Serious Questions about the Nikon D7000 and Canon 60D for video.

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shorty15

Well-known member
I have been posting on this site for a couple of months so I am fairly knowledgeable about video DSLR's but I had a couple of questions that are best answered but owners of these cameras.

I am currently a college student who is pursuing a career in stills photography or cinematography. For video, I have been using a Panasonic GH1 but I am ready to move on to another camera. For years, I have been shooting stills on a vintage 1976 Nikon Ftn but the cost of development is becoming too high and I figure it is time for me to move on to a DSLR. I like the GH1 for video but it is not cutting it for stills (I hate EVF's). I have narrowed it down to the Nikon D7000 or the Canon 60D. I know that the GH2 is supposed to be the best video DSLR but all my old Nikon glass will double because of the crop factor and they seem to be impossible to find so that option is off the table.

I would prefer to stay with Nikon because I have a vintage Nikon and I like the idea of staying with the same brand (I can use my vintage Nikon glass without an adapter). I must note that for me, stills and video are EQUALLY important. The Nikon D7000 beats the Canon 60D in the stills department but I hear it has some problems in video mode.

I see videos like this: http://vimeo.com/25585194
and think that the Nikon is a perfect fit and then I read this: http://www.eoshd.com/content/635/why-you-should-never-buy-a-nikon-d5100-or-d7000-for-shooting-video

I was wondering if some D7000 owners could weigh in on the points made by EOSHD:

1. The author makes it sound like the D7000 won't lock the exposure in live view and states that you need to hold the AEL button to prevent the camera form changing the ISO and shutter speeds. If I am shooting in full manual mode, will the cameras still change the iso and shutter speed once I go into live view? For example, I set the aperture to F3.5, set the shutter speed to 1/50 and set the ISO to 800 in stills mode with the camera set to 100% manual mode - once I switch over to live view, will the camera mess with those settings against my will? Is it possible to totally lock the settings while recording without having to hold down a button while the camera records? Keep in mind that I am using vintage lenses with manual aperture rings so the issue of the camera not being able to change the F stop while in Live View does not apply to me.

Are these problems too big to overcome for someone serious about video? Basically, if I know the proper procedures, can I have the same video functionality with the D7000 that I would with the Canon 60D?
 
GH2 isn't the best for video. IMO Canon DSLR's look better even though GH2 is sharper and has less problems with some other DSLR issues we see in Canon bodies. Canon just gives more pleasing output.
 
I agree that the GH2 isn't necceasrily best for video (for one thing, there's so much more industry support for the Canon cameras). Besides, if you're really serious about still photography as well, the GH2 just isn't in the same league as the Canon and Nikon lines.

Anyway, I love my 60D to death but, since you have a preferance for Nikon and already have some Nikon lenses, I would go with the D7000 in your case. These cameras are way more similar than they are different (just look at some of the footage comparisons) and I think you'll be better served by working a camera you are comfortable with and by saving some cash on extra lenses. That said, I can't say enough how wonderful having a tilt LCD is on the 60D.

Also, double check that your old Nikon lenses will in fact work on the D7000. I remember reading some artical a while ago which seemed to suggest that (for some crazy reason) new Nikon DSLRs have trouble mounting vintage Nikon lenses (but Canon DSLRs can handle them just fine with an adaptor).
 
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In full manual mode, the D7k does not change ISO and shutter automatically. I have been shooting with mine for awhile now, and enjoy it very much. I sold my 7D for this camera, and even though it's not as simple to shoot video with, I don't regret it.

I use my new 70-200mm f2.8 VR II as well as old lenses such as my 50mm f1.8 AI without problems.

Why you don't just try playing with them at a camera store yourself instead of asking for opinions?
 
shorty15 said:
I would prefer to stay with Nikon because I have a vintage Nikon and I like the idea of staying with the same brand (I can use my vintage Nikon glass without an adapter).
Click to expand...

Define "Vintage". Pre-AI won't work. AI or AIs will work fine. You are aware that you can use your Nikon glass just fine on the Canon right? I do it all the time. And I have a D7000 as well. Along with a lot of vintage Nikon glass, and other Nikon bodies.
 
Wait, seriously, its bad for me to ask for opinions on DSLR's in a DSLR thread? I can't play with one because there are no pro level camera stores by my house and the Best Buy does not have the D7000 on display. A friend of my fathers has one and I have played with it but I did not have time to go in depth into the video features. I figured that the best person to answer my question is an actual owner, not some schmuck at Best Buy.
 
So pre AI lenses such as Nikon F mount lenses wont work? All of my lenses are pre AI. Is there some kind of adapter that I can purchase? This is a serious issue, if I can't mount up my F mount Nikkor glass, than the D7000 is out. I have read into conversions but then I can't use my F mount glass on my vintage F body so I need so kind of adapter.
 
shorty15 said:
So pre AI lenses such as Nikon F mount lenses wont work? All of my lenses are pre AI. Is there some kind of adapter that I can purchase? This is a serious issue, if I can't mount up my F mount Nikkor glass, than the D7000 is out. I have read into conversions but then I can't use my F mount glass on my vintage F body so I need so kind of adapter.
Click to expand...

You seem to be confused. *ALL* Nikon SLRs and DSLRs are F-Mount. However, there were changes when Nikon went from non-AI to AI, that cause problems for some of the Nikon bodies. Mounting a non-AI lens on a body that is not suitable for it could damage the body. It is my understanding that mounting the non-AI glass on the pro bodies works fine. And I also believe that the D7000 WILL have issues if you do this.

*** DISCLAIMER ***

I have mounted 2 non-AI lenses on my D7000 and have had no ill effects. I DO NOT advocate that, and if you break your camera that's on you. I was willing to accept the risk, mounted a pre-AI 50mm F1.4 and a 300mm F4.5 and they both worked just fine. I just shot the 300mm again last weekend for some portraits.

Again, I am saying I have done it, but that does NOT mean you can get away with it.

Understood?

On the other hand, the Canon cameras work just fine with ALL Nikon glass with a $15 adapter. No problems at all.
 
Also keep in mind that pre-AI lenses can be modded to mount safely on modern bodies.

To the OP, I think the D7000 is your best bet.
 
Hi shorty - You've gotten a lot of good information here. But before you buy either of these cameras, I thought you should be aware of a couple of things about their image quality in video mode that potential buyers are sometimes not aware of.

In addition to the issues with manual control of video exposure identified by Andrew Reid at eoshd.com, the D7000 also has a difficult time with patterned roofs, brickwork or patterned clothing. Example here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h1Ds-AAjUg

The 60D has the same issue:

http://vimeo.com/20565849

If you have not seen it already, you may also want to look at Andrew Reid's 60D/GH2 analysis here and here.

So I went with the GH2, and recommend it to anyone who is serious about video in the DSLR form-factor. It addresses the EVF and low-light issues that I had with the GH1, and it addresses the moire and shot duration limitations that I had with my T2i.

I still own a Nikon and I owned a T2i until recently, so I'm not a DSLR hater -- but the need to shoot around patterned subjects and the shot length limits (12 min for Canon and ~20 min for Nikon) may not bother others, but they were real problems for me.

If, despite these problems with the Nikons and Canons, the GH2 is still off the table for you, I would get the Canon. The flip-out LCD can be a lifesaver for low and high angle shots -- and it's easier to adapt Nikon lenses to EOS cameras than EOS lenses to Nikon cameras, because modern Canon glass has no aperture ring.

Sadly, the Canon has no autofocus in video mode (I found this to be a problem with my T2i), but it sounds like you're a manual lens person anyway ;-)

Hope this is helpful,

Bill
 
http://www.eoshd.com/content/635/why-you-should-never-buy-a-nikon-d5100-or-d7000-for-shooting-video
"These problems affect all Nikon DSLRs whether cheap or expensive. The same problems present in the D3100 for example also affect the D7000. The only area where the D7000 differs is that the movie mode responds to manual ISO and shutter speed control without the need to hit AEL – although the live view display still does not – no manual exposure simulation or meter."


Do not mount a unconverted Pre-AI/non-AI lens on any of Nikon's Pro bodys + D7000, D90 and D80. Just my opinion ..
 
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