Publishers of technology books, eBooks, and videos for creative people

Home > Articles > Digital Audio, Video

The Last Video Camera You’ll Ever Need to Buy

In Pursuit of the Ultimate Movie Camera: Noah Kadner imagines the attributes that would be necessary to qualify as “the only camera you’d ever need,” from resolution to sensor size to frame rate, and gauges how close we are to the goal. Shopping for a new video camera, even if your budget isn’t “ultimate”? His guide will help you understand where the technology is headed.
Like this article? We recommend

Which camera should I get? Will there be something better soon? I’m asked those two questions almost daily. I wish I had definitive answers, but the truth is on a sliding scale. The best camera as of this morning might be replaced by an even better one this afternoon.

We’re in the middle of a high-stakes arms race among movie camera makers. Ever more intriguing and feature-packed offerings are constantly appearing from companies like Sony, RED, Canon, Nikon, and Panavision. When is it going to stop? How much is enough? When will you find the last camera you’ll ever need to buy?

Figure 1: An ARRI 435 XTREME 35mm motion picture film camera.

In this article, I explore several attributes that contribute to the image quality of a camera. I try to identify how much quality is enough to satisfy even the most discriminating eye with zero compromises. In positing the Ultimate Camera, I’m thinking of a camera that might not even be on the horizon yet and may never be. These parameters include the medium (film vs. digital); resolution (standard definition, high-definition, 2K, 4K and up); sensor size; frame rate (24p, 30p, 60p and up); codec (compressed vs. raw); form factor (compact vs. shoulder camera); 3D vs. 2D; sound; and exhibition format (again film vs. digital). As I go through each attribute, I describe the current state of the art and where I think it needs to go to be the ultimate camera.

Medium: Film versus Digital

35mm motion picture film was popularized at the end of the 19th century. Despite the advent of color and larger gauges such as 65mm (and up to IMAX), it has remained relatively unchanged for decades. Faster and sharper stocks have in some ways defined the visual look of different movie eras, but essentially you could load a 2009 Kodak film stock into a Panavision Panaflex camera from 1977 and start filming. Try plugging a 2009 Sony HDV tape into a 1977 Sony video camera, however, and you’re out of luck.

Digital video came into its own during the mid-1990s and at this point threatens to eclipse or at the very least equal celluloid. In the past few years, major theatrical releases have been shot digitally, using cameras like the Panavision Genesis (Superbad, 21), Sony CineAlta series (Sin City), Cloverfield) and the RED ONE (Knowing, and District 9. But it’s led to an ongoing debate: Does film look better than digital? Every year, more experts slide from the film column over to the digital column. That makes sense, because digital cameras continue to evolve while film remains relatively still.

One area in which film holds an edge is exposure latitude. Film has up to 11 stops of range between the darkest and brightest shades it can render, while digital lags a few stops behind. This can be mitigated in still cameras with High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography but digital movie cameras don’t quite have this feature... yet.

Figure 2. A 1951 USAF resolution test target still used to measure resolution of imaging sensors.

I believe digital will ultimately completely replace film as a capture medium; it almost has completed that transition in the still camera world. When was the last time you took 35mm still film to be developed and to have prints made? Digital is cheaper, faster, and eventually will be capable of better image quality than film. Therefore, digital is the medium of our ultimate camera.

Resolution: SD, HD, 2K, 4K, and beyond

Resolution goes hand in hand with medium. Film used to beat digital unequivocally here because the resolving power of a 35mm negative greatly exceeded a standard definition PAL or NTSC TV signal. That started to change in the late ‘90s as high-definition took hold as a broadcast and high-end camera format. HD proliferated into the 21st century as prosumer high-definition cameras became more affordable. Such notable landmarks in HD include the HDV-based Sony FX1, Panasonic HVX200, and Sony EX1, which shoot 1920x1080 HD (or 1080p) resolution for under $10,000. But film’s resolution still beats 1080p high-definition.

You need to move up to at least 2K (2,000 horizontal lines of resolution) to approach film quality. That’s the resolution used during the color correction (also called a digital intermediate (DI)) of most theatrically released films today. The 35mm negative is digitally scanned at 2K for the DI and then ultimately re-recorded back to a new negative for exhibition (or projected digitally).

Keep in mind the concept of oversampling: The files used for the DI are recorded at 2K but that’s reduced down from the larger image area of a 35mm negative. So the apparent resolution of a 2K film scan is much greater than, say, a camera that photographs natively at 2K.

Figure 3. A 21 megapixel CMOS sensor from a Canon 5D Mark II.

That’s why cameras like the RED shooting at 4K native resolution are taken seriously as competitors to film. Some experts argue that there’s a big difference between shooting resolution and apparent resolution, but I’d say most people watching movies like Knowing and District 9 don't notice. So once you hit 4K you’re pretty close to the apparent resolution of film-originated footage.

And with cameras are on the horizon shooting 5K (like RED’s EPIC) and more, you can envision a day when film’s resolution advantage will ultimately be surpassed. As far as the ultimate camera, I’d say once we hit 6K we’d have as much resolution as the eye can process.

Sensor: Megapixels

The sensor size of digital still cameras is expressed in megapixels, one million pixels. For example, a camera with an array of 2048×1536 imaging elements has 3.1 megapixels (2048 times 1536 equals 3,145,728).

The Sony EX1 1080p prosumer camera has a 2.2 megapixel sensor while the professional Sony Cinealta F-35 and RED ONE cameras have 12 megapixel sensors. In the F-35’s case, that’s down-sampled in the camera to a 1080p frame, while the RED ONE produces a 4K frame. So you can see why the argument rages over sensor size versus apparent resolution.

This also brings us into the world of high-end digital single lens reflex (DSLR) still cameras, such as the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and 7D both of which include the capability to record 1080p video.

Figure 4. The Panasonic DVX100 was the first 24p prosumer camera.

The 5D Mark II has a 21 megapixel sensor, perfect for capturing high resolution stills. Use that for video, and you get very sharp footage with extremely shallow depth of field. On paper, both of these Canons look great and indeed have proven very popular with professionals and high-end enthusiasts but I have a couple of concerns.

The ergonomics of still and motion picture shooting don’t seem to mix; you’ll find even the lowest end video camera to be easier to handle than a DSLR for shooting video. These cameras are also limited by frame rates. In the case of the 5D Mark II, there’s no 24p mode, which most digital moviemakers would consider essential to capturing that classic film look. The 7D has 24p but uses a slightly smaller sensor (18 megapixels), which translates into a deeper and less-cinematic depth of field. That said, for the $1,500 to $2,600 these cameras cost, they merit a serious look.

In terms of the ultimate camera, I think somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 megapixels would about do it to meet or exceed film quality.

Frame rates: 24p, 60p, 120p

I just mentioned 24p; that is 24 progressive frames captured per second, the same as film. Most digital motion picture cameras today shoot 24p as their main format because the results look much more like film than any other frame rate. That’s just hard-wired into our brains after 100 years of watching movies. But is 24 the magic number for the ultimate camera?

IMAX HD runs at 48 frames per second, producing smoother motion and a more “lifelike” image. There are also the 120Hz televisions, which artificially speed up the frame rates of discs and broadcasts to 120 frames per second, like the Sony BRAVIA V-Series. This smoothes out and averages motion, creating a supposedly even more lifelike image. Personally I think the effect of these TVs is a bit fake and would look more believable if the original material were captured at 120 frames per second and then projected natively.

So does the ultimate camera need 120 frames per second? Maybe. But I’d guess 60 frames per second would probably do the trick. Try a little test for yourself by very slowly waving your hand close to your eyes. Now gradually speed up until your hands start to blur. You’ve just exceeded your brain’s built-in ”frame rate.” So obviously, there is a limit to what the human eye can process. I think it’s somewhere between 60 and 120 frames per second. And since we’re accustomed to watching at 24 frames, anywhere in-between would be acceptable to our eyes as well.

Peachpit Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from Peachpit and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about Peachpit products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites; develop new products and services; conduct educational research; and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email ask@peachpit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by Adobe Press. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.peachpit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020