A Wednesday Morning Rant; DSLR + VIDEO and Canon.

It seems that everybody is into the SLR + Video hybrid nowadays since the introduction of the Nikon D90. Shooting a film is an uphill battle to begin with, and again IMHO, I just cant see why one would make the effort even more challenging by choosing to use a DSLR camera.

Now, just days after Nikkon D90 announcement, Jim Jannard from RED is announcing that they are going into the DSLR + Video market. I am not saying that one cannot use the D90 to make a full feature film, but it is surely the D90 is not the most optimum tool for that purpose. Yes it can be done ! I even have seen a music video that was done with a small Canon point and shoot camera.

Speaking about the industry and Canon, IMHO the biggest underachiever is Canon. Canon has all the resources in the world to dive into the indie semi-pro industry. Take for instance;

a) Canon has beenproducing one of the world's best lenses (both still and motion).
b) Canon is already in the digital video camcorder industry (HV30, A1, G1, H1 ...etc.).
c) Canon does not have any high end camera market to cannibalized.
d) Canon has full frame sensor on a $2000 5D camera.

So if you think about it, all the resources are already in place for Canon to produce a truly Indie camera ala the RED ONE. Imagine a shoulder mountable H1 sized camera that uses CMOS 35mm sensor that mates with their still camera lens. They know it is possible, they had in the past and still offers their EF adapter for the XL-H1 so you can use Canon SLR lens with the camera. All that is left, is to rehouse some of ther SLR prime lenses to cine style; declick the aperture stops, give it a longer throw and put gear rings on it and charge 2 1/2 times more than the current price.

If such Canon camera exists, it will easily sell a TON at ~$15k (Body) and ~$10k (set of primes). Yet, look at Canon; their camera still uses HDV codec, no tapeless option and nothing notable/perfomance during this past NAB. They can go absolutely insane, as currently they dont have any high end camera market to protect.

Too bad, the Japanese while having all the resources at their disposal but they are very conservative and not innovative at all. I can understand Sony and Panasonic being super conservative because they have to protect their higher end offering, but Canon has nothing to lose, and yet still, Nikon took the leadership by offering movie mode on the D90 ahead of Canon.

WAKE UP CANON & CONQUER THE INDIE MARKET !