DSLR Cameras / Buying Guide / Sweet Spot

ZachYT

I've Got It
I'll soon be doing a lot more video from the comfort of my living room (which has become a video studio) and while shooting on my HFR500 on the move has been fine... I need to step up the quality. I've been researching and reading all about DSLRs for the last month but want some outside feedback, ideally from someone with a lot of DSLR experience.

I've narrowed it down to few DSLRs at different price points. Obviously the less expensive ones are easier on my bank account, and know that the overall quality between one that is $600 and one that is $2000 may be minor... so I'm trying to find the perfect balance. (This may also help someone in the future who is trying to make the same decision). I've also added a couple non-DSLR's that are reasonable to consider high quality P+S and Mirrorless.

Wishlist:
  • 1080p Video at 60FPS (30FPS is okay).
  • Flip Out Video Screen
  • Touchscreen
  • Solid Autofocus
  • Reasonable Battery Life (if taken portable).
  • Affordable
Cameras Considered - Canadian Prices (Standout Features)
  • Canon 60D - $650
  • Canon T5i - $650
  • Canon G7X - $650 (Highly Portable, Gold Standard for Vlogging, 60FPS)
  • Canon M3 - $700 (Mirrorless, Brand New)
  • Nikon D5300 - $700 (60FPS)
  • Nikon D5500 - $750 (60FPS)
  • Canon T6i - $850
  • Nikon D7100 - $900 (60FPS)
  • Panasonic Lumix G7 - $900 (4K Video)
  • Sony MX100 4 - $1000 (Slow Motion + 60FPS)
  • Canon 70D - $1050 (YouTuber Standard)
  • Panasonic Lumix GH3 - $1100 (60FPS, Often Used for Shows)
Suggestions on which is best? What you would pick? Why? Any advice is greatly appreciated!
 
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I don't know. Wow this is a hard choice. I am not of too much help. But I will say I have the Sony Rx100 iii and love it. I hear the 4 isn't that different. But if you get a point and shoot you can't change the lenses if you are into that.

But my advice is to try to look for used cameras. I bought my camera used and it look brand new. Photography and video is one of those things people say they want to get into but then never do. As a result, you can find cameras online that are hardly used for less money than new.

I don't know a ton about the cameras you picked, but I do the 70D seems to be a very popular choice for a lot of YouTubers. This includes big YouTubers who make high quality videos. If you got one used you could even save money. Also as a bonus, I'm sure you could find tons of tutorials online on how to use it.

But I think overall, it all comes down to what kind of content you are shooting, your camera skills, and what you want to use. The camera that works for me might not work you. You should really think about your needs, more than which camera has the best specs or the cost.[DOUBLEPOST=1449987080,1449986852][/DOUBLEPOST]like for me I knew for sure I wanted a camera that a flip out screen. but also portable and not too complicated to use, I didn't want to mess with tons of settings and lenses. I just wanted a camera that could shoot high quality video without much effort and it didn't have to be the latest model, but still not too old. And thats why I choose the Rx100iii for me.

hope this helps.
 
Haha, I know it's a tough one - I knew it would be. That's why I'm putting it out there to the collective consciousness of YTTALK! :)

Yeah, I have two P&S' on the list, the G7X has been something I wanted basically all year as I do a weekly vlog that covers my week. BUT, when I realized that in the new year I'll be doing a lot more 'studio' stuff.. that it's best if I upgrade to something that may help with that. That's sort of why I'm looking at price in this because I budgeted roughly $600, so to jump to $1000 while not a huge difference in the long run, is over my budget (and at Christmas, budgets are kinda important haha).
 
Point and shoots are nice but dslrs have more features. One of those features is a mic Jack. You can just use the in camera mic or record audio seperately. But none of the point and shoots you listed have a mic Jack. If my camera had a mic Jack it would be perfect. But of course if you don't have a mic and want one that is just another expense. But good audio is important.
 
Point and shoots are nice but dslrs have more features. One of those features is a mic Jack. You can just use the in camera mic or record audio seperately. But none of the point and shoots you listed have a mic Jack. If my camera had a mic Jack it would be perfect. But of course if you don't have a mic and want one that is just another expense. But good audio is important.

I can consider P&S' because I do actually have an external Zoom H4n and a solid directional mic. Aligning audio is fairly easy. But yes, having the direct mic input is certainly a bit easier.
 
hmm, you definitely have a hard decision to make here.

I checked out your channel and your video quality looks decent but If you want to upgrade I can't tell you which camera to buy because I don't know your full story but I can give you some things you need to consider.

Firstly, how much of an improvement are you hoping for? You can go with a cheaper camera but you might end up not being happy with the extent of the upgrade.
It's best to go on YT and look at the footage shot with those camera's, make sure they use the kit lens for best result. Then you can see if your satisfied with the cheaper options or if you want to save up more for a better camera.

Secondly, how serious are you about YouTube and how much are you willing to spend in the long term?
If it's more of a hobby, there's no point spending stacks of money on equipment (unless you can afford it). If you're thinking of turning this into a job one day, than investing into decent gear early might be beneficial.

Thirdly, the thing about DSLR's is that it's more important what lens you have rather than what camera.
I can suggest a video called "Pro DSLR + Cheapo Lens vs "Cheapo" DSLR + Pro Lens" by DigitalRev TV. It's more about photography but still applies to video.
If you decided to go with one of the more expensive options like the 70D you will go over your budget and still might end up spending even more on a decent lens to get the most out of your camera.

Another thing to consider if you go with a DSLR is if you buy body only or with the kit lens. I don't know about other brands but Canon's new kit lenses are decent BUT they were made for photography rather than video. If you're serious about camera gear, sooner or later you will end up getting a different lens because the kit lens is definitely limiting the performance of any decent camera but once again, watch some videos to see if you're happy with the quality.
BUT, if you buy a camera with the kit lens you save a bit of money because it costs less than buying it separately.
Even if you go with the cheapest DSLR on you list and get it without the kit lens you will still end up over the $600 budget so I have another suggestion for you. I think that the Canon t3i or the t4i together with a decent lens, you might still go a bit over budget but it will be less than with the cameras on your list. I know that those 2 models are fairly old but if you know what you're doing you can make their footage look great.
Check out a channel called DSLRGuide. It's run by a very cool, young film maker who uses the t3i. His videos look great because he took the time to learn how to use it. With a bit of research you will be able to find the lens he uses, all I can remember is that it's a Tamron.

Now when it comes to P&S's the G7x is a great choice and might be a great compromise for you. DSLR quality in the tiny body will be great for both vlogging and studio work.

Lastly, think if you really need this upgrade, as I said, your video quality is decent and it didn't stop you from getting 1400 subscribers. It might be smart to wait longer, learn more about camera equipment, save up some more money and then upgrade.
Learn from my mistakes, I rushed my camera gear purchase and now I slightly regret some of my purchases.
For example, when buying audio for my setup I watched some comparison videos and decided to buy the Zoom H1 to record audio. It's a audio recorder with a microphone built in but it's not an actual microphone that you can connect to your camera. I already spent all the money in my budget on other things so when I've done some more research and realised it wasn't the best idea a month later I could only afford to but the Rode Video Mic to connect to the recorder. For the price of those two I could have got the Rode Video Mic Pro which works as well as the recorder connected to microphone but can be connected straight in the camera. (no need to sync audio)

In September I was in a similar situation as you, I had a tight budget and a lot of choices to make, I will share what I decided to do in case you find it helpful.

So, I had a budget of £1000, I wanted to use it to buy as much equipment as possible so I spent days researching different options.
I was choosing between the t6s and the 70D, there's £100 difference between them. I didn't have the money for a good leans so I decided to get a camera with the kit lens. I didn't want to be stuck with just the kit lens so I decided to get the cheaper camera and I got a 24mm Prime lens for roughly £100 to cover the difference between the 2 cameras.
The camera, kit lens and prime lens were roughly £660, for the rest of the money I got the recorder and mic mentioned earlier, headphones, extra battery, back pack, reflectors, SD cards and a camera cleaning kit.

The T6s is a very good camera, and I'm happy with it but now few moths later I wish I spent the extra £100 on the 70D. This is why it's important not to rush purchases :)


Ok, I hope this was helpful, it took me a while to write down all of this :D
Good luck with your purchase :)
 
hmm, you definitely have a hard decision to make here.

Thank you so much for the great response!

1. Improvement: I've been wanting to upgrade equipment for several months now - basically, I want a sharper look. My existing camera is totally fine (and reasonable quality) for vlogging and video content, but I want to sharpen it up. Control the focus a little better, and deliver an overall cleaner picture - especially on the upcoming content. (My current series Techmas, has been a kind of a test for that eventual series). I've been consuming video content on ALL of those cameras for the last couple months which is why they are all on the list haha. I've seen great video from each of them.

2. Seriousness: Quite serious. I've found so much to love about video and YouTube that it's given me a whole new joi de vivre - especially as it relates to my job as a writer. My new series will feature some small, medium and even a couple large YouTubers. That's why I've narrowed it down to these 12 cameras - they fall within a budget that I can afford right now, and leave room for growth.

3. Lenses: Indeed, quality lenses does seem like an important aspect. I have a secondary (albeit significantly smaller) budget for lenses. So, going with a T5i or Nikon 5(3/5)00 and investing more in a quality lens rather than a 70D could make total sense.

4. G7X: It's been on my mind for months! Only in the last month or two have I started considering a DSLR instead though - I don't see too many shooting 'in studio' style video on it... but I might just be missing it.

5. Rush: Due to the nature of the main series I'm tackling in the new year, I've planned to upgrade for a while now. Working with other YouTubers, especially those 5x, 10x, 100x bigger than my channel comes with a slight expectation of keeping up with the Joneses. I want to deliver quality that they are used to as they are taking the time out of their day to collab with me. I also ran a successful podcast several years ago, and have some fairly good audio equipment as a result.



All of these things considered - this is why I've been seriously considering the Canon M3, it's kind of a middle ground between the G7X and a 70D. In fact, it reportedly delivers a lot better video than the 70D, but the number of lenses is limited in comparison (though there are adaptors for Canon's full line!). It's also a bit more versatile in that I could use it like the G7X.... Ahhhh. I may have just sold myself haha.
 
As someone who has owned/used the Canon t3i, Nikon D3100, and the Nikon D5300 for videos and photography in the past- let me just say my all time favorite video camera for youtube is the Sony A5100(its also on sale most places and super cheap used since the new a6000 came out- but that doenst have a flip screen so dont worry about that!)
It has everything you wanted- 1080 60fps, flip out screen, touch screen, etc. Its great for both vlogging and sit down videos from my experience. If you want, you can see the focus of me holding the camera and having it set on a tripod too in one of my videos "Black Friday Haul" as example! But its amazing, I only used the kit lens also! You can change out lenses and also use an adapter for lenses from other companies. I got mine for 400USD with a lens online! The only down side is that the battery life is good but the camera can overheat and need a break after around 30 minutes of straight recording but that has only happened to me twice ever. Oh and it can't have an attached external mic but I honestly like the audio as it is so that isn't a downside for me! ALSO Sony cameras are supposably amazing in low light.. And I can't speak for all models but mine works great! I tested it out at night and near street lights and it still looked good, not grainy at all!
 
As someone who has owned/used the Canon t3i, Nikon D3100, and the Nikon D5300 for videos and photography in the past- let me just say my all time favorite video camera for youtube is the Sony A5100(its also on sale most places and super cheap used since the new a6000 came out- but that doenst have a flip screen so dont worry about that!)


I'm watching right now - and the quality is awesome. Ahhh that 60FPS is a big reason I might want it... (the M3 does not do it lol.) Such a hard decision!
 
M3 is definitely a good choice but It all depends on what you can see yourself doing in the future. When kind of camera can you see yourself using in 2-3 years? Is it a DSLR, mirror-less or even a camcorder. If it's a DSLR it's best to get a DSLR now. You will be able to transfer all your lenses and you will be more familiar with how to use it.
If it's anything else then your current purchase shouldn't have to much of an impact on your future setup.

What do you think about my t3i/t4i suggestion? it doesn't have a flip out screen but other than that it can be a good choice in your situation.
 
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