Should I upgrade or not?

Good day everybody,

I have a really tough decision in front of me, should I upgrade from my Nikon D3200 to a Sony A6300?

My big dream is that at some point in my life, I will start my own production company. I already started with some kind of work around it, but I had some issues sometimes with my D3200, because I bought it when I knew nothing about what does anything with the camera mean, I bought it because it was at the top of "Recommended" section - sad story...

For example, when I was shooting for a company on their event and it got darker, I could do nothing else, the only thing I could do is raise the ISO value - and the low light performance of the D3200 is not good, so it was really stressful time for me.

I even started a YouTube channel so I am able to train my video skills even when I don't have anything else to do and I found out there is another thing that annoys me aside from the low light performance - the autofocus. It's really hard to film yourself in front of a camera with that horrible autofocus the D3200 offers, so I have to use manual setting, but it limits my recording because I need to use the autofocus. It's also hard to set my framing without a tilt out screen.

I enjoy using the D3200 for taking photos, but sadly I can not say the same about the video, which I want to focus on. When taking photos, I don't need the camera to focus by itself, have a tilt out screen or extremely good low light performance, because I'm standing behind the camera and I can focus, compose or set the camera more easily than when I'm in front of it so I can't push that shutter button to focus, can't see what the camera sees without the tilt out screen, etc.

The Sony A6300 would make my work easier - really fast autofocus, great low light performance, and even when it does not have a tilt out screen, you are able to connect it to your phone and use that as a monitor.

But is it worth that amount of money? Most people tell me it's better to invest to lenses, but I don't know if it's a good decision in my case, when I know that once it will be necessary I won't be upgrading Nikon to Nikon for sure.

I'd appreciate your opinions and help. :)
 
The D3200 is an ok ish camera, are you getting the most out of it though? With a decent little starter set of lenses and lights? Audio gear is more important too than getting another new camera body.
 
Hi, Tomaas,

Welcome to IndieTalk!

I am no gear expert, not by a long shot. And I have not been keeping up with gear developments, so keep that in mind.

But I will try to step in and help with your decision making process anyway, xD...

If I understand your post accurately, there seems to be some eliminating or at least some narrowing we can do.

I think you meant that you know you do not wish to stick with Nikon.

1) If true, it seems we can eliminate the option of buying new Nikon lenses for your D3200.

Is buying better lenses which are compatible with your D3200 but which are also compatible with the brand you do wish to continue with an option? If so, that complicates things, and, may still be a sensible option.

2) If I understand correctly, you need something with auto focus for your work. That should also help to eliminate some options. Does the A6300 have good auto focus?

Keep in mind, and I think it is safe to say, most filmmakers here say auto focus is something to be avoided by serious filmmakers. Nonetheless, if you need it, say, for filming yourself for youtube videos, then…you need it, xD, and that's that. So again…if you need it, look for cameras with good auto focus. That might actually mean a camcorder, unless the other cameras have gotten better at it since I've been paying attention.

In your shoes, I think I would like to know how other solo youtubers deal with that problem. What cameras do they use and how? It seems worth an inquiry.

Is it worth the money?

There might be a simple or a not so simple answer to that. It sounds like you do paid shoots. If so, will those paid shoots (or revenue from your youtube channel, perhaps) pay for the camera? If not, then you probably have to look for more intangible excuses or rewards for buying another camera or more gear. In any case, it is probably generally safe to advise you not to get yourself into financial trouble by buying the "next great camera".

best wishes
 
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Here's my thoughts on this matter:

The relevant part is this "The Sony doesn't use a reflex mirror, so there is no mirror slapping up and down and therefore may be somewhat quieter. Other than that, however, there are no significant differences in the capabilities of these entry-level DSLR-style cameras. The kit lenses are all 3.5-5.6/18-55, the sensors are the same size, and the resolution differences will not be noticed in any real world situation. Don't be fooled by the exotic specs such as maximum ISO, top resolution, etc. -- they are irrelevant in virtually all real world situations. Specifically, in real world use you will never tell the difference between the 18 MP image of the Canon 1200D and the 24MP image of the Nikon 3300, especially with these kit lenses. "
 
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