what cameras are people using?
 

What cameras are people using for their outdoor photography? Some buds and I are getting into cinematography and got some cool fishing trips panned for the spring to film and upload to our youtube channel. Our youtube thats relatively basic right now but wanna take it to the next level. Can anyone help me pick out a decent DSLR that I can shoot a few clips with as well take good pictures of fish and scenery?

Dslr
 

Canon or Nikon - you pick.

Buy the highest grade model you can afford

There are a number of youtube videos and articles available about what people recommend for doing youtube videos. Those will give you the best information.

Lots of youtubers also list their equipment used in their descriptions(usually amazon links that they get commission on) which is another good place to figure that stuff out.

Along with a camera you will likely want microphones too as they make a huge difference especially if you use a gopro etc with crappy sound quality. It takes good video, good sound, good editing and not to mention good material to make a quality video and peoples standards just keep going up.

Good advice!

One to look at (although not a DSLR) is the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ300K (or one in that series). Good zoom, 4K video (which will allow you to crop/remove shake while still retaining high-resolution) and is weather-resistant.

ya I've done a decent bit of research on youtube and stuff like that so I have a few ideas but maybe I should dig a bit deeper. that makes total sense a mic would definitely be important any preference with that? thanks for your help.

I have heard good things about that series, and weather resistance is going to be a must for me! do lenses really make as big of a difference as people claim, cuz to my understanding lenses are almost more important then the body?

Don't be afraid to check out Panasonic cameras. They may not be what you are looking for, but for an average person, they are very good and easy to use.

I looked into them briefly at one point but don't remember what the better options were.

I had been looking into it wondering how hard it would be to make a living at. After playing around with editing a couple videos and seeing how much work and time it takes to get a channel going I decided to just spend more money on fishing gear lol.

If you enjoy doing it as a hobby then it is worthwhile though and in the long run can have some cool benefits but you need to stick with it.

Canon SL2 or T7i
 

If you're not hung up on 4k, the Canon SL2 & T7i have the new AF Dual Pixel focus for video, which gives them then a distinct advantage for video. The Nikons in the same price range will have slightly better still photos. The T7i is a better option for stills over the SL2.

The T7i is a good camera.

Canon also has a wide variety of lenses at pretty competitive prices and Tamron and Sigma both make nice lenses for Canon.

Bought the wife a Nikon D5300 kit that came with a bag, extra battery, and an extra lens. make sure your lenses have VR (vibration resistance) otherwise you'll be fighting blurry pictures. I believe I was around $800 all in.

its comparable to the Canon T6i if not the same.

I have a T7i and love it. User friendly and, as you mentioned, many good lens options.

Look on https://www.dpreview.com/

I watch lots of youtube hunting videos. Those that use poor cameras and or shake like a leaf I won't give the time of day any more. There is some good stuff that takes a lot of the shake out & gives clear vids. Not sure what the group Born & Raised Outdoors use but it's some very nice video & not very big cameras.

There is! It's amazing how smooth some cameras can be, even without a gimbal.

Another thing is, if you can afford a "backup" camera to film simultaneously with, that is a good thing as well - for instance, say you have a critical scene where one camera doesn't get as good an angle, or shakes too much - you can comp it in post.

My favorite so far is my Canon 70D. I have had several rebels; t2i,3i,4i etc but this one blows them away.

If you want a dslr, then a Canon hybrid stills/video rig is the way to go. Their dual pixel autofocus is currently unbeatable.

I sold off all of my Nikon gear recently and now have a Panasonic GH4 & GH5 with long glass. The small form factor with fabulous video quality is compelling. Both Panasonic's are just ok for stills.

As an outdoorsman I need quality low light capture capability, for that I have the Sony A7s 11 and A9, it plays fairly well with some of the Canon glass. Sony's 100-400 is sharp and great for wildlife.


Creeky....


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

awesome, thanks for the help everyone

Had an interchangable lens camera -- great outfit, but found 9/10 photos were done with Panasonic z200 (upgrade is z300). Sold big one and spent megga bucks on Sony RX10 iv, semi pro, fixed 1" sensor, Zeiss lens. 24-48X. Sony is tops bridge, but little Z300 more practical.

As some have already mentioned, here's list of things to look for. Since for landscape and wildlife photography you are dealing with low light allot of the time due to wildlife being most active early or late in the day, and sunrises and sunsets are/can be low light situations.
-mid/upper range DSLR (Canon 70D and up or Nikon's equivelent)
-lenses with the lowest "F" number that you can afford, eg. 200mm F2.8. The lower the F number for any given lens, the better it will preform in lower light and help keep the image from getting "grainy" looking with digital noise. This can be the most expensive part of your camera gear. The lower the F number, the higher the price but better quality.
-make sure the lens (or camera body in some cases) has vibration control. "IS" in Canons, "VR" in Nikons. This help greatly in getting sharp shots while either you are moving or the light is low. The Canon "L" series of lenses are also the best sealed for the elements to keep water and dust out of them.
- plan on two lenses at least, one for landscapes (anything with a range around 10mm to 100mm) and one for wildlife (range of 100-400mm).
-as mentioned, and external microphone with wind control foam for better sound if you are planning to have voice audio in the videos.

I personally use a pair of Canon 7Dmkii's and a Canon 6D, all with battery grips for the extra battery capacity and to fit my bigger hands. Lenses, range from a 15mm fisheye to an EF 400 F2.8 IS. I don't do video though, only occasionally, I'm into the still photo's.
The lower F stop numbers also apply to video quality, the lower the better.

Start with the best/highest level of body that you can afford and the best lenses that you can afford because if you really get into this, you'll be upgrading too soon and it will only cost you even more with more purchases!
and don't start with a bag that is "just right" as you will very quickly out grow it and end up with a collection of bags!:scared0015:

The lenses are an investment that will last you years and through several upgraded/worn out camera bodies, so they are the best place to spend the extra amount on.

Olympus TG4 great point shoot camera. Lots of features it’s water proof, best camera I ever bought.

I own the TG1 and buddy has either the 3 or 4. They are some of the best waterproof cameras available but are a horrible choice for youtube stuff as the video quality is bad(shakey, autofocus doesn't work well, zoom noise etc).

The camera quality although plenty good enough for most peoples personal photos isn't good enough for people serious about photography(I don't think any waterproof camera would be).

Have a look at the Panasonic DC-GH5 (DC-GH5S if you have spare cash, or a used GH-4 to keep the price lower) with a Metabones speed booster and the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 Art lense (the Sigma 50-100mm f1.8 Art as well). For a DSLR style dedicated video camera you will be hard pressed to beat that setup.

Olympus for me...Super happy with their products for a long time now.
I have a couple SLR's and different lenses, also a smaller ultra-zoom camera and an underwater camera as well.
These cameras and some older Olympus models I had before were in a few different corners of the world with me and never skipped a beat.
My SLR'S and the ultra-zoom cameras have taken some stunning pictures in the Amazon, the Serengeti and many cities and places in between.
Samples below, resized so I could upload...

Anything you buy for video is going to be compromised for photos. Anything you buy for photos is going to be compromised for video. Even the best DSLRs aren't the greatest video cameras. Sure, they have high-res this and some great features but they still can't touch a great pure video camera. They're good enough for most of us but if you do a lot of video, they aren't the right camera.

Pick what matters most to you and focus on that. If you want to do great video, buy a dedicated video camera. For photos, you can get a relatively cheap DSLR for less than $500 on Kijiji or Craigslist that will take good photos all day long. Your glass (lens) matters more than the camera, for photography.

Additionally, most people go all-out on the gear and never take a lesson to grasp how to actually compose a photo, frame a shot, pan a video, etc. I can't tell you how many people I've seen with a Canon 5D Mk III and an L lens, shooting in auto mode, taking crappy photos. I was at the San Diego zoo and the girl next to me had that combo and I had to help her set up the camera so she could (potentially) get a shot of a running cheetah. She still missed it...

Get some help, take some lessons, and practice and submit photos or videos to peers for review and critique. You'll get better (fast), compared to someone that just bought the gear and expected the camera to do the work for them...

Ditto... love the convenience and toughness of the TG4. I just can't see ever carrying a DSLR while fishing, and even if I did carry one, likely it would rarely come out. If I was looking for something to go to as an update, Sony mirrorless would be part of the consideration. A buddy of mine (who is a pro photog and has many $K's worth of Nikon & Canon stuff) raves about the capability of Sony.

I have a Nikon P90 point and shoot. For the most part it takes great pictures - the not so great pictures are usually do to operator error.

Back in the day I had a Canon T70 with a 70 - 210 telephoto lens. Took really great pictures, especially when using a tripod - too bad it died and couldn't be fixed. :(

Mr Conservation

I am now using a Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80. Unreal zoom, 4K video and extreme ease of use. The tree in the picture is ranged at 1004 yards. We now go to the camera faster than the spotting scope to confirm what we're seeing while we're out.
https://i.imgur.com/pnAy97a.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bABpCia.jpg

Nikon...
 

Nikon D810, with two fundamental zooms - Nikkor 1:2.8G/24-70mmED and Nikkor 1-2.8GII/70-200mmED. And a decent tripod, and a Speedlight SB910.

The adjustments you can make with the body are very extensive, and the lens image quality is awesome. Those are all the lenses I could ever image myself needing.

But you'll need a backpack for that equipment; carrying it around your neck is a non-starter. And carrying it over a 10km hike is no less demanding than a 15-pound rifle and your other day gear together, if that worries you.

Nikon D3X here.