D7000 for TV broadcast

<p>I have been asked to shoot some extra video for a live TV recording session. The program will be recorded and produced in real time, but not broadcast until later. So, there is some editing time.<br>

I would like to be able to use my D7000 for at least part of the shoot. This will give me access to long fast and wide lenses that the other camera operators do not have access to. However, the HDMI-C output is not clean. It includes all of the information from the rear display. <br /><br />Other than using the camera stand-alone to record segments that can be edited in later does anybody have any suggestions? I don't have the cash for a D800 and the production is, for the time being, on a shoestring.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Ed</p>

<p>Haven't tried it, but can an eye-fi card broadcast out in real time? Highly doubt it, but that is about the only idea I can come up with.</p>

<p>What about a GH1 + Nikon adapter and hacked software? Or for that matter a Canon 7D + adapter + magic Lantern? Or, can you rent a D800 or another video camera with an F mount? I know borrowlenses.com has cameras for rent, and if you just need it for a few days, this would be the way to go.</p>

<p>I work in Washington, DC, and have been in and out of just about every major studio in town and have never, ever seen a DSLR used to shoot video anywhere, let alone a live or live-to-tape situation. Video studios, at least around here, shoot exclusively with video cameras. In a live/live-to-tape situation, the cameras are not only feeding video to a switcher, but also receiving sync signals, and the exposure and color balance have to be matched from camera to camera. The shooting formats and the electronic signals all have to match or be converted to match. (Remember, there are a number of flavors of "HD" and also of video signals whether they are composite, component or digital. Not sure a DSLR can even output the proper video signal for such a setup, let alone be synced to other cameras. Shooting "extra" video with a DLSR that would be edited in later is very conceivable, but trying to use a DSLR as one of the studio cameras during a shoot strikes me as highly unlikely. As for wide/long/fast lenses, that's irrelevant. TV studio camera lenses beat anything a DSLR can do by a mile.</p>

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<p>TV studio camera lenses beat anything a DSLR can do by a mile.</p>

</blockquote>

<p><br /><br>

That is, assuming the studio is setup with decent rigs. You are jumping to a lot of conclusions without very much information on the total situation. DSLRs are considerably less bulky, so you can place them in spots that a normal video camera would never fit. Even then it can be tight, and scaling further down to P&S/MILC/GoPro may be necessary. Ed also mentioned that he will be using it not as the primary, so what's the shame in experimentation to see if the setup works?<br>

<br /><br>

So, assuming the glass is the top priority, I would see these two possibilities: shoot onto the card an mix-in in post, or rent a different body/video camera that meets your needs and can mount the glass.</p>

<p>Craig . . . Thanks for all of the info . . . <br /><br />This is not your typical shoot. It's not being done in a studio and although the video cameras being used are extremely high quality, they are not studio cameras. They are more along the line of advanced wedding video cameras. The output from the cameras is HD-SDI which can be converted to from HDMI for about $300. There is no sync or color information going back to the cameras in this format. Each camera sends it's own frame sync signal and color is done on the board. <br /><br />As for lenses, I am thinking of a fisheye and using a very long lens to sweep and single out individuals in a crowd. Yes, these are available in studio cameras but not on the budget that we are working with. <br /><br />Zack . . . I hadn't see the GH1, but I still don't think that it will go in the budget, yet. Either that or the D800 might fit down the road but I don't know.<br /><br />Thanks for all of the info!</p>

<p>Hi Ed, you did not indicate the event duration; have you considered the issue of possible sensor overheating? </p>

<p>Yes, this is commercial TV. There will be breaks every 7 to 15 minutes. Usually more often than that.<br /><br />Thanks,<br>

Ed</p>