New Canon, Nikon and Sony DSLRs gain autofocus for video
— -- Until recently, digital SLRs have been notoriously tough to focus during shooting — despite their reputation for great video.
Yet the cameras are beloved by photographers-turned-video-enthusiasts, because the imaging chip in them is some 20 times larger than that found in a traditional video camera. DSLR video looks sharper, more colorful and cinematic than footage shot on a camcorder. And the cameras themselves are more compact, easier to tote and way less expensive than camcorders with comparable features.
However, once you started shooting a scene, there was no way to adjust the focus — until now. A new crop of DSLRs from Sony and Nikon offer greatly improved auto-focusing. That's good news this Father's Day for shoppers thinking of getting Dad a camera. Or you could give Dad a rain check for the eagerly anticipated Canon Rebel T4i, which will be in stores come Tuesday.
A closer look:
Canon Rebel T4i. The newest and most innovative, Canon's just announced update to its Rebel lineup is both pricey ($849 for body only) and hard to get. Amazon and other e-tailers report limited supply.
The original Canon Rebel helped popularize DSLRs when the first model was released in 2003. It's been the best-selling DSLR since, according to technology research firm IDC. Later models since the T1i2 have featured video, first with 720 high-definition, and then full 1080p HD with 2010's T2i.
To focus those, you put your finger halfway down on the shutter to set it, then start recording by pressing the red record button on the back of the camera. But the recording could go out of focus if you moved your camera, your subject changed position, or another person entered the frame.
With the new Rebel, you no longer have to keep your finger on the focus button. Just move the camera while looking at the subject on the LCD preview window. The camera uses a combination of "face detection" and "scene detection" to determine focus.
In our brief tests at Canon's facility in Los Angeles, the T4i kept its focus even as we moved the camera around the room, from person to person. Canon says it made this breakthrough by creating a new image sensor for the Rebel that emphasizes video.
Another innovation: silent focus. On both the Sony and Nikon models referred to below, the camera microphone picks up the sounds of the lens motors focusing. With two new accessory lenses for the T4i, that doesn't happen. The Canon Stepping Motor (STM) lenses available are an 18-135mm wide to telephoto zoom, and a fixed-focus 40mm portrait lens.
Both the new and ultra-pricey $3,499 Canon 5D Mark III and the T4i can shoot video clips up to 29 minutes long. This means you could use the T4i to document a school play, recital, concert and the like. Just get a nice big memory card and hit record again after the first clip limit is reached.
Sony. Its newest DSLRs — the A57 ($799 with lens) and A37 ($699 with lens) — provide consistent auto-focusing once recording starts.
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