INTRODUCTION:
One of the most exciting and challenging photo projects I’ve ever tackled took place in Sept. 2009 while on assignment for UNESCO’s World Heritage Photo Project. The week I spent diving and exploring the Great Barrier Reef was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget, and one that I strived to capture with the images, stories, and HD videos I brought back with me. But as the project progressed, I began to wonder: how could I share the awe-inspiring beauty of the reef and the fascinating creatures that dwell there with an audience that wants more than a digital slide show? The answer was staring me in the face in the form of a program that I had used repeatedly to help plan my expedition–Google Earth. As I experimented with the powerful tools and interactive features I found hidden in Google Earth, I discovered a new and compelling platform that would allow me to share my experiences–including stories, photos, and HD videos–with an unlimited-size audience. And with the help of GPS data and satellite imagery, I can even take you to the exact locations on the reef where these experiences took place. Hopefully, the resulting Google Earth Multimedia (GEM) journal I’ve created with these tools will give you a better appreciation for what I discovered on the Great Barrier Reef, the most exotic, fragile and bio-diverse region on the planet.

To get started, make sure you have the most up-to-date version of Google Earth, available for free at Google Earth.com Then click on the following link to download a small (2KB), virus-free .kml journal file: Great Barrier Reef Journal. Once downloaded, drag the file into Google Earth to open it. (If you like what you see, send the GBR Journal file to friends via email or social media links.)

Below is a video introduction to the documentary, which will also appear on the opening page of the journal. Enjoy!

Great Barrier Reef Journal Intro from Michael J. McNamara on Vimeo.

The journal is interactive, and you can view it a number of ways. Within the “Itinerary” folder, there are “Day” sub-chapters containing stories, still photos, and HD videos describing the dive sights and creatures I encounterd. (Note: The videos may take a few seconds to open based on your internet connection.) Double click on any highlighted heading and Google Earth will open balloon windows and take you to the location of the event on the map. There’s also a PLACES folder containing placemarks and active links to photos, maps, supporting research, and contact info, while a PATH folder contains map-trails of where I traveled by plane and by boat.
One of the most exciting features of Google Earth is that it supports dynamic links. That means that new material can be automatically added to a journal without any further downloads (or “updates”) on your part. So while this “Introduction” contains material covering the first 5 days of the expedition, over the next few weeks I will be adding chapters covering the remaining six days on the reef. And each time you open Google Earth, new chapters I’ve added to the journal will automatically be available. (A very cool feature!) Before completion, the Great Barrier Reef journal will be joined by a second GEM journal covering my documentary of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia––a World Heritage site that shares a common border with the Great Barrier Reef. While I didn’t film any shark feeding frenzies (see Day 5 of the GBR journal) in the Wet Tropics, my visits to the Flying Fox (large bat) Hospital, Bouncing Rock Beach, and waterfalls in the rain forest should keep you entertained. Stay tuned!

All photos and videos are copyright Michael J. McNamara 2009 unless noted.

It doesn’t get much bigger, or better, than the CES show in Las Vegas. And in Las Vegas, size matters! In this photo, Panasonic shows off its 152-inch plasma TV. Price? If you have to ask, you can’t afford it!

Every time I head out to cover the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January several questions go through my mind: Is it going to be warmer in Las Vegas than it is here in NY? Are the lines going to be as long again? And what will be the hottest technology at the show? The answer to the first question is always a gamble (appropriate for the town in question, don’t you think?): I’ve actually been to the CES show three times when it was snowing before, during, or just after the show, and several times when it was actually warmer in NY than in Nevada. This time around, however, I got a break on the temperature, as daytime highs in Vegas averaged in the mid to upper 60’s, and the show floor was even hotter, literally and figuratively! (Back just one day from the show and the temp outside my studio in NY right now is 1 degree! Brrrr!)

As for question number two: In the past I’ve referred to CES as the “Hurry up and wait!” show. This year, despite my best efforts to avoid the slowdown in Vegas by getting there several days early for “Press only” events, I ran smack into the slowdowns again. First, it took nearly 13 hours to get to Las Vegas (compared to a normal 8 hours), thanks to major incompetence on the part of U.S. Air (USeless Air). Second, the onslaught of approximately 110,000 attendees flocking to the show this year taxed the taxi system as usual, with wait time stretching from 20 to 40 minutes in many cases. And thinner than usual staffs at all of the hotels led to longer lines at check in, restaurants, and other venues. As a veteran of the show, I always pick a hotel near the monorail, stock my fridge with Starbucks coffee the night before to avoid morning lines, and take the monorail whenever I can. But this year, unusually long lines were also the norm at the MGM monorail station heading towards the show, and even my secret short cuts around the show floors were little help.

However, if I had to do it all over again, I would—but perhaps I’d stay a day or two after the show to enjoy the great weather I barely had time to enjoy, or wander through the show on its closing day to enjoy more of the incredible displays and new technology that I’m sure I missed. My primary goals at the CES show have always been to find new and innovative technologies that will affect the way photographers and videographers capture, display, and share their photos and videos. At this year’s show, there were many exciting developments on the capture front, and quite a few online, picture-frame, or cell-phone based “sharing” technologies announced. But I’d have to dub CES 2010 as the year that large screen TV’s finally got to the point where they can’t go much further—especially when it comes to image quality, 3D capability, thickness, or size. (I’m sure I’ll be proven wrong on the size, but size isn’t everything when you can’t even fit the current size champ, a 152-inch Panasonic plasma screen, through the doorway of even the typical mac mansion. See photo above.)

After analyzing last year’s CES show and a number of other big shows I had attended in 2008, I predicted the rapid growth of 3D capture and display technology during my presentation at the DIMA show prior to PMA in February, 2009. (What’s Next in Consumer Digital Photography? DIMA 2009). However, even I didn’t expect to see the advancements in 3D capture and display technology showcased by Panasonic, or the 3D and LED displays that wowed the audiences and stopped floor traffic dead at Samsung, LG, and Sony booths. Panasonic introduced the first pro-level, relatively compact 3D HD camcorder with a dual optic lens that helps feed a stereo view to dual HD sensors within the camera. I believe this model is just a hint of what’s to come out this year on the camcorder front—but I’ll bet money that Panasonic is working on a similar solution for its G-Series interchangeable lens hybrid cameras. At the same press conference, Panasonic introduced several large 3D-capable plasma screens, a 3D capable Blu-Ray disc player, and a announced a partnership with Direct TV to support a full HD, 3D channel in 2010. (Note: At the Panasonic press conference it was revealed that unless a “3D-capable” TV or monitor features a new HDMI version 1.4 connector, it won’t be compatible with standardized 3D playback devices such as the Blu-Ray player mentioned. Nice surprise to anyone who bought a 3D TV over the holidays featuring the advance 1.3 HDMI connector!)

While Panasonic gets my vote for numero uno on offering the best end-to-end solution for 3D technology, it had quite a bit of competition from the other display manufactures when it came to 3D TV and LED TV. At LG, ultra thin LED monitors were the big attraction, with colors that jumped off the screens. The same can be said of the LED displays at Samsung, which also showcased several 3D-ready LED models that combine the best of both worlds. Samsung gets my vote for having the best monitor display I’ve every seen in my life—on a scale that defies description, but hopefully can be approximated by some of the photos in the following gallery:

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At home, I not only watch my HD videos on it. I’m looking to replace my ailing 2003 vintage- 57-inch Sony HD CRT rear projection model this year, and until I saw the Samsung 3D LED display, I was leaning towards an LED TV vs a 3D capable plasma or LCD model as my next purchase for the living room. For me, the color accuracy, expanded color gamut, and the glass-free viewing experience you get from an LG, Sony, or Samsung LED TV is superior to any other display technology. (Ok, I was impressed with the color and viewing angle on the 20+-inch OLED teaser Sony had hidden in a back room, but that’s still several years away from the mainstream especially when it comes to competing on size.) Also, for the moment, there really isn’t enough 3D content to make me want to purchase a TV based on its 3D capability (plus I’d have to add a 3D- Blu Ray device, and several pairs of high tech 3D glasses to the purchase.) Hopefully, with the success of 3D movies such as Avatar (which grossed over 1 Billion dollars worldwide in just a few weeks!) that will change over the next few years. But for now, I think I’ll wait till after this year’s Infocomm 2010 show to see what the other manufacturers bring out on the 3D LED front, then save up for next Christmas’s big screen for the family. Oh yeah, they want one too!

Also, check out the official CES video podcast interview done by Sarah Myers on day two of the show with yours truly:

Fortunately, I did my homework and researched exactly the baggage size and weight restrictions from each airline I would use. Further research and contacts at several consumer electronics companies helped me gather camera, computer, storage, lighting, communications, and GPS equipment that was light weight and compact. In the end, I found myself either carrying or rolling everything I needed, a minor miracle of technology when you consider that I had was able to take thousands of photographs and hundreds of HD videos underwater and above during the expedition, had no assistant to carry my gear, and didn’t incur any extra baggage fees along the way! I also somehow avoided any pulled muscles or a hernia.

Even two years ago I couldn’t have pulled it off because the equipment I needed to do both still and HD recording didn’t exist. But due to the compact size and extraordinary capabilities of the Panasonic Lumix GH1, I was able to combine both media capabilities into one camera (with an underwater housing and lighting system that was about the smallest ever put together for an interchangeable lens system. Next on the list was a lightweight, super-powerful Sony V-series laptop, pocket-sized 500 GB external hard drives from Western Digital, and a variety of other products I’ll list shortly.

I wanted to keep most of my camera and electronics gear with me at all times, so I got my hands on a Tenba Universal Rolling Photo/laptop case (my review of this case appeared in the Dec. issue of Professional Photography magazine) and packed it to the hilt with the equipment shown in the following photo:

In order for my shoot on the Great Barrier Reef to take place in September, 2009, only a few months after the Panasonic Lumix GH1 was announced and just weeks after the first units reached stores in the US, I need help from the Lumix team in Japan. Fortunately, they had developed a relationship with the Proof housing company (also located in Japan) which had built an underwater housing for the Lumix G1 in 2008. So when my two GH1’s arrived from Japan in early July, 2009, a custom underwater housing and two lens ports were included in the shipment.

Unfortunately, it was up to me to provide underwater flash and video lights that would allow me to shoot underwater at depths below 10 feet, where most of the red light in the spectrum has been filtered out by the ocean water. Of course, lights were also necessary for me to shoot during during night dives or to capture creatures hiding in caves. The problem right off the bat is that Panasonic doesn’t manufacture its own waterproof flash or video lights, and I wanted to put together a system that was lightweight and extremely portable. The photo below shows you what I came up with:

The setup above includes two INON S-2000 flash units (red colored at end of arms) and two FIX LED video and focus lights. All four of these are attached to the camera housing via an assortment of Ultralight connectors, ball joints, and arms. The reason I chose the INON flash units is that they’re capable of true STTL metering with the GH1 via fiber optic cable connections (note the thin wire running from each flash unit to the housing.) The GH1’s flash unit is popped up inside the housing, and fires a preflash just prior to the full power flash. Normally, the preflash is detected through the lens by a metering sensor that instructs the camera to fire the proper amount of full flash for the scene. (all of this takes place so quickly you don’t notice two flashes firing.) However, in this case the camera’s preflash gets detected by the strobes via the fiber optic cable, and the strobes send out a preflash that’s detected and analyzed by the camera. It’s a stronger preflash that fools the camera into sending a “full flash” signal that’s much weaker than normal. (A side benefit to that weak full flash? The camera battery lasts far longer than expected–typically over 500 shots with flash!) However, the INON strobes instantly calculate the difference and send out the perfect amount of full flash between them. The result is a “synced TTL” exposure that’s extremely accurate–and in this case provided by two flash units, extending the range of the flash and the versatility.

Having dual flash units mounted on this system allows for very creative lighting, and each flash can be dialed down or up in power to provide desired lighting ratios. Plus, I could manipulate the Ultralight arms to position the flash units above, to the sides, or below a fish or target in front of me, or move them to the proper angles when shooting vertical compositions–an impossible situation with a flash mounted on the housing or camera. The results speak for themselves in the following photo gallery

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All photos taken by Michael J. McNamara for  Our Place World Heritage

Finally, the focus and video lights I chose, both FIX LED units waterproof to several hundred feet, allowed me to switch to the cameras HD movie mode and still have lighting at hand. One FIX light provided 500 lumens, and the other 1000 lumens when dialed to maximum output, lending a perfect 1:2 ratio. However, as I learned when viewing the videos vs the still images of the same subjects, LED lighting doesn’t provide the same color rendering index as the flash units, despite providing a color temperature of 6500k. They’re a bit weak in the red spectrum output, which is really needed underwater, so red objects appear less saturated when photographed or recorded on video when using the LED lights. By the way, the entire lighting system shown above cost approximately $2100, and I’m told the custom underwater housing cost approximately $4,000. Expect a number of housing manufacturers to offer production housings with fiber-optic fittings for under $2,000 in the near future.
Didn’t need the video lights much in this scene, which had enough lighting and action of its own:

Eye to Eye With A Shark from Michael J. McNamara on Vimeo.

Hey, did that White Tip Reef shark just give me the evil eye? Or was he wondering how I’d taste with a seaweed salad? This is a short preview of a 6 minute long full 1080p movie I made in the Coral Sea while doing a documentary for UNESCO World Heritage Photo Project, taken with the Panasonic GH1 in a custom housing.

I may have saved a hummingbird’s life this summer, and if the local Indians were right about their mystical nature, that’s got to count for something! The unusual episode began one morning as I walked from my house into the garage. Suddenly, a small dark object flew towards me, accompanied by a low buzzing sound. My first impression was that of an unusually large moth, or even a bat. But as I leapt back I realized it was a Ruby-Throated hummingbird, and quite a tired one at that. Somehow, it had become trapped in my garage the evening before (probably while in search of food or shelter), and was now so exhausted that it could barely stay aloft. Its clumsy attempts at landings on box tops and shelves were pathetic, and when it did fly it kept heading towards the ceiling looking for an exit that didn’t exist. I had no idea what was going on in its little birdbrain, or why it ignored the obvious escape route when I opened the garage doors, but I knew it was in danger of hurting itself.

If you’ve studied the amazing aerial capabilities of the hummingbird as much as I have, you’ll know there’s nothing more pathetic than a hummingbird that can’t figure out which way is up, or in this case, out. For years I’ve tried to get the perfect photo of these elusive creatures in flight or next to a colorful flower. But on dozens of occasions I’ve also been entertained by hummingbirds performing UFO-style acrobatics in dogfights with each other as they jockeyed for pole position around my hummingbird feeder, or hovered within inches of my face trying to figure out whether I was a friend or foe. I’ve seen these creatures move from zero to who-knows-how fast in the blink of an eye, dive at up to 60mph, stop on a dime and hold their position as if standing on air, turn their colors off and on to attract mates, and rotate their wings in a circle so they can fly backwards, up, down, and even sideways. No wonder they fascinate me and anyone else who’s visiting my house during the summer months.
I grew up only a few miles from where I live now, and had as close to a Tom Sawyer childhood as anyone I know. But despite the time I spent in the woods, I rarely spotted a hummingbird. Oh, I knew they were around, having discovered many of their abandoned nests while climbing trees or building tree forts, but it wasn’t till I hung up a hummingbird feeder that I learned how common they are in my area.

On a side note, hummingbirds are only found in the Western Hemisphere (the Americas), with 343 known species. In Australia, there’s a close-relative know as the Sunbird, which is more of a cross between a normal bird and a hummingbird when it comes to size, flying capabilities, and wing speed (proof of parallel evolution at work?)

Back to my story: finding a hummingbird struggling to get out of my garage was enough to put a temporary hold on my work plans (and since I’m my own boss it didn’t take long to get approval). But even I didn’t know how catch a hummingbird without hurting it. After all, these critters barely weigh as much as a quarter and are so delicate that a butterfly net could conceivably cause wing or body damage. As I tried to figure that out, I noticed how sluggish the hummingbird was acting, despite having a few minutes to rest on a wire holding up my garage door guide rails. When it did fly, it moved at about the same speed as a regular sparrow, and the sound from its wings was more like that of a fan set to its slowest speed versus its highest. Suddenly, it dawned on me that the bird wasn’t just tired from failed attempts to get out, it was running out of gas and probably starving!  Sure, most other birds in this situation could survive a day or more on their fat reserves, but a hummingbird needs a constant supply of energy to keep its heart beating at up to 1,260 times a sec, and it wings beating at up to 60 flaps a sec. Normally, it gathers most of that energy from sweet flower nectar, visiting as many as 1,000 flowers a day, or frequenting a hummingbird feeder, where the “nectar” is a mix of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water (talk about nature’s version of a sugar addict!).

In order to give my distressed hummer the fix it desperately craved, I took the feeder from my front porch and hung it on a support column about 8 feet off the ground in the garage. I knew the hummingbird would eventually recognize it, and hoped that once it got its blood sugar back to normal levels, it would figure out how to leave the garage without my help. I left the doors and windows open and took off for the office.

Two hours later I returned to find the hummingbird sitting on the feeder, obviously less stressed out—having consumed about ½ an inch of sugar water. To put that into perspective, on a busy summer day the feeder level drops about 1 inch, so either this hummingbird was really pigging out, or some of his friends had visited the garage while I was away. The good news is that a few minutes later he cleared out of the garage, and suffered no long-term effects of his incarceration. From that day on till mid-September (when they all start to migrate south), that same bird was a regular visitor to my feeder—and let me get closer than normal to capture photos and videos of it. Hopefully, he’ll enjoy his winter stay in South America and return here in April with more friends.

Casio EX-F1, a hummingbird lover’s best friend?

The above hummingbird-rescue experience taught me that one way to slow down a hummingbird was to starve it. Fortunately, I discovered a better way to get great pictures of one in flight. For years I tried to get a shot of hummingbird that captured its unique abilities. But whether using film or digital cameras, my best shots failed to capture little more than split-second moments in a hummingbirds life. (While I used a few of those to illustrate a story titled:  “How to Photograph Hummingbirds” for Popular Photography Magazine nearly 10 years ago, I never framed any since they didn’t really capture the essence of a hummingbird’s unique flight capabilities.) Shooting them with a normal video camera was another useless exercise, as they often moved so fast that the mere 30fps speed of video couldn’t keep up and they would blur across the screen. However, while developing content for a seminar I was teaching about the high speed photo capabilities of the Casio EX-F1 and FH20 digital cameras, I think I stumbled upon the perfect tool for capturing both high res still photos and dramatic slow motion movies of hummingbirds in flight.

How to Slow Down A Hummingbird from Michael J. McNamara on Vimeo.

In case you didn’t know, the Casio EX-F1 features the ability to capture up to 60 six pixel images at 60 frames per second. You can store all 60 at once after capture, or choose the ones you want saved. There’s also a function that continually fills the buffer and can records up to 30 images taken before you pressed the fully pressed the shutter along with 30 frames after, basically giving you a fullproof ½ second window to capture action after it happens. Another function triggers the shutter automatically when something moves into a frame, allowing you to set up a tripod-mounted camera, manually focus it along the flight path near a hummingbird feeder, and go check your email or have a cup of coffee. If a hummingbird comes in for its sugar fix, you’ll be greeted by a screen on your return that asks you whether to store all images or select the ones you want. Combined with the 30 shot before and after mode, it’s nearly impossible miss capturing up to 60 images at a time of a hummingbird in flight as it approaches the feeder. (Note, moving objects in the background also set off the trigger.)

Thanks to these functions and the EX-F1’s powerful 12X f/2.7 lens, I captured more sharp photos of hummingbirds in flight in a few days than I had in 10 years! (see 30 frame sequence here). Among them were my best, but they still didn’t reveal anything about how quickly and precisely these birds move through the air. It took the camera’s high speed video modes to do that! (See video above). My favorite is the 30-300fps mode, which when activated starts recording 30fps of video (normal speed for TV playback) at 400×320 pixels per frame. Then, at the touch of a button, it switches to 300fps and then back again when you press the button a second time. When movies captured at 300fps are played back on a computer or TV, a second of action that occurred in real time is stretched out to 10 seconds in the movie. In addition, typical camera movements or operator shake gets smoothed out, and even video shot during a fast panning action while following a hummingbird looks like it’s taken on a tripod or with a steadycam.
Now I can’t wait for the return of the hummingbirds in April. Wonder if my garage friend will show up again?

Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II captures true 1080p HD Video with sound. Image quality and AF controls are minimal in video mode, but depth of field and wide angle views make this a hot feature.

Once DSLRs arrived with Live Preview modes, I knew it was only a matter of time (and several image processing advancements) before the video signal being pumped to the camera monitor would find its way directly to the memory card. I expected the first hybrid models would be from either Canon, Sony, or Panasonic—all DSLR players with a large stable of camcorders. Surprise! Nikon beat them to the punch with its 12.3MP D90 ($899 street) featuring a live view mode that could be used to record 720p video (1280 x720 pixels per frame, at 24fps) with mono sound. Word had barely spread about this camera when Canon trumped it with its more expensive ($2700 street) 21.1MP EOS 5D Mark II featuring a full frame sensor and true 1080p HD video recording (1920 x1080 pixels per frame, at 30fps), plus built-in mono sound and a stereo sound input jack.

You can bet that other video-capable models will be introduced by a variety of manufacturers in 2009 and beyond, just as a Live Preview mode spread from a single Olympus DSLR in 2005 to 80% of the current DSLR models. But the question that many serious still shooters are asking is whether a video mode is a must-have feature in a DSLR, or more of a gimmick designed to appeal to the horde of compact camera owners moving up to a DSLR?

For more commentary on video recording with a DSLR, listen to the October 25, 2008 McNamara Report segment on Inside Digital Photo (slide to the 20min 45sec mark for that segment);

After all, the demand for a DSLR Live Preview mode didn’t come from pros converting over from 35mm film DSLRs, but from a new generation of photographers weaned on compact cameras and their “live view” LCD viewfinders. Those same compact shooters take video recording for granted as well—so why not offer the same function in a DSLR model made just for them?

Ok, I admit there’s a flaw in my logic: The Nikon D90, and more so the EOS 5D Mark II, are really not aimed at compact camera owners looking for their first DSLR. However, the point is that there wasn’t a measurable pent up demand from pros and advanced amateurs for a video recording function in their DSLRs, and now that is being offered, these same serious shooters are trying to figure out if it’s a feature that will help or hinder their ability to make a living with their cameras.

Current state-of-the-art camcorder with high res still capture (including models from Canon, Panasonic, JVC, and Sony) deliver acceptable to fairly decent still image quality, and allow for still image capture that doesn’t even interfere with video and sound recording. When shooting video on most of these models, you simply press the still image capture and a 2-6MP high res still photo is stored on a memory card, while video and sound are recorded to tape or a hard drive. This seamless switch between video and high res still capture modes makes it possible for pro videographers to capture and sell still images of an events to newspapers, magazines, and even wedding clients. In fact, some news organizations are replacing their DSLRs with hybrid camcorders to capture content for multiple platforms.

Unfortunately, switching to the video mode in either the Canon or Nikon DSLRs takes several steps. To shoot video, both cameras must first be set to live view mode—thus reducing the benefits of using the DSLR’s super sharp and bright optical viewfinder, its super-responsive AF system, and most of its advanced image quality and metering controls. Sluggish autofocus can be achieved using contrast detection AF, or after a short black out and delay caused by the mirror swinging back into place for phase detection AF. But once video recording is started, neither camera will adjust focus to follow the action or subject–a staple on most camcorders. Despite the bright and sharp 3-inch LCD monitors found on both cameras, it’s hard to tell if the subject is in focus in the first place, especially in bright light outdoors.

Other video “failings” include fewer image quality controls, reduced battery life due to higher video demands, intensive memory requirements for HD (even short clips take up 100’s of MBs), and generally rotten sound. In fact, the built in microphones on both cameras tend to pick up all sorts of camera and environmental noises, and only the Canon offers an external microphone input jack for recording stereo. Then, unless you have an image stabilized lens or are shooting with a tripod, the video jumps all over the place when you are panning, and freezes for a moment when you take a still photo.

So, is a video mode in a DSLR a useless feature? Not at all! In fact, I’m all for it—and think that cameras such as the Canon EOS 5D Mark II will actually be on the HOT list for pro videographers who want its unique video capability, as well as still shooters who are primarily interested in its awesome full frame and high res still features.

For videographers, the APS-C sized sensor found on the Nikon D90 and full-frame sensor found on the EOS 5D Mark II make it possible to shoot HD movies using a wide variety of affordable wide and ultra-wide angle lenses. (Want a 14mm equivalent field of view on an HD camcorder? HA! It will cost you a fortune.) Those larger sensors also dramatically improve depth-of-field control so that backgrounds can be blurred out with unparalleled Bokeh. (The relatively small 1/3-inch to 1/5-inch sensors found in typical camcorders require lens focal lengths that deliver too much depth of field and make it impossible to blur out a background, even at widest apertures.) For more information regarding the still shooting and video capabilities of the Canon EOS 5d Mark II, check out the incredibly well-written Canon white paper on the EOS 5D Mark II.

Having a video alternative may allow traditional still photographers to capture video footage that would be impossible otherwise. For example, underwater photographers could switch to video mode at a moments notice to capture the fluid motion of the rare Pacific Mermaid, while mountain climbers could record the mating call and ritual dance of the Himalayan Abominable Snowman. In both cases, it’s impossible to carry separate still and video cameras.

Before those unique video segments ever appear in a National Geographic HD special, the video from cameras such as the D90 or EOS 5D Mark II will flood internet entertainment sites dedicated to capturing the latest celebrity outing or “Girls Gone Wild” moment. For example, one of the best nightlife and fashion photographers I know, Shane O’Neal, covers a number of top clubs in Las Vegas, including the Playboy Club and Club Moon at the Palms Hotel and Casino. (www.shaneonealphotography.com). With an EOS 5D Mark II in hand, he is able to switch to the video mode and capture dancers, celebrities, and “wild” patrons doing what they typically do at these clubs after a few drinks, and post short video clips to the club’s web site along with still photos. In the past, capturing video required a separate videographer on hand (at an extra expense). But now he can do both, and no one knows he’s actually recording video with sound. The result? Some unique, and wild video that helps increase traffic, and may generate sales of hot video footage.

What’s next? I expect the next generation of dual-mode DSLRs to improve on video ease-of-use, sound recording, and AF speed and tracking performance. Then I expect to see some hybrid accessories, such as a dedicated flash unit with a built-in stereo zooming microphone, an external 5-inch LCD monitor, external Firewire-connected high-capacity storage drives dedicated to video recording, and additional powerpacks to handle the video power drain. But don’t expect the camcorder crowd to go away. In fact, 12MP camcorders are on their way.