I am a multimedia journalism student, and I have some experience producing stories using everything from text and photos to short
documentary-style videos to fully multimedia projects (text, photo, video, and infographics).
Most of my photography and video work has been produced using a Nikon D3100, with surprisingly good results. But, in my opinion, a
good photographer should be able to produce good photos with any camera they know well enough.
If I were just using the camera for photos, I would likely stick with the D3100 until I graduate and have more significant income. However,
as I am doing more video lately, the 3100 has become rather limiting. Although I should note I am still very happy with it for its age and
price-range.
I would like to upgrade my camera to something more suited to my purposes shooting both high-quality photo and video. I have done
significant research on the subject, but at this point I feel the more I read the more conflicted I become.
My initial choice was the Nikon D5200, and if I am going to buy a DSLR I will be sticking with Nikon. It is nearly as good as the D5300, but
for notably less money. After doing some more research, I wondered if the upgrade would be good enough for my frequent video-
shooting (especially with battery life issues found in the 5200).
My next thought was the D7100, the reviews I've read make it sound like a better option for video. Further, a Nikon representative
recommended it for video (but he may have just been trying to sell me the more expensive camera). It also allows for uncompressed
video transfers, which seems to be the biggest advantage over the D5200.
My main questions are:
Is the D5200 worth a $500 investment when I may want to upgrade to a professional grade DSLR (or mirrorless) after I graduate?
Is the D7100 significantly better for video, so much so that it is worth $300-400 more than the D5200? And is it good enough that I won't
want to upgrade to a professional grade camera right away?
OR
For shooting video, do I want to investigate a non-Nikon mirrorless system in the same price range (such as the Sony A6000)?
I appreciate any advice.
