5D MKIII or GH3

[AreFlex]

I don't think it is possibly to get that "feel" and look of the Canon on the GH3 which is why people like are coming down to this basic predicament:
 
Do I want more sharpness/IQ or more of that "feel"...I think for me It is the latter...I really would love both though!
 

That was exactly my predicament. It all really comes down to where you want to spend the time and money. It's possible to grade the GH3 to look like the Canons with a time hit in post, or you can spend the extra cash on the 6D, the VAF filter, a loupe or monitor, and time in post to sharpen the image... Its a trade off. After having shot a couple of Doc projects on 7Ds and 5Ds I don't regret the GH3 decision at all. The GH3 is immensely more flexible in its everyday usage. Perhaps in more controlled environments such as fiction or magazine-style shoots I might prefer the 6D, especially if grading time is limited. Generally the broadcast productions I've worked on have budgets for higher end cameras like the C300 or F3/5 in those circumstances. But for low budget fiction or documentary projects the GH3 really is a good choice.

[jgharding]

It's a sound deduction, though do take into account the hassle of popping the filter in and out if you want stills (you can't shoot stills with it in, really) and the fact that it's delicate.

 

I have one for the 550D, they're good, they solve the problem of course, but they're a hassle and very delicate.

[jgharding]

And of course, you could shoot on anything at the end of the day, that kinda goes without saying that good content is good content. 

 

But while we're here, we may as well discuss it right? ;)

[jasonmillard81]

@AreFlex thanks! I really wanted to love the GH3...but looking at it compared to what Canons produce is very night/day for me.  I know I'll get flamed for that but the tests people do of swings, leaves, and buildings is almost a joke as it really isn't what we care about.  We care about living creatures, people and animals.  We want to document stories, whether fiction or non-fiction.  Yes at the end of the day I can watch a compelling story shot on an iPhone 5 and be amazed by the emotional quality of it. 

 

As @JG said "we might as well discuss it right?"  I will be making a purchase decision soon.

 

I have my 60D which i'm not thrilled with but there are so many viable options.  I do want to learn more about photography on the DSLR and want to do a lot of video with it.  

 

What I have gathered:

 

Panasonic = Sharp/IQ images

Canon = Color/"That Look"

Nikon = In the middle

 

It may be a good idea for me to go to B&H in a week or two and spend a few hours looking at:

 

  -6D

  -D800

  -GH3

 

Make a decision there and pull the trigger

 

I am an all-purpose hobbyist who wants to take great stills and video in all lighting conditions with that appeal of Canon/Nikon look

[AreFlex]

@jasonmillard81,
Of course content is paramount and any of the cameras will give you excellent results at capturing that content. It seems that you are in love with Canon's color aesthetics straight from camera. That is a valid place to make a decision from. The reality is that you can grade all of them to appear very close. There are many folks using these cameras in professional situations that are not putting their home movies and personal camera tests on Youtube or Vimeo. The camera's limits are only limited by your own.

[Mirrorkisser]

@Jason: you should get the canon and listen to your guts. Its not the look that "we" grave for. everybody has his own aesthetics. I dont like the canon dslr look for example. It looks like a more expensive porn magazine in my opinion. and people have overdone the superduper shallow depth of field already 1-2 years ago. Go to Berlin etc, there are so many 3rd wave canon dslr hipsters. while the pioneers have already moved on, as the market is saturated with that look. it was nice at the beginning, wow, we can shoot like this with what is basically a photocamera. but now, when i see something shot in those asethetics, i get either tired or angry, or both. especially since most people are not even doing it well. a whole short film or 4 minute clips in those aesthetics? for crying out loud, its a technique to put a certain object or subject above its surrounding, to put the emphasis on it, in the cinematographic language. and now every boring unimportant thing filmed in that look? pure overkill!

 

if i had to choose i would pick the panasonic ones for video anytime, unless stills were important. Overall i am also looking for something that is superior to the gh-series. which is not another 8bit dslr though. 8bit will always remain 8bit. For the budget, why dont you think of the black magic cinema camera with an EF or passive m43 mount?

 

the Nikon d5200 is also a very good and cheap choice. 

 

Or the Sony FS100, you get used ones in mint condition for almost the cash of a mkiii.

[jgharding]

Yes FS100 is great, I was using the FS700 again only yesterday and get great results with its cinegammas. The codec is a bummer though.

 

Doesn't D5200 have great video for money, and compared to D800? Nikon lens choices are a bit more limited though...

[voyagervideo]

@jasonmillard81

 

It's absurd to spend money on a 6D unless you're equally interested in photography.  Even the GH3 is a bit overpriced for what it is.  The Blackmagic Cameras are likely to exceed any camera up to double (or quadruple in the case of the Pocket Cam) of their price when it comes to video quality, bitrate, ability to manipulate in post, etc.  This isn't an endorsement of Blackmagic, but to illustrate how quickly technology is moving.  Now is not the time to spend $2k on a DSLR body (unless you want to do photography as well), a year from now the same money will buy you many times the quality.  As for the "Canon look"... if you're only planning on making quirky indie movies then go for it, but you can grade any footage to get it close enough, and the audience isn't going to notice the difference or care.  Spend your money on future proof glass, lighting, sound, etc.

 

To make a long story short, keep shooting on whatever you've got, let the dust settle, because the lifespan of digital cameras is getting shorter and shorter, and you'll be lucky to resell a camera bought today for half the price you paid.  In a very short period of time, RAW 4k cameras with Super 35 sensors will be cheaper than any camera you're considering right now.

[jcs]

If the 5D3 provided full HD resolution (1920x1080 vs. 1620x910), a higher bitrate codec (422 LGOP 50Mbps or better (same as C300)), and pro-audio (XLR) input with decent preamps, it would be game over for new products for a while at that price point. That's why Canon hasn't done it. The closest we can get to that right now is an FS700 (or FS100) with a Speed Booster (if full frame look is a goal. Internal codec good enough for many applications and external recording via SDI/HDMI works well). Black Magic cameras without more efficient codecs, better low-light performance, and better ergonomics, have limited use (+ way too much data for most applications). Modular cameras systems are the next step (sensor separated from recorder). Decoupling the sensor from the computer and lens provides a lot of flexibility.