Video on D610

Hello,

 

I have experience with 35mm film cameras and none whatsoever with digital SLRs. I have a number of manual Nikkors that I'd like to use with video on a full-fame digital Nikon. I have in mind a D610. While this is full-frame for stills, I read somewhere once that video is not full-frame. I've not been able to find that source since. Is this true, can I expect cropping of the image? If so, are there other similarly economical models that do offer full frame video? I'll even consider non-Nikon cameras if adapters are an option (bearing in mind it will need to work with an AF 35-70mm 1:2.8 Nikkor as well as the manuals).

 

Thanks,

 

Iain

Video images will always be cropped to some extent, because the 16:9 aspect ratio is smaller than 3:2 for the full sensor. Cropping is not always bad, especially compared to binning and line-skipping. Resampling is probably the best, but takes a lot of image processing. I'll put my Sony FS5 Super-35 video camera against nearly anything from a hybrid recording internally.

 

Video frames have fewer pixels than most modern digital cameras, roughly 2 MP for HD (1080) and 8 MP for 4K (2160). They are produced in several ways - cropping (e.g., Super-35 from a 24 MP image), Resampling (best dynamic range and least aliasing), line-skipping and binning (combined outputs from several pixels). Other factors affecting quality are color sampling (e.g., 4,2,2 > 4,2,0) and bit depth, 8 v 10. Video recorded internally is generally degraded from high compression and long GOP codecs.

 

With a Sony A7iii, I have a choice of FF resampling or cropping, but only with 8 bit depth. I generally record externally in ProRes 422 at 290 MHz bandwidth. GOP-I. Most cameras record internally at a maximum of 50 MHz (HD) or 100 MHz (4K), GOP-L. Any Nikon or Canon lens can be used on the A7iii with an inexpensive adapter, either AF or with extremely accurate manual focusing.

 

I mention Sony not to proselyte, rather because I use it daily, professionally. You need to read a lot of reviews and spec sheets before making your decision.

Very helpful Ed. Thanks very much. I'll look into the Sony cameras. Price wise, and I'll be purchasing used, the A7ii might be an option. I'll weigh it up against the Nikons.

All the best,

In addition to cropping the video capture area from the still 3:2 image to a 16:9 aspect ratio, some cameras use a significant crop, as Ed reports - which means the field of view would be reduced for your lenses. As far as I can tell from the manual, the D610 actually used most of the image width (35.5mm, though you can choose to crop), so this is nearly as much not a problem as you'll find. I'm pretty sure it line skips, though - which means both the increased risk of aliasing that Ed mentioned, and that quite a bit of the sensor area isn't contributing to the image - which means fewer photons and more noise in low light.

 

There's nothing wrong with a D610 if you have a good offer on one (bearing in mind the better D750 was actually on sale cheaper recently, now being replaced by the D780) and want a familiar SLR (the degree of familiarity depending on the vintage of your SLR) - but it's a stills camera with a video capability as an afterthought. If you want this mostly for video, I was also going to suggest Sony - maybe an A7S version if they're cheaper, since those are video-centric.

 

Just to be clear, you'd only get autofocus with Nikkor lenses from the Nikon bodies (I think?) - but except with a D780 (new, so expensive) it'll be slow and you probably don't want to use it during shots. If you want more automation you might want to start from scratch with lenses (probably either Sony or Panasonic, although Canon might cope) - but for most uses automation doesn't matter do much in video.

 

Best of luck!

Fotodiox makes a premium Nikon to Sony lens adapter which will AF with AF-S lenses and pass lens data to the camera. That said, Sony isn't the be-all, end-all for hybrid video, but it incorporates some of the best practices. The Nikon Z6 has some odd quirks regarding cropping, but the video quality is first rate at 4,2,2 and 10 bits. If video is an important part of your needs, mirrorless is probably the best choice. Unlike a DSLR, you can use it pressed against your eye, not just at arm's length or on a tripod.

Fotodiox makes a premium Nikon to Sony lens adapter which will AF with AF-S lenses and pass lens data to the camera.

 

Ah, I had a nagging feeling that this existed as I was typing. In my defence, it wouldn't help with the 28-80 AF, which is a screwdriver lens (but it also won't autofocus on the Z mirrorless bodies with Nikon's own FT-Z adaptor).

 

That said, Sony isn't the be-all, end-all for hybrid video, but it incorporates some of the best practices. The Nikon Z6 has some odd quirks regarding cropping, but the video quality is first rate at 4,2,2 and 10 bits. If video is an important part of your needs, mirrorless is probably the best choice. Unlike a DSLR, you can use it pressed against your eye, not just at arm's length or on a tripod.

 

Agreed - but doing that in full-frame and getting more recent bodies with decent video support (even if Sony have a head start on the used market) might push the price up. If new lenses are an option, Panasonic have a much smaller sensor, but you could build something around their bodies and lens range that might be relatively affordable - although the autofocus would be a little odd. The Canon bodies with phase-detect on sensor (most recent ones except the cheapest) would work, and crop sensor might be affordable, but again you're throwing out your current glass. Just alternatives to consider - Ed will know way more about video in general and Sony bodies in particular than I do.

Ah, I had a nagging feeling that this existed as I was typing. In my defence, it wouldn't help with the 28-80 AF, which is a screwdriver lens (but it also won't autofocus on the Z mirrorless bodies with Nikon's own FT-Z adaptor).

 

 

 

Agreed - but doing that in full-frame and getting more recent bodies with decent video support (even if Sony have a head start on the used market) might push the price up. If new lenses are an option, Panasonic have a much smaller sensor, but you could build something around their bodies and lens range that might be relatively affordable - although the autofocus would be a little odd. The Canon bodies with phase-detect on sensor (most recent ones except the cheapest) would work, and crop sensor might be affordable, but again you're throwing out your current glass. Just alternatives to consider - Ed will know way more about video in general and Sony bodies in particular than I do.

Thanks all.