Which DSLR/Mirrorless camera has the best Image Stabilization and Auto Focus?
- Thread starter Ken1212
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Samuel H
Major Contributor
Best AF is Canon, closely followed by recent Sonys. So, I'd say: either a 5D4 with a stabilized lens, or the a7 III.
Rollling shutter shouldn't be a problem on either of them. I don't have numbers on the 5D4, but the a7 III has reasonably good RS in 4k and really really fast RS in 1080p. link.
If good DR is a priority as well, I'd definitely go with the a7 III.
Rollling shutter shouldn't be a problem on either of them. I don't have numbers on the 5D4, but the a7 III has reasonably good RS in 4k and really really fast RS in 1080p. link.
If good DR is a priority as well, I'd definitely go with the a7 III.
puredrifting
Major Contributor
Good recommendations Samuel. The main difference would be to obtain beautiful color, Sony is going to require more CC and grading, shooting in SLog w Cinema Gamut while the Canon will give you usable REC709 colors straight out of the camera. My experience with the Sony mirrorless is that they can look really nice if you know what you're doing in Resolve. I don't and have not been happy with my efforts to make Sony footage look good. The 5D MKIV, gives you good colors out of camera and can shoot in C-Log for grading, if you want to.
For image stabilization, the Panasonic GH5 wins hands down. It's the only DSLR/Mirror-less camera that is able to smooth out walking motion. Not as good as a decent 3-axis gimbal, but it's very usable.
For auto focus, it's Canon's dual-pixel AF all the way. ( Sony AF is not far behind, Panasonic AF lags way behind )
For rolling-shutter it's the Panasonic GH5s, with rolling-shutter performance as good or better than some of the top cine cameras. Beats all of the other DSLRs/Mirror-less cameras by a mile, especially when shooting 4K.
Unfortunately you can't have everything in one camera, so you have to decide what matters most to you. I rarely use AF, so the Panasonic GH5 is my favorite compact camera to shoot with. ( I still might pick up a GH5s for it's low-light and color performance. Waiting to see what drops at NAB 2018 in a few days... )
NorBro
Major Contributor
The Olympus' also have the best IS in the industry, mainly their flagship the E-M1 Mark II.
As mentioned, trade-offs exist with everything. If I was buying a new DSLR/mirrorless right now, I would consider:
a7III - tons of features for the price.
M50 - Canon colors even though DPAF does not exist in 4K, 5-axis IS, very good price.
G9 - best overall small sensor hybrid for the price with 4K/60p, better AF than the GH5/S, 5-axis IS, and nice colors...plus great stills capabilities.
GX9 - new camera, almost everything the G9 has besides 4K/60p, very good price.
(GH5 too especially when it drops $200 every few months making it almost the same price as the G9.)
As noted, Olympus has some pretty decent cameras too, especially the E-M10 Mark III for the lowest price on this list ($549).
As mentioned, trade-offs exist with everything. If I was buying a new DSLR/mirrorless right now, I would consider:
a7III - tons of features for the price.
M50 - Canon colors even though DPAF does not exist in 4K, 5-axis IS, very good price.
G9 - best overall small sensor hybrid for the price with 4K/60p, better AF than the GH5/S, 5-axis IS, and nice colors...plus great stills capabilities.
GX9 - new camera, almost everything the G9 has besides 4K/60p, very good price.
(GH5 too especially when it drops $200 every few months making it almost the same price as the G9.)
As noted, Olympus has some pretty decent cameras too, especially the E-M10 Mark III for the lowest price on this list ($549).
I currently use Panasonic video cameras such as the 4k UX90 and the GH5 would have been a no brainer except it's poor auto focus. The a7III seems to offer great focusing but hope the rolling shutter is better than previous models. It's a solid contender and on top of my list. The M50 is a possibility too, any ideas about moire with that camera? I have used canon's first dual pixel focusing camera, the 70D, and loved it, except it's awful moire artifacts.
NorBro
Major Contributor
All of them will have some sort of moire and aliasing...I can't tell you how much in any given situation as results differ based on what's in front of the lens.
Canon will eventually drop a full-frame mirrorless (probably over $2K), which should have 4K DPAF and IS.
If continuous accurate AF and/or face-tracking is really important, it's really down to Canon or Sony. If you shoot in 4K with the M50, it may hunt and struggle at times, but DPAF is available in HD. Also, the camera is limited to 4K/24p (no 30p).
The FUJIs might be worth your consideration too...but again, the AF may not be up for the task at all times.
The UX90 is kind of old...I recommend renting the G9 and trying it out.
Canon will eventually drop a full-frame mirrorless (probably over $2K), which should have 4K DPAF and IS.
If continuous accurate AF and/or face-tracking is really important, it's really down to Canon or Sony. If you shoot in 4K with the M50, it may hunt and struggle at times, but DPAF is available in HD. Also, the camera is limited to 4K/24p (no 30p).
The FUJIs might be worth your consideration too...but again, the AF may not be up for the task at all times.
The UX90 is kind of old...I recommend renting the G9 and trying it out.
The UX90 was released about 1.5 years ago, not as old as you think. I also own a Panasonic Z2500 but want an interchangeable body.
NorBro
Major Contributor
Yea, I googled the press release of the UX90 before I posted that, and it was NAB 2016 so 2 years...
For me that's a long time, especially with prosumer fixed lens cameras, which are always severely dated with image quality compared to the stills/interchangeable lens cameras.
For me that's a long time, especially with prosumer fixed lens cameras, which are always severely dated with image quality compared to the stills/interchangeable lens cameras.
Bern Caughey
Veteran
Don’t know about Canon, but isn’t the Sony still restricted to 1/2 hour recordings? And did they ever fix the peaking? Been wanting to add some form of A7 (s, or r) to my kit for years, but there were always issues that kept me away, which is why Panasonic keeps getting my $$$.
Samuel H
Major Contributor
It is. Check the table.
I haven't tried it, but sgamut3.cine looks A LOT better than the truly horrible sgamut that the a7S came with. I'm still using my Flaat settings, which I find very pleasing and easy to work with. I thought the a7S II wasn't worth the upgrade price, now eagerly waiting for the a7S III...
The newest Canon mirrorless can't run MagicLantern (not running the same underlying software as you have with DSLRs), and I feel personally it is unlikely to ever happen in the foreseeable future.
legrevedotcom
Veteran
I've be a stout Canon 5D user for years, but I'm beginning to lean more towards the A7 series... but I wasn't impressed with the stills from the A7II so I want to see what the III can produce. Maybe it's just a question of what one is used to, since I know in a heartbeat how to handle and photoshop the Canon raw files to get them where I want them. Also been a bit withheld because of the A7 form factor, I find the small size terrible to work with for longer duration due to hand cramps from gripping that small camera.
The small size and weight does speak for the Sonys in terms of gimbals etc.
I was however moderately impressed with the C-log on the Canon. It doesn't go near S-log for grading capabilities, but the image with that large sensor looks pretty good if you expose correctly.
I was doing a pre prod. test at a Wegner chair factory. Just brought the Canon for ease of use and ended up having doubts wether I should use the 5D4 or the FS7... x)
But... since I'm invested in the FS7 II for now, I already have lenses I could use on a A7 body.... Almost feels stupid to have two sets of lenses.
And then maybe couple the FS7II wiht a A7III and S version when that comes out; a nice versatile kit that takes the best from all worlds.
The small size and weight does speak for the Sonys in terms of gimbals etc.
I was however moderately impressed with the C-log on the Canon. It doesn't go near S-log for grading capabilities, but the image with that large sensor looks pretty good if you expose correctly.
I was doing a pre prod. test at a Wegner chair factory. Just brought the Canon for ease of use and ended up having doubts wether I should use the 5D4 or the FS7... x)
But... since I'm invested in the FS7 II for now, I already have lenses I could use on a A7 body.... Almost feels stupid to have two sets of lenses.
And then maybe couple the FS7II wiht a A7III and S version when that comes out; a nice versatile kit that takes the best from all worlds.
Why not A7III? From tests I've seen the rolling shutter is on par with the GH5 or at least really close.
ahalpert
Major Contributor
Does anyone have any experience with sony vs canon autofocus for macro and close-range tracking shots? I find that the stepping motor adjustments on the Sony A7SIII are noticeable and potentially distracting when taking shots at 0.1x magnification or higher. At greater distances, you'd never notice the shifts in focal plane. But at close range, it can be obvious when the camera makes an adjustment, and it doesn't adjust continuously as you would when manually focusing (on a slider-in move, for example). Once the camera realizes the focus is soft again, it makes an abrupt shift. I wonder if Canon AF, at least with some lenses, adjusts focus more gradually and less obtrusively.
Peter C.
Veteran
I was just watching a video the other day and a camera knocked it out of the park. I can't remember what brand it was but obviously you aren't going to run out and buy a separate camera system/lens just for macro shots. The best approach would most likely not use AF for slider shots. There are expensive motorized slider systems that you can use the motors to not only move the camera but also change it's focus.