Advice needed - What equipment should I keep?

H

HatlessChimp

Hi,

I bought a DSLR to take photos of my newborn thats now 8 months old now and I'm absolutely hooked. I love playing with depth of field, composition and contrast etc and then I realized I can use the D610 to make my youtube videos look better instead of using my Samsung S4/5 and my wifes Iphone 6 as B-Roll LOL.

But the Nikon D610 is killing me. I need something that will auto focus when mounted and unmanned. All it does is hunt and make a ton of noise. I've tried the various auto focus settings and even tried in fixed manual but its hard by yourself and adds to production time. Also the 20 or 30 minute record time has caught me out a few times where I missed footage because it stopped recording. I love having the Nikon and I am sure it can do the job perfectly in the right hands but but the more I search the net I'm finding Canon seems to be doing a better job in this area.

At the moment the main camera has become the Sony 4k AX100 and I downscale to 1080p for a nice sharp picture and the Nikon is purely for B-Roll and close ups.

I'm thinking I will have to sell all my Nikon equipment and move to Canon but its a question of what camera. C300, 1DC or 5D Mark iii? Or even the BlackMagic Ursa Mini 4k or 4.6k.

I can probably only chip in an extra 3k max on top of what I sell the Nikon gear for. I'm concerned with the rolling shutter on the DSLR's because my Sony 4k camera suffers from it already and I think the URSA mini is better value than the C300 even though the low light on the C300 blows it away. However the 1DC must be an absolute beast and if I were to buy it I would only have enough cash for a single lens to start with. But at least I would still have a DSLR.

I found myself using the Nikon 24-70mm maybe 90 percent of the time and I cant remember the last time I used either the 50mm or 35mm.

The Sony 4K video camera is great for picking up and shooting straight away. I have an 8 month old daughter that loves being filmed! lol Maybe the Sony AX1 is an option?

Nikon D610
Nikon 24-70mm 2.8
Nikon 70-200mm 2.8
Nikon 105mm macro
Tamron 150-600 5.6-6.3
Nikon 35mm 1.8
Nikon 50mm 1.8

Sony 4k AX100
GoPro Hero4 Silver


Audio
Rode Lav
Senheisser Lav
Shure SM7B
Senheisser ENG 122
Rode ntg2
Zoom H6
 
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Basically from this point forward I'm focusing on interviews and how to video's for my youtube channel. The break down is 75 percent inside work with controlled lighting as required and the rest is on location. My daughter already has way more photos and video of her in 8 months than I do of myself in 29 years. The Sony 4K handycam is great for family use and also I can do cropped 1080p pans smoothly with adobe premiere and have a static camera.

Maybe Nikon will release a 4K DSLR capable of better video, then I can keep my glass!
 
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If you sell your D610 and have ~ an extra $3k to chip in, you could go for something like an A7s and a Nikon adapter - you'll be able to use your Nikon glass, you'll have a Sony body which will probably match the AX100 a little better.. Plus you could get an external recorder for 4k..

The AX1 will probably match the AX100 the closest, but then it's a totally different aesthetic to a large sensor SLR/SLM.

You could go GH4 + Nikon adapter. GH4's a bit cheaper than an A7s and has 4k internal. Use your Nikon glass. Won't match the AX100 as closely in terms of colours, but the smaller sensor on the GH4 will be a bit closer aesthetic match, and it's cheaper.
 
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HatlessChimp said:
...the 20 or 30-minute record time has caught me out a few times where I missed footage because it stopped recording
Click to expand...

This pretty much crosses the A7s and 5D Mark III off your list. Sadly, the only way to solve this problem is with a camcorder or a Panasonic GH camera.

HatlessChimp said:
...I need something that will autofocus when mounted and unmanned......I can probably only chip in an extra 3k max on top of what I sell the Nikon gear for...
Click to expand...

The fast, reliable autofocus requirement crosses every DSLR off your list except the dual pixel Canon 70D and 7D Mark II (but they are 30-minute cameras). The dual pixel C100 and C300 have fast autofocus and can shoot for hours continuously, but they cost a lot more than $3K in Australia.

If you want a fast autofocusing, affordable 4K YouTube camera, I recommend a $2376AUD Panasonic GH4 with a fast autofocusing 12-35 f2.8 a native lens or a $1543.68AUD Panasonic GH4 body with the new fast autofocusing Kipon adapter plus quiet Canon STM lenses.

Either way, you can continue using your Nikon lenses (manual focus only) with a $169AUD Metabones Nikon to micro 4/3 adapter.

This camera intercuts very well with the AX100, as seen here:

http://vimeo.com/107525573


http://vimeo.com/111589552


http://vimeo.com/120954838 (watermarked)


I don't like the edit or the grade on this one, but I'll throw it into the mix: http://vimeo.com/102702064


Hope this is helpful and good luck with your YouTube channel!

Bill
 
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It really is sad to move on all the Nikon lenses. I've knocked out the Canon 5d Mark iii and the GH4 due to low light performance when compared to the A7S.

I like the idea of having a Sony A7S + Atomos Shogun. The Shogun is pretty much future proof recorder and can be used on future cameras. Also nice to have a 7" display.

What lenses should I buy? Sony or Canon mounts? With the Canon lenses will the adapter allow auto focus If I need it? Im seeing the Sigma 35 1.4G being used a lot with the A7S (but Canon or Sony version once again). I like the idea of Canon mount so I'm not locked in like I was with Nikon and then If one day I update the AX100 to a Black Magic Ursa Mini I can use the lenses I already have with it. So far I think a 35mm, 24 - 105mm f/4G and a macro (Zeiss Planar Makro?) will get me through.

Also think I might buy the Kessler Crane Second Shooter setup. Its perfect for interviews and beautiful smooth pans and tilts.

Thanks guys for the helpful info its great!
 
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A GH4 with a focal reducer is perfecfle capable of the indoor filming you wish to do. They are not challenge low light situations! No deep need to get a A7s here. Even my old GH1 can handle such situations.

I'd absolutely keep your Nikon glass,it is waaay more preferable to adapt to others than putting up with the pain of Canon lenses. I work professionally in this, and have invested in the bulk of my lenses being Nikon F mount as that is the safest path for the future with my investment.

I'd suggest learning to better use what you have currently, rather than buying another camera body.

But otherwise, check out the Samsung NX1 or Panasonic GH4 / G7 as your top choices.

For your needs, I'd pass on the A7s. Maybe the A6100/A7000 when it gets released next month by Sony with internal 4K might be worth checking out.
 
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Just an update,

I ended up buying some new gear.

Sony A7s
Atomos Shogun
960gb SSD
QNAP tvs671 + 6x 6gb WD Red hdd's
Benq BL3201pt 32" 4k monitor
Metabone EF to E adapter
Metabones Nikon G to E adapter
A second Senheisser 112 wireless mic set
10 Aputure 672 led lights
Rode NTG3
2x 502ah manfrotto fluid heads + two tripods
Kessler Crane Cineslider + Second shooter
Canon ef 24-105 f4
And some other non video equipment.

I'm punching out some great videos and look forward to sharing the content on my new site.
 
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HatlessChimp said:
Just an update,

I ended up buying some new gear.

Sony A7s
Atomos Shogun
960gb SSD
QNAP tvs671 + 6x 6gb WD Red hdd's
Benq BL3201pt 32" 4k monitor
Metabone EF to E adapter
Metabones Nikon G to E adapter
A second Senheisser 112 wireless mic set
10 Aputure 672 led lights
Rode NTG3
2x 502ah manfrotto fluid heads + two tripods
Kessler Crane Cineslider + Second shooter
Canon ef 24-105 f4
And some other non video equipment.

I'm punching out some great videos and look forward to sharing the content on my new site.
Click to expand...

Sweetie said:
Nice gear list but.... All this for home films?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I mean seriously, what made you decide to go for the Sony A7s? You're shooting indoors with proper lighting, and you're main focus if filming your family and doing how-to videos. Is this actually for a paying gig? Are you making money on youtube doing all of this?

An A7s is best if you're trying to shoot short films, out doors, in low light or at night. It really isn't the best or most practical choice for what it seems you're doing. But I could be wrong. You likely picked that one up in order to keep your Nikon glass, since the Sony's work with both Canon and Nikon lenses. So good option if that was part of your decision process.

Besides which, there are plenty of camcorders that will do wonders for youtube videos now, because they look a lot better picture-wise than they used to. You can use a DSLR if you want to, and it's always good to have one. But I don't get why you shelled out so much money to buy all of this great stuff when it didn't seem like you really needed it all. It doesn't feel like you took much time to make a careful decision on it all. Or at least I don't see what the decision ultimately was.

It's important to know going in that DSLR cameras are not like Camcorders. They were designed for photography first, and so they've always had short run-times for video recording. Only recently with cameras like the GH4 have they worked out the over-heating issue and have allowed the cameras to record for long stretches of time without tiring out, and lasting until the SD card is full. I'm still shocked the GH4 can even do that though, considering it's constantly taking in a large 4K video image, when in the past my Canon T3i petered out after 10 minutes and it gets really really warm. It even warned me about this in the manual.

Besides which, I don't think Canon is king anymore. Maybe they could have a leg up on record time somewhere, but I couldn't say where. If you really want to just let the camera roll on and on, best to get a camcorder. But if you want to work with the Sony A7s now, it will be important for you to take into account that you have to watch the recording light or the timer to make sure when to pause and pick things back up again. Watching your time and trying to record less rather than letting it go longer and longer as you talk for a long time is an important virtue, even though digital cameras' best benefit is that they can run for long periods and you can always get another take.

If you don't need another take, because you made sure to get it right the first three times, then you're much better off. Less stuff to sift through later, and much less need for storage.

And if you can ultimately get your messages and your ideas and your explanations out in a concise and shortened manner, then you're likely going to get a better response from your audience in the end. Long videos are more popular these days it seems, but not all kinds of videos work in long-form.

I'm probably just rambling at this point. What we really need is to see what your actually doing with all of this stuff, ~HatlessChimp. What you did before with your Nikon, and what you're trying to do now.
 
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