Video on DSLRs?

I think I'll take a break from the tutorials and write an article about a topic, that is on every photographers head lately. Some weeks ago Nikon presented its D90, successor of the D80 with HD video capabilities, rumors say Canon will present a similar feature in one of its future cameras too and many users are asking themselves:

Should video be implemented on DSLRs?

This is a very complicated topic and I think many of us have formed an opinon without really thinking twice about it, so I'm going to try and write down all the positive and negative aspects of this new feature.

The first many people, including myself, thought when they heard about this new feature was, what for? DSLRs are specialized in taking pictures and don't need the video capabilities.
This answer however isn't really based on any facts or arguments but rather in our feeling about digital photography. But are there arguments against implementation of video on DSLRs? Let's analyze what negative points video might bring to DSLRs:

• Size, the size of a video processing chip is ridiculously small.
• Battery consumption, probably close to none when feature is idle.
• Cost. Here's the only argument I think would be worth taking into consideration:

The cost of the video processing and encoding chip isn't probably too high. Maybe this chip will be embedded in the next generation of EXPEED processors in the future so it will sink even further. The development of the hardware and software necessary for recording video though can get more pricey. Considering Nikon has got no experience with video, putting its developers to work on that feature costs the company time and money, that they could be invesing in other features. This is something we can't deny, but we have to think: Is video really such an uninteresting feature?

Most of us probably have multiple devices able to capture video: Videocameras, Point and Shoots, mobile phones... but all of them lack a lot of things that video-enabled DSLRs will have:

• Quality: Probably the most important difference between the devices mentioned before and the D90 is the quality. The resolution recorded by state of the art mobile phones and typical point and shoots never goes beyond 640x480 or 0.3 megapixels. The D90 however will record in 1280x720 pixels (around 1 MP) and the roumoured canon camera might go even further with fullHD, that's 1920x1080 pixels. A constant stream of 2 Mega-Pixels shots at 30 frames per second. Now, we are sick of saying megapixels don't matter on a digital camera. That is not true at this level. The difference in quality between a 6 megapixel and a 25 megapixel shot, won't be even noticeable in a computer monitor or a TV set, that is because a monitor or TV can display a maximum of 2 megapixels at the same time, and we're talking about very high resolution devices. The difference between 0.3 and 2 megaxpiels though is a very different thing. A good (FullHD) TV set will be able of displaying those 2 megapixels recorded by DSLRs, making the 0.3 megapixels of Point and shoots look ridicolous. Most videocameras also record at 0,3 resolution, except for the new HD video cameras. But the D90's sensor has some other advantages apart from the resolution, its ISO capabilities are much better than the ones of any of the devices mentioned above, allowing for shooting in very low light.

• Versatility: What do Point and shoots, mobile phones and most videocameras have in common? They have 1 lens, may be prime lens may be zoom lens, but that's it. If you want any other lens or effect you've got no upgrade possibility. Changing lenses is something DSLRs are well known for and this capability will prove valuable in video shooting just as it does when we shoot pictures. It's not the same to record a sports event where we want to have a wide angle lens to record the whole scene as to record wildlife where we want to be able to stay as far away as possible using a telephoto.

• Convenience: Have you never been outside shooting and wanted to shoot a video? Do you take an extra camera just to take short videos on your trips? With video on the DSLR you just need 1 device that will take pictures and videos, and both with outstanding quality, the D90 might have some issues like the lack of autofocus but those issues will be solved for sure in the future, a problem we can't forget so easily though is the size of the videos, that will only allow for shorter clips unlike with videocameras.
  
• Creative Possibilities. A similar point to versatility, changing lenses allows for more creative videos and so does the small depth of field created by DSLR lenses that will allow you to make your subject stand out while other devices will just have all the scene in focus

In my opinion those advantages will in the future make video capable DSLRs well worth the extra price, and even more considering that price will get smaller with time. Also the user base of HDTVs capable of displaying HD video is growing bigger every day, which will accelerate the process even more. What do you think? Will future DSLRs all come with video or will this just be a forgotten feature? You can leave your opinion on the comments or vote on the poll.