How to capture documentary quality footage of tiny subjects

Question

Hi, guys. I just watched the David Attenborough documentary: Life In The Undergrowth:
Invasion Of The Land.

And I was wondering: What sort of equipment would I need, in order to get that kind of footage? Is it possible with typical modern retail-consumer class A/V hardware; or only at great expense - with professional, specialized gear?

I've included a short clip to illustrate the actual size of some typical subjects; followed by a copy of the entire documentary for your viewing pleasure (if anybody's interested).

Unfortunately, they're both in SD/Lo-Res; but should (hopefully) give you a decent idea of what I'm talking about.

Here's a short clip on YouTube:
(min 144p→360p max)

Here's the full video on Dailymotion:
(min 380p→480p max)

Cheers.

Answer 1

Up until the high-frame rate (HFR) section of the video I would have said that all you need is a Canon MP-E 65mm Macro Lens, a nice LED light (so as not to fry the poor bugs with all the IR radiation that comes from tungsten halogen sources), and a camera with a reasonable video codec that accepts Canon lenses. However, the HFR section is clearly in the specialized territory of a Phantom camera, which is very expensive.