Instant Advice
When selecting a videographer or purchasing new equipment, Should you choose Standard Definition or High Definition?
When considering what format to shoot your content in, the first major descision is whether to step up to high definition. In this article we will discuss the advantages of both, whether it be in terms of having a company film your content, or whether you are looking to purchase a new camera.
Is Standard Definition outdated?
Absolutly not, standard definition has been around for so long because it works. Because HD is still relatively new, SD still has a few big advantages. The first and most obivous is the price. With the advent of HD the prices for standard defintion cameras have seen a significant drop in prices. This brings the dilemma, do I buy a good HD camera, or a great SD camera for the same price?
Pixels?
The sensor is what captures the image, and the sensor is made up of tiny dots called pixels. Generally speaking, the larger the sensor, the larger the pixels, the larger the pixels, the more light they can absorb, the more light they can absorb. This translates into less noise, greater dynamic range(clarity between lights and darks) and the overall image quality. No matter HD or SD you should get the largest sensor you can afford. If your budget is under $4000 your choices will be fairly narrow, about 1/3" and smaller. Avoid at all costs any camera with a sensor less than 1/3". 1/2" HD cameras have only begun to come below the 10,000 mark, but 1/2" and even some 2/3" SD cameras are available for much less. If your purpose is only video, be sure to keep away from the consumer cameras which boast high megapixel ratings to double as photo cameras. This means smaller pixels and poorer image quality.
Lenses?
Next to the sensor, the lens is the most important part of the camera. A sensor is only as good as the lens that projects onto it. That bieng said, when looking at cameras, restrict your choices to cameras which have physically larger lenses. Large doesn't always mean good, but its a step in the right direction.
Futureproof?
Many people want to buy an HD camera to be futureproof. This is a good consideration, but you should also think about when you might actually need HD, and if it is considerably far into the future, prices for HD cameras as well as thier quality may progress significantly in that amount of time. Think about if that happens and if you would end up replacing your outdated HD camera. Spending less on an SD camera now and upgrading to an HD camera later is likely cheaper than buying an HD camera now and upgrading to another HD camera later.
