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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Just got done finishing rigging up a new Nikon D1500. Wow. Compared to OFM's Canon T2i, this camera rocks.
First and most importantly for me, the D5100 will record 20 minutes of uninterrupted video with full time auto focus, employing a microphone mounted to the hot shoe, to the base, or using a wireless microphone which eliminates noise from the auto focus. Some folks are upset that custom settings are somewhat limited, but using the live view and setting it up properly allows for extremely high quality video in full high definition with great auto-focus response time.
This thing shoots b&w images in the dark with no flash. Good ones, too. 4 frames per second burst is good enough for our use, even at a tournament when things are happening fast onstage. Scene shooting is very cool, lots of options. No overheating of the camera shooting video. No 'video recording has been stopped automatically' messages, either. And 20 minutes record time. Really nice imagery...and plenty of custom settings for the creative at heart.
This isn't a Pro camera. It's a Prosumer unit all the way, but has a ton of features the Pro cameras tout at a price tag less than half of the closest Pro unit. Images soon. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Heard nothing but great things about this camera on a few other camera forums that I'm a member of... but I'm still savin' my pennies for a D7000.  |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Don't blame you at all!
Night vision mode. I couldn't see anywhere near as well as the camera can. Going to be great on the ice this winter with the bounce from the snow...the illumination in the sky is glow from Rhinelander's city light 6 miles away. Lens is a Nikkor 18-200 VR.
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | That is impressive, Steve!!! Thanks for sharing! |
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| This is most helpful. Looking to upgrade my camera and this is one I have looked at but don't know anyone who uses one.
Question on the video. Last summer we were on an Alaskan cruise and while we saw a lot of whales, my shots of the surfacing whales were not so hot. I wondered if I had a good video function whether I could have got quality shots of the whale coming up, going back, without the issues. We have a place on the Moen chain and lots of opportunities for photos of wildlife and some would lend themselves to short videos, like the mink hunting the shore line, osprey diving, etc. Just wondering if this would be a good option. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'd go with the 18-200 VR lens if you want to get good shots out a distance, and yet be able to shoot close up, and not break the bank on the lens. You can shoot images and video in live mode, or switch very quickly from live mode to the image setting of your choice. That option is critical for the video/image coverage we do for WalleyeFIRST at FLW/MWC/MWS and for our work with Anglers Insight Marketing, as one of us takes the place of a videographer while doubling as still photographer...usually me. Looks like this machine will fit the bill nicely. If you don't need the remote microphone and full time autofocus during video recording, the D3100 might be a less expensive choice. I'd still go with the D5100, personally.
The OFM crew shoot a D7000, a D300s, a D90 and a D5000 Nikon and a T2i Canon for most of our field work.
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=4313
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=3336
Goofing around at a Bass event..
http://upload.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=4495
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Posts: 272
| N of 8-
W/o seeing your vids, my off the cuff guess is you had AF issues. Autofocus requires contrast to work well, and most AF systems work off of the assumption that you want the closest thing in focus. Two very rare things to have happen on the water. Lots and lots of water between you and the one thing way out there you want a shot of. So the AF "wanders" or "chatters" because it cannot determine what to focus on.
We run into this all the time with diver duck hunting in layout boats. Water is a son of a bugger to shoot on sometimes.
Your higher end long telephoto glass (on still cameras generally, but some high end video specific lenses feature this) may have a focus range selector so you can eliminate the first XX....whatever feet, so your AF has less real estate to choose from, putzing around with your closest focus settings and choosing a smaller focusing area will prolly all help you eliminate whatever issues you had.
If you were blurry, from slow shutter speeds, jack the ISO up. Modern DSLRs perform quite well out to ISO 1600 and well beyond. If you need shutter speed....go get it.
-Eric |
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | Geez Steve, that's some rough looking water in the second pic. Dangerously rough. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | That one was the Merc Nationals this year. Bouncing around on a boat taking pictures of boats. It was wet out there, too. |
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| Thanks to both Steve and Muskie Addict for the suggestions. I did try to get videos of the whales and the AF may have been the problem. I got some nice single shots but more luck than anything. I am going to take a look at this camera and the lens suggestion sounds like a good one. The one thing we have been struck by at our little cottage is the variety of wild life we have around us, considering it is only five miles from Rhinelander and pretty well developed. I would like to get better photos of it. Course, regardless of the camera, operator error or neglect is always an issue. Couple years ago on Memorial Day weekend we were getting ready to leave for a wedding in the U.P. when an Osprey with a decent sized fish landed in a tree thirty feet away and started to chow down. Four crows immediately started to harass him. I grabbed the camera, only to find the batteries were dead. The good thing was I didn't go to the wedding with a camera that didn't work. |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | A camera like the ones Sworrall mentioned above will capture images like the eagle scenario no problem. The 18-200 VR is one of the most versatile lens out there in my opinion, you'll love it! |
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| i'm intrigued by this new 5100, thanks for the initial review. in a little over a month i'm going to have a big need for a video camera and i've been trying to decide on a dedicated unit or going with a DSLR. the video quality on the 5100 might push me that way and get a camera upgrade as part of the package. have only taken a quick glance at them and it looks like the 5100 has superior video and the 7000 shoots still images faster...the 5100 seems like a better price point value? any other major differences? after using the 18-200 for awhile chasing wildlife shots, the first thing you realize is that you really want even more zoom if you're trying to capture good detail on small animals at moderate distances. of course, stepping up beyond this lens is where is starts to get really really expensive.
as muskie-addict mentioned the AF can be a bit of a boogeyman when trying to pick smallish objects out against a cluttered background such as water or trees. some tricks will help, including taking the time to set the focus yourself and a liberal dash of luck! i attached a couple snap reaction shots i took this summer of a moving eagle to show the difference: at full 200mm zoom the AF struggled to lock and pick it out against the trees, but it provided a nice crisp shot against the clear sky background. it's a shame, because the shot against the trees and deck rail would have been a much more interesting image if it had turned out. sometimes you just don't have time to manually adjust focus. love that storm shot with the boats taking off! frame-worthy, Steve...
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Nikon D5100 Key Features
16.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor
Side-articulated 3.0" LCD monitor (920,000 dots)
11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
IS0 100-6400 range (Up to 25,600 equivalent when expanded)
HD movies (1080p, 720p or WVGA) with mic jack
4 fps continuous shooting
In-camera effects filters in both stills and video modes
Nikon D7000 Key Features
16.2MP CMOS sensor
1080p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone
ISO 100-6400 (plus H1 and H2 equivalent to ISO 12,800/25,600)
39-point AF system with 3D tracking
New 2016 pixel metering sensor
Scene Recognition System (see 2016 pixel sensor, above) aids WB/metering + focus accuracy
Twin SD card slots
3.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen
New Live View/movie shooting switch
Full-time AF in Live View/movie modes
Up to 6fps continuous shooting
Lockable drive mode dial
Built-in intervalometer
Electronic virtual horizon
Shutter tested to 150K actuations
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Biggest advantage for your use for the 7000 will be the build, weather resistant, built to shoot in the rain. The D5100 is not.
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | lambeau - 10/21/2011 10:56 PM i'm intrigued by this new 5100, thanks for the initial review. in a little over a month i'm going to have a big need for a video camera and i've been trying to decide on a dedicated unit or going with a DSLR. the video quality on the 5100 might push me that way and get a camera upgrade as part of the package. If you plan to go this route for video make sure to get a mic. On all DSLR's that I've used or played with the audio is terrible without an external mic. You may be tolerant of mediocre video with good audio but poor audio may bug the heck out of you, I know it bugs me. |
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Posts: 1060
Location: Palm Coast, FL | Will,
Do you have a mic that you prefer? I noticed the Nikon ME-1 is around $150 but there are others that run around $50. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The audio is quite good on the D5100 or 5000. In most cases, I'd defy you to tell the difference between the videos we used a shotgun mic and those using the camera's microphone. We use the camera's Mic unless the subject is more than a few feet away or the levels are off the charts like those we run int at BASS or FLW weigh ins. The Canon T2i is not quite as good as the D5100, but is more than acceptable and shoots better video. Major difference is the Canon onboard microphone is a bit more muted, but just a bit.
The D5100 or T2i will accept any microphone with a 3.5mm jack. We have several, but my favorite is a Audio-Technica shotgun microphone, which outperforms a couple more expensive units we have.
If you are close to your subject or only need the audio from your subject, a wireless works well too.
I bought a swivel mount that mounts to the bottom of my battery grip that allows me to place the microphone under the camera and to either side to forward when switching rapidly between stills and video and doesn't interfere with the flash/video light or get in the way when moving around.
Outside, no microphone:
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=4479
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=4353
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