Railfan Technology > Good Still Camera with Video or Good Video with Still Features

I am finally in the market to upgrade from my Nikon D70 (long overdue I know). Since I'm pretty loyal to Nikon, I have been taking a serious look at the D7200 and it appears that it has decent video quality as well.

At the other end of the spectrum, I have been considering switching back to video and buying a Sony AX100 4k. The Sony appears to have good still capture.

I know that there is no perfect system but, since I live near Tehachapi and Cajon, I am finding myself drawn more towards video.

Thanks for any advise. Maybe there is something else out there that I am missing...

Coming from a handheld video point of view, a close cousin the the AX100 is the AX-53.  For pure picture quality the AX100 is better because it has a larger sensor.  But the AX-53 has a built in stabilizer system that uses gyros (or something like that), and it is unbeatble for handheld stability.  Perhaps Sony has not yet perfected that system for larger sensors, as the AX-53's sensor is the largest to date that features this system.  I've always wondered why no other manufacturer has come up with an equivalent design.  Maybe Sony has patented every variation they can think of. 

All that aside, the AX-53's picture quality is pretty close to the AX-100's.  And Sony has cheaper camcorders with the same stabilizer design.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/16 23:32 by norm1153.

(Sample attached).  There's nothing artistically noteworthy here.  This is just to give an AX-53 example.  It was shot on July 8th in San Francisco.  It's handheld.  The original is 4K, at 3840x2160 frame size, and I downsampled it to 950x534, as the original is too large for reliable online viewing. This sample is a bit "soft," as two downsizings really affect that (2nd is the website's).  The original is 415 MB, and this sample is the same length as it is.

There is some occasional horizontal jittering, which is unfortunately introduced in the resampling.  This subject matter moves horizontally!  There is no similar vertical jutter, and the original will play perfectly smoothly.  But the limiting factor with playing an original is usually the computer's ability to play it smoothly. The PC I am writing this on, can't come close, but it's a tiny thing, and not suitablew for editing.  I was just fooling around with this, and recorded it at full Auto.  Changing the shutter speed to 60 fps would have eliminated most of that.  But it gives an example of color quality, and handheld stability, especially when tracking a moving subject (aka panning). 

I hope this helps. 



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/16 23:54 by norm1153.

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I have a Nikon D7100 and it shoots very good video.  Get the D7200.

KG

It is a common consumer desire to have a camera do video and stills equally well. I understand, you are thinking, it's a camera with a lens, why can't do both?
Well, still and video are two different things with very different requirements. It is sort of like wanting to have a pick up truck that can be just like a 4 door sedan.
At this time, DSLR's are your best bet. They do excellent still and darn fine video.
Nikon, Canon, Sony and Fuji are the DSLR cameras to consider. 
Sony a7 cameras have 5 axis in camera stabilization. It works by moving the sensor.
The a7s II is for video plus stills and a7 R II is for stills plus video. Very expensive however.
Thus you might consider the Sony A6300. It has Optical SteadyShot image stabilization.
http://bhpho.to/1SHC5Ba

Dennis Livesey
New York, NY

shortlineer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for any advise. Maybe there is something
> else out there that I am missing...

Don't forget that when you record video, you are also recording sound. Not all built-in microphones are created equal, but in general, camcorders tend to reproduce sound better than DSLR. 

Don't forget the form factor:  You'll be holding this camcorder in one position a lot longer than a regular camera  as not every video shot will be on a tripod (even if that is coming from a run-and-gun amateur like myself!).  The type of stabilization the AX-53 and some other Sony camcorders (and I guess those A7's) have, is a little different.  It is kind of fascinating to point the camcorder at yourself, and just make tiny movements with it, as the whole lens/sensor assembly visibly moves inside the sealed interior. On a body only camera of course, the lens is outside of the camera's body, and maybe even made by another manufacturer, depending on the lens mount, so the same level of stabilization can't be achieved.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/16 21:01 by norm1153.