D5300 vs A6000 for video/photo equality in low light

[Ganjagrel]

Hello there!

I thought I could extract the answer from existing content @EOSHD but I need some final, personal confirmation.

I'm struggling to choose between these two cameras: D5300 vs A6000.

My needs cover both videos and photos equally (50/50) BUT with good low light handling (high ISO) and dynamic range. As these cameras have pretty much the same sensor, I should expect them to produce similar IQ/noise levels, right?

Here are my concerns about each model:

D5300:

- poor ergonomics (changing aperture)

- no assists like peaking, zebras

- slow video autofocus and terrible audio noise

 

A6000:

- short battery life

- expensive and small lens collection

- no microphone jack

 

To sum it up, I need something with good video/photo performance, dynamic range and low light capabilities. Ability to expand with accesories like battery grips is also welcome just as cheap & wide lens collection.

If only D5300 had peaking or if only A6000 had mic jack/longer battery life... or maybe there is another camera that I didn't know about?

(on a side note: I know there is possibility to connect to android device and control through app - is there some sort of peaking option regardless of it's lack in original body?)

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

I use both and the D5300 has slightly higher DR, slightly better lowlight performance, and has no traces of aliasing/jaggies found on the A6000 in the nost extreme situations. Microphone input, better stills capability (OVF, bigger more ergonomic body, AF, flip out screen, much larger battery life and huge lens collection) and I prefer the colours on the Nikon, it's a warmer, more pleasing image, though both are great. A6000 has some advantages, like faster burst mode, EVF in video, peaking and zebras). 

I'd get the Nikon for 50/50 Video/photo. The lack of zebras/peaking are less annoying than having the Nikon benefits. That's my personal advice. 

About ways to get peaking/zebras on the D5300, you'd need an external monitor EVF with these features. Cheapest way is an 400$ Atomos Ninja 2, a 5" monitor with peaking/zebras and ability to record ProRes from the D5300. 

 

[jagnje]

I am in the exact same situation and I will be getting the a6000 for the following reasons:

-LENSES... you can mount just about any lens on. I earn about 30% of everything by being a focus puller. Nikon lenses focus in the opposite direction.

-speedbooster...again, a lens thing.

-peaking

-EVF

I also prefer the look of nikon image and the complete lack of alliasing, but I love diferent lenses and the look they give. Being restricted to mostly nikon lenses is a huge turn off for me.

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

these are all the D5300 vs a6000 advantages vs disadvantages, so decide upon which features are more valuable to ''you''. And no sorry there is no product that has all. 

[jagnje]

a mirrorless d5500 would have have it all

[Amro Othman]

How is the codec on the Nikon vs the new XAVC-S of the a6000?

Btw, if you get a Sony mirrorless camera just get this from amazon and with 3 batteries you won't have to worry about battery life any more  

http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-SLT-A55V-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX10/dp/B0049WBZEK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437861060&sr=8-1&keywords=wasabi+np-fw50

[Ganjagrel]

Thanks for feedback.

It's a shame that these cameras ale so close to all-arounders, but still - either choice is going to be very good.

I think im going for larger battery life / mic jack - D5300.

[David Bowgett]

a mirrorless d5500 would have have it all

They'd need a new imaging processor and sensor (probably with something like Canon's dual-pixel AF) before that'd be viable, as the contrast-detect AF on Nikon's DSLRs still isn't nearly good enough for it to act as a camera's only AF system. A mirrorless D5500 (an M5500?) would work well for video, but it'd make a horrible stills camera.

[Cinegain]

a mirrorless d5500 would have have it all

Right?! Take out that damn mirror/OVF already. My first interchangeable lens system camera was the GH2, so I hardly know any better than using liveview and its what-you-see-is-what-you-get character. With the D5300, especially as a hybrid shooter, it felt like I went back a couple of years in terms of usability when using liveview. That flippin' mirror! It flips like three times taking one picture in liveview. The viewfinder is useless for shooting video. There's no peaking or nothing. Argh.

Really. They can keep the body roughly the same, but just get rid of that mirror and OVF and throw in an EVF, it's 2015. I don't mind the chunkiness of the GH4, I might actually prefer it to something like the A5100/A6000. You're going to throw lenses in front anyways, so you might as well give it a bit of grip deep enough to match a small prime. We kinda seeing some of that chunk in the G7, E-M1 and NX1. And I really like cameras with a vari-angle display and lots of buttons and dials. So, the D5300/D5500 is capable of some sweet video and the body is actually half decent, but without the mirror and with an EVF, for me, it would already make a much more interesting camera.

Anyways. The 1-series is cute, but I can't really take it serious. And if Nikon would do something with APS-C mirrorless, I'm afraid it would be more like the EOS M-line. And both Nikon and Canon are capable of decent results, the quality and features of the competition just blows it out of the water. The only Canon advantage with the Canon DSLRs I think is the Dual Pixel AF which works quite well. With Nikon it's the quite solid 1080p quality found in cameras such as the D5500 and D750 for hybrid shooters that like to have an OVF for their photography.

But when you're all video... or mostly, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony are really really giving you exciting stuff. Sony does seem to have positioned themselves somewhere nice. APS-C mirrorless with great quality and flexibility. With Samsung for me it's the native lens collection. With Panasonic it's the crop and lowlight. Now that the A5100 and A6000 have proven themselves as little video machines, I'm excited to see what they have in store for us with a A6100/A7000. That might turn out to be the new go-to camera in the segment.