A long
time ago when cameras used film, I was a wedding photographer. When shooting an
afternoon wedding we often had a photo session before the dinner. By that time the
wedding party had had a few drinks and everyone finally started to relax.
Summer
evenings in Vancouver are magical. The sun bathes everyone in a golden glow and
light breezes caress like fine silk. But it is at this fleeting moment that
wedding photographers have to work as fast as possible, burning through film and
profit, hoping to capture 2 or 3 truly memorable moments. I can remember daydreaming
about a digital camera that could capture in a few seconds hundreds of images
of a glowing bride. Then afterwards pull an image from this brief “video” (or
series of images rapidly taken) at the exact moment everything was perfect. All
without film.
At
that time I was shooting formals with a Bronica 6x6 SQ system and my candids
with a Canon EOS 1n and L lenses. Generally we shot 20 rolls of 36 with the
Canon and 10 rolls with the 6x6. At a pro lab, this cost about $300 for processing
and print proofs.
Old
news, but guess what, pro-series cameras can now do just that, rapid shooting
and HD video. Engadget reported that the last season of the TV series “House”
was shot with a canon 5D Mark ii. The 5D Mark ii can also shoot 30 frames a
second!
Until
recently, this has come at pro price of about $3000.
While
watching the 2010 US Open tennis (http://www.usopen.org/en_US/index.html ) an
Olympus EP2 video ad caught my eye, it stated that this little camera was used
to film the ad in HD video. It can be bought for about $550. Amazing stuff. My
dream came true quicker than I thought.
