Video Capture for Stills
Video Capture for Stills (VCS) is the term floating around (unless you’re Tom) for using an HD Video camera or hybrid DSLR (DSLR with video capability) to capture stills by shooting motion. Because the resolution of motion sensors has increased, the usefulness of a single frame as a still image has become practical. For instance, the RED One camera can capture a 4K video image which is roughly a 9 megapixel still frame (4096 x 2304 = 9,437,184 total pixels). The hybrid Canon DSLRs like the 5DMII, 7D and now 1DMIV all capture video at a 1080 resolution which provides a 2 megapixel still frame (1920 x 1080 = 2,073,600 total pixels).
Relative File Size Comparison Reduced 90%
To most working photographers, those numbers seem low when compared to 60 megapixel medium format cameras but you have to take in account the changing marketplace for imagery. Print is struggling to compete with web sites, multimedia enabled cell phones, tablet devices and digital signage. When less artwork ends up on a printed page, who needs more pixels than can be displayed electronically? Keep in mind that a properly shot 9 megapixel still has enough quality for most magazines and will print natively around 7” x 13” @ 300dpi. Esquire and W Magazine have both published features using stills taken from the RED One camera and continue to do so.
Not to confuse the issue but in addition to being able to use an HD video frame as a still, Canon has built in the ability to shoot full size Raw stills while capturing video. This is a good thing since most VDSLRs are only capable of shooting 1080 video and the stills can really only be used in multimedia applications or for small prints (3×6 at 300dpi). Once enabled in the camera menu, you can activate the shutter release on the 5D Mark II and it will pause the video for about one second while it switches into stills mode, grabs a full sized Raw file, and then resumes recording video. Using one camera that can capture broadcast quality video as well as 21 megapixel stills is great for photographers wanting to get their feet wet with movement.
Stills + Video Diagram from Canon 5D Mark II whitepaper - click image to download
Note to Canon, it would be much appreciated if we had an option to set the still capture parameters independently from the video so that we could utilize strobes with higher shutter speeds and/or apertures during a video shoot. Imagine a dual lit set with continuous lighting and strobes with a camera that can take advantage of both.
There are still plenty of challenges to overcome in order to shoot video capture for stills. Keep in mind that analog film cinema cameras have had high enough resolution for commercial printing applications but hardly anyone brought a 35mm Panavision camera to a still shoot due to it’s cost and complexity. When working as a still photographer for movies and television I shot along side these large and unwieldy movie cameras for many years. In order to get good results the camera department for motion consisted of large teams of camera assistants, grips and gaffers. The stills department was just me. Even discounting the grips and gaffers since I was using the results of their work too, the number of people in the camera department was always at least 5 and sometimes as high as 20 or 30.
Also, if the goal of shooting motion is only to grab stills, the shutter speed will need to be set higher than when shooting straight cinema style footage. Normally, the shutter speed of a cinema or motion camera is around 1/48th of a second because the illusion of motion on a projected screen depends on blurring of the individual frames. Photographers know that to capture a usable still of a moving subject requires at least 1/90th of a second and action needs higher shutter speeds to freeze the motion. I have test shots that were captured at 1/90 which produced usable video clips for the web as well as nice crisp stills.
Shooting stills using motion cinema cameras or hybrid DSLRs is in it’s infancy right now but don’t think that this is going to be a slow moving change for image makers. The convergence of photography and cinematography is happening now. Providing stills and motion clips to your clients who are struggling to get eyeballs on their products or publications can help set you apart and keep your business competitive in the changing professional photography marketplace.
