued by the creative possibilities of time-lapse photography, take a look at the new $1000 Nikon Coolpix 8700.
The 8700's video modes are TV movie (640 by 480 at 30 fps), small movie (320 by 240 at 15 fps), and sepia movie (320 by 240 at 5 fps). All the 640 by 480 modes are limited to 35 seconds, while the 320 by 240 modes are limited to 180 seconds. The time limits are particularly disappointing with this camera because it has a Type II CompactFlash slot that's compatible with Microdrives. Most digital cameras are limited to flash memory, which means you can store only a small amount of high-quality video; this camera has the storage system to handle lengthy video files, but the camera can't record them.
The Coolpix 8700 also has a time-lapse movie mode that captures a series of still images at intervals from 30 seconds to 60 minutes. The camera then automatically converts those images to a 640-by-480-resolution QuickTime movie at 30 fps.
While Nikon has lagged behind other manufacturers in adding video features to its digital cameras, the Coolpix 8700 shows that the company may be catching up. Except for the limitations on the length of the video clips, this camera is well-equipped for experiments in time-lapse photography.
For more news about the Nikon Coolpix 8700, see "Nikon Readies New Digicams."
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P10
The $400 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P10 lets you edit your video clips while they're still in the camera. You can record 640 by 480 video clips, and if you're not happy with the beginning or end of a shot, you can use the built-in menu system to remove the segments you don't want. This feature could be helpful to clear space in your camera's Memory Stick media card when it's nearly full.
The editing process is fairly simple. Preview the clip on the camera's built-in LCD screen, use the playback controls to locate the precise frame for splitting the clip into two distinct segments, and then delete the undesired segment. Keep in mind you can't restore a video segment once it's deleted. You can delete any segment you like; you just have to split each section to be deleted into a separate clip and then delete that clip.
The DSC-P10 also has a 160-by-122-resolution, 8-fps mode designed specifically for e-mail attachments. If you have a dial-up Internet connection or the recipient has limited storage space for e-mail messages, you may find this low-resolution mode much more convenient than the typical 320 by 240 resolution. Roughly speaking, the 160-by-122-resolution clips will be about one quarter the file size of 320-by-240-resolution clips.
See PC World's full review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P10.
Kodak EasyShare CX7430
You don't have to spend a lot of money on a digital camera to get video capabilities. The Kodak EasyShare CX7430 sells for around $280, yet it has the ability to record 640 by 480 video at 13 fps and 320 by 240 video at 20 fps. And unlike cameras that cap the length of their video clips, the CX7430 can save clips that are limited only by the size of its Secure Digital card.
The CX7430 earns its EasyShare moniker through its ability to associate video clips with specific e-mail addresses. The PC-based EasyShare software lets you copy 32 e-mail addresses to the camera's internal memory. After capturing a video clip, you can press the camera's Share button and tag an e-mail address to the clip. When you transfer the clips to your computer, you'll have the option to immediately send your video clips to their intended destinations.
See PC World's full review of the Kodak EasyShare CX7430.
Tips on Clips
You've purchased a digital camera with video capabilities. Now what do you do? You need to know how to make the most of your camera's video limitations. Here are some tips that might help.
The resolution and image clarity of your camera's video clips are not up to camcorder standards, so try to refrain from using a lot of distant or fast-moving shots. In motion shots, for example, frame rates cause the most problems. Make sure you scale your shots to suit the destination screen for the video clips, whether it's your computer monitor or your television. Don't assume that because you can see the image clearly in the camera's viewfinder or LCD screen, it will be as clearly visible on a larger screen. It won't, thanks to the compression necessary to fit the video onto a flash card.
If your camera caps the length of its video clips (or storage space is limited), wait until the action begins before you start recording it. You'll need to make every second count, so try to get at the essence of the shot in terms of your subject's personality or movement.
Be aware that people may freeze when they see a digital camera, because they assume you're about to take a photo. You may have to explain that you're shooting video and encourage them to move about. On the other hand, if you're recording candid clips, you may find that a digital camera is less intimidating than a camcorder.
Consider how you'll use your video clips and set the resolution accordingly. If you'll be sending the clips to your family or friends by e-mail, choose a lower resolution to keep the files to a manageable size. If you send 5MB or 10MB video clips, they may clog up your recipients' mailboxes, or they may be kicked back to you for being too large. Of course, if you select a very low resolution, remember that viewers will end up looking at a postage stamp-size video on screen.
Finally, think about buying an additional memory card for your camera to be used exclusively for video. That way you'll have enough storage space for both your photos and video clips.