Nikon D5300 Review and why DSLRs are dead for video

[Andrew Reid]

*Shakes head violently, and wants to give up on life*

[Guest 89e2bdf5797fbbdc17c2cc6da1413fa0]

I've used Flaat picture profiles and also CineStyle before and I never liked the results 100%, felt that a small bit of extra dynamic range comes at the expense of colour and tonality.

 

Feel free to show me some examples in your next post Matt and I'll revisit this.

 

 

This is  decent side-by-side of Flaat_11 vs Standard, though it's low-light with a lot of crushed black, so not the best example perhaps:

 

 

 

I made my own (amateurish) test of Flaat_11, though it's not a side-by-side. Details below the video. I think the colours hold up pretty well:

 

 

All shot with Flaat 11 profile, graded in FCPX, Neat Video applied, sharpening applied (+3 to +5 in FCPX, 0 in camera), Gorilla Grain (fine clean) added. All shots 50p conformed to 25p.
There are quite a lot of FCP stabilization artefacts throughout.
Lenses: Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-s and 35mm f2 AF-D

For some reason I had my screen gamma calibrated to 1.8 for this edit, so the blacks are probably looking more crushed than they need to be. You can download the .mov file and lift them if you feel the need (though the .mov is still a compression of the original). I now shoot with +2 sharpness in camera and add a little in post too.

 

Even without using flat profiles, the D5300's dynamic range is superior to any current Panasonic or Canon footage I have seen, and lends itself to lifting the shadows in post because of the low amount and nice quality of noise. I have also been able to pull back a surprising ammount of detail from the highlights compared to my G6 and my old 600D.

 

D5300 group on Vimeo here: vimeo.com/groups/d5300

[Danyyyel]

I am of those who think that the review should have been more factual like side by side between camera like we have seen from other your reviews before. It would have given us a better idea of how the camera compares to the other ones. Then at least to a certain extent anyone can make his own conclusion and then take into account your own and decide what is good for him. Each an everybody don't have the same priorities.

 

I don't understand for example how the D5300 can get such criticism about functionality while the pocket which is even more complicated to use is not criticise as much. For a fare test they should both be criticise for their lack of video feature. For example the Bmpcc screen is a nightmare and you can not know how much time you still have on a card and you cannot erase a file for example. You only have a 1 gb per minute mode and need very fast and costly card. The pocket wins in some and loose in some (DR, resolution), but the rest the D5300 is more than a match. But that does not mean that one is much better than the other. for some higher resolution, 13 stop of DR, 10 bit, and 16 mm look is good. For others 12 stop of DR, 8 bit, super lowlight, slow motion and Cine 35mm without moire/aliasing is better. You can even add an external recorder for $ 300 or $ 700. that will give you much better codec and 422, in the case of the Ninja peaking, false colour, zebra etc.

 

The last thing I would add is that this is an entry level $ 800 camera and that it is what it is. A camera more for the family photos, that is why we cannot expect pro ergonomic and features. What is extraordinary is that we are even discussing this camera in an enthusiast pro forum is a feat by itself. In 3 to 6 month this camera will be at $ 700 and you will have a D7200 with a much better body... and perhaps the only weakness of the D5300, which is better resolution. Don't tell me why but the D7100 is sharper than the D5200 and as sharp as the gh2.

[Guest 89e2bdf5797fbbdc17c2cc6da1413fa0]

The Pocket workflow for ProRes doesn't require a greater outlay in anything aside from fast SD cards.

 

You can grade it in Premiere like DSLR footage and even just put Film Convert on it.

 

If you mean raw than yes I agree with you, it does invite a lot of time spent grading in post and a lot of storage space.

Fair point. Though once you factor in buying several fast SD cards, loads of batteries, Film Convert and a Speed Booster (which personally I would consider essential) you're talking about a significantly more expensive package. And even with SB there's a very good case for saying the 5300 is  better in low light than the Pocket because of colour retention.

[Danyyyel]

People can guess which is which between the gh2 (considered sharper than the gh3) and the Nikon D7100 http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?310503-Nikon-D7100-vs-Panasonic-gh2-sharpness

 

Don't read the last comment in the threat LOL

[Danyyyel]

The D5300 is perfectly suited to making shitty home movies with because it lacks any kind of innovation whatsoever.

 

 I disagree completely, A cinema 35mm sensor, with 12 stop DR and great low light that can even do 200 422 mbit prores is a much better tool than doing just some shitty Home movies.

 

Someone posted this done with the D5200 I think which is about the same with the banding

 

[stokstad]

A review written in the heat of emotions rather than actually trying make any sense.

 

Nikon is actually improving the video on every update they do to their cameras, and while not great in functionality yet, now offers the best picture you can get for the price. They are making progress, and their making it affordable. This makes me optimistic about nikon dslr. I think in max two years nikon will be offering 4k fullframe with VFR, histogram, peaking, great DR and some sort of 10 bit 4:2:2 HDMI out. It will be interesting to see what the new D4s bring, it might say something about where they are going, but might also be a big dissapointment. I suspect the latter, and that D5 and D900 iterations will bring the progress.

 

So, while I agree with many remarks in your review, you are not really making any sense at all in the general sense.

 

 

On flaat:

 

In general it seems that the nikon cameras benefit greatly in DR from lifting the shadows a bit with a profile. It does not alter the colours in the midtones or highlights more than very marginaly, just taking away some contrast which is easy to get in post.

 

I have made my own set of profiles for the D800 which I think have better colour than flaat10 and 11, but actually the flaat11p beta profiles are the best ones I have tried. Really nice pop and colour in the darker gradients while keeping the midtones and highlights a bit compressed.

 

If someone wants to try these profiles with the d5300 just send me a message at edvard.stokstad@gmail.com

[kurth]

All nikon needs to do is make their nik M ! Problems solved.

[skiphunt]

Pretty much knew the D5300 wasn't Andrew's cup of tea before buying my own. So, none of his review is surprising. Some of it I agree with. 

 

Just got back from using the D5300 for a month in Mexico. Awesome stills camera for the money. Excellent video results as well. Handling was very awkward, especially going from stills shooting, to video, then back to stills. Had to just settle for a middle of the road Standard setting, but managed to find a few work arounds for shooting on the go. 

 

For the money, being able to use my Nikon lenses, the articulating screen, the great low light performance, excellent stills, and a very light weight... together made for the camera I was looking for. 

 

I also chose this camera because I didn't want a cumbersome work flow and have to accommodate huge file storage, especially on the road. And, I know the tech is improving leaps and bounds each quarter it seems, so I didn't want to invest in anything that would likely be eclipsed quickly by the next so-called "all the rage" 4k, raw, over-hyped-bla-bla-bla gear that also needs several thousands worth of accessories to make them usable. 

 

If that GH4 works out to be all the rage and might have at least a good 2 years of valuable shelf life, then  I'll grab one and my Nikon D5300 will still be useful as an excellent backup stills camera with an excellent low-light sensor for video in a pinch. 

 

Despite the awkward handling of the D5300, all things considered, especially if a no-fuss workflow, clean low light images, low file storage needs, light weight, and greats stills performance is important to you (as it is me) then the D5300 is a great alternative for an affordable $799. 

 

I'll just add that I bashed this camera around pretty good (unintentionally) and even got it very wet on accident on a few occasions, but it never failed in any way. It's a solid performer for the money from my personal experience. And, I'm quite happy with the quality of the images. Once I get caught up from being gone a month, will splice a few clips together and share.

[fuzzynormal]

Hi.  I'm gazing at my navel and see a bunch of lint in there.  What should I do?  Buy a Nikon or wait for the Panny 4K to get released?

[Quirky]

*Shakes head violently, and wants to give up on life*

 

Ha.  ;)

 

You should know better. Criticising, let alone making fun of the holy Canikon is blasphemy, and therefore Thine woeful deed shalt not pass unpunished. Thou shalt face the wrath of the Canikon Congregation for at least three more pages, perhaps even nine. 

 

Other than that, sounds like the relatively nice video of the 5300 was/is just a happy accident, pretty much like the one in 5Dmk2 several years ago. It seems to be a more or less unintended bonus of the sensor tech used. 

 

I'm not a Canikon hater, other brands do dSLR's too, but I just don't see the point of shooting video with a dSLR in the first place. Its awkward, clumsy and impractical. A mirrorless or a hybrid camera with an EVF makes much more sense for video. DSLR's are still feasible for shooting stills of wildlife and other moving targets with telephoto lenses.

[kadajawi]

 

Quote
with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 any lens you put on it automatically has class-leading stabilisation better than any VR lens in the entire Nikon range including their pro lenses.

 

This is the case with any camera other than Olympus - not just Nikon!!!

 

 

Everyone forgets about Pentax... the K-5 had pretty damn good in body stabilisation. Not as good as the E-M1, but good nevertheless. It's a pitty that in the K-3 you only get that in Live View mode... not while recording videos. It's like there's a battle between these companies for who makes the most idiotic firmware for video.

 

I haven't bothered to check, but is the AF in the D5300 actually good enough for mom and dad who use the baby mode? Cause I don't think they will want to manually focus... Then again, this camera is not aimed at more serious photographers/videographers, basically it's a happy accident that the video turns out good. However the D7200 should carry over all the video quality from this one, but in a more useful package.

 

The point of shooting video with a DSLR... well, maybe it's because some people want to do stills AND video, and at least for some stills a DSLR is still better.

[Guest 89e2bdf5797fbbdc17c2cc6da1413fa0]

The 7200 probably won't have an articulated screen, which for me is quite a big drawback. 

[dahlfors]

"In addition Nikon have all the technology to build a high end cinema line for pros like Cinema EOS, something which is turning out to be massively profitable for Canon. The sensor, the image processor, the codec, the lenses, everything."
 
The last few years Nikon has been on recovery after their most important factories got destroyed (Thailand and Japan). That makes a huge impact on a company which have cameras as their main business and no photocopiers to fall back on. I believe Nikon's reaction to this is to be cautious about investing too much into new product lines and try to recover with what they know they're good at.
 
Considering that situation, I think they're on a good track in improving the video modes on their cameras although they can't keep up with Panasonic in terms of features or handling. They've at least made incremental improvements with sensors, moire, aliasing and added 1080p60 modes in their low-end range - none of which Canon has done.
 
What I just can't understand with Nikon, is why that bloody Live view aperture situation exists with their lower-end cameras since that issue is not there on cameras like D800. If that is planned segmentation of products - it is very retarded. If it's something that requires some reengineering to fix it, it's really about time that they fix it.

 

I hope that Nikon is seriously watching what Panasonic is doing, and I hope they'll figure out how to do 4k and how to implement 10-bit 4:2:2 in at least 1080p. This is what Nikon EU product manager has to say about Nikon and 4k:

 

- “We are aware of the need for, and request for, 4K video recording. It is a bit tricky, it’s not something that we are purposefully excluding from our cameras; however we need to approach it carefully. There are high-end cameras that produce this but it just puts such a load on the equipment. For us, because consumers are demanding it we are aware of this and will be looking into it for the future."

--- Source: http://nikonrumors.com/2014/01/25/nikon-sees-future-in-4k-video-and-advanced-compact-cameras.aspx/

 

Sony, Canon and Panasonic all had a headstart thanks to producing video cameras for a long time. In my opinion Nikon hasn't been doing all that bad coming from a still photography camera background only. I certainly hope they will realize what handling issues and features that still are missing and provide that - either in mirrorless, DSLR, hybrid or specifically video-tailored cameras.

 

And my own review of the D5300 and D3300 would be:

- Great cameras for the newbies who want to start learning about video while also shooting stills. Far better choice than any other DSLR considering sensor, stills & video performance together. Panasonic G6 and Nikon D5300/D5200/D3300 are my first choice of recommendations for video+photo first-timers on tight budgets. There's handling issues and features missing that are available in more expensive cameras - but that's to be expected in entry-level/budget range.

[Quirky]

Loosely related to this topic, Dave Etchells of Imaging Resource had an interview with Yamamoto-san of Nikon. 

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/02/14/nikon-qa-head-of-development-sees-interchangeable-lens-slowdown-as-an-aberr

 

Partially rather usual and predictable, but there were a couple of interesting little tidbits in there, too. It's a long-ish interview, and the video talks are in the middle part. They talk about the 5300, the 1 series and a little bit of 4K, too.

[wobba]

The only cameras suited for home movies are the olympus with 5axis stabilisation. In fact, the olympus are better suited for stills than any camera out there (except for FullFrames), the stabilisation is not only great for video and it surpasses the speed advantage of aps-c. Things like this make DSLRs look old, not some video mode only a few need.Consumer 4K will come soon enogh, with horrible compression ofcourse.

Are you referring to the camera with just a single, shitty 30P frame rate?

[wobba]

I've re-written the review based on ScreensPro's suggestion:
 
***
 
The undoubted highlight of the camera is the Baby Photo Mode which produces optimised, colourful JPEGs of your children for uploading to Facebook, though one major downside of the camera is the inability to make calls on it and upload directly to Facebook, it does include WiFi. Of less interest is 1080/60p, which is good for that 'smooth home movie look' but is really designed for slow-mo. Unfortunately slow-mo requires very expensive and complicated editing software like Adobe Premiere. The D5300 benefits from not having 10bit 4:2:2 or ProRes because you can store a year's worth of heavily compressed footage on mum's iMac from 2008 with a 120GB hard disk.
 
*12 pages of in-depth scene mode coverage*
 
Conclusion...
 
The D5300 is perfectly suited to making shitty home movies with because it lacks any kind of innovation whatsoever.
 
The Super 35mm Toshiba sensor is completely wasted on a low-end camera, but it shouldn't bother THE FAMILY MARKET, the main target of this camera, and therefore top marks 10/10.

Fisher Price should sell this camera rebadged and in hot pink. It's got to better than Mattel's Barbie cam (as shot by Philip Bloom recently).

[jurgen]

I think in max two years nikon will be offering 4k fullframe with VFR, histogram, peaking, great DR and some sort of 10 bit 4:2:2 HDMI out. It will be interesting to see what the new D4s bring, it might say something about where they are going, but might also be a big dissapointment. I suspect the latter, and that D5 and D900 iterations will bring the progress.

You've got to be joking, right? You want to give them two years to catch up to what Panasonic is doing right now?

Two years is an impossibly vast amount amount of leeway. Think about how much has changed since February of 2012! Blackmagic hadn't even announced a camera yet, 5D Mark iii was a month away, no GH3, no E-M5, no D800, no X-Pro 1; most of these cameras wouldn't even be announced until well into spring! Two years would be an incomprehensibly long time to have to wait for Nikon to implement these features.

Surely you were kidding, right?
 

[Nikkor]

Are you referring to the camera with just a single, shitty 30P frame rate?

For homevideos that's perfectly fine if not better than 24p. Any television plays 30p and you certainly won't broadcast over PAL TV your fathers golden wedding or your sisters birthday -homevideos-

[Guest 89e2bdf5797fbbdc17c2cc6da1413fa0]

Loosely related to this topic, Dave Etchells of Imaging Resource had an interview with Yamamoto-san of Nikon. 

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/02/14/nikon-qa-head-of-development-sees-interchangeable-lens-slowdown-as-an-aberr

 

Partially rather usual and predictable, but there were a couple of interesting little tidbits in there, too. It's a long-ish interview, and the video talks are in the middle part. They talk about the 5300, the 1 series and a little bit of 4K, too.

Interesting article. He states categorically that video was a major design focus of the D5300.

 

I wish he'd asked him if large-sensor mirrorless cameras were on the long-term horizon for Nikon. I'd assume not for a while, but it would have been interesting to hear his attitude. He seemed like a pretty straight-talking chap.