Assistance choosing a Movie DSLR or ≤$1700 Camcorder

124151155

124151155

Member
Hi,
I'm looking to spend about $1700 USD ($2000 AUD) or less on either a Movie-capable DSLR (Such as the Nikon D90 or Panasonic GH1) or a camcorder.
I'm liking the look of Movie DSLRs because they appear to product amazing quality video at an affordable price, and I wouldn't mind a better still camera than my Pentax K100D on loan from my school.
So there are a few things I'd like to know before I make a purchase. Firstly I should clarify that if there is a good reason to buy a camcorder instead of a Movie capable DSLR, I wouldn't be unhappy to go without upgrading my still camera.

So, I've read up a bit about the D90 and GH1, and watched some videos and seen some photos. They both look pretty good. It seems that the noise is pretty ugly from the GH1 at high ISO but the D90 seems to do a nice job of it. Since I would like to make short films with the camera I would like to have full manual control in video, which I believe the GH1 does have, but the D90 does not, although Nikon announced that they were coming out with a firmware update in April which will allow for this (Any word of when this will be available? It's June!).
I am not fussed about the jelly effect that the CMOS censor/rolling shutter causes. I'm sure this can be easily avoided by planning shots that avoid fast pans/fast moving objects.
Both cameras seem to have their own pros and cons. By the looks of things I would buy the D90 if it had full manual control, but it doesn't and that is a major drawback for me. I'd wait for the firmware update, but when will that be?

I'd just like some opinions and suggestions on what I should buy. What compromises am I making if I buy a Movie DSLR? Would I be better with a camcorder? I know nothing about what to look for when buying a camcorder.

Thanks!
-Tim
 
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They might come out with a manual fix, they might not. I wouldn't rely on it.

A real video camera has advantages in some situations. ENG type work especially. It's simply easier to work with in most every situation. But at that price range you can't have the same lens flexibility the DSLRs give you. So, as much as I hate to finally say this, I believe that in the under $2000 price range the video SLR's give you a better value for the price.
 
Ok sure. Well the idea is that I'll get a camera now and fork out some more money to get a better camera in three or so years time. I'm currently in my second last year of school and I wish to do Film & TV at university, so with a Movie DSLR I would build up a folio over the next year and then once I've settled in to my course and earned some money from working I'll buy a new one.

So if its a Movie DSLR I buy, can anybody give me some advice on which camera to buy? It is difficult to weigh up the pros and cons. Is the GH1's micro Four Thirds system a major drawback?
 
Tim: read this before you spend your money.

http://philipbloom.co.uk/2009/05/24/video-dslrs-the-death-of-35mm-adaptors/#more-3361

It's just one person's opinion and I think he's got it right for the most part. The two tools are not comparable, particularly when it comes to the controls you'd normally get with a "real" video camera. Audio, for me, is the big deal-breaker. Then comes limited recording times and some crazy file formats. H.264 is really an output format that was adapted to these new cameras. I've heard the format used by Nikon in the D90 is rather odd, too.

For the money you mentioned, you could get a nice Canon HV30 (or Vixia or whatever the current iteration of the HV20 is) and make wonderful films. The web (check Vimeo or Exposure Room) is packed with work from these cameras. I had the HV 20 and it is a great tool for under $1000 and you can spend the rest on a mic and some cheap lighting. For that money you'll get a true camera with format controls, different recording formats etc.

I think the reason people are drawn to the V-DSLRs is they see it as an alternative to using a 35mm adapter because, afterall, they'll be shooting through a 35mm lens! But that's only half the picture. Having said all that, if I absolutelly had to buy one it would be the Canon 5DMk2 based on everything I've seen written about it. Go to Vincent Laforet's website to see the work he's accomplished with it. I think it's more than your price range though.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. That article was really helpful. The solution of buying an HD camcorder + 35mm adapter + lens etc. is a good solution although does require a lot of fiddling around and finding out what the best combination would be. I haven't really looked much into those kind of campact HD camcorders - do any of them allow for manual controls? I thought they just had a standard auto mode that just guessed the best settings.
I think because of all the effort of buying a camcorder, 35mm adapter, lenses, getting flick hacks, etc. it really isn't worth the time when something like the GH1 will produce pretty much the same thing at a similar price.

Does anybody know if the GH1/D90 etc. can do direct to disk recording with software such as Adobe OnLocation?

Thanks again.
 
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