Choosing a (Nikon?) Camera for Video and Photo

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.

<p>If you are serious about video I would look at a video camera in the prosumer range (about $1500 and up) rather than a DSLR.<br /><br />Lots of people love DSLRs but every post I read about them talks about having to come up with workarounds for autofocus, exposure, sound, etc. They don't have the right ergonomics for shooting video like an over-the-shoulder video camera has, or the proper convenient layout of controls or the various connectors that make life easy. And by the time people trick them out with cages, rods, adaptors, etc. they end up costing as much as a real video camera, even a lower end professional model.<br /><br />One of the things people who like DSLRs for video always talk about is the "cinema" look, including both color rendition and being able to throw the background out of focus with narrow depth of field. On even mid-level video camera you can dial in just about any look you like electronically. And while shallow depth of field can be a useful tool in controlled situations where you pre-focus on specific marks and actors hit those marks exactly, it is a huge negative in the uncontrolled situations that probably make up the majority of video shooting. I've spent more time closing down the aperture and trying to get as much depth of field as I can so I can be darned sure my shots are in focus than trying to get pretty "bokeh." And if you want to throw the background out of focus with a video camera, just zoom to a longer focal length and open up the aperture. No need for a DSLR.</p>

<p>I know the D5200 users are going to give me flak for recommending the D5300 instead, but most of them have never tried actually shooting both like I have.<br>

No they did not use the exact same Sensor.<br>

The more powerful Expeed 4 Processor and algorithms do make a huge difference.<br>

I use 1080P 60fps to smooth action, not for slow motion.<br>

Even Action Stills are easier to capture.<br>

The low light high ISO performance is twice as good, at least for me.</p>

<p>Patric,</p>

<p>I feel your pain. Because money is tight, I tend to do more than a little bit of snooping around from one forum or online review to another. Most times, I find some really useful information. Other times, I end up with analysis paralysis from too much information. </p>

<p>Due to the ever-changing, ever-evolving nature of technology and the flood of products and services on the market, I’d say spend as little money as you can, but enough to get the job done at a level that makes the “end user” happy – whether that’s a paying client, or yourself. If you’ve done your research and narrowed it down to a couple of different options, check rental prices and rent for a day or weekend. That way you can test them side-by-side and draw your own conclusions. That should give you a great level of confidence about your final decision. </p>

<p>If renting is not in the budget, see if you know someone with the desired setup who’ll need an assistant on a job, or who may even be willing to do a “walkabout” with you to do some random shooting. Maybe you have some gear they’d like to try out or experience/knowledge they could benefit from while you’re at it. I’m in the New York metro area and am somewhat new to the video side of things. If you’re in this area and want to check out a D7100, I have one that I like a lot. Then again, it’s easy to like it over what I’d been using for my still photography (D200s)! But that goes back to what I was saying about only spending what you need to get the job done. For the vast majority of my wedding and portrait type work, my D200s do the job. The desire to get into video and the need for better low light capability made me buy the D7100. Now I want to add two more D7100 bodies to my kit. I considered the D800, but for where I am now, two D7100s is a more practical choice than getting one D800 for similar money.</p>

<p>Like Craig, I’ve read that going with dedicated pro video cameras would save you a lot of the little headaches of outfitting a DSLR to do proper video work, and that seems logical to me. BUT, if you’re like me and you do still photo work as well, the budget may not allow you have dedicated gear for stills and a separate set of cameras and accessories for video work. Somebody’s getting rich in this industry, but it ain’t your average shooter! </p>

<p>I really can’t give you an opinion on the D5000 series because I haven’t used them, but the impression I got when I was shopping around for a video DSLR was that they weren’t close enough to the professional models to make me feel comfortable. Don’t get me wrong. Most consumer level cams produce great quality imagery. Where the cameras (consumer – prosumer – professional) start to separate themselves is in build quality and ruggedness. It really depends on what you need and how you’ll use the gear. When I shoot weddings, things can get crazy and gear gets knocked around (and dare I say DROPPED). The D7100, while not top-of-the-line pro level, is somewhere in the middle and affordable – especially since I need multiple sets of gear in case something goes wrong on a shoot.</p>

<p>Sorry to be so long-winded, but to sum it up…</p>

 

<ul>

<li>Try before you buy if possible. That’ll answer a lot of questions for you.</li>

<li>Whatever you buy, make sure it gets the job done NOW. You never know what upgrades you’ll be able to afford or when.</li>

<li>The further you go down a particular path (camera, lenses and accessories), the more invested you are. In other words, how much DSLR gear do you have now versus how much dedicated video gear you’d need to get the job done.</li>

</ul>

<p>I hope some of this rambling has helped you. Let me know if you’re in my area. Maybe we could do a meetup.</p>

<p>For now, DSLR cameras are better than mirrorless ones for shooting videos. But your choice depends on how much money are you prepared to invest in. This guide might help you out to make the right choice: https://valoso.com/blog/2016-video-camera-buying-guide/</p>