As the title suggests, the kind people at Nikon gave Videomaker a chance to speak with Matthew Libatique, the cinematographer for the award winning movies Black Swan and Iron Man, on the pros and cons of an HDSLR workflow. Matthew recently finished filming an entire commercial for Nikon using their newest D5100, so we figured he’d have an interesting insight into how much of a difference using an HDSLR makes over using his typical uber-expensive film gear.

Of course one of the first questions you have to ask someone who is used to having the best equipment that cinema has to offer, is why on earth they would use a camera like the D5100. Obviously, Nikon wanted to prove the camera’s ability to be used by Hollywood-grade cinematographers, but that still doesn’t explain why someone like Matthew Libatique would go through the headache of having to build an entirely new workflow just to prove filming with the 5100 could be done. “Well, I’ve always been a fan of Nikon,” Matt told us. “My father was a die-hard Nikon guy and so I grew up loving their products.” Then he quickly added, “I also accepted the project before I knew it would be on an HDSLR.” Though this explains a lot, the fact that Matt successfully made a professional commercial with an HDSLR camera does say a lot about how the industry has been changing.

As anyone who has shot on an HDSLR knows, getting a nice picture is no picnic. Matthew Libatique was no stranger to this on his shoot for Nikon. He mentioned that some of the biggest challenges he had when shooting on HDSLRs was how it handled motion and trying to get around moire. “I had to work around the fact that you can’t have certain patterns in the video or move the camera too fast,” he said. Also, he mentioned how it was tough to trust external monitors on the camera, “Exposure is definitely a big challenge. Without color bars, I stuck to referencing the monitor on the camera for exposure since I could never be sure about the external monitor.” Most importantly, he also found that due to the compression that HDSLRs are forced to put on the video there was, as he put it, “A lack of tonality in the image,” – something he rarely has to deal with when using high-end camcorders.

At the same time, there were many things about the camera that Matt really liked. “With these cameras you have a more cinematic depth of field,” he said. “I also like how if I get inspired, the camera is small and light enough that I can just go out and shoot.” Like many of us are already doing, Matt also mentioned how he plans to use HDSLRs for some short films and for capturing his daily life.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without asking Matt about his opinion the future of HDSLRs. “I think HDSLRs will see an advance in the way you hold them, will have more resolution, more ports, and definitely less compression. Right now the biggest issue is really processing.” Though we believe the body may take a while to change (except for an articulating screens), Matt makes a good point in hinting that HDSLRs need to improve on their compression. Who knows, with Hollywood-level cinematographers giving HDSLR companies suggestions on how to improve their cameras, we may see a lot of these issues go away in the future paving a way for cinematographers around the world to get a superb quality video at a great price.

As we’ve all noticed lately, the lines between the gear used in still and video shooting are becoming blurred, some still shooters are embracing video for the first time using DSLRs, and videographers are clicking away creating still images using that same camera they purchased for videography.

Now Canon, the makers of the first HDSLR that was embraced by many shooters on both side of the chasm, is sponsoring a still photo contest that video creators might find interesting. The winner of the contest gets to work with Academy Award winning director, Ron Howard, on a movie short inspired by that still image.

Canon just announced  the “Long Live Imagination” campaign with Ron Howard. People submit photos to www.youtube.com/imagination and winners will be selected to inspire a Hollywood short film directed by Ron Howard shot on a Canon DSLR  There will be eight photos selected form the collection of entries, and they will collectively be the inspiration for the movie short. The Short will be shot using Canon DSLR cameras and accessories, and there will be a Red Carpet premiere in New York where the winners will meet Ron Howard.

Entries for the contest will be accepted from May 22 to June 14th and there are eight movie themes to help you get your imagination and inspiration on: Setting, Time, Character, Mood, Relationship, Goal, Obstacle and the Unknown.

And if you want to be a better video shooter, learn from a still photographer. They have to capture a full story in just one frame – this contest allows you to practice both still and moving imaging skills.

Below is more information form Canon regarding the contest:

“I’m known as a narrative storyteller, so when Canon approached me to partner on the ‘Long Live Imagination’ campaign, I was moved by the opportunity to collaborate with the masses, tapping into consumers’ creativity and using their photos as building blocks to produce a film,” said Howard. “I hope the project stimulates people’s imaginations whether they are an amateur photographer, a world traveler or a proud parent, and I hope what we create is meaningful.”

A visually stunning television commercial that takes place within Ron Howard’s mind’s eye will begin airing May 22nd. The spot will promote the “Project Imagin8ion” contest and online community.

Throughout the promotion, Ron Howard, with the help of Canon experts with Project Imagin8ion and the community, will narrow down the submissions and select eight photos – one from each category. These eight winning photos will become the basis and inspiration for the short.

As part of the overall “Long Live Imagination” campaign, Canon will be curating the most inspiring photography out there, championing the imagination of the masses while demonstrating the infinite possibilities of Canon digital imaging. The customized Long Live Imagination brand channel on YouTube will serve as a meeting place and sharing community for Canon users and photography enthusiasts alike throughout 2011. The Imagination Gallery will be linked to other social media platforms including Flickr, Facebook and Twitter, so that users can easily share their photos, pose questions to the community and participate in real-time discussions. Though the gallery will launch as the home of Canon’s “Project Imagin8ion” initiative, the community page will live-on and continue to grow.

NAB is just around the corner and companies are gearing up to announce some of their most innovative products of the year. Of course, some companies get a bit itchy and can’t wait to share what’s in store. Such is the case with Nikon. Nikon got an early start by announcing their exciting new HDSLR, the D5100. The camera, which costs only $899.95 with an 18-55mm VR lens, can shoot in full 1080p HD at 30 and 24 frames per second, in 720p at 30 and 24 fps (sadly, no 60fps option), and in 640×424 at 24 fps. It also records to the ever popular H.264/MPEG-4 file format and has a 16.2 megapixel 23.6 x 15.6mm sensor for low noise and shallow depth of field recording. The camera has a slot for recording on SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards – which have become increasingly popular with cameras and camcorders alike due to their fast file transfers and inexpensive price.

One of the most exciting features of their new camera is the 3 inch articulating screen. With it, both high and low angle shots should be much easier to take and with the ability to rotate 180 degrees, the screen has a natural protection when placed up against the back of the camera. This puts Nikon in the same camp as Canon’s 60D and Sony’s Alpha, a trend which will hopefully only continue.  Much like the Sony Alpha cameras, the Nikon D5100 also has the ability to autofocus during shooting, making camera operation simple for those doing quick, run and gun style shots.

At the same time, Nikon has also announced their new Nikon ME-1 stereo microphone. This microphone comes with a low-cut filter to reduce wind noise and has a cable stop to hold the 3.5mm stereo mini-pin in place for noise reduction. This microphone comes as a response to many users complaints about loud autofocus and handling noise using previous cameras internal microphones.  The condenser microphone will be unidirectional, has a 60 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and is supplied power by the camera.

With the release of this camera, Nikon seems to be taking even bigger strides towards making a camera that fits almost every amateur and prosumer videographer’s needs. Though it still has a way to go, the improvements to their latest camera is encouraging. Here’s to hoping that the next release to the D3S has 1080p recording at 60 fps, a 50 Mb/s or 28 Mb/s AVCHD recording format, an XLR input, manual audio controls, and dual SD continuous shooting option. Of course that may never happen unless Nikon releases a camcorder but it never hurt to be optimistic!

A new clip-on LCD monitor from Sony gives HDSLR camera owners a bigger, better view of their footage while shooting HD video.

The CLM-V55 is a portable video monitor featuring a 800×480 5” LCD panel. Attaching easily to most Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras and compatible HD camcorders via the supplied adapter.

The clip-on screen tilts and swivels to any angle for comfortable framing in any position – even self-shooting when you’re in the picture.

The CLM-V55 is loaded with pro-style features to help photo enthusiasts and videographers shoot high-quality HD video footage with their Interchangeable Lens Digital camera. Pixel magnification mode assists with accurate focus confirmation, giving an enlarged pixel-perfect view of a selected portion of the Full HD image. It’s complemented by a color peaking function that highlights the edges of accurately-focused areas of the video image.

An intuitive control wheel allows quick, positive adjustment of a wide range of monitor settings without interrupting shooting. Adjustable parameters include aspect ratio (16:9/4:3), volume, brightness, contrast, color tone, color temp and auto dimmer. On-screen markers aid precise framing by giving precise indication of a TV’s 16:9 or 4:3 actual display area. The LCD monitor’s on-board mono speaker is complemented by a headphone jack for accurate audio monitoring during shooting.

The CLM-V55 can be used with a wide range of Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras by Sony and other manufacturers equipped with an HDMI jack and capable of live view shooting. The CLM-V55 is easy to attach to the cameras either via Auto-lock Accessory Shoe or Accessory Shoe of which shape is compliant with the ISO518. The supplied adapter simplifies mounting on any camera or HD camcorder that features an auto-lock accessory shoe or ISO shoe. Signal connection from camera to monitor is via the supplied HDMI cable, while power can be supplied using a battery pack or AC adapter (both optional). The CLM-V55 comes with a detachable LCD hood for more comfortable viewing when shooting outdoors in bright sunlight. Pricing has not been revealed yet.

Cinevate makes some great products especially for HDSLRs and the Pagasus is no exception. Check out the video they recently posted showing the Pegasus in action! Although, the video is tied around the Pegasus it has some great information and gives an inside look on shooting a commercial with all the gear.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A restless mind… or maybe too much late night pizza has you laying awake in bed. You decide that if you can’t sleep you might as well do something productive, so you fumble in the darkness for your iPad for one more round of Angry Birds. You power up and are instantly struck blind by a beam of light so bright that it burns “slide to unlock” into your retinas. You squint, roaches scatter, wife stirs, “Damn, that’s bright.”

Sound familiar? This happens to me too often. Eventually, it dawned on me that, given the right context, the iPad screen is actually pretty bright. I know that for a fact because I measured it with my light meter (1/60, f1.4 at ISO800 from about 1.5 feet). You know once the light meter has come out of the bag, there’s no going back. Naturally, we needed to do a photoshoot using iPads as the light source.

Luckily, I have friends who are very generous with their time and electronics and was able to scrounge up nine iPads. I mounted them onto plywood using some cheap hardware store brackets. This gave me three lights consisting of three iPads each. The light from an iPad is quite soft and diffuse. This makes the light fall-off steep. Adding more iPads didn’t translate to more brightness, but did mean we could light a larger area. Since the ‘Pads would need to be used somewhat close to the subject to get enough exposure, a simple, portrait style shoot seemed like the best option.

Now before the haters start commenting let me first agree with you, yes, this is totally impractical (sidenote: most of my best ideas are often also my worst ideas). Nine iPads will set you back around $4,500. That amount of money can buy you a LOT of lumens in the form of a generic monobloc. This is not intended to be an exercise in excess, but rather a self-imposed limitation to help flex the creative muscles, and to make a point.

Think about it. One 60 watt bulb can put out more light than a truckload of iPads. And you don’t have to spend truckloads of cash to find a 60 watt. This whole making art thing is all about what you do with what you have. We just happened to have a bunch of iPads laying around so we went with that. Today’s HDSLR sensors are sensitive enough that you could easily do this with some flashlights, headlights, headlamps, real lamps, or even – heaven forbid – real strobes! Now go forth and do!

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Jesse Rosten is a filmmaker and photographer currently based out of Northern California. He’s a fan of creativity in all its forms.