DSLR for both Pictures & Videos

FlipsideJohn

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I'm looking to get a camera to take pictures/videos of some of my local surf spots. I'm in the $700-$900 range. I heard that the T3I has a better video mode but I'm really liking the D90's photo capability. Are DSLR's capable of taking excellent video quality? Or would I be better off getting a dslr for strictly photography and picking up a gopro for video?

-thanks
 
I still recommend the D5100 over the T3i and D90.
 
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I have a T2i and it does some pretty good video! you'll need to use manual focus, it will depend more on the lens you get, but its WAYYYYY better quality than a gopro.

The gopro is good for sports if its mounted on you but not good for shooting something in sports, it has a lot of issues where if you move the camera quickly everything kind of distorts a little funny, that and a poor quality lens by any SLR standards.

I've done video with my SLR and regularly do video with the contour HD (similar to the gopro), all same rez 720 60fps... but its just amazing how the SLR does it a million times better.

Not to take anything away from the gopro, for what it is it does a dam good job at it.
 
7D just got better with that firmware upgrade.

Why make new cameras nowdays? Let's just hack the firmware and give us same fps as 1d X with same IQ. Actually, there are so many tweak there in the firmware, I bet if you uploaded the same program to t4i from 1d X, I'd get better IQ
 
Wouldn't cameras like the 7D be way outside the budget of "Yea somewhere around 700-900 for lens and body"?
 
The D5100 and T3i are both great for photo and video. The T3i has an edge over the D5100 in the video section, while the D5100 is also a good option to consider for photo. Costco has good DSLR kits for each, both for about 900 dollars, and both include super-telephoto zooms. You can also buy a body and a telephot lens separately if that is what you wish.

If you plan on doing any slow motion, the T3i, which can record at a framerate twice as fast as the D5100, will get you smoother slow motion(this can also be simulated via the Smooth Video Project software, which is a free frame interpolation software). However, unlike the T3i, the D5100 offers full time video autofocus, which would be useful if you have a subject that is moving around a lot. The T3i has yet another video trick up its sleeve however, and that's digital zoom. It offers lossless digital zoom by using the sensor to its full capabilities. It can boost your lens's zoom by up to 10x, with some loss of resolution at the higher magnifications. The main problem with the D5100's video is difficulty of manual exposure. It's not impossible, but a bit of a kluge to set manual exposure in that you can't change it during live view unless you have a lens with an aperture ring and it automatically sets exposure unless you press the auto-exposure lock button.

For stills, the D5100's sensor is larger and it has better high ISO performance, which shouldn't be of too much of a benefit unless you are shooting surfing in low light(unlikely). The D5100 shoots marginally faster(4 stills per second vs 3.7 on the T3i) and for quite a bit longer without slowing than the T3i, which would benefit you when shooting surfing. The T3i has a built-in focus motor, so any lens made after 1987 will autofocus on it. The D5100 doesn't have a built-in motor, so certain lenses(lenses that aren't designated AF-S) won't focus on it. The D5100 has a few(2) more focus points than the T3i, though I'm not sure how much of a benefit that is. The D5100 has a longer battery life, though I doubt you'll be able to exhaust either on a single day at the beach.

Considering both of these options, I'd go with the D5100. For your needs, it seems best. However, the T3i has quite a few advantages as well. You should consider both choices carefully before making a decision, as you don't want to make one you'll regret.
 
Wouldn't cameras like the 7D be way outside the budget of "Yea somewhere around 700-900 for lens and body"?

Used prices may be friendlier, but if it were me, I'd save or stretch my budget to accomodate the better camera. The 7D has better AF than all those mentioned so far and the OP can get by on using cheaper primes. Even legacy MF glass would work, especially for filming purposes.
 
I'm looking to get a camera to take pictures/videos of some of my local surf spots. I'm in the $700-$900 range. I heard that the T3I has a better video mode but I'm really liking the D90's photo capability. Are DSLR's capable of taking excellent video quality? Or would I be better off getting a dslr for strictly photography and picking up a gopro for video?

-thanks

If you're ok with 720p video (manual focus), the D90 is most excellent.
It would give you a more solid camera than the smaller body cameras, but the video isn't special. It's there when needed.
 
I'm looking to get a camera to take pictures/videos of some of my local surf spots. I'm in the $700-$900 range. I heard that the T3I has a better video mode but I'm really liking the D90's photo capability. Are DSLR's capable of taking excellent video quality? Or would I be better off getting a dslr for strictly photography and picking up a gopro for video?

-thanks

If you're ok with 720p video (manual focus), the D90 is most excellent.
It would give you a more solid camera than the smaller body cameras, but the video isn't special. It's there when needed.

I'd stay away from earlier Nikons for video; Canon had the market there. All their cameras shoot at 1080p. Even the T3i shoots 1080p @ 24/25/30 FPS and 720 @ 50/60 FPS. That's compared to the D90 that shoots 720 @ 24 FPS.

That's why I didn't switch to Nikon after my 5D MKII started giving me trouble. They just never had anything that could compete with Canon's video in that price range.
 
I'm looking to get a camera to take pictures/videos of some of my local surf spots. I'm in the $700-$900 range. I heard that the T3I has a better video mode but I'm really liking the D90's photo capability. Are DSLR's capable of taking excellent video quality? Or would I be better off getting a dslr for strictly photography and picking up a gopro for video?

-thanks

If you're ok with 720p video (manual focus), the D90 is most excellent.
It would give you a more solid camera than the smaller body cameras, but the video isn't special. It's there when needed.

I'd stay away from earlier Nikons for video; Canon had the market there. All their cameras shoot at 1080p. Even the T3i shoots 1080p @ 24/25/30 FPS and 720 @ 50/60 FPS. That's compared to the D90 that shoots 720 @ 24 FPS.

That's why I didn't switch to Nikon after my 5D MKII started giving me trouble. They just never had anything that could compete with Canon's video in that price range.

I'm still waiting for Nikon to release something in that price range to compete with the MKII
 

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