Don’t mess around with cheap card readers! Spend the 25 bucks and get a good one that with last you a while and keep your data safe.

Lexar Card Reader

Quicktime File: Episode 26: Get a Proper Card Reader

Stop talking and make a film…

I had the great pleasure of speaking with director Ken Simpson and DP Alex Dacev, two filmmakers from Canada. In the podcast we discuss filmmaking, using the 5D for narrative film, tools, post production, and tips on starting in filmmaking.

Click here for the audio only version.

Films:

Links:

• View Point Film Challenge
• Alex Jordan Producer

Production Stills:

A Simple solution to removing those nasty brown horizontal band lines from your DSLR video footage using Final Cut Pro’s 3 Way Color Corrector.

Excuse my cold. I see this problem a lot online in forum posts, Vimeo videos, and even Jem Schofield runs into it. While the best way to deal with it is not to shoot under older florescence lights, there is a way to fix previously capture footage.

UPDATE: on Vimeo Andrew James Sykes comments and reminds us:

“As long as you shoot around 50 for EU or 60 for US (or a divisible number of these) during lighting situations such as these you should be fine.”

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QuickTime File: DSLR Video Shooter Episode #006.

The HDSLR community is a rich one; there are hundreds of great guides out there to help us get more out of these cameras. Here are just 10. If you know of other noteworthy guides do share!

1. Which Video DSLR to Buy? By Philip Bloom

Over on Philip Bloom’s website, Phil breaks down each of the current HDSLRs and exploits pros and cons. This is a great guide for anyone looking to understand the differences. Phil has lived day in and day out with each of these cameras so no one is more qualified than he to compare them for us.

2. Picture Style: How Do You Choose? By Shane Hurlbut

Shane Hurlbut has for a while now been using HDSLRs for filmmaking and sharing info from his experience. This is a great little guide in which Shane shares some tips on fine-tuning your picture styles.

3. Color Correcting Canon 7D Footage By Stu Maschwitz

Color correction is a crucial step in production, and can be a little tricky when working with DSLR footage. In this guide Stu Maschwitz walks us through “massaging” footage and how to get the most out of the camera.

4. 180 Degree Shutter: Learn It, Live It, Love It By Tyler Ginter

Most DSLR users shooting video either come from a video background and don’t understand shutter degrees or come from photography and use the shutter speed at several different speeds. In this guide, Tyler clearly breaks down both what the 180 degree shutter rule is, and how to apply it to video and specifically HDSLRs. Excellent guide Tyler!

5. How to Increase the Canon 7D Dynamic Range By Luka

In this video tutorial Luka shows us a picture style for getting the most dynamic range out of the Canon 7D / 5DMkII for better grading in post.

6. Audio Options for Hybrid Cameras By P3Pictures

This is a very extensive comparison of several options for audio recording with HDSLR cameras. Jon Fairhurst tests each mic and recording option under several different situations and compares the outcomes. Definitely a guide to check out.

7. Making of “The Last 3 Minutes” By Hurlbut Visuals

Shane Hurlbut takes us through the making of the short “THE LAST THREE MINUTES” directed by Po Chan. In this series Shane shows us how he lit, shot, and composed each scene. This is an invaluable series for anyone interested in filmmaking and HDSLRs.

• Part 1: Behind the Scenes.
• Part 2: Janitor Scene.
• Part 3: Vietnam Scene.
• Part 4: Carnival Scene.

8. Syncing A/V Shot on a DSLR and Zoom Using FCP and Pluraleyes By Philip Bloom

Syncing separate sound in post can be a slow and annoying process. Pluraleyes from Singular Software does it all for you automatically. In this video Phil shows us just how easy it is to sync sound with the 5d.

9. Color Correction: Put Your Best Foot Forward By Shane Hurlbut

In this guide Shane breaks down color correction and camera settings for using HDSLRs for film. Be sure to check out the section on balancing camera color!

10. How to make video time lapse from DSLR stills By Philip Bloom

Since the HDSLRs are epic still cameras, why not capture images to create a time lapse? Phil shows us how.

Conclusion

There are several other great guides out there for HDSLR users and I would love to hear about them. So drop me a comment and I will be sure to add other guides to future posts. Thanks for reading and sharing!