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Why do responders talk guff about video in DSLRs?
The number of times I've read about DSLRs having a recording cap and the claimed reasons for it, and it's been guff, duff and spoken out of their chuff!
HERE IT IS:
DSLRs have short recording times because the cards are formatted using the FAT32 system.
The max single file size on a FAT32 formatted card is 4GB.
At 1080p recording this is roughly 11mins 30s.
IT IS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SENSOR OVERHEATING
Think about it. If you record at 680x480 then you can get 30 mins recording time. Why isn't the sensor overheating now?
YES sensors can overheat, but the camera will warn you, but it is not the reason for the 12min cap on HD clips. It's because of the file format.
PLEASE TAKE THIS ON BOARD BEFORE ANSWERING FUTURE QUESTIONS ON DSLR VIDEO.
Jack said:
"The reason you can get more than 12 minutes recoding time at 680x480 is because you are obviously not hitting the 4Gb limit, but more importantly, the sensor is not generating as much heat when recording at such a low resolution. Lower resolution=less heat, therefore longer recording times."
Sorry mate, bullchyt! Camera records full sensor resolution and then downconverts using pixel binning. It doesn't matter whether its 640x480 or 1920x1080, the camera is taking the native resolution of the sensor and downscaling, it's not done at the sensor, it's done by the processor. Maybe you don't fully understand whats going on.
If my 7D sesnor gets so hot how come I can record back to back clips? The license issue is another factor, but it has no bearing on 12minutes, and has no bearing on sensor heat.
Whether YOU like them or not DSLRs with video are here to stay. I've been shooting video for years and within some limitations, DSLRs can shoot video that in some cases exceeds that from all but the most expensive HDmovie cameras.
I heart Ponies:
Yes, quite, agree with all you've said, there are many reasons / excuses for a time cap, sensor heating is way way down the list.
Free rigs, hmmm, maybe I'm missing something but I like the flexibility of working straight with the lens focus, okay I'm using well dampened wide grip L series lenses with end stops and a scale, but it's how I roll with my eng cam anyway, always found follow focus great on pedastol cams, found it a bit of a nusiance on shoulder mounted or had held cams. I recommend the manfrotto fig rig as a budget rig that actually lets you touch the camera and change lenses very quickly (I prefer shortish throw zooms or primes) worth a look.
PS: Duff : not very good Guff : made up Chuff : a british slang for a female body part that emits waste.
6 Answers
- Jack FLv 61 decade agoFavourite answer
You have overly simplified the situation without fully understanding it.
You are indeed limited to around 12 minutes of HD recording due to the 4Gb file limit. However the fundamental flaw in your argument is that many cameras don't last the full 12 minutes, they shut down long before it due to the sensor overheating.
The reason you can get more than 12 minutes recoding time at 680x480 is because you are obviously not hitting the 4Gb limit, but more importantly, the *camera is not generating as much heat when recording at such a low resolution. Lower resolution=less heat, therefore longer recording times.
You also don't make any mention of manufacturer and EU imposed limits on recording length. These have to be factored into the statement too.
The fact is that sensor overheating is a real issue, the camera shuts down quicker when recording at higher ambient temperatures. That may not be an issue at 20c, but recording times shorten at 30c and 40c.
*camera not sensor
- 1 decade ago
> guff, duff and spoken out of their chuff!
What??
I had to run that through Google translate to arrive at something intelligible. (English to Arabic and back again: "Hocus Pocus, tambourines, and spoke publicly of their sound of the engine!")
Well, yes, 4GB is a FAT32 file size limit. And yes, dSLR sensors take longer than that to overheat (up to an hour, if live-view is any indication). And yes, anyone who claims (s)he needs to record 2 hour takes on a dSLR should be summarily shot.
All of this would be fine and dandy - we could whack 'overheaters' with a clue-by-four and be done with it, except... there are also cameras that impose utterly ridiculous time constraints. Eg point & shoot cameras that only let you record 3 minute clips. Or the Nikon D90 (an otherwise nicely made dSLR) with a time limit of 5 minutes for HD and 20 minutes for low resolution. I somehow feel that owners of these cameras have a legitimate complaint.
> PLEASE TAKE THIS ON BOARD BEFORE ANSWERING FUTURE
> QUESTIONS ON DSLR VIDEO.
OKAY, I WILL !
Also, free rigs for serious dSLR cameramen (and women!) !!!!!1111112
- ?Lv 71 decade ago
Some cameras are built better than others. 4GB is the max per file, but some cameras overheat while recording.
I look at it differently though...I could use a rock as a hammer, and a butter knife for a screwdriver, but I prefer to use the correct tool for the job when at all possible. .
To me, a Photography camera is made for taking photographs, and a video camera is made for videos. When the functions are combined, one of the qualities must be sacrificed.
My camera does not include video and I bought it for that reason. I want every bit of it dedicated to do what it is designed for....taking photos. My video camera is the same way, I bought that particular model for its video capabilities, not so that I could also take photos with it.
- ShivamLv 61 decade ago
My advice has always been to buy a video-camera for video and still camera (DSLR) for photography.
I don't use my mobile phone for photography and I don't use my old dot-matrix printer to print photos. For that matter when I want to erase something I don't buy a pencil with the eraser at one end instead of an eraser that is sold separately. I buy pencil when I want to write with it and not rub anything clear with it.
I can go on and on.... but the fact is that just because a DSLR has video, doesn't make it a video camera !!!
- VeatoLv 61 decade ago
It drives me mad some of the incorrect advice I see on here, especially when it is taken as being factual. If with you fella!
To debunk the sensor overheating myth further there's plenty of cams/digicams out there that when reaching the 4GB limit (around 15 minutes with AVCHD) it carries on recording. It simply closes that 4GB file and starts another. If the sensor was overheating it couldnt possibly do this.
- BriaRLv 71 decade ago
Well said mate! Get it off your chest!
That isn't the only topic where answers are total carp. Have you noticed as well that it is nearly always the technical blah-de-blah answers that get the pick from the asker.
