How to choose lenses for your first digital SLR system

Time to upgrade

You've had point and shoot cameras for maybe two or three years. You've read hours regarding the technical aspects of taking a picture, such as Exposure, Aperture, White Balance, ISO, etc. Your pictures have improved a lot, and you have started to pay more attention to the artistic aspects of taking a picture; capturing a precise moment in time, making stronger compositions, the importance of lighting for setting mood...and suddenly you realize you deserve an upgrade to a digital SLR.

I know about it, because I had to go through the same path. Having shot for something like three years with Canon point and shoot cameras (Powershot A70, Canon S2IS), I felt like it was time to go more serious. Using a point and shoot to learn the basics is nice, because you begin with a self contained photographic system. No need for one lens for wide angle, one lens for casual photography, one for tele, etc, etc. You just take pictures and that's it. No non-sense. Totally portable.

On the other hand, when pushed too far, you start to realize the limitations of such cameras: not very big maximum apertures (making difficult to take pictures in low light and almost impossible to get shallow depth of field at small focal lengths) low ISO settings (which means it's difficult to take sharp pictures with low light), they are pretty slow to react (hence making very difficult to take pictures of action in the right moment), etc. You won't notice these shortcomings at first, but after a while they become a limiting factor in your creative possibilities and this is when you need to go to the next level.

Buying a SLR may at first seem daunting, but with a few concepts and links to visit, you should be set.

What body to get

After a lot of researching, it was clear to me that going for a higher end body wasn't necessary. Currently available entry level bodies offer lots of features, are lightweight and won't cost and arm and a leg. Bodies are updated every couple of years, so why bother wasting extra money
on a piece of equipment that will get obsolete in no-time anyway?

Since all my imaging equipment is Canon (HV20, S2IS, Powershot A70) it was a no-brainer for me, I went Canon again. I know how they work, how they call different functions, etc. This way I maximize my technical knowledge and don't have to learn another nomenclature, menu system, etc. The less I have to *think* to take a picture, the better. Tools should stay out of the way of your creative flow.

As of the beginning of 2008, the entry level model for Canon Digital SLRs is Canon EOS400d (also called Rebel XTi). In this same league Nikon offers the 40d, Sony the A100 and Pentax the K100D. Any of them should be more than enough to begin with. Pick your choice, and start taking pictures.

What lenses to get

This is where the fun begins. A well thought set of lenses should last for the years to come, even if you upgrade the body. So, this is where the real investment will be. What lenses you buy will depend on your photographic interests.

Focal length and aperture
The first thing you will notice when doing the transition from point and shoots to SLRs is that no one ever talks of the amount of magnification of the lenses such as "10x", "12x", etc. You should think in terms of "focal length" instead. It doesn't make much sense to calculate the "x" of your system, so better forget about it. On a 35mm film camera, 50mm focal length is generally considered to be equivalent of what you see with the naked eyed. Anything shorter is considered wide angle, anything longer tele.

Lenses are identified by focal length and aperture. Let's see some examples.

• 28mm f/1.8
  28mm: This is a fixed focal length lens, at 28mm.
  f/1.8: This lens features a fixed maximum aperture of 1.8. Very good for low light conditions. Moderate wide angle.
  

• 55-250mm f/4-5.6
  55-250mm: This is a zoom lens (meaning it has variable focal length). The shortest focal length being 55mm, the longest 250mm.
  f/4-5.6: When the lens is at 55mm, the maximum aperture for this lens is 4.0. When at 250mm 5.6. Overall, quite a slow lens, not very good for low light conditions. Moderate tele.
  

Crop factor
One small caveat. Most digital SLRs (and certainly entry level ones) feature an image sensor that is smaller than a 35mm film strip, so the image generated by the optics is cropped (imagine that you physically cut the 35mm film with a scissor, so that you end up with a smaller piece of film, hence with a smaller part of the original image). How much this cropping is depends on the crop factor. On Canon's EOS 400d the crop factor is 1.6.

Focal lengths are always expressed related to 35mm film. So, In order to calculate the effective focal length for your camera, the formula is:

focal length * crop factor

So the 28mm lens in the example above used in a Canon EOS 400d becomes a 44.8 mm one. Don't forget about it.

EF, EF-S, USM, IS, L and other technical jargon (Canon cameras)

• EF stands for the connection featured on modern Canon lenses and cameras. This lens will work on all modern Canon SLR cameras.
  
• EF-S means a lens specifically designed for APS-C 1.6x crop factor cameras.
• USM means Ultra Sonic Motor. It means the lens focuses faster and with less audible noise.
• IS means image stabilization. Lenses with image stabilization allow you to take hand held pictures with longer exposure times without blur. Depending on the lens, you could expect gaining between 2 and 4 f-stops with IS.
• L means this is a luxury lens. Top-of-the-line. Expensive. Optically as good as it gets.

Putting it all together
So, let's suppose I wanted to get a EOS 400d system that is equivalent to my Canon S2IS. According to the specs, the S2 IS features a 36-432mm f/2.7-3.5 zoom equivalent to 35mm film cameras.

There are several ways to make such a system with a digital SLR. An example:

• 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom (with the crop factor it becomes a 28.8-88mm)
• 70-300mm f/4-5.6 telephoto zoom (with the crop factor it becomes a 112-480)

As you can see, this system almost covers the entire range, but leaves a "hole" in the 88mm-112mm range. Depending on whether this is acceptable or not one could live with the gap or get an extra lens that covers it. Another possibility:

• 17-85mm f/4-5.6 standard zoom (with the crop factor it becomes a 27.2-132mm)
• 70-300mm f/4-5.6 telephoto zoom (with the crop factor it becomes a 112-480)

This combination gets us closer to what we want. The two lenses overlap a bit, but that's Ok.

So far so good, theoretically. But ask yourself, would you want to haul around a bag full of heavy, expensive lenses just to cover all possible focal lengths? Or would you rather have a more portable system? Many folks opt for just one bread and butter lens for general walk around, such as a 17-85mm, which gives moderate wide angle and tele, and leave the more specialized ones at home.


Notice that both combination of lenses gives quite a slow system (the maximum aperture is f/4, not very fast), so it wouldn't be of much use for low light conditions. What most folks would do is just add a fast lens, such as a 28mm f/1.8. Another detail is that none of the mentioned lenses features a powerful wide angle, so that may be another point to take into account if you are into architecture or landscape photography.

As you can see, there are infinite options, but don't worry too much yet. Let yourself get accustomed to the new system, learn its possibilities and limitations and after that, pick the lenses that best serve your style.

+Info
Canon Lenses Reviews
Building a digital SLR system
Poll: Starter lens for Canon DSLR under $400 US
Canon lens recomendations
Why Is My 50mm Lens Equivalent to 80mm on a 35mm Camera and Why Is There More Depth-of-Field?

Canon HV20 CINE mode

(Note: all the info here is for PAL HV20E, for NTSC HV20, there are some slight differences, but the general idea remains the same)

I, like many who are making video on a budget, got a Canon HV20 not long ago. You know, it's THE camera to get in 2007, mostly due to its excellent image quality, true progressive scan mode, and some other interesting features like zebra, manual audio gain control, external microphone input and headphone jack for audio monitoring. All for a reasonable price tag.

What is CINE mode

One of the favourite combos is 25P/CINE mode, and for a reason: getting the ever elusive "film look". 25P offers a true 25 frame/sec, progressive scan mode, and as it has been stated before, it also offers the best low light performance. CINE tries to stay at 1/50th shutter, opens aperture as much as possible before gain creeps in, and gives you a low contrast, high latitude image (less likely to get blown out), which is perfect for post production. It also features a soft image, which to some is due to less in-camera sharpening, to others is an effect necessary to avoid "choppy" transitions between frames in 25P. Whatever it is you may like it or not.

It's been debated on lenghty forum threads whether CINE mode loses image detail or not, without ever arriving at a conclusion. It seems that it loses some mid to low frequency detail. That lost detail is not recoverable in post. Unfortunately, there's no way around this, and you should bear in mind what are your priorities. Do you want a crisp, detailed image? Try TV or AV. Do you want the advantages of enhanced latitude, and getting closer to "film look"? Go CINE. Above all, do your own tests and decide for yourself which mode is the best for the project at hand.

+info:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=100882
http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=750
http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=1142
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=96017
http://www.vettaville.com/canon_hv20_cinemode_softness.htm

Tips on writing your first music video treatment

I've been recently asked to make a video for a very well known local artist. He's had a few videos in MTV Latin America already, so the task seemed quite daunting, given the fact that this would be my first music video ever. After talking with the label, it was pretty clear that our budget would be very, very tight, so the idea would be to maximize what we could do with a very small crew, available lighting and locations, kind of "run n' gun" style.

I quickly realized that making a music video is both a very liberating and complex process. You have lots of freedom regarding how to approach it, most continuity constraints are relaxed (or completely forgotten), and you have a very interesting opportunity to experiment new ideas and techniques. You can go as "artsy" as it gets, and still be on a mainstream showcase for your work. On the other hand, this amount of freedom can lead to indecision, ambiguity, and ultimately chaos.

Balancing control and chaos, that's what this game is all about, and this is where the music video treatment comes in handy. This document reflects what I found in the process of making my first music video treatment.

I hope you find it useful!

What is a music video treatment
A music video treatment is a short document (one to two pages long) where the basic concept of the video is explained. It should be easy to read, having as little technical jargon as possible, and it should precisely convey your vision for the song. The main goal of the treatment is to help visualize what the video will look like, how it will develop, and what it will be about. It should convince the artist and/or label that your idea is the best suited for the song.

Visualizing the video
There are several techniques to help you visualize the video, depending on the artist, the song, the relationship you may have with the artist and how you feel comfortable working. Some directors like to work in a very collaborative process with the artist, others prefer to work on their own. Nevertheless, never forget it's you who are in charge, and that the artist trust you on making it happen.

Get to know the artist
I think that taking the time to know the artist really pays off. You show respect for his work, and better prepare yourself for writing the treatment. It's very different if you're writing a treatment for a seasoned artist, who may have a very strong image, to writing for a band that's just beginning. Maybe the artist is very experimental, so you may feel comfortable bidding with an uncommon idea, and so on.

You also get to know the artists projected personality and strong points (and maybe even shortcomings), so that your idea melds well with him.

Brainstorming / free association
Make yourself comfortable with the song. Listen when traveling. Listen at home. Listen at work if you're like many of us who have a day job. Whatever it takes to make you feel intimate with every nuance and detail that may help figure out the direction of the video.

Listen to it, and let ideas flow freely. Let the lyrics, tone and mood of the song suggest images, colors, situations. Don't analyze too much at this stage, the idea here is to get how you feel about the song.

Meet with the artist
If possible, have a meeting with the artist. I have found out that videotaping this first meeting pays off (as long as you and the artist feel comfortable, of course), as there's probably too much information flying around to be able to get it all. This way you can focus on developing ideas and concepts instead of writing or trying to memorize key concepts, thus letting the talk flow freely. Later, in the comfort of your home or studio, you can go through all the talking, logging what you think is important.

• Ask about the mood of the song.
• Ask what he feels about the song.
  
• Ask what the lyrics are all about.
  
• Ask there are references that could help (a movie, other music videos, even books, whatever may help better inform you about their concept).

Think in terms of the structure of the song
The song is the backbone of the video. Its structure can help you set the pace and rhythm, and order the different sequences or ideas you have in mind.

• Listen to the song carefully.
• Make notes regarding features of the song that stand out (it could be anything from a twist in the lyrics to a percussion hit, a tonal change, etc). Those features could help define turning points in the video.
• Divide the song into verse, chorus, bridge. Let the macro components of the song inform your music video structure.
  

Research
As everything in filmmaking, another valuable technique is to research how others have done it.

• Youtubing is very fun, and if done with a critical spirit, you can learn a lot. You can spot what you like and what you don't. You can get ideas of what works with what kind of music, etc.
  
• Googling, as usual, is another important part of the process. You can learn about a particular technique or idea you may want to try, read other people's treatments, etc.
  
• Visiting forums like dvxuser and pana3ccduser gives you the opportunity of getting in touch with real people that are out there making stuff. You can get feeback and answers on almost any questions you may have, share experiences, and showcase your own work.
  
• If you are like me, you hate reading on the screen. Any books on the general topics of filmmaking come in handy, and as I found out, there are some (if not many) books on the subject of music videos:

Uniqueness
As some directors point out, having a unique feature helps defining your video. Think about it. There are tons of videos of bands performing. How many of those you really remember? Having a unique feature, a quirk, may help people remember your video. It doesn't have to be something obvious, maybe just a small detail does it. This quirk can be anything; a location, clothing or costumes, or a plot turning point.

Conclusion
As you can see, there are many techniques that may help you develop the idea and writing a music video treatment. You may feel some of them are useful, others may not. Ultimately, there's no right or wrong way of doing it, the important thing is that you develop a workflow you can rely on, where you feel comfortable working, and which lets you learn from your own mistakes. And that's the beauty of it.

Feel free to comment and/or contribute to this thread on the comments section.

Have lots of fun!