Camera upgrade worth it?

[isADAMawesome]

Hey guys,

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I bought a Nikon D3200 2 years ago in a very impulse buy when I was on vacation. I realized how much I loved videography and now make loads of videos on it. I bought a AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm F1.8G lens recently and really like it.

But for video, I feel like Canon or Sony are much better options, and with my first short film project coming up, I was wondering if I should upgrade.

I can sell all my gear and I will then have US$1100 to spend on a camera and lens. I feel like moving away from Nikon is the right move.

Should I sell my Nikon related gear (2 kit lenses and 1 extra lens), and look for an alternative? I was thinking the Sony A6300.

Or should I invest ~US$300 into lighting, better microphone etc. 

 

I have a Nikon D3200, 18-55 Non-VR Kit, The kit zoom lens (i never use it) and the previously mentioned 35mm F1.8. I own a cheap $20 mic that works ok, no lighting and 2 sets of ND and polarizing filters.

 

Thanks!

[knightslugger]

11 minutes ago, isADAMawesome said:

polarizing filters.

the irony of this is not lost on me.

 

11 minutes ago, isADAMawesome said:

Hey guys,

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I bought a Nikon D3200 2 years ago in a very impulse buy when I was on vacation. I realized how much I loved videography and now make loads of videos on it. I bought a AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm F1.8G lens recently and really like it.

But for video, I feel like Canon or Sony are much better options, and with my first short film project coming up, I was wondering if I should upgrade.

I can sell all my gear and I will then have US$1100 to spend on a camera and lens. I feel like moving away from Nikon is the right move.

Should I sell my Nikon related gear (2 kit lenses and 1 extra lens), and look for an alternative? I was thinking the Sony A6300.

Or should I invest ~US$300 into lighting, better microphone etc. 

 

I have a Nikon D3200, 18-55 Non-VR Kit, The kit zoom lens (i never use it) and the previously mentioned 35mm F1.8. I own a cheap $20 mic that works ok, no lighting and 2 sets of ND and polarizing filters.

 

Thanks!

reposted for night theme 2.0 users so they can read it.

[cc143]

The d3200 and nikon ecosystem in general is admittedly not ideal for video use. That said, I believe strongly, that provided you are not limited by the shooting modes the d3200 offers and there are no specific features of another camera or system you currently pinpointed to be in need of, a proper lighting setup and a proper microphone would be far more impactful than a camera upgrade. At the end of the day, fhd footage that is propely lit and with superior sound will be better than 4k footage with bad lighting and using the onboard mic for sound. 

 

Furthermore, the accessories you mention will have to be invested in at some point, and they are universal, so you can use them with your suboptimal nikon setup now and any system you move towards in the future. 

 

So what I would do, unless I absolutely need 4k and slo mo is stick with the nikon for the time being, upgrade your lighting and sound and then upgrade your camera system once you can afford to properly invest in one. 

[Rassuke]

I agree with @cc143. Don't go wasting your money on a new camera because it will look the same without the lights or microphone. I also had the D3200 with 35mm 1.8 and I have shot countless videos with that and I still sometimes use it today. Invest in lighting and microphone, these are the things that make the biggest difference. I doesn't really make sense to go from one low end camera to another, just practice with the D3200 and then later upgrade to some higher end camera that you can really see a difference with. I used D3200 for 2-3 years and then moved on to full frame D610 but I also use a lot of other cameras like Canons, RED's and Sony's. 

 

My point is, invest in the background stuff and keep practicing - this will make your videos look way better than just going with a new camera.