DSLR Wildlife Filmmaking

One of the greatest breakthroughs since the switch to digital recording media for wildlife filmmakers is that of the digital SLR cameras, often called DSLRs or HDSLRs. By this, we're talking about the wide range of high end, inter-changeable lens still cameras that shoot HD video. These cameras are affordable for the wildlife and science filmmaker and they take amazing video. However, it's important to remember that these cameras are designed to be still cameras. They just happen to take amazing video as well. To make a film with a DSLR camera, there are a few hoops you'll have to jump through. That's what this short guide is intended to help with. Don't treat this overview as the definitive guide to DSLR filmmaking though. It's simply intended to give some of the basics, and point you in the right direction if you want to take this path in your science filmmaking.

Why DSLR's are Revolutionary

Filmmakers are saying DSLR filmmaking is as revolutionary as the invention of color film or 16mm, because it represents a huge leap forward in the quality of the image. Basically, a DSLR has a monstrous image sensor compared to the cameras most filmmakers have been using. It's about 20-30 times larger than that of the standard prosumer video camcorders. Just to show you the difference, we drafted up a relative size comparison so that you can see it visually.

We included the 1/2 inch sensor size of the $9000 Sony EX1 so that you can get a feel for how much larger it really is. So what does this do? These are the main benefits. 

• Shallow Depth of Field: This is the "film look" so coveted by filmmakers. The goal is to get the subject in focus, while the background objects are usually blurred. This draws attention to the the primary subject and gives a nice effect. More than anything though, it just looks more like movies that are shot on 35mm film.
• Greater Dynamic Range: When shooting in contrasty light, such as a sunny day under a half-shaded forest, you'll want the bright sunny spots and the dark shadded spots to have some resolution and clarity. The greater the dynamic range, the more detail you'll be able to see in all brightness levels of the shot. 35mm film has always had one of the greatest dynamic ranges. Now DSLR cameras are catching up.
• Great Low-Light Sensitivity: This makes a lot of sense. If the sensor is larger, it's going to register the incoming light better. Yet, to really appreciate this, you have to use a DSLR after using a traditional prosumer camera.  For any filmmaker who is has used older cameras to shoot indoors, they will be amazed at how little light you need to shoot quality video with a DSLR. Most of the time you actually don't need any extra light in indoor situations. 

Making a Film with a DSLR

Again, while a DSLR was never intended to be a movie making device, the revolutionary look and quality at an affordable price, make it worthwhile for filmmakers to do some creative work-arounds to make it work in their projects. The main workarounds are in the audio department, but for those filmmakers that use separate audio recorders, like DATs or Marantz's, the workflow is much the same.  Here are a few points to think about when you're shooting with this camera. 

• Get an external microphone that can plug into your camera (using a mini-plug) or make sure to use an external audio recorder with a high quality microphone.
• Bring a set of quality lenses for the camera. Prime lenses are the best quality for video.
• Bring tripods, shoulder-mounts or dollies to help stabilize the shots. These cameras are small and prone to jiggle.
• Try not to shoot shoot while rapidly moving the camera. Because of the way the lines are scanned, moving the camera quickly will make it look like the shot is wobbling (check out this shot for a good example).  

The Benefits to Wildlife Filmmakers

When you're shooting wildlife, you're not always in the ideal shooting scenario. Often you're in a dark, and shady forest or you're far off in the arctic where the conditions make it challenging to stay alive, let alone lug around a heavy camera. Sometimes you're in a third world country where pulling out a giant camera brings a lot of unwanted attention your way.  In all these scenarios, a small, inconspicuous, lightweight, light-sensitive DSLR is a life-saver.  

Shooting shots in the understory of a rainforest is one of our new favorite things.  Before we needed to bring lights with us to shoot frogs or millepedes that were crawling on the forest floor. Now, as long as there is some small amount of light, there is absolutely no problem shooting these shots 'el natural'.  This saves us carrying a lot of extra weight through the jungle.

Being low-profile is also fantastic.  Too often we're in a foreign country and we don't want to bring out a large video camera for the small shots we want to take. Officials tend to freak out and feel that they have to do something if they see a giant camera. Nobody seems to ever have a problem with a still camera, and these digital SLR cameras are just that! Without sounding like we're trying to be devious, you can get away with a lot when you're under the radar and not using the larger camcorders.

The lightweight factor can't be emphasized enough. In fact, these cameras are so lightweight that they make it fun again to have the camera with you and go for exploratory walks. If you see something that is worthy of a good video shot, you can pull out the camera and capture it. Having a small DSLR makes the video project seem less like work, when you're intending to have a bit of fun on the project. 

Finally, as a wildlife filmmaker, it is great to have diverse lens options.  You can put on a fisheye lens to get a point of view shot (POV) or you can attach an extreme telephoto lens to capture some amazing animal behavior. 

The Negatives to DSLR Filmmaking

The ultimate negative of the DSLR is the audio functionality. The audio inputs on the camera are all less quality than what a standard broadcast would approve of. With that said, filmmakers that are only shooting wild animals, often with a telephoto lens, are just looking for the stock shots. Thus, it might not be as big of a negative as it first might seem.  However, if you are looking to get interviews, or natural sound, you have two primary options.

The first option is to plug in an external microphone into the mini port on the side of the camera. A great option is to get a microphone that will fit on the top of the DSLR. 

The second option is to record the audio on an external recording device, like a Marantz. 

A Few Example Projects

The following projects are couple of Natural History filmmaking examples shot on DSLR cameras. In these cases, the filmmaker, Federico Pardo, shot on the 7D. 

Cotton-Tops

Puffers