[Video] The Great Camera Shootout 2011

Steve Weiss of Zacuto, Robert Primes, and their teams put together an amazing documentary comparing film and digital cameras and their ability to perform in many practical situations. The cameras range from $66,000 Arri Alexa to the affordable Nikon D7000. Yes, the D7000 is $1,200, but that's dirt cheap in the professional world. Robert Primes and his team put together a series of scientific tests called the Single Chip Camera Evaluation (SCCE) designed to put the cameras under stress.

The first episode, "The Tipping Point," features the dynamic range test, under exposure test, and over exposure test. One of the most interesting things I noticed was variation within the Canon DSLRs in the over exposure test. The Canon DSLR range is known for its astounding video quality, but I expected more consistency within Canon's cameras. If anything, I expected the full frame 5D MkII to beat out the cropped sensor 1D MkIV and 7D.

Although I am not immersed in the field of video, it's an area I've been dabbling in thanks to DSLRs and their ability to shoot high quality HD video. This (30 minute) episode is definitely a good watch if you are interested in the world of video. Episodes 2 and 3 are scheduled to be released in July and August respectively.

Check out Episode 1: "The Tipping Point" over at Zacuto's website!