Digital Video and the DSLR Revolution in Documentary Filmmaking (1995–2015)

1. MiniDV camcorders bring digital acquisition to independents

   Jan 1, 1995Labels: MiniDV, Independent filmmakers

   • MiniDV
   • VX1000

2. Sony VX1000 popularizes DV for documentary work

   Jan 1, 1995Labels: Sony VX1000, Prosumer camcorder

   • Sony Design
   • IEEE Spectrum

3. FireWire (IEEE 1394) enables fast tape-to-computer ingest

   Jan 1, 1995Labels: FireWire, IEEE 1394

   • IEC
   • IEEE 1394

4. Canon XL1 expands MiniDV with interchangeable-lens style shooting

   Feb 1, 1998Labels: Canon XL1, Interchangeable lenses

   • Canon Museum

5. Final Cut Pro helps expand desktop documentary postproduction

   Jul 31, 1999Labels: Final Cut, Apple

   • Macworld
   • Final Cut Pro

6. iMovie bundled with FireWire Macs broadens entry-level editing

   Oct 5, 1999Labels: iMovie, Apple

   • iMovie
   • Apple Newsroom

7. Panasonic DVX100 brings 24p “film look” to MiniDV

   Oct 13, 2002Labels: Panasonic DVX100, 24p

   • Panasonic DVX100
   • Macworld

8. Panasonic HVX200 pushes tapeless HD with P2 cards

   Apr 17, 2005Labels: Panasonic HVX200, P2 cards

   • Panasonic Press
   • HVX200

9. YouTube’s launch accelerates online documentary distribution

   Apr 23, 2005Labels: YouTube, Online video

   • YouTube
   • YouTube History

10. Netflix streaming debut signals mainstream on-demand viewing

    Jan 16, 2007Labels: Netflix Streaming, On-demand

    • WIRED
    • Netflix

11. Nikon D90 introduces DSLR video to the mass market

    Aug 27, 2008Labels: Nikon D90, DSLR video

    • Nikon Release
    • D90

12. Canon 5D Mark II spreads Full HD DSLR documentary shooting

    Sep 17, 2008Labels: Canon 5D, Full-frame DSLR

    • Canon 5DII
    • Macworld

13. Magic Lantern begins adding pro-style controls to DSLR video

    Jan 1, 2009Labels: Magic Lantern, Firmware project

    • Magic Lantern
    • ML History

14. Kickstarter launch expands crowdfunding for documentary projects

    Apr 28, 2009Labels: Kickstarter, Crowdfunding

    • Kickstarter
    • Kickstarter Update

15. Life in a Day shows large-scale YouTube-based doc production

    Jan 27, 2011Labels: Life in, YouTube project

    • Life in a
    • Sundance 2011

16. By 2015, DSLRs and digital platforms reshape documentary norms

    Dec 31, 2015Labels: DSLR adoption, Digital platforms

    • YouTube
    • Canon 5DII