The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook Review

The Bottom Line

With all of the great features you'll find on the newer DSLR cameras that are on the market, one of the features that is growing quickly in popularity is the ability to shoot excellent HD video with your DSLR camera. If you haven't yet tried to shoot HD video with your DSLR camera, you'll be amazed at the quality of the video. TV shows, such as House and Saturday Night Live have used DSLR cameras to shoot some HD video for the shows.

Even if you're an experienced digital photographer, you may need to use some different techniques to achieve great video with your DSLR camera. One of the better books I've read when it comes to providing tips for shooting video with a still image camera is The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook: Real-World Production Techniques, written by Barry Anderson and Janie L. Geyen. This book is well organized and provides a very thorough look at all aspects of shooting HD video.

The early segment of this book is definitely aimed at beginners, giving them some of the background information they're going to need to move forward with the information elsewhere in The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook. The early portion of the book does a good job of explaining just who will be best served by reading this book.

Although much of the information here is aimed at those who are experienced in shooting still images with a DSLR camera, you'll also find some tips for filmmakers who are used to shooting with high-end video cameras and who want to learn how to translate their skills to shooting HD video with a DSLR camera.

If you're a bit unsure of just what accessories are available for your DSLR camera, you'll find some good advice on purchasing things like memory cards, lenses, tripods, filters, and more items in this book. You'll also find advice on selecting HD monitors and HDMI cables, which is good for video. Although this advice is geared toward filmmakers, much of it is worthwhile for still image photographers, too.

One aspect of the book that is helpful for now is a list of the "best cameras for" various activities for which you'll want to use your DSLR camera. The downside to these lists is that they'll be out of date pretty quickly as new cameras are introduced into the market.

Although you'll find some advanced information regarding the different types of hardware that make up a DSLR camera, much of the book's advanced tips involve the idea of making sure that the DSLR's settings are perfect for both video and photography. There are precise explanations of many of the different types of settings, including advice on when it's appropriate to use each of the various settings.

I really liked how The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook provides some great information and tips on specialty shooting modes with your DSLR camera, including some real-world examples. There are some really good ideas here aimed at those shooting HD video, but some of those tips can translate toward those shooting still images.

The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook does spend almost one-third of the book trying to give you tips on the various ways in which you can convert and edit your video. While this is important for the serious filmmaker, I think it may have been better for the book to provide a bit more information on shooting modes, rather than the editing modes. You will have a good understanding of the different concepts involved in editing HD video that you shot with your DSLR after reading this section.

One of the book's best aspects is all of the information and tips that it provides to help you have better success when you're shooting on location. For example, a good portion of the book is spent on helping you achieve just the right sound and lighting when shooting videos out in the field. This is really important information to know for someone who's new to shooting HD video with a DSLR camera.

Another key component to shooting movies with your DSLR camera is finding equipment that can help you move the camera smoothly while following moving action. This is a tricky aspect to using a DSLR to shoot HD video, and The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook covers this subject thoroughly.

I liked the organization of the The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook. It really flows nicely from beginner type of information early in the book with more advanced tips and explanations in the chapters toward the middle and end of the book. It's easy to find just the topic you want to explore in more detail, should you want to skip around.

The book is filled with full color photos, illustrations, and pullout boxes that help the reader understand many of the key tips. You'll also find a nice set of subheads that aid in the organization, in case you're just skimming through some chapters to find the information that you really want. There is some room in the margins at the edges of the pages to allow you to make some personal notations, which is nice.

Some of the book's best real world tips are contained in the "Workshops" chapter located at the end of the book. Here, you'll find tips for shooting HD video in an underwater setting, shooting video from a car, and changing frame rates. I would've loved to have seen many more workshops like this, as I think these tips for shooting in special situations are among the most interesting in the entire book.

It's obvious that the authors of the book have extensive experience with shooting HD video on both a DSLR camera and a high end video camera, and they've transferred this knowledge into the book, providing a really good collection of helpful information. The book is thorough, while also providing some really helpful illustrations to understand the techniques. Anyone who is looking to add video skills to their strong photography skills will want to take a close look at The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook.