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*My guides will be kept as "work in progress" forever as I intend to keep on improving and updating them as long as I am able. A missing thread in this section is one that discusses why someone should get a DSLR with video recording capability or a dedicated video camera... for recording video. If there is a thread discussing this already, I haven't seen it yet and I am too lazy to look through dozens of pages. Hence I might as well start one and edit/improve it with input from fellow members. Let me start off by saying, whether you're interested in photography, cinematography, or even just recording sound: While having high quality expensive gear would be nice, don't let the lack of having such gear stop you from being creative. Disclaimer I am not trying to tell you which way to go, I am only trying to make you aware of the differences between the two. I see people asking in this section whether a particular camera model is good or not, what camera they should get, etc. Many of them do not realize or understand how the cameras work or how the workflow changes between using a DSLR for video and a dedicated video camera for video. They get advice from their friends or online communities, many of whom have limited experience with using various types of cameras and push onto the person asking for advice to go a particular route without explaining why, perhaps they themselves do not know and have forced themselves to stick to the format where they have made their investment. The first DSLR with video recording capability was the Nikon D90, it came out in the later half of 2008. I bought a D90 in early 2009. My first DSLR for photo was also purchased in January 2009, a Sony Alpha A350. Before that I was taking photos with film and recording videos on magnetic tape drives. Since my first D90 I have owned about 10 different DSLRs including the famous Canon 5D mk II and 3 video cameras, and have worked with more expensive professional grade video cameras belonging to friends and colleagues. I've probably spent over $100,000.00 on camera gear in the past 10 years and have about $50,000.00 worth of gear in my bags when I travel. Right now I am planning to buy a $3000 semi-professional grade video camera, the Ursa Mini 4K, $7000 Sony PXW-FS7 for my personal and professional freelance work. I don't make videos for Youtube** nor do I manage a Youtube Channel. I work as a freelance consultant for the United Nations and on my own dime and time I travel around filming and photographing. So, should you get a DSLR or a Video camera, for video? (Doesn't matter what your budget level is, it will apply to all in general.) I also recommend people read this guide on B&H: Basic Equipment for New Filmmaking Students To start off let's compare a DSLR and a Video camera. Note: when we talk about DSLR here we will also include mirrorless cameras such as the Sony NEX or A7rII and other models. 1. Price and Cost Of course price and cost will always be a factor. 2. Sensor size Both DSLRs and Video cameras come in a range of sensor sizes. For DSLRs the most common flavor of sensor sizes are Micro Four Thirds APS-C Full Frame (35mm film equivalent) Video cameras come on a wider variety and prices go up as the sensor size becomes larger. A majority of consumer video cameras have sensor sizes much smaller than Micro Four Thirds and very expensive models such as the Sony PXW FS7 ($8000) will have a Super 35mm sensor which is about the same size as an APS-C sensor. So why is sensor size important? Or to better phrase it, why does sensor size matter? It matters because of depth of field It matters because of low light capability When photo cameras such as the Canon 5D mk II were produced, with video recording capabilities, it opened the doors for more film makers to achieve visually appealing cinematic looks in their films that was once available only by either using film or buying very expensive digital video cameras. The shallow depth of field meant a more artistic look in the recorded video with blurred backgrounds and beautiful bokeh. Of course this added a lot of extra work for film makers, as a larger sensor with a shallow depth of field can make things harder to focus or keep in focus. As for low light capabilities of larger sensors, consider the millions of tiny photosensitive cells on a camera sensor like buckets that can hold light that falls upon the sensor. A larger bucket means it is capable of holding more light, so an 8 megapixel sensor that is larger will have larger photocells than a smaller 8 megapixel sensor. However there is a disadvantage with larger sensors, which inherently means more pixel count. While a photo camera may record wonderful 20 megapixel still images, a Full HD 1920x1080p video is only about 2 megapixels. So the camera must convert the 20MP image recorded by the sensor into a 2MP frame in the video being saved onto the memory card. Most cameras achieve this down sampling by only taking the image from every X number of lines from the sensors, other cameras downscale the captured image. With this internal resizing of the image captured by the sensor, there are risks of the recorded video having anti-aliasing artifacts, moire, soft look and feel. But one thing I learned when I started out as a photographer, and which applies for video as well, learn to use both natural and artificial lights. Do not become used to relying on the capability of the sensor or camera. So if natural light isn't enough, before boosting the ISO or widening the aperture or using longer shutter speeds, add more lights. Because changing ISO or aperture or shutter speed can effect the look and feel of the recorded video which is harder to edit in post than adding more lights. So for sensor size: Larger means shallower depth of field and a better artistic look to the recorded video (of course this will also depend on the skill, talent of the film maker) Shallower depth of field means harder to keep things in focus, even the slightest movement can change what is in focus Smaller sensors make it easier to keep objects in focus, but of course it hardly gives you that beautiful bokeh or blurred background. Larger sensor also means better low light capability, but again you should always rely on external light before changing settings on the camera Larger sensor means higher cost (true for video cameras, not 100% true for photo cameras) Larger sensor also brings the risk that the image quality of the recorded video will not be as sharp, clear as it should be and have image artifacts such as moire. But can people use videos recorded on a camera with a smaller sensor? YES! YES! YES! Ask yourself this, do you really need that shallow depth of field look for your videos? NO! So why spend all that time, money and effort to record a video when it may be faster and easier to record something with a smaller sensor camera. Even for your Youtube channel's videos you don't always, more like hardly ever, need that shallow depth of field look. Not unless you were trying to make an Indie film, and even then you don't always need it for every shot. Otherwise you will be like J.J. Abrams adding lens flare effects to almost every scene in his movies. As for Youtube itself, anytime you upload a video it processes and converts your videos even if you upload something with bit rates and formats using their guidelines, you will lose quality in your uploaded videos. 3. Form factor It should be obvious why a DSLR is designed the way it looks and a video camera is designed the way it looks. You don't hold a photo camera the way you hold a video camera. The design of a DSLR is optimized for taking still images, hence it is not optimized for providing the longer term stability hand held as an image takes only a brief moment to capture. While a video camera, especially the larger ones with a design built in for carrying it on the shoulder, is designed for recording several minutes of video while trying to provide the best stability for hand held use. Even a small camcorder, the way it is designed, is optimized for people to hold it longer while it records. The palm up, bent elbow, upper arm braced against the torso makes holding onto that camcorder for several minutes easier and keeps the camera more stable than you would holding a DSLR. Of course stability can be improved for both types of cameras by using a tripod or other accessories such as steadicams and gimbals. However a tripod is not designed to be used if you need to follow the action while filming a scene that may take place over a distance. And good steadicams and gimbals can be expensive. So many, especially those on budget, opt for the shoulder mount first when trying to chase the action during filming. You want to rig up a DSLR for shoulder mount, you'll need to buy additional accessories which will will discuss in another section. Mid to high end video cameras tend to be shoulder mount ready. 4. Audio A DSLR has more or less a bit more internal volume than a comcorder, of course larger DSLRs have more internal volume while mirrorless cameras may have as much room as a small camcorder. Video cameras tend to have larger internal volume, especially in the higher end models. So more internal volume means more room to include more or better features. However a DSLR such as the Nikon D3300 will have about 25% of it's internal volume of the body used up by the SLR mirror chamber and the pentamirror for the viewfinder. While a small compact camcorder such as the Sony HDR PJ650 will have a volume about the size of a ping pong ball holding the zoom lens, the sensor and part of the stabilization mechanism which might total less than 1/5th of the total internal volume. DSLRs and mirrorless cameras come with at least two built in microphones to capture stereo audio. But these microphones are small and tend to pick up the sounds of internal moving parts. Additionally as the camera has to also have circuit boards and chips dedicated for photo processing there is hardly any room left to add in any quality preamps or good connection points for external microphones. And all DSLRs come with at most 1 2.5 or 3.5mm port for a microphone. Video cameras on the other hand, as they are primarily video first, their internal components are designed to assist in recording both the audio and visual aspect of a video. So the microphones and preamps built in tend to be a bit better on the low end and a lot better on the higher end. And higher end models come with connections for multiple audio capture devices and better input ports (i.e. dual XLR vs 3.5/2.5mm jacks in DSLRs) 5. Features Ability to choose the lens Obviously DSLRs allow you to change lenses, so you can pick the "right" lens for the job. Few video cameras allow you to change lenses, and most of those few are expensive. However, video cameras with built in lenses (non changeable) tend to have a longer zoom range than many DSLR lenses. So if you go the DSLR route or buy a video camera with an interchangeable lens system, unless you buy the very expensive broadcast level lenses such as the Canon KJ20x8.2B, you will be sticking to consumer/prosumer camera lenses that have a short zoom range if they have any zoom at all. And even if their prices are lower than B4 mount lenses, if you want to cover a good zoom range you will have to invest in quite a few. Note: If you are choosing either a DSLR/Mirrorless camera for video, know that in proper video cameras the most common mounts are now Canon's EF mount, Sony's E mount and Micro Four Thirds system mounts. Professional video PL and B4 mounts are dedicated to video only and you almost never see them on photo cameras. So if you buy lenses with EF mounts, E mounts or MFT mounts, you can find both photo cameras and video cameras that can use those lenses. You will have a hard time finding both types of cameras with Nikon F or Sony A mounts, unless you plan to use adapters. Which brings up something else to consider, lens mount adapters and flange distance. Flange distance is the distance between the sensor plane and the exterior surface of the lens mount on the camera body. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance You can find adapters to use Nikon F lenses on a Canon EF body because Nikon lenses are designed to work with a longer flange distance than Canon. So wedging an adapter ring between the lens and the camera body is not an issue. You will be hard pressed to find an adapter that lets you mount a Canon lens on a Nikon body however, because if you wedge a metal ring between the lens and the body, it will increase the flange distance a lot more than what the lens was designed for and you will lose the usage of certain focal lengths and focus distances. At the moment for both photo and video cameras the most versatile mount is the Sony E-Mount because the flange distance is very short, any lens can be mounted to it using a compatible adapter. Additionally some expensive adapters will allow you to retain the use of the lens' built in features such as auto focus motor, image stabilization mechanism, zoom feature if any exists on a different camera body. Normally it is nearly impossible to make two different electronic systems (e.g. Canon EF lens to Sony E mount) communicate with each other because they are designed and the firmware are programmed differently. However an adapter with an electronic chip inside can allow the two different components to communicate. And some brands are closed systems (i.e. adapters that allow Nikon lenses to communicate with non Nikon bodies hardly exist at all). Difference between still photo lenses and cine style lenses (@nickl) Focusing and Image stabilization In a camera designed to be photography first (i.e. DSLRs) their auto focusing and image stabilization mechanisms are optimized for recording still images that capture a single moment. Video cameras have auto focus and image stabilization mechanisms that are optimized for continuous usage. The image stabilization system in a photo camera relies on having a glass element inside the lens, or the sensor being able to shit movement based on the direction of camera vibration/shake. The image stabilization inside a camcorder for example is more like a gimble system, it moves the entire container which holds the lens and sensor. The first part of this video shows you how in-lens IS works for a photo camera. Here is a video that shows how sensor shift IS works. This is how IS works for a proper video camera. BUT the main downside of auto focus (in all types of cameras) is the "auto" part. The camera is making the decision for you on what it wants to keep in focus. If you want your filmed scene to have focus on different parts of the scene differently, or change focus in a different order, it is always better to use manual focus (even if you are using a $20,000.00 cinema camera), with a manual follow focus accessory or an electronic focus pulling system. Focus assist and other viewfinder/monitor features Focus assist features such as focus peaking or false color displays for monitoring exposures tend not to be part of DSLRs. And it certainly is not easy trying to use a tiny optical/electronic viewfinder or a small LCD display on the back of the camera to manually focus. So video cameras come with several features built in to assist the user. For DSLR users they need to rely on external field monitors or viewfinder accessories to get these features. Of course for both DSLR and video camera users having at least one external field monitor will also allow other people to monitor what is being recorded. Especially clients who may want to see a preview. Recording formats and quality Most consumer/prosumer level DSLRs with video and video cameras allow you to record in MP4, H.264, AVCHD which are "OK" for editing and publishing on Youtube. However if you want to do serious filming, editing, content creation at full HD, 4K or even better, the recording format not only does it have to use a good codec but also be able to sample at a very high bit rate. DSLR's at most record at 50Mbps (megabits per second) though some do support higher bit rates with an external recorder or firmware hack such as Magic Lantern. Even if you are able to use an external recorder to capture better quality video than what your camera can do internally, the HDMI or SDI output of your camera has to support that higher quality. An external recorder such as the Atomos Ninja or Samurai can record ProRes HQ 422, but a lot of DSLRs' clean HDMI output tends to be 420 (or 8-bit) color, therefore even if the Atomos was recording the video file as ProRes HQ 422 it is not receiving a true 422 (10 bit) color signal. A $300 camcorder records h.254 or AVCHD at 25mbps which is as good as the video recorded internally by a $500 DSLR. Video cameras on the other hand, because they are designed to be video recording devices, support better codecs, better bit rates, better color sampling. Mid to high end video cameras can record at bit rates over 100Mbps, with more advanced codecs like XAVC or ProRes, with true 422 (10-bit) color or better. Of course better quality video means larger files. But better quality recording makes it easier to post process and better able to bring out hidden details and improve the quality of your final product. Frame rates, global and rolling shutter When recording video, you will come to see numbers such as 25p, 23.97fps, 50p, 120fps, etc. These are all various ways of indicating how many frames per second a video is being recorded/played back. Standard video frame rates are 24p which can sometimes be actual 24fps or in most cases 23.97fps 25p which is 25fps 29.97fps 30p which can sometimes be actual 30fps or in most cases it is actually 29.97fps 50p which is 50fps 59.97 fps 60p which can sometimes be actual 60fps or in most cases 59.97fps And some good cameras are capable of recording faster frame rates for producing super slow motion scenes PAL systems are always exact numbers, and they are 25p or 50p (or multiples of either two). NTSC is 24p, 30p and 60p and their multiples. The .97 fps comes from a NTSC standard and the reason for that can be found in this article: http://www.bodenzord.com/archives/79 Global shutter: To record each image frame for the video, the image captured by the sensor is recorded all at once. Rolling shutter: To record each image frame for the video, the image captured by the sensor is scanned line by line http://www.red.com/learn/red-101/global-rolling-shutter So how are they related? Global shutters require slightly more processing power and produce more heat, therefore limiting how much it can be used. While rolling shutters utilize slightly less processing power and produce less heat Faster frame rates require the "shutter" to work faster, hence most cameras with high speed frame rates utilize rolling shutters rather than global shutters However, rolling shutters can produce the Jello effect when recording a moving scene or when moving the camera during filming Image quality, color depth and dynamic range Dynamic Range: When it comes to digital CCD and CMOS camera sensors "Dynamic Range" is an indicator of how much detail that the sensor can record between the darkest and brightest part of a scene. I don't think I could explain it in a few words, so let me link you to a page that explains it in good detail. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dynamic-range.htm Color depth: Is an indicator of how many shades of any particular color is recorded when it comes to cameras, or being displayed when it comes to displays (TVs, monitors, etc). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_depth Both the dynamic range capabilities of your camera's sensor and your camera's ability to record a certain color depth will affect the recorded image quality. Most photo cameras are able to take still photos of up to 14-bit color when capturing in RAW mode However most photo cameras, especially at the low to mid end of the product lines, allow up to 8-bit color when recording videos. Both internally and via clean HDMI output. Higher end photo cameras may allow up to 10-bit color in recording video, if it is not capable for internal recording then it will provide it for the clean HDMI out when used with an external recorder Many video cameras record at 10-bit color at the lowest end and can go up higher in more expensive models Better color depth capability will mean larger files Better color depth recordings are more flexible for editing A sensor capable of wider dynamic range will enable you to record more details without having to rely much on accessories such as ND filters or filming techniques that may not work all the time However do not allow the camera to dictate what you can and cannot do, technology is no substitute for knowledge and experience The limitations of dynamic range can be compensated with knowledge, experience and use of certain accessories (e.g. gradient ND filters) or techniques (e.g. HDR) 6. Accessories Pimping up a DSLR Base plate or cage Rods Follow focus Field monitor Audio recorder or preamp External microphone Lights Pimping up a video camera External microphone Lights 7. Investment Low end DSLR with video recording capability: approximately $400-500 External microphone: at least $100 (on camera mounting, and having at least 1 external microphone is not optional) 2nd external microphone: at least another $100 using two microphones means getting an external recorder or preamp (e.g. Tascam DR-60D): $180 Rig system (including shoulder mount, handles, 15mm rods): at least $200 on ebay Follow focus: at least $50 on ebay Field monitor: at least $200 (not including the cost of batteries for the monitor) Lenses: prices vary Video camera with 2x XLR inputs: using Panasonic AG-HMC80 3MOS AVCCAM as an example: $1500 2x External microphones: at least $100 each (this is optional) Final thoughts If you're looking to buy a camera to make videos, as in "video first", consider a proper video camera before considering a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Additionally, after reading what I wrote, you may feel like I am pushing you towards buying a video camera instead of a DSLR. That is not the case. If you are creative, imaginative, talented, know how to edit videos properly, create special effects, etc. perhaps a good DSLR for video may be the better option for you. For making creative works. A proper DSLR video setup with the right set of lenses and accessories, keep in mind I am not talking about sticking with the kit lens, will likely cost less than a video camera that will offer you the same creative potential. If you are only going to stick to the kit lens, while you may get the advantages of a larger sensor, you will not be utilizing the camera to its full capabilities. Also keep in mind, the higher resolution you record, the better quality you record, the shallower depth of field you use... will be very unforgiving with any mistake you make. It will require more time for preparation, planning and re-doing things until you get it right. Even if the audience of your video doesn't notice it, you as the videographer and editor will always know the mistakes you made. However if you are simply looking for a video camera for your blog or Youtube hobby channel, perhaps a video camera is a better option. Even if it's simply a low cost camcorder. It will be easier to setup, faster to record and edit, and most of the tools you need will be inside that compact form factor. And remember cameras are just tools. They don't make any decisions for you, they don't inspire your creativity, your ideas, your visions. They do what you tell them to do, nothing more. ** Not entirely accurate, I do use Youtube to share some stuff with friends. Comments, tips, edits to help me improve this guide will be most welcome.