Considering a big boy camera

[B-dubya]

Where I'm coming from....

 

I am looking to be able to record smoother videos, and take better pictures. I need to do this more so for work to take pictures of inventory (and a few videos of items as well), to post on our website or advertisements.  They don't really have to be 4k super ultra amazing, but I don't want them to look like they are coming from a VHS Camcorder either! I have a Samsung note 8 (until the Pixel 3 XL release!) and have considered getting a gimbal to help smooth things over. Secondly, while I love the ability to whip out the phone and take a few quick photos I would really like to have a grown up camera where I can take quality photos. So I have been considering getting a camera for some time now. It would be mainly for taking pictures of the kids, maybe a few nature shots as we go on hikes.. And if it is a higher quality, maybe record some events as well.

 

Where I'm heading...?

 

So, I was thinking of getting a solid digital camera.  But with considering video, i like the idea of image stabilization. Is this obtainable with out dropping $1,000 + ?

Any suggestions / recommendations / information is welcome!

 

Thanks

[cc143]

You don't necessarily need in body IS, IS still exists on some lenses. 

 

On to the broader question, most modern cameras can take care of what you need and even more stuff than that. I believe with an 800d and a kit 18-5mm IS lens you'll be good to go, and you can think about maybe adding a fast prime or a longer zoom in the future if necessary. If you take product shots, a macro lens may also be of interest to you moving forward. 

 

If you want IBIS, I wouldn't really bother at that price, maybe the a6300 can be had for a reasonable price used (i.e. circa $1000), but you won't be getting a lens with it and a proper sony lens will cost you a lot. 

 

Another option is the fuji system, the only constraint upon which is the 15 minute 4k recording on most cameras. That said, if you don't need to record 4k, or can handle the time limit, it is a very good system, that is portable and allows for expandability and quality at a much more reasonable price than any other manufacturer. In which case, an x-e3 with an 18-55mm would be great.  

[Demolishdude]

I own the Panasonic G7, which is an awesome little camera!

 

However, stabilization is lens only. Quality is awesome for video, pretty good for photos. Its super light (mirror-less rocks), relatively easy to handle. Good low light as well. Lens options are good. Currently $500 on adorama (expires tomorrow but this isn't the first time it went on sale).

https://www.adorama.com/ipcdmcg7s.html

 

If you want something better, the G85 is an upgraded model with 5 axis in body stabilization and weather sealing. Apparently, auto focus was wierd, but was fixed in firmware updates. It also has a marginally better stock lens.

 

https://www.adorama.com/ipcdmcg85k.html

 

Just my two cents.

[Enderman]

A6000 is good and under $1k.

The ronin S or crane V2 are good gimbals I would recommend.

[njmyers3]

11 minutes ago, Demolishdude said:

I own the Panasonic G7, which is an awesome little camera!

 

However, stabilization is lens only. Quality is awesome for video, pretty good for photos. Its super light (mirror-less rocks), relatively easy to handle. Good low light as well. Lens options are good. Currently $500 on adorama (expires tomorrow but this isn't the first time it went on sale).

https://www.adorama.com/ipcdmcg7s.html

 

If you want something better, the G85 is an upgraded model with 5 axis in body stabilization and weather sealing. Apparently, auto focus was wierd, but was fixed in firmware updates. It also has a marginally better stock lens.

 

https://www.adorama.com/ipcdmcg85k.html

 

Just my two cents.

I agree 100%. I also have a G7 and the kit lens is really good considering it comes with the camera for $500. Unfortunately it doesn't have IBIS but it's not a problem for me, especially with wide angles lenses. It takes excellent video and good photos. I've found that the photos tend to be somewhat noisy above ISO 800 but it's certainly usable up to ISO 3200. For video it looks good all the way up to 3200.

 

For product advertisements you probably want a tripod rather than a gimbal, but you can buy excellent gimbals for around $700. Sometimes gimbals sell for as low as $300 but they're not always worth it. Please also remember that audio is very important, so don't skimp on it. Consider a Rode Video Mic Pro to sit on top of the camera, and for commercials if they're staged, use a boom pole above the presenter. A lot of people neglect audio. In my opinion it is equally as important as the video.

[cc143]

 

38 minutes ago, Demolishdude said:

I own the Panasonic G7, which is an awesome little camera!

 

However, stabilization is lens only. Quality is awesome for video, pretty good for photos. Its super light (mirror-less rocks), relatively easy to handle. Good low light as well. Lens options are good. Currently $500 on adorama (expires tomorrow but this isn't the first time it went on sale).

https://www.adorama.com/ipcdmcg7s.html

 

If you want something better, the G85 is an upgraded model with 5 axis in body stabilization and weather sealing. Apparently, auto focus was wierd, but was fixed in firmware updates. It also has a marginally better stock lens.

 

https://www.adorama.com/ipcdmcg85k.html

 

Just my two cents.

Low light isn;t that great due to the high pixel pitch, better off with an apsc sensor. Price is great, if you really need 4k video, for anything else like stills etc. its outclassed by most competitors. 

21 minutes ago, Enderman said:

A6000 is good and under $1k.

The ronin S or crane V2 are good gimbals I would recommend.

a6000 is good under $500, $1000 is too much for an a6300 at this point, hell imo even the a6500 isn't worth that much, but the market has a different opinion I guess. I bought an a6000 for a short while 2 years ago at under £500. There are much better options now. 

[Enderman]

13 minutes ago, cc143 said:

 

Low light isn;t that great due to the high pixel pitch, better off with an apsc sensor. Price is great, if you really need 4k video, for anything else like stills etc. its outclassed by most competitors. 

a6000 is good under $500, $1000 is too much for an a6300 at this point, hell imo even the a6500 isn't worth that much, but the market has a different opinion I guess. I bought an a6000 for a short while 2 years ago at under £500. There are much better options now. 

The ones above 6000 seem to have overheating problems when recording 4k, which is one of the main differences.

Good quality 1080p is good enough for 99% of screens.

Also the gimbals cost like $500+

[B-dubya]

Thank you for the replies so far!

 

For what i will do for work, it will not require audio.

 

Is it better to select the body and lens separately, or via a package?

[xQubeZx]

10 hours ago, Enderman said:

The ones above 6000 seem to have overheating problems when recording 4k, which is one of the main differences.

Good quality 1080p is good enough for 99% of screens.

Also the gimbals cost like $500+

Imo the A6000 is very good for images if you need a small and capable camera. I got mine for under 400€ new about a year or so ago, which is a fair deal. However if video is in focus I’d stay away from it and get at least the A6300. The a6000 lacks many video features and mainly a mic input. Used a6300 can be found for 600-700€ which is a smarter option if going video. However with his budget I think a Sony system may not be worth it as you need to invest into some lenses which are relativly expensive. 18-105 is a good starter lens but goes for 400€. 

[Enderman]

14 minutes ago, xQubeZx said:

Imo the A6000 is very good for images if you need a small and capable camera. I got mine for under 400€ new about a year or so ago, which is a fair deal. However if video is in focus I’d stay away from it and get at least the A6300. The a6000 lacks many video features and mainly a mic input. Used a6300 can be found for 600-700€ which is a smarter option if going video. However with his budget I think a Sony system may not be worth it as you need to invest into some lenses which are relativly expensive. 18-105 is a good starter lens but goes for 400€. 

The sony cameras are about as good as you can get for video under $1k.

The 6300 is almost exactly the same thing as the 6000 just with 4k, but yeah the mic input is a big thing.

[bowrilla]

Keep in mind: a good camera is a camera you have with you. That can be an issue with bigger DSLR cameras as they get bigger and heavier. You have to give yourself an honest answer: how much are you willing to carry around?

 

There are brilliant mirrorless system cameras out there that can record video as well. They're less bulky and lighter. Think of cameras like the Olympus PEN series and other micro four thirds cameras from for example Panasonic. Then there are APS-C sized system cameras like Fuji's X-T20 or X-E3 with bigger sensors (therefore shallower DOF and less noise) or Canon's EOS M series (like M5, M6 or M50) which is compatible (with an adapter) to the Canon EF bajonett of their DSLR lineup (so you could over time add EF lenses until you switch your camera body, that way you can keep your lenses). Sony does offer some nice mirrorless cameras as well like the α6300 and similar cameras though they are a bit bigger as the aforementioned cameras. If you're willing to invest quite some money and carry around a full fletched DSLR then have a look at i.e. Canon's 800D, Nikon's D5600 or D7200. 

Basically: all of them can manage your tasks, all of them are under $1000 with a lens (more or less). It's up to you what you want and how much you're willing to carry arround. There's no point having a great camera that's only sitting in its back at home because it's too cumbersome to take it with you.