Shooting video, D810 with external monitor vs. something like a D5200?

[Stephan_Pawloski]

Hi all,
I'm finding myself doing some video for a web series and need to either put an external monitor on my D810 so I can check composition while recording and standing front of the camera, or for the same cost as a monitor, battery pack and cold shoe bracket, I could just pick up something like a D5200 with a crop sensor and flip out screen and put my professional glass on it. I'm a fish out of water when it comes to video, all of my experience for the past 20 years has been shooting stills. Is there an advantage to using a full frame like my D810 when shooting video? If not, I'll just get a cheaper body like the 5200 as it limits the exposure to accidental damage of my daily full frame workhorse.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[D Fuller]

Hi all,
I'm finding myself doing some video for a web series and need to either put an external monitor on my D810 so I can check composition while recording and standing front of the camera, or for the same cost as a monitor, battery pack and cold shoe bracket, I could just pick up something like a D5200 with a crop sensor and flip out screen and put my professional glass on it. I'm a fish out of water when it comes to video, all of my experience for the past 20 years has been shooting stills. Is there an advantage to using a full frame like my D810 when shooting video? If not, I'll just get a cheaper body like the 5200 as it limits the exposure to accidental damage of my daily full frame workhorse.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

No, for the type of thing you’re talking about, there is no advantage in full frame. I don’t know the 5100, but the D810 is not a great video camera from an operational standpoint, so the 5100 may be a better choice all around. Another choice worth looking at is the Z50. I think you can arrange it’s screen so you can see it from the front side. But that may be too much money.

Another thing worth considering is a really cheap TV. You can probably plug the 810s HDMI into it and have a larger working monitor if AC power is feasible. You can buy a 29-something inch tv for under 150 bucks.

[Stephan_Pawloski]

No, for the type of thing you’re talking about, there is no advantage in full frame. I don’t know the 5100, but the D810 is not a great video camera from an operational standpoint, so the 5100 may be a better choice all around. Another choice worth looking at is the Z50. I think you can arrange it’s screen so you can see it from the front side. But that may be too much money.

Another thing worth considering is a really cheap TV. You can probably plug the 810s HDMI into it and have a larger working monitor if AC power is feasible. You can buy a 29-something inch tv for under 150 bucks.

Thanks for weighing in on this. I've been using the D810 and find that the focussing is definitely sub-par when in video, but sense the camera is stationary while filming I’ve been able to make it work. Going to pick up a D5100 or 5200 soon though as a video specific camera.