Suggestion on New Camera Purchase

[Maccam]

Hi Guys

 

I want to chime off and see if you have any suggestion.

I am a professional wedding and commercial photographer looking to make big camera switch.

I plan on doing some commercial video assignments for clients in the next few months.

I currently own the Nikon D4 and the video as everyone knows is not very good.

I see myself as aspiring filmmaker/cinematographer. I want to put together a camera package that would allow me to still do my still photographer client work, and have a video camera for client and film work.

I'm think of sell the D4 and getting a used d3 and use the rest of the money on the video end. I figure I could get $4,500 - $5K for the D4.

The only thing is I have invested a lot in nikon lenses. Open to the idea of sell them as well, but would need some glass with AF.

 

Current Gear Package

Nikon D4, D7000, D90

Nikon 24-70, 70-200 VR2, Tokina 11-16(F-mount), 50 1.8d, 85mm 1.4d, Vitiator series 1 70-200 (macro), Leica Summron 35mm (M-F mount).  

Nikon SB-900 and 910 flash

 

Manfrotto 501HDV - Manfrotto video monopod, CFL 3 point lights, LPMicro LED video light, Zoom H4N, Filters; Variable ND (Lightcraft Mk2), Polarize, Vid atlantic cinemorph.

 

 

 

Cameras I like 

BMCC 4K

GH4 (I know not out yet)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nikkor]

I think you should try the D3S before dumping the D4. My father has the D4, I have the D3 (non S) and D800, and I can tell you that last nikon generation crosses the line where colors+dynamic range become good.

I barely use the D3 anymore because the image, MP beside, just doesn't become nearly as good as with the d800.

I see a lot of people comparing these cameras, and also comparing it to canon 5d mkiii, but most of them never have really tried the latest nikons and are just looking at charts. In your case you have one so going back can be a real pain.

This is also very dependant on your shooting style,In low light high-iso (3200+) shooting the difference between a D4 and D3s dimishes.

 

Video, I'm not an expert on this but I would say you should check which kind of rigging you are going to use. keep in mind that the sensors on the cameras you mentioned are small, so the lenses will have less fov than on your D4 and even than on your DX cameras (you can use a speed booster).

[Quirky]

Hi Guys

 

I want to chime off and see if you have any suggestion.

I am a professional wedding and commercial photographer looking to make big camera switch.

I plan on doing some commercial video assignments for clients in the next few months.

I currently own the Nikon D4 and the video as everyone knows is not very good.

I see myself as aspiring filmmaker/cinematographer. I want to put together a camera package that would allow me to still do my still photographer client work, and have a video camera for client and film work.

I'm think of sell the D4 and getting a used d3 and use the rest of the money on the video end. I figure I could get $4,500 - $5K for the D4.

The only thing is I have invested a lot in nikon lenses. Open to the idea of sell them as well, but would need some glass with AF.

 

For starters, and the most important thing to realise;

It's your wants, your needs, your personal preferences and your money, so it's your decision. No one else should make the decision for you.

 

But other than that, here's a slightly 'unorthodox' but still working sugestion;

If you're just stating out with video assignments and plan to carry on your stills shooting gigs as usual, why not just adding a standalone video camera into that mix, without having to sell anything? Something like the Sony RX10, for example. It's not nearly as bad an idea as it may sound at first, so please read on.

 

Selling the D4 (of those three Nikon bodies) for an older model would make very little sense to me. Especially when you're just starting with the video stuff. It appears that like many others in that position, you are attempting to climb a tree with your butt first. Why wouldn't you sell the other two cheaper bodies as quickly as possible, when you still can get some dough from them? That situation won't last much longer now, you know. 

 

I'd sell those, and use the money to buy something like the RX10 and a mic, for starters, and maybe even an Atomos Ninja 2 recorder, too. Or, if you've locked your mind into (Nikon) dSLR's, use the money to buy a D5300 body, an audio recorder and a mic. Or, sell all three bodies and get a D800 and some other camera as a backup video camera.

 

The video quality off the RX10, especially with the Ninja 2, is good enough for weddings and other such client stuff, and the rest is up to the shooter. By going that kind of route, you wouldn't have to get rid of your precious stills gear (apart from those cheaper bodies), and you could practise and shoot decent video alongside your existing gear. You wouldn't have to invest heavily in video rigs right away, either, as long as you've got a monopod or a tripod, and maybe an inexpensive flash handle. Carrying the stuff around would be much easier, too.

 

Then, if you later on wish to go for something like the GH4 or even the Blackmagic, along with a lens adapter, the money invested in the RX10 wouldn't be wasted, because sooner or later you'd need a B-camera, too, anyway, and the RX10 would work just fine for that. The reasonably good stills it can make would come as a bonus.

 

Or, if you later on happened to realise that video isn't really your cup of tea, after all, your stills gear would still be intact, and getting rid of just one camera would be much easier. Unless you decided to keep it as a holiday snapshooter or backup camera, after all.

 

Well, just a thought, with minimal need for expen$ive gear shuffling. 

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

No I wouldn't advice you downgrade your D4. I would actually say you have sufficient gear for a video production. Though if you want something more video-friendly than Nikons to go along with your current gear sell your little d90/7000 and guy a new GH4/BM/d5300/5dIII

[dahlfors]

Unless you're shooting a lot of sports - where you might need the really fast burst rate of the D4/D3 series - sell the D4 and get yourself a D800 (or D800E) instead.

 

For photography you'll then have roughly the same buttons and interface on the D800 that you're used to on the D4.

 

For the remaining money you can get yourself a Panasonic GH4, a m4/3 to Nikon G Speed Booster that will take all of your current lenses. Yet, you'll probably have some money over for additional gear as well. Besides, the D800 could be a B-camera when you don't need it for stills.

 

Also as pointed out... I don't see why you'd have any use for D90/D7000. I'd rather sell those and put the money into other use.

[dahlfors]

Also a good point by araucaria. Granted, I haven't shot with D3 or D4, but I've been shooting with D200 and D300 before the D800.

 

There's a major difference in the sensors of current generation cameras (D4, D800, D600 etc) compared to D3 generation or older. Knowing what the sensor in a camera like D800 can do - I'd never go back to the older sensors myself.