Video from a Canon DSLR is less than HD resolution, at least according to Barry Green:

Which brings us back to the HDSLRs – the GH1, the 7D, and the 5D Mark II all look like they’re rendering incredibly sharp, highly detailed images, but they’re not. In reality, according to the resolution charts, they’re rendering images that fall somewhere around a standard-definition camera, and maybe a 720p camera. Any additional “sharpness” you see in the image is fake – it’s aliasing, it’s smoke and mirrors, it’s image contamination.

As the author of some supplemental books regarding Panasonic cameras, Barry has some conflict of interest, but the charts are the charts. (It’s worth noting, he’s also commenting on the Panasonic GH1, not just the Canon line in the quote above.) The full article is here.

As far as saying that you can get true HD resolution from a video camera, I probably should have noted that I was thinking more of something like the Sony EX-1, which I mentioned in the first article. (Adam Wilt demonstrates that the EX-1 has “honest to goodness 1920×1080 resolution” here.) Admittedly, an new EX-1 costs more than an HPX-170, so it’s probably incorrect to list that as a pro/con. (I’m well aware of the HPX-170’s pixel shifting.)

Perhaps I should remove the “real HD” line and instead substitute the presence (HD video cameras, yes) or not (Canon DSLRs, no) of an OLPF?

On a different note, if I were to do this comparison over again, I would probably recommend getting a GH1 ($1100) over a Canon camera (7D or otherwise). If you get a good one (it’s been plagued with manufacturing problems) and hack its firmware, it can produce impressive for very little money.

Thank you for your reply. Your article is of great significance in this time of debate over how to move forward with video technology. You made several important points which I should have acknowledged earlier. Realistic is a relative term. What’s realistic for you may not be realistic for me. For the average consumer or “Spielberg wannabe”, your article is very realistic indeed. Most cinematographers will not benefit significantly from DSLRs in terms of both cost and performance.

But what exactly do you mean when you say DSLR video is “less-than-HD resolution” while “raditional low-level professional camcorder” is “actual HD resolution”? I happen to be specialized in video codecs and I can tell you with certainty that it’s quite the contrary.

The HPX-170, for example, produces a mock 1080p produced through a complex digital image construction process called “pixel-shifting”. The native resolution on the HPX-170 is much lower than 1080p. For this reason, no professional would call the HPX-170 video “native 1080p”. Canon 7D, 550D, 5D Mk II, 1D MkIV on the other hand all capture native 1080p.

At the end of the day, which camera you decide to use is not entirely important. Ask not which equipment is in the hand, but rather which hand is on the equipment? “Who”, not “what”, determines the ROI on everything in this world.

Thanks again for your article. It must have been well written to provoke my response.

My goal was to reduce the deficit of realism in the conversation about DLSRs. If you want to participate in this conversation, then take a lesson from the posters above about how to respectfully disagree.

With $2,200 and a little creativity, I’m essentially running an entire studio.

Below is my equipment checklist for getting the most out of the DSLR revolution:

CAMERA & LENSES
-Canon EOS 550D DSLR (1080p @24fps)
-Canon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS Lens (decent for wide-angle)
-Canon 55-250mm f4.0-5.6 IS Lens (decent for telephoto)
-Canon 50mm f1.8 Lens (amazing low light performance and bokeh for $100)
Category Total: $1,112.95

COMPLEMENTARY EQUIPMENT
-Custom 7ft – 22ft telescoping jib (most powerful piece of equipment in my arsenal)
-Custom camera stabilizer (works incredibly well)
-Sturdy tripod and head combo (easily holds 40lbs)
-Tripod dolly (for stable tracking and other moving shots)
-32GB Class 6 Delkin Devices SDHC (very fast card. Holds 90 min. @ 1080p)
-2 additional LP-E8 batteries (generic versions are very cost effective)
-Azden boom mic (fantastic audio quality)
-1.5ft XLR to 3.5mm cable (connects Azden boom mic to DSLR)
-20ft XLR to 3.5mm cable (connects Azden boom mic to DSLR)
-25ft RCA cable (for external monitor)
-RCA coupler (connects RCA extension cable to Canon RCA output cable)
-Nikon Lens Pen (removes debris from lenses)
-$35 floor lamp with 3 tilting lights (for natural lighting. Includes three 60W bulbs)
-Yongnuo intervalometer (for remote shutter release and time-lapse photography)
-Vehicle suction mount (mounts cameras up to 6Kg to the exterior of a vehicle)
Category Total: $1,086.12

Grand Total (Category 1 + Category 2): $2,199.07*

*includes all S&H and tax expenses

This is a really well thought out and well done article.

I have personally never understood why people refer to this new wave of filmmaking as democratized. I mean, haven’t independent filmmakers always made movies without asking permission?

But even comparing these DSLR limitations to the work I had to go through with my Arri BL 16mm – I can honestly say there is no comparison. Even on the high end…

This is an exciting time to be a movie maker!

And these days, as more and more filmmaker capture footage on cards, this becomes even more necessary.

Thanks

–talk about a time to upgrade!

Are you saying the Panasonic AG HPX500 is out dated?