The Cameras

We'll start off with the heart of any shoot...the cameras.  This video is going to be shot entirely on DSLR's since that's what the kids are into these days.  When I started getting into video more seriously, I began with a Canon HV20 and followed that with the HV30.  These were fantastic little cameras that served me well.  At the time it was virtually unheard of for cameras in that price range to offer 24p (even if did require pulldown during post production).  When I made the switch to DSLR's, there were immediately a lot of plusses as well as a few minuses along the way.  For one thing, audio was definitely not the DSLR's strong suit.  As countless people have commented on, Automatic Gain Control (AGC) was a huge burdon for anyone wanting clean, controllable audio.  Sure, there are plenty of work arounds, but nothing as simple as having clean, adjustable audio built in.  That being said, the picture that these cameras are capable of is very, very nice when shot correctly.

My first video DSLR was the Canon t2i.  Even though this camera was offered as the entry level video DSLR in the Canon family, it has still proven to be a formidable little piece of tech.  If you don't believe me, check out Film Riot's comparison of the t2i and the 5D Mark II (http://revision3.com/filmriot/t2ivs5d).  Obviously it just falls short of the 5D in most tests, but still does quite admirably for the price point.  The t2i served me well and saw me through several weddings and other events.  I knew at some point I would want something more but it was great for what it was.

With the release of the Panasonic GH2, the venerable GH1 came down in price enough to put it within reach.  What made it even more appealing were the great results people were getting from hacking the firmware.  With the increased bit rates and benefits like unlimited recording time (compared to the 9:00 minutes per clip of the Canon) this was going to be a great upgrade, so I pulled the trigger.

With the shoot approaching, I decided to pack both cameras and my trusty "Nifty Fifty" (Canon 50mm 1.8) and see which one performed better.  To get the lens to work on the panasonic, I ordered the Fotodiox EOS to Micro Four Thirds adapter.  For about $30, I was very pleased with the initial tests.  The only draw back was that the adapter disabled one of the GH1's biggest strong points...autofocus while shooting video.  This wasn't going to be too much of a concern since I had grown accustomed to manual focus from using the t2i, which has no autofocus during filming.  Another disadvantage with the GH1 is that it doubles the focal length of whatever lens you're using.  This means that my 50mm lens would be a 100mm lens when used on the GH1.  This could be a problem depending on the size of the room we would be shooting in.

My goal was to be able to use the GH1 as much as possible with the with the Canon coming along as a backup since that's the camera I have the most experience with.  As long as the crop factor wouldn't be too much of a hinderance, things should work out just fine.  What could go wrong?!  (I know...famous last words...)