Need help picking out first camera.

[PhillyB]

[PhillyB]

those were all taken with a Sony NEX-5. nikons are definitely good and provide a wide range of lower-end DSLRs (look to spend between 700-1000$ as a start though.)

sony bought out minolta a few years ago, so you're getting quality brand camera technology with a different name. the NEX5 has phenomenal 1080i hi def video (an improvement over the NEX3 if i'm not mistaken) and most packages come with the standard zoom lens and a wide-angle lens as well. the flash is detachable (you may have to buy it separately) and i've actually never bought it, and i've had almost no instances where i couldn't take a good picture because of lighting conditions. i don't shoot a whole lot of indoor stuff though, most of it's travel-related.

and that's where your decision comes in... what features are you specifically looking for? there are plenty of cameras better than the NEX-5, but far and away its most advantageous feature is its size. if you're traveling it's perfect. you don't need a dedicated camera bag to carry it around in... when i travel i have a small satchel that i keep on me at all times with my passport, journal, airline info, visas, etc. and i can just drop the camera down inside there. and when i see something i want to photograph i don't have to fumble around with a stupid black bag, and i don't have to go on dedicated photo-seeking missions decked out with poo. it's really conducive to spontaneity.

panorama feature is awesome. for some reason i can't find any of the panoramas i took... i'll post them when i do. quality is outstanding. flexible digital display allows for extensive camera positioning (you can hold it an inch off the ground if you want a shot from that angle, and just rotate the display up 90 degrees and see exactly what you're shooting. it does the same in reverse, which is useful for shots when the sunlight is hitting your display at a bad angle or you're trying to hold the camera in the air to get a good angle.)

the features are easy to navigate, there's plenty of manual settings available so you can monkey with the shutter speed and such if you so desire.

i don't think you'd regret it.

[Dex]

those were all taken with a Sony NEX-5. nikons are definitely good and provide a wide range of lower-end DSLRs (look to spend between 700-1000$ as a start though.)

sony bought out minolta a few years ago, so you're getting quality brand camera technology with a different name. the NEX5 has phenomenal 1080i hi def video (an improvement over the NEX3 if i'm not mistaken) and most packages come with the standard zoom lens and a wide-angle lens as well. the flash is detachable (you may have to buy it separately) and i've actually never bought it, and i've had almost no instances where i couldn't take a good picture because of lighting conditions. i don't shoot a whole lot of indoor stuff though, most of it's travel-related.

and that's where your decision comes in... what features are you specifically looking for? there are plenty of cameras better than the NEX-5, but far and away its most advantageous feature is its size. if you're traveling it's perfect. you don't need a dedicated camera bag to carry it around in... when i travel i have a small satchel that i keep on me at all times with my passport, journal, airline info, visas, etc. and i can just drop the camera down inside there. and when i see something i want to photograph i don't have to fumble around with a stupid black bag, and i don't have to go on dedicated photo-seeking missions decked out with poo. it's really conducive to spontaneity.

panorama feature is awesome. for some reason i can't find any of the panoramas i took... i'll post them when i do. quality is outstanding. flexible digital display allows for extensive camera positioning (you can hold it an inch off the ground if you want a shot from that angle, and just rotate the display up 90 degrees and see exactly what you're shooting. it does the same in reverse, which is useful for shots when the sunlight is hitting your display at a bad angle or you're trying to hold the camera in the air to get a good angle.)

the features are easy to navigate, there's plenty of manual settings available so you can monkey with the shutter speed and such if you so desire.

i don't think you'd regret it.

I will be making films. Size doesn't matter. I'll mostly be shooting from tripods and glidecams.

[Mr. Scot]

If only there were a professional photographer on this site...

[Dex]

If only there were a professional photographer on this site...

Zod won't answer my PM's. That's why I made this thread.

[PhillyB]

I will be making films. Size doesn't matter. I'll mostly be shooting from tripods and glidecams.

why even bother with a camera at all? why not just get a video camera? or is that what you were talking about in the first place and i missed it?

[brian032]

How about a GH2? I've owned and hacked several of them along with the previous iterations, and I honestly think it's damn near impossible to find something as sharp and detailed under $2000 that will rival the image one gets from a GH2. Heck, the GH2 even out-resolves a 5D MK III if you're looking for pure detail. Not only that, but you can mount old FD, OM, MD lenses on them for a really organic film look; all of which costs no more than $100 for a set of 3-4 lenses. GH2s can be found for $500 body-only all day long.

http://philipbloom.n.../06/gh2-hacked/

http://www.eoshd.com...-vs-5d-mark-iii

If you're serious about video, you should at least read a bit about the GH2 and its hack. You can find more at DVXUser and Personal-View too.

[Dex]

How about a GH2? I've owned and hacked several of them along with the previous iterations, and I honestly think it's damn near impossible to find something as sharp and detailed under $2000 that will rival the image one gets from a GH2. Heck, the GH2 even out-resolves a 5D MK III if you're looking for pure detail. Not only that, but you can mount old FD, OM, MD lenses on them for a really organic film look; all of which costs no more than $100 for a set of 3-4 lenses. GH2s can be found for $500 body-only all day long.

http://philipbloom.n.../06/gh2-hacked/

http://www.eoshd.com...-vs-5d-mark-iii

If you're serious about video, you should at least read a bit about the GH2 and its hack. You can find more at DVXUser and Personal-View too.

Please tell me more. I have no idea what you mean by "hacking" a camera.

[brian032]

Please tell me more. I have no idea what you mean by "hacking" a camera.

With hacks you're pretty much increasing the bit-rate of the codec and making it more robust. With the right combination of hardware and a robust codec you'll have a codec that'll resolve greater detail & produce a smoother motion-cadence. It'll also be more robust for editing and color-grading.

A stock GH1 runs at about 17MBps in full 1080P, a stock GH2 at 24MBps, and I believe the 5D has an all-intra setting of 90MBps or so.Taking the aforementioned into account, you also have to factor in the resolution output from the camera's hardware. The 5DIII (and the 7D I used to own) produces a 1080P video file, but the resolution from it is more like 720P when compared to the GH2; even with the higher stocked bitrates.

As for the GH2, I've seen hacks that push it up to 175MBps. I personally used to use a patch that averaged around 140MBps on a consistant basis without any problems. Combine that with the greater resolution and you have HD goodness in a relatively inexpensive package. The hack is just a patch installation too. It's like updating the software on any camera, really.

In the end, it's all about your content though. I've seen better stuff content-wise from an iPhone than what I could ever make. Definitely read about the GH2 before you make a decision. It's hot among the indie film-making circle. Watch the Zacuto Shootout too, if you have time. The results are shocking even to directors like Cappola.

http://www.eoshd.com...give-win-to-gh2