Switching from film to Digital - for me and my daughter (video capability is a priority)

[john_rees1]

<p>I am a long time film user and my current setup is Nikon FM3a. Almost everything I do at the moment is manual. Manual Camera, B&W film, self developing etc. I do very little on digital. Of course I have a phone and a small compact (Nikon coolpix). I don't want you to get the impression that I am opposed to digital, far from it. I run my own computer business and also loads of experience with the digital world.<br>

So what I have been doing is my hobby, but I need to do something for my business. <br>

Anyhow, I need to get a DSLR. No, let me rephrase that - I NEED TO GET A DSLR. For my business I need to do some video, rather a lot of video, and I want to take the DSLR plunge. <br>

I am finding some of the options rather bewildering. I am a long term Nikon user and am a bit reluctant to start again with another make. However, if I have to then so be it.<br>

My daughter is showing an interest in photography. She is young, but I'd like to factor in her needs over the next few years. <br>

So let me outline my thoughts.<br>

My primary motivating need is to produce video through DSLR and I have recently seen the results of a Canon 5d 111 setup and it does exactly what I need for video (and stills for that matter). However, it is probably to big and heavy for my daughter to want to use.<br>

It has crossed my mind that a Canon 6d would work for her and am wondering about the possibility of getting a 6D now and a 5D soon after. One question I have is how interchangeable would the lenses be and is there an alternative scenario? <br>

Let me try to prioritise my needs in a list</p>

<ol>

<li>I need to create a lot of video</li>

<li>I want two cameras with interchangeable lenses etc for me and my daughter</li>

<li>One camera would need to be relatively light</li>

<li>I am a long term Nikon user but could change </li>

</ol>

<p>Does anyone have any suggestions?</p>

<p>Bear with me but I find the idea </p>

 

[devon_mccarroll]

If you have some good Nikon lenses already, then I would stick with Nikon. But when you say that you need to create a lot of video, how

much do you mean? If you shoot for long periods of time, it's my understanding that it can really heat up the sensor, and most cameras

limit the time you can shoot. Otherwise, if you're talking about short videos, many of the modern DSLRs will do that. You'll need big cards

with lots of memory.

It also depends upon your budget. You could get a Nikon D610, which is fairly lightweight and a full-frame DSLR. If you opt for a crop

sensor camera like the D7100 (also lightweight), keep in mind that you can use FX (full frame) lenses on a DX (crop sensor) body, but you can't use DX lenses on an FX body.

On the other hand, if you don't have many lenses or are planning to upgrade your lenses anyway, then you would be fine with either

Nikon or Canon. On the Canon side of things, the 6D is much lighter than the 5D Mk III. Depending on what you want to photograph

besides doing video, lenses can add a lot of weight to an already heavy camera.

[William Michael]

<p>First up, I do quite of lot of video – it is not production style video, but rather record keeping video, but lots of it and it does involve a lot of zooming and does require high definition.<br /> I went down the thought path of using my DSLRs, mainly because I already had a few DSLRs and also an handsome cache of lenses to suit.<br /> After a little research I got out of that “DSLR” thought really quickly and bought a dedicated Video Camera – in the end much cheaper, much easier and much more efficient.<br /> Just food for thought – if you really need to do video why not get the tailored tool for the job?<br /> *</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"It has crossed my mind that a Canon 6d would work for her and am wondering about the possibility of getting a 6D now and a 5D soon after. <em><strong>One question I have is how interchangeable would the lenses be</strong></em>"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You will have complete lens interchangeability. The EOS 6D and all of the EOS 5D Series Cameras are exclusively "EF Lens Mount" cameras: (none will support the Canon EF-S range of lenses). The 6D and the 5D series are ‘135 Format Cameras’ commonly known now as "full frame" cameras - that is to say, they are the same 'negative size' as your Nikon 135 Film Cameras.</p>

<p>Additionally if you switch to ANY Canon EOS camera, you should be able, with an adapter, to mount your existing Nikkor Lenses to the Canon Cameras, (the lenses will have to be manually operated). This is not a suggestion to do that, but merely alerting you to the possibility that your existing lens cache is of some usefulness.</p>

<p>You might have been asking about (Canon) lens interchangeability because of the “EF-S” and “EF” Lens mounts that Canon makes.<br /> In simple terms:<br /> Canon has three formats (sensor sizes) in their EOS range of Digital SLR Cameras:<br /> APS-C, APS-H and 135 Format<br /> <strong>1. ALL of the Canon EOS DSLR cameras, no matter what format, will allow ALL “EF” Mount lenses to fit to them</strong><br /> and<br /> <strong>2. It is ONLY the APS-C Format Cameras (**1) that allow the “EF-S” Mount Lenses to fit to them</strong><br /> (**1) mostly all of the APS-C range will allow “EF-S” - EXCEPT for three very early models.<br>

<br /> <br /> *</p>

<p>I use Canon DSLR’s. I have 5D Series and also APS-C format xxD Series cameras. All my cameras have battery grips attached.</p>

<p>On the matter of your daughter - my daughter sometimes shoots with me; she certainly “borrows” a lot of my gear and has done since she was a young teenager. She has small hands. I think that hands are the more important consideration - not so much age or physical stature or strength. My daughter does not and has never liked using my 5D Series cameras and she is not all that fussed on using my APS-C cameras either. She prefers the (smaller and lighter) EOS xxxD Series camera.<br /> I think that (if your daughter is at least 12~14) her hands won’t grow all that much more, so I would get the choices into her hands and let her feel the weight and the balance, if you haven’t already done that.</p>

<p>Obvioulsy the lenses that you choose to use will add weight and affect balance - so this aspect is not just about the Camera Body - again in this regard, my daughter likes using lighter weight and smaller (telephoto) lenses and not (for example) my 70 to 200/2.8. </p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> </p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

The Nikon D7100 seems to be the right fit for you.

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>If you have good Nikon lenses, sticking with Nikon could well be worth it. Yes, those lenses can be made to work with Canon as well, but not as 'fluent' as they are on Nikon higher-end bodies. Considering a FM3a, if you go for a Nikon DX camera (=APS-C sensor), you will find you're missing wide angles compared to your current setup. So, factor in needing a lens to cover the wide end as well, or consider at least one full frame camera (D610 would make quite some sense).<br /> A point is then in how much you want to share and align gear between the two of you. If she wants/needs a smaller, lighter camera, the options would be a D3200, D5200 or similar - which aren't as compatibile with your old lenses (no metering, APS-C crop factor). So she'd need something like the kitlens to cover that, at the very least - the advantages of having your old lenses available for her camera are a lot less. Ot she'll just have to cope with a larger, heavier body (D7000/D7100 - I would not call those lightweight), but that might mean she'll loose interest lugging the gear around.<br /> Let her try different cameras in her hand, think carefully to which extend you'd like to continue to use your current Nikkors. The answer (as far as I see) lies in between those variables.</p>

<p>Of course, if you're not too set on continuing to use your current lenses, going to Canon is an option too - I think for video a 70D ticks a lot of boxes right, possibly more than Nikon.</p>

[ali_baba2]

<p>If switching is just because of videos then i would look into a dedicated videocamera, taking in account the kind of videos you will be shooting.<br /> Your daughter might really like a "micro four thirds"... if she is a teenager, and with the leaps technology makes in a short time, must not be an easy thing to factor her needs for the future. (you might end liking them too)</p>

[john_rees1]

<p>Thank you everyone for your input. It gives me plenty of good advice to think about. Your questions about how much video to shoot made me realise I had been a little vague. So to be specific, I will be shooting 2 or 3 short videos (of 2 mins edited duration) in a home based studio environment on a tripod 100% of the time. I guess I had discounted a dedicated video camera as my heart is in stills and I am looking for an excuse to take the DSLR plunge.<br>

Wouter, I really appreciate the specific advice. I had not thought of the 70D and it looks like it may be a good fit for my daughter.<br>

It looks like the option I will be going with will be a Canon 70D in the next few weeks. Followed by a 5D III in a couple of months. However, I will take my daughter around the shops to let her hold them first.<br>

John</p>