Camera Labs

I am looking to up grade one of my DSLR's and am looking at the Nikon D800 . But I dont want to use it as a camcorder. I dont want to pay for features I'm not going to use,features that clog up the menu system and clog up the camera reviews. I am going to spend five or ten thousand on a rig to make it a useful video camera.
It seems that Canon who are more concerned with video than photography have infected Nikon.
Why not just have a model that isn't trying to be all thing to all people.

Contemporary DSLRs without video would receive more moans than the ones with video - hence the very sensible decision to include video in modern DSLRs.

The added cost of including video on a $1000 body is negligible, and I wouldn't say it "clogs up the menu system". In fact, the Canon 5DII's video capabilities have contributed significantly to it's sales, which I would argue has reduced the costs of producing the camera due to economies of scale.

If you lived in a tropical country and your car had a heater in addition to a/c - would you be making similar complaints?

Modern cameras have 100s of features. Just use the ones relevant to your photography.

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Panasonic G3: 9-18mm, 14mm, 20mm, 45mm

Much agreed on that analogy - I never did use my heater in my car until I moved to a town that gets super cold in the winter and my car iced up in the morning, now I use it all the time.

The same thing with video, never used it until my clients started asking me for both, and viola, my video got used.

Also +1 on the cost thing - the cost of video to a camera no longer should be a premium. It was most certainly a premium on the D90 - being 20% more than the D80. But I doubt it would be a serious price percentage that people pay for now when it comes to video - Its just an expected feature in the DSLR market now - just as video is expected in P&S cameras, and how HD video is no longet a price premium in anything camera related today. This all within the span of 5 years, thats pretty impressive from the market.

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1) Olympus OM1 [Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8]
2) Pentax MZ-60 [Sigma 28-90 & 100-300]
3) Canon 7D [EF-S 15-85 & 70-200mm f/4 IS]

Leo's Flickr Page

It would also be a shame to not use that gorgeous sensor for video in addition, where it truly can shine if given the proper possibility. Something which Panasonic is the only one to do right so far, at least with hacks ^^

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Canon 5D MkII -|- Sigma 24mm f/1.8 | Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 | Canon 50mm f/1.4 | Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro | Lensbaby Composer
Canon A-1 -|- Canon 28mm f/2 | Canon 35mm f/2.8 | Canon 50mm f/3.5 Macro

Its interesting that less than 30percent of DSLR users have ever recorded any video on their camera and that less than 1 percent have attached a mic . This makes me think, that the camera manufacturers are just spreading the developement costs because they can rather because tis what phorographers want.

If its what you want I for one are happy for you to pay for it. But give me a choice.

How is the cost of a heater in a car in any related to the millions of dollars that its cost to put marginal video into DSLR cameras. Not to mention the cost of lenses and a rig to get proper use out of the function

chrise, replying to the last sentence in your post.

It really does not take a lot to do decent video with a DSLR, it's just that most of the companies mindset is the same as yours. Except for Sony and Panasonic, they are at the moment a step forward in this regard imo. With the new series from Sony you can hold the camera to your eye while filming and have acceptable AF at the same time.

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Canon 5D MkII -|- Sigma 24mm f/1.8 | Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 | Canon 50mm f/1.4 | Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro | Lensbaby Composer
Canon A-1 -|- Canon 28mm f/2 | Canon 35mm f/2.8 | Canon 50mm f/3.5 Macro

I am sure the companies GIVE you the choice now with a video switch on the camerars now. Remember, video is pretty much just extra coding and a button added to the camera. Remember that the D90 had a 25-40% increase in price over the D80 when video came out. Then Canon showed everyone that people wanted video modes in a FF camera with the 5D2 which didnt go up in price. It is true now prices for the video DSLR's cost hardly more than before, infact last I checked a lot of starter cameras with video modes are cheaper now than before because ppl are buying them as a 2 in 1 package for family holidays etc.

As for the "less than 30%" Id like to see that statistic or the source. I have never met an owner of a 5D2 who didnt at least shoot some kind of video at a wedding. I also have been to 4 weddings this year and I have yet to see the photographers use a video camera to make the wedding video. 2 people, 1 taking photos and 1 taking video and stills too.

As for less than 1% using external mics? Excuse me, are you talking about normal families? because I never seen anyone use the mic slot on their Video cameras.... And anyone using an external mic are you tubers, pros and people who want to make a film of sorts... of course its going to be less than 1%, its ALWAYS less than 1% because mics are really big, expensive and that adds about another 2 mins of set up to a camera when mum and dad just wants to take a video of little bob's first steps right now.

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1) Olympus OM1 [Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8]
2) Pentax MZ-60 [Sigma 28-90 & 100-300]
3) Canon 7D [EF-S 15-85 & 70-200mm f/4 IS]

Leo's Flickr Page

I used video once in a year since buying the camera, I re-shot the contents of my house as a record for insurance I just renewed. I like shooting photographs, I know video is there if I need it.


Cheers

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Nikon D7000, D40X, Nikkor 18- 200 VR II, f3.5-5.6, 70-300 AF non VR, Kit Lenses.

Adding video to a camera also changed it's tax status in some countries which is why some of the early examples had time/storage limits on the amount video you could shoot. Some of the price premium was down to import duties not technical features. As things have moved on and so many classes of device can now be used for still and moving images this is less of an issue.

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Nikon D90
Nikkor AF-S DX; 18-105 f/3.5-5.6G VR, 55-300 f/4.5-5.6G VR, 35mm f/1.8G
Speedlight SB-700

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