The Student Room Group

DSLR FOR FILMING - any ideas on a cheap but good camera for filming movies?

Hey guys, I am a filmmaker and I want to spend this year, building a portfolio of films, trailers, music videos etc. but the problem I have is that last year, I bought a Nikon D3200 and well... it's only good for photography. I realised that I should have bought something that worked well with filming -- the focus isn't great when it comes to changing the camera's focus to another object in the shot and if I want to film by myself using a tripod and me as the actor, then getting into a shot doesn't help as the camera doesn't automatically focus. I have tried seeing if there is a button or instruction to do this but it doesn't.

Any ideas on how to improve using my current camera for filming or ALSO any ideas on DSLRs that I can buy for filming?

Cheers guys

Scroll to see replies

Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Cheers guys


Take a look at the Canon 700D/750D and Panasonic G7. Both track well and have autofocus systems that allow you to change your focus with the touchscreen- tap the point on your screen you wish to focus on and the camera will transition smoothly. They also have articulating displays to aid composition and microphone inputs for better quality audio recording. The G7 has an advantage in that it shoots full 4K if that interests you and Panasonic are well regarded for their video oriented mirrorless cameras, while the 700D has a larger APS-C sensor that will grant better photo quality. The Panasonic also has an electronic viewfinder which you can use while recording if you prefer shooting that way, compared to the optical viewfinder of the 700D which cannot be used during video like your Nikon, meaning the rear display is your only option.

Both the 700D and G7 can be found for £500 or less with a kit lens (just be sure you get a "STM" designated kit lens with the Canon, to ensure fast and near-silent focussing during video). The newer 750D is well worth considering over its 700D predecessor for the newer sensor and more expansive autofocus coverage, it costs about £570 but Canon offer £70 cashback when bought from a participating retailer, bringing the price back to your preferred budget,

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Panasonic/Panasonic-G-System-Cameras/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G7-Camera-with-14-42mm-Lens
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Canon/Canon-Digital-SLRs/Canon-EOS-700D-With-18-55mm-IS-STM-Lens
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Canon/Canon-Digital-SLRs/Canon-EOS-750D-Camera-with-18-55mm-Lens
Reply 3
Thanks so much man - I really appreciate all of the help. And also the prices - that is pretty good. I got my Nikon for £400 standard kit lens. So I'll look at some YouTuber video tests for each camera as well. I would rather sell my Nikon and with that money, at least I'll only have to pay an extra £100 for the other camera. Panasonic sounds good - never looked at those makes. I always only looked at Sony Nikon and Canon. Would you recommend a Sony or would that be way expensive? Cuz I've seen some of their wicked cameras and they are like £1000.

Cheers
Reply 4
Original post by the bear


Yeah I don't mind if it is second hand - as long as it isn't battered or anything. Thanks I'll check out the link.

Have you got a camera that you use for film that you would recommend?

Cheers
Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Would you recommend a Sony or would that be way expensive? Cuz I've seen some of their wicked cameras and they are like £1000.


Sony's best option for within your budget (the A6000) has excellent video quality, so is well worth considering. However it lacks a touchscreen, and given your frustrations with changing the subject in focus on the Nikon I thought a camera with tap-to-focus would be particularly useful to you :yep:
Reply 6
Yes the tap focus would definitely be better. Thanks a lot. I will check them all out and come to my conclusion.

Also do you know which lens is best to use with filming? I'm gonna mostly be filming people - with a few shots of the landscape. I hear zoom lens are bad as it creates a lot of noise with taking photos - does this happen with filming as well?

Thanks
Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Yes the tap focus would definitely be better. Thanks a lot. I will check them all out and come to my conclusion.

Also do you know which lens is best to use with filming? I'm gonna mostly be filming people - with a few shots of the landscape. I hear zoom lens are bad as it creates a lot of noise with taking photos - does this happen with filming as well?

Thanks


What would be your budget for lenses? The "kit" lens included with each camera is a solid starting point, going from a wide angle view through to a mid-tele perspective suitable for portraits (the 14-42mm lens of the G7 may sound wider angle lens than the Canon/Nikon 18-55mm lenses, but because the G7 has a smaller sensor it results in a more zoomed in perspective known as crop factor).

The overwhelming majority of zoom lenses for DSLR/mirrorless systems are adjusted by rotating a zoom ring without the assistance of a motor, so typically create very little (if any) audible noise. You can check this yourself with your nikon- start recording video and zoom your lens in and out and see if you can hear the sound of the lens moving. There's a chance they could be referring to image noise, because zoom lenses typically have narrower apertures than their equivalent primes and will therefore need to use higher ISOs to compensate. What is a noise concern with video is the sound of a lens' focus motor, and this is a potential issue in any lens, not just zooms. As I mentioned before Canon have a "STM" designation for many of their lenses which typically means they're a lot quieter than normal and good choices for video use. To my knowledge no other brand has a designation to identify their quiet lenses, so check for footage on youtube for any lens you consider buying.
Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Yeah I don't mind if it is second hand - as long as it isn't battered or anything. Thanks I'll check out the link.

Have you got a camera that you use for film that you would recommend?

Cheers


i just use my Olympus bridge camera ?
Reply 9
Cheers for this information.

So with my Nikon D3200 when I zoom in with the standard kit lens, the corners of the shot look a bit fuzzy. I found that my videos were fuzzy when zooming in, when I played them back on my computer in full screen. Bit disappointed with the definition of the video played on my computer. And when I zoom in, the lens makes a bit of noise - sometimes I have to hold the camera so still and get someone else to move the lens (zoom in or out) carefully so it's more smooth and controlled.
Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Cheers for this information.

So with my Nikon D3200 when I zoom in with the standard kit lens, the corners of the shot look a bit fuzzy. I found that my videos were fuzzy when zooming in, when I played them back on my computer in full screen. Bit disappointed with the definition of the video played on my computer. And when I zoom in, the lens makes a bit of noise - sometimes I have to hold the camera so still and get someone else to move the lens (zoom in or out) carefully so it's more smooth and controlled.


Does your Nikon lens have VR written on it?
Reply 11
Yes
Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Yes


In that case if you want smoother motion while zooming, absolutely invest in a tripod- they're probably the next most important thing for video after actually owning a camera. You can pick up a decent tripod from well regarded brand Manfrotto for under £50 (try and get one with a "three way head" rather than "ball head", they're better for video use), just don't pick up a sub-£20 from dodgy looking brands on Amazon- I've had one of those spontaneously buckle with over a grand of camera gear strapped to the top. Thankfully I caught it, but it only takes one incident like that to make you realise some things aren't worth scrimping on!
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 13
Unfortunately I have a very bossy and control-freak dad who knows nothing about photography, unlike me and still thinks he should be the one to buy everything cuz he is the breadwinner and clearly I wasn't cuz I was still studying away like a maniac. So he bought me a tripod from eBay that isn't sturdy enough, I've seen in some Youtube videos, people have excellent strong ones that really hold the camera and it's so sturdy. But mine is crap - that's the only word I can use to describe. It's been a year since I've got my camera and my dad doesn't think I am worthy enough to get a new lens (something more advanced than a standard kit) so I am stuck.

So I would rather find a way to sell my camera quick and fast without any drama and use that money to buy a one of the DSLR's you have mentioned which will be great for my films.

Hope you understand - the budget is in my dad's hands. I have seriously developed my knowledge in this area in order to get the best buy but obviously at the end of the day, for me, it comes down to money and how much I can spend. And that results in a crappy film look.
Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Unfortunately I have a very bossy and control-freak dad who knows nothing about photography, unlike me and still thinks he should be the one to buy everything cuz he is the breadwinner and clearly I wasn't cuz I was still studying away like a maniac. So he bought me a tripod from eBay that isn't sturdy enough, I've seen in some Youtube videos, people have excellent strong ones that really hold the camera and it's so sturdy. But mine is crap - that's the only word I can use to describe. It's been a year since I've got my camera and my dad doesn't think I am worthy enough to get a new lens (something more advanced than a standard kit) so I am stuck.

So I would rather find a way to sell my camera quick and fast without any drama and use that money to buy a one of the DSLR's you have mentioned which will be great for my films.

Hope you understand - the budget is in my dad's hands. I have seriously developed my knowledge in this area in order to get the best buy but obviously at the end of the day, for me, it comes down to money and how much I can spend. And that results in a crappy film look.


You could get a camera, lens and tripod all for within your original £500 budget, the 700D with included lens is currently £450 on Amazon. Buying used, as mentioned above, will let you shave off even more.
Reply 15
Thanks a lot man - really appreciate all the help. Are you a photography or a filmmaker? You seem to know your stuff pretty well.
Original post by EXOMENDES 101
Thanks a lot man - really appreciate all the help. Are you a photography or a filmmaker? You seem to know your stuff pretty well.


No worries :smile: Just a hobbyist, and purely photography- I've never even touched the video mode of my last two cameras :ahee:
Reply 17
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your advice. Cuz it's Christmas sales - I'm buying it now or somewhere around New Years. They should be dirt cheap.

I have checked out YouTube reviewed and the video test - pretty good. I just want to be able to autofocus whenever I move the camera to focus on a different person/object cuz the Nikon is crap.... You have to manually do it and it's usually long to get a good focus. I just also want my videos to look professional - I do use post production editing techniques as well e.g. Premiere pro. But I want to try and lessen that and get the right film look WITHOUT a lot of editing.
MPB is quite good for secondhand cameras that are in good condition and fairly reasonably priced:smile:
I know this article is older, but what did you end up buying?

I'm looking for a new camera around the next few months probably during black friday.

I was reading this article https://thetechreviewer.com/tech-tips/what-is-the-best-dslr-for-video/

They are saying mirrorless is better than DSLRs for filmmaking? I do like the idea of the compact size and advanced features for the price but have always wanted a Canon in the past. I'm thinking maybe I should instead go with the a6300?

Quick Reply

Latest