Re: I guess it's So Long and Thanks for all the Fish!

[Jeremy Garchow] "Come on now. They certainly didn't include common variables. Hey, how about a waveform? No? Oh, a histogram that only works when I take a still? What about real time audio meters? No? Exposure reading? Format feedback? A viewfinder? Real time video out while shooting to connect to external hardware? No? Sorry, but I can't agree that out of the box, it isn't hobbled. Im also sorrry for my double negatives and truncated iPhone ramblings. But I think people tend to forget just how hobbled it is, because they can get a result out of it."

I was not clear enough. I absolutely agree that it's badly hobbled for video, for all the reasons you describe.

My point was on the stills side -- you know, the thing that DSLRs used to be used for. Canon observed standards. Physical things like the control ring arrangement, shutter release placement, lens mount, the hot shoe, the media. Conceptual things like aperture, exposure, and sensitivity.

Canon DSLRs, like any professional stills cameras, are extensible with accessories because there are standards. Video is a feature glommed on to the camera that surprised everyone (Canon included, I'd think). The only reason the camera is even remotely usable for video is because the camera itself is open to first- and third-party extension.

When FCPX's APIs are released, FCPX will become extensible, too. It will be interesting to watch how the industry responds when you can stack accessories onto FCPX to make it more usable (or perhaps less unusable), just like the 5DmkII. With enough accessories, can you Frankenstein the wrong tool for the job until it becomes the right one? If you can, is it worth it, or are you better off just using the right tool in the first place?

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
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