Hello there, Ron Robinson here and welcome to another episode of Tips and Tech Talk with Ron. Today we’re talking with Bob DiTommaso. Today we’re going to talk about the differences between DSLR cameras. Whether you’re talking about a model or a brand, all cameras are not created equal.
I am a big fan of Canon. Bob uses Nikon and swears by the Nikon. So we’ll talk a little bit about the differences not only between the different brands but also the different DSLRs.
I remember when I first started doing videography, my first DSLR was the T3i, which now they have the T7i which takes great video.
Again, keep in mind that Bob and I have different needs when we’re talking about a camera. He’s primarily photography and I’m primarily video. So the video on the T3i, I’m very pleased with – 1080 and 30 frames per second. Then I upgraded to the 5D Mark II, which obviously, you can tell the difference between these two cameras in size.
I think, when I first purchased this, it was around $3,000.00. They’ve come out with the 5D Mark IV now. And then my most recent purchase, and to be honest with you, the camera that really got me excited about photography again is the Cannon 80D. I love this camera.
Consistently, one of the best cameras out there for video is the camera you just bought for photography, Bob. Talk a little bit about your Nikon.
Bob DiTommaso:
So this is a Nikon D850. It’s a full frame camera and it’s Nikon’s latest megapixel beast in the market with 47 megapixels. I primarily will use this for landscape work, maybe some wedding work, but is it a day-to-day portrait camera? Probably not because I don’t need those giant files. Although you can shoot a full raw at 47 megapixels, a medium and a small raw. So they now have expanded out into different size raw files if you don’t want all that size.
This camera is pretty exciting. I’m heading to Yosemite in less than two weeks and this will be the camera that I take. That’s a landscape trip. That’s when you want those giant megapixel counts to make big enlargements and such.
If I’mDoing head shots for somebody, I don’t need 47 megapixels unless they plan to put their picture on the side of Cobo Hall.
Ron Robinson:
We’re talking about Nikons as opposed to Canons. At the end of the day, for people who don’t know, what would you say is the difference? It’s just different shades of colors, isn’t it?
Bob DiTommaso:
I shot Canon for eight years. I was very happy. I switched in 2008 because Nikon was the only one of the two of them offering a full-frame camera that still had the capability of speed behind it. So for sports and action photography, stuff like that, there was no question.
Today, they’re pretty much right back in tight competition. If someone took all my Nikon gear and replaced it with equivalent Cannon gear, I could happily shoot after I got used to putting lenses on in the opposite direction.
Ron Robinson:
The reason people stay with Cannon or stay with Nikon or even Sony or whatever, is basically lenses. Even if you buy a different body, you can still use all those lenses, right?
Bob DiTommaso:
Most of the time. Canon has a difference between their mounts. So your 5D can take a full frame lens but it can’t take the crop sensor lenses that go on your new camera, for example.
In the Nikon world, they will let you put any lens on any camera body. And a lot of times it’s probably not very helpful to do that, but they have cross-body compatibility.
There’s a lot of cameras within either brand that are very similar. They’re both 22 to 24 mega pixels. In a crop-sensor body, they’re packed in there much tighter, in a full-frame body, they’re spread out more.
At the end of the day, I think the biggest determining factor is, you know, portrait wedding photographers want a full-frame camera because the ability to blow that background is there. You can get more of a bouquet or an out of focus background with a full frame sensor than you can in a cropped sensor.
Ron Robinson:
So why would you use that lens as opposed to this lens?
Bob DiTommaso:
The 50 millimeter lens let’s me shoot in low light. I don’t have to turn up my ISO sensitivity and deal with graininess in the pictures and the resulting side effects of that. And it gives you a normal perspective which is hard to describe but basically the images look very much like the scenes look like when we look through our eye.
A lens like this tends to compress things down and does beautiful things to the background and everything. It gives you those out of focus backgrounds that we like for portrait work, but things don’t look like they do to the naked eye. So this 50mm is a nice choice when you want to render things out in a natural way.
Ron Robinson:
Somebody might say that’s great. Those cameras look very, very expensive and I’ll never be able to afford something like that. But there are affordable DSLRs. I Mentioned the T3i, which is now the T7i, I think sells for $700.00-$800.00. It’s kind of an entry level DSLR.
What is Nikon’s version of that?
Bob DiTommaso:
Their entry level camera is a 3000 series. I think they’re up to a $3,500.00 or $3,600.00. I don’t follow them real closely. The next step up after that is a 5000 series. I think they’re at $5,500.00 or $5,700.00, so they’re up there in the same price point. I mean they’re direct competitors so they’re going to be within a few dollars of each other.
One of the bigger considerations that I point out to people when they’re looking to get their first camera is a lot of camera kits come with two lenses. So an 18 to 55 and then say, a 55 to 200 maybe.
People don’t like changing lenses and they don’t like having to carry that second lens. So they find that they put one or the other on the camera. Typically, the 18 to 55 and the other lens sits in the bag or sits at home and doesn’t get used. So there are some kits out there that lets you get the camera with the 18 to say 135. So not quite as much reach, but a lot more flexibility in one lens.
Ron Robinson:
That’s what I like about this. This is 18 to 135 but I also have a 50 millimeter and I have a 70 by 200 millimeter, which I think covers me at every base. Not just for video but for photography.
So there are a lot of different options. If you want to go entry level I would recommend T7i for Canon. There’s an equivalent for the Nikon. And then of course if you want to go full frame this is the 5D Mark II but I think they’re up to the 5D Mark IV right now. Again, this is a photography camera that shoots excellent video.
Bob DiTommaso:
At the end of the day I tell people. I could take your 80D and go out and shoot the vast majority of what I shoot and be very happy with it. It’s just a matter of getting used to whatever tool is in your hand. Some of them are maybe a little bit more fun. Some of them may be more high end.
Ron Robinson:
It’s what you do with it.
Bob DiTommaso:
It’s what you do with it and it’s getting to know whatever it is that you’ve got to work with. It’s not going to work if you’re fumbling around trying to figure out how to change things while the moment is passing you by.
I’ve had people in classes with 10, 12 year old cameras that they use primarily for hiking and taking pictures outside. In this case that camera will last them forever. When you start moving indoors the lighting gets more difficult and let’s say you’re trying to photograph grandkids running around. That’s where a 12 year old camera is really going to have difficulty. The newer technology and the increased ability to shoot in low light are the new features that pay off. However, outside in strong sunlight, any DSLR is gonna take a very nice photo.
Ron Robinson:
So whether you’re a fan of Canon, Nikon, Sony, whatever the case may be, do your due diligence and do your homework. Find out what kind of camera is working best for you and then purchase that camera.
I hope you learned something today. Thanks for joining us. Tune in next week where I’ll be talking about VR goggles and 360 video cameras. See you then.
