Can we PLEASE have a manual video mode? (UPDATE: Sony listened...)

Update, 7 September 2010: According to EOSHD.com, Ichiro Takagi, Deputy President of Sony's Imaging Business Group, announced that Sony will be adding manual video controls to some of its NEX- and Alpha-series DSLRs (most likely the NEX-5 and Alpha A55, although Takagi-san didn't mention specific models.) The new firmware is to be formally announced at Photokina at the end of the month, so unless Sony announces yet more new models between now and then, the firmware will upgrade existing models. (Now, if Nikon will only get on board...)

Nikon and Sony have recently announced two important DSLRs: The D3100 from Nikon and the A55 from Sony. Both cameras have 1080P (at least under some conditions), both have continuous autofocus in video mode, and both are priced very aggressively (especially the D3100). However, both are missing something every important: Manual controls in video mode.They do video in full auto only.

Both cameras support both manual and full auto operation in photo mode, so all the capabilities for supporting manual video are built in. Everything, that is, except for manual support in the cameras' firmware. Why did Nikon and Sony choose not to implement manual video mode? One argument is that given the target audience for these cameras, first-time DSLR owners moving up from point-and-shoots, manual video would be too difficult to use and too intimidating. However, shooting good pictures in manual still mode isn't easy, yet both cameras can do it.

In my opinion, the reason reason why Nikon and Sony have left out manual mode is that they don't want to cannibalize other, more-expensive products. Nikon is likely to have a higher-end DSLR with manual video mode coming very soon for $1,000 or more (U.S.), and to date, Sony's position on full manual is that if you want that, you'll have to buy one of their camcorders. Only Canon has gotten it right, with 1080P and full manual control in the T2i/550. Canon, which sells at least as many DSLRs as Nikon and quite a few more than Sony, trusts its customers to be able to flip the necessary switch to enable or disable manual control.
Manufacturers have the right to put whatever features they want into their DSLRs. However, if a customer wants manual video control, they're not going to accept full auto, and if they can't find manual in a camera in one product line at a price they can afford, they'll buy a camera from someone else.

Nikon's D3100 takes on the Canon Rebel T2i

Nikon has introduced the D3100, a replacement for the D3000 and a direct competitor for Canon's Rebel T2i. Most importantly for readers of this blog, the D3100 is the first Nikon DSLR that can do full 1080P video, albeit only at 24fps (faster frame rates require 720P.) It's also got continuous autofocus in video mode, which only the Panasonic GH1 and G2 have been able to do.

Update, August 25, 2010: The first expert feedback is coming in, and according to EOSHD.com, Nikon Germany has stated that the D3100 has no manual controls in video mode. While this makes it easier for first-time users and is useful for some applications, it makes the video mode almost useless for more serious production work.

In Zacuto's DSLR shootout, Nikon's D3S had the best low-light performance but took a backseat in most of the other tests due to being limited to 720P. The Nikon D3000 has nowhere near the extended ISO exposure range of the D3S, but it's an indicator that a professional-level 1080P DSLR is coming from Nikon.

One of the most impressive features of the D3100 is its price: With an 18-55mm zoom lens, its list price in the U.S. is $699.95, almost exactly $200 less than the T2i with a comparable 18-55mm lens. For those photographers who already own Nikons and have an investment in Nikon lenses, the D3100 means that they can move into video without losing their investment.

Before you go rush out and buy a D3100, you should wait until experts such as Philip Bloom and Nino Leitner and blogs like Digital Photography Review have a chance to test it. Resolution is just one of the many factors affecting video quality and performance, and we don't yet know what compromises Nikon made in order to get to the D3100's low price. Nevertheless, the D3100 is proof that Nikon is taking video seriously and intends to keep up with Canon.