Nikon vs Lumix

[RRRoger]

AFAIK, there is no autofocus system currently on the market that is able to track a moving subject continuously for video use.

If you set up your GH4 properly and use AFF, It does quite well.
Saturday I shot a Grand Prix Equestrian Event and only lost focus once on a very large and fast course.
The horse and rider were completly out of sight several times each run and I did 15 before going home.

My DSLM has excellant contiuous AF and will shoot for hours unattended.
It also has pleanty of DOF.
I've had/looked at the latest CamCorders and none are a well suited for my use.

 

[Ebrahim Saadawi]

Why do you believe that video cameras are all more than 4-6K $ ?

If you're an event shooter, you need continuous autofocus, and hours of recording time. Dslrs are the opposite of that, they are suitable for narrative, commercial work where short takes are dominant, and highest image quality for the budget.

A camcorder, with a smaller sensor will work much better in that kind of situation, you will get a deep dof, continuous autofocus, tiny file sizes/long recording time, and a nice built in zoom lens with a versatile range.

I can't imagine shooting an event with a DSLR, not even the most expensive 5D 1Dc ones, they are not adequate for the job and a complete pain.

Look at the consumer camcorders, there are many in the 1000-2000$ market. especially from Canon and Panasonic and Sony.

And use a DSLR for personal, beauty shots

 

[Michael Carter]

Why do you believe that video cameras are all more than 4-6K $ ?

If you're an event shooter, you need continuous autofocus, and hours of recording time. Dslrs are the opposite of that, they are suitable for narrative, commercial work where short takes are dominant, and highest image quality for the budget.

A camcorder, with a smaller sensor will work much better in that kind of situation, you will get a deep dof, continuous autofocus, tiny file sizes/long recording time, and a nice built in zoom lens with a versatile range.

I can't imagine shooting an event with a DSLR, not even the most expensive 5D 1Dc ones, they are not adequate for the job and a complete pain.

Look at the consumer camcorders, there are many in the 1000-2000$ market. especially from Canon and Panasonic and Sony.

And use a DSLR for personal, beauty shots

I'd second most of the above, except for AF - I shoot a lot of events, and I much prefer a hand controller and good focus peaking. Maybe some consumer cams could hold up, but the large glass assemblies in more "pro" level cameras don't seem to handle AF that well.

I've tried DSLRs for events, but too much hassle and too many missed shots. I use 'em for 'pretty" work, commercials, planned interviews, music vids, etc.

I'd skip any consumer camcorder that lacks:
Full manual control of aperture, shutter, ISO, white balance, & focus;
Interchangeable batteries;
Dual XLR inputs with switchable compression and manual levels;
A decent, unobtrusive audio limiter;
Phantom power;
A remote jack for focus, iris, zoom, and trigger;
Zebras and peaking (and WFM & scopes are pretty dang handy too).

I'd also look at used cameras - my experience says Panasonic AC-160 or 130... I'm sure there are plenty of others from Sony, etc.