Does canon EOS 1000D support video recording?

Question

I want to buy an entry level DSLR and EOS 1000D seems like a good buy but I have some doubts regarding it. Does it support video recording?

Do I need to install some software for the video recording to work? If yes, does that record the videos with sound? If no, how can I record video with sound on the Canon EOS 1000D?

Answer

It cannot officially record video, but there is an open source project to allow recording direct to a computer.

Source

Given that it doesn't support video natively then there won't be a built in microphone to record sound. If you went with the open source software you'd have to record the sound separately and sync it afterwards - which is not a straightforward process.

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What is EOS iTR AF?

Question

I have read references to this feature on some Canon DSLR cameras and am wondering what benefits or uses it has.

Answer

Canon has introduced a new feature coined EOS iTR AF - Intelligent Tracking and Recognition Auto Focus on the Canon EOS-1D X DSLR.

The camera attempts to detect the locations of faces and focus on these in the scene or alternatively it can identify subjects of a particular color such as in sporting events for example. Face detection is given the highest priority, but if this lock fails it will fall back to looking for the color information.

The default AF mode for the EOS-1D X uses phase detection AF information, but the secondary option uses the face and color detection of the iTR AF. This feature is achieved by using information from the RGB metering sensor as part of the AF system.

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Why do some cameras have a blue lens shown in their photographs?

Question

For example, from this Google search

the middle camera is way more blue in color than the others.

What is the reason behind this? Do these cameras have some special type of glass that results in blue color or is it something else?

Answer

The difference is likely due to different lighting setups. The two cameras on the sides seems to be photographed in one setup, and the middle camera in a different setup.

The camera houses will reflect the light from the lamps that are set up to light up the camera, while the glass in the lens will reflect light that comes from the surrounding room. The color tint in the lens is the difference in light temperature between the product shoot setup and the surronding room.

The setup for the cameras on the sides would have a colder light for the setup, for example flashes, and a warmer light in the surrounding room, for example regular lightbulbs. The setup for the camera in the middle would have a warmer light for the setup, pretty much any kind of lamp, and a colder light in the surrounding room, like flourescent light.

As the white balance for the photos are adjusted to the light of the product shoot setup, the difference in lighting only shows up in the reflection in the lens.

Edit:

I adjusted the white balance to roughly make the reflected light in the lenses neutral, so that you can see the difference between the surrounding light and the setup light:

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In Canon EOS 1100D how do you manually set shutter speed and ISO in M mode?

Question

Can someone explain how to set the shutter speed and ISO in M(manual) mode in a canon EOS 1100D.?

Answer

Shutter speed - "dial" button (cog wheel-check manual page 18 for position if not sure) just next to shutter(manual page 97)

ISO speed - press up arrow and navigate either with arrows to sides or with "dial" (manual page 77)

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EOS 40d and an EOS 1d original - which one should I use?

Question

I've been trying to figure out the comparison of the two - I've gone out onto the 'field' and taken excellent photos on both cameras. The question is mainly this, given the substantially better viewfinder and AF (Servo especially) performance, lesser crop factor (and the consequent bigger sensor) - is the trade-off worth it to gain the +6 MP?

Now according to some specifications, the pixel size of the 1d is about 350% the size of current mainstream equipment, being 10,8 x 10,8um. It's bigger than anything I have ever found on any other camera.

I agree however that the performance at high ISO's for the 1d is poor, but - as most, I try to restrain myself within the ISO 400 border.

Then there is the RAW bit depth. This has led me to a conundrum which I absolutely HAVE to gain insight from professionals much rather than reading specs and whatnot, perhaps the best answer is then for me to go outside and take more photos and realize the print size I will be requiring of my photos.

This might end up as one of those CMOS vs CCD quality thread, but please - I realize the difference between the two and I'm hoping to find people who have more 'professional' experience on the two cameras that might shed some light on the matter.

How are the two comparable? How can I choose one from the other?

Answer

I have a 1Ds mkII and 30D both of which I still use as backups and can offer you some advice, though I've never used a 1D.

The 1Ds mkII was released in 2005 and feels very old now. The screen is small and difficult to see with low contrast and resolution, the menu system is bizarre and requires three hands to use efficiently, certain features from lower models of the same era you'd expect to have are missing (e.g. the ability to use the flash's AF assist lamp without the flash firing), for some unfathomable reason certain settings can only be altered by connecting the camera to a computer via firewire (USB wont do) card write speeds aren't great and whilst the frame buffer is large enough but takes ages to clear once full.

The image quality however is good, thanks to the large sensor and big pixels. So is the viewfinder and of course the 45 point autofocus system.

The 30D on the other hand has a bigger later generation screen, and generally more sane controls.

The 1D was released in 2001 and is really pretty long in the tooth now. I've never used one but imagine the menu system will be the same, probably minus even more features. It's also only APS-H and 4 megapixels isn't going to give you a lot of room to crop if you're making prints. The original battery probably wont have much life left in it and replacements could be rare. Ditto on the shutter.

Unless you really know what you're doing, or specifically need the AF or whether sealing I would go with the 40D, otherwise, depending on what you shoot, over time you may find the 1D lacking. The 40D does a few things like live-view which are very useful in certain circumstances.

The 1D is however the only Canon with an electronic shutter, meaning you can sync your flash at much faster speeds, see:

Which cameras can sync at faster than 1/250?

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