Next best logical camera up from the D90? Interested in Canon 7d video quality

AaronJAnderson

I need a new camera body.
I have some Nikon gear so I'd like to stick to that brand.

I'm in LOVE with the HD video quality of the Canon 7D.
Nikon D90 video quality is CRAP and it doesn't have any audio inputs.
I'm not sure the D300s video quality is much better than the D90, but it's MUCH more expensive.

I can get the 7D body, and spend 1600 bucks on just the body, and then have no lenses or strobes, etc to go with it.

Anyone care to comment? What should I do?

ziggy53

What Nikkor lenses do you have?

AaronJAnderson

ziggy53 wrote:

What Nikkor lenses do you have?

Not a ton.

I shoot 98 percent of my stuff with the f/1.8 35mm (cheap @ 200 bucks)

I also have the 18-55 kit (so so) and the 55-200 (don't like it)

Next on my list is a Tokina 11-16/f2.8 but I don't own it yet and getting it with a canon mount shouldn't be a big deal.

ziggy53

The best lenses for video on a "crop" dSLR especially are lenses with a large aperture. The Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX, if that's what you have (seems likely), is a "G" series lens which means that it lacks an aperture ring.

The reason that is important is that you may use some Nikkor "F" mount lenses on a Canon dSLR via a lens adapter. While the 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX should work on a Canon dSLR with the appropriate adapter, you would be limited to both manual focus "and" wide open. That's not all bad however since video use tends to love wide open operation for many video applications. You might consider exposure control partly using neutral density filters.

I will caution you that any dSLR is a poor substitute for a good camcorder for general video applications. Unless you shoot "indie" style video (similar to a "Hollywood" production but with a very small budget or no budget) you might hate using a dSLR for video work.

Your other lenses are likewise not the best choices for video work. Ideally you want large aperture lenses for best control of DOF and prime lenses tend to have the largest apertures. Primes are not generally a problem for this sort of video work because the short takes usually allow for lens changes in the indie style of shooting.

Also plan on using external microphones and a field mixer for best audio.

Count on lots of time spent on short takes and editing. Remember that HD video requires a very current and powerful computer for editing and uses current software too.

ziggy53

The 1280 x 720 @ 24 fps video mode of the Nikon D300S is pretty usable unless you really need the capabilities of the 1080P mode in the Canon 7D.

If you want to stay with Nikon I do think that the D300S is worth a closer look. Maybe rent one for a while to find out if it will work for your needs?

studio1972

AaronJAnderson wrote:

I need a new camera body.
I have some Nikon gear so I'd like to stick to that brand.

I'm in LOVE with the HD video quality of the Canon 7D.
Nikon D90 video quality is CRAP and it doesn't have any audio inputs.
I'm not sure the D300s video quality is much better than the D90, but it's MUCH more expensive.

I can get the 7D body, and spend 1600 bucks on just the body, and then have no lenses or strobes, etc to go with it.

Anyone care to comment? What should I do?

For video you could get the 550d, pretty much the same as the 7d.

jmphotocraft

If you want to make a semi-serious or serious hobby out of cinematography, get a real video camera, and enjoy your D90 for stills.

If you just want to take casual home movies of your kids, get a Flip HD. Or better yet, get a Canon P&S that also does HD video. The video will be as good as the Flip, and then you'll also have a good p&s!

Or just get a Red Scarlet and be done with it!