BY: Miguel Ernesto Yusty
The revolution of DSLR cameras that can record video began when Nikon released the D90 in 2008. That first step gave This has led to an explosion of models that have allowed independent filmmakers and other moving image disciplines to enjoy photographic-quality videos, comparable to those produced by professional equipment, but at negligible costs. Among the benefits of the evolution of DSLRs is the ability to use lenses employed for decades in still photography, making adaptation to the new cameras a natural process that allows creators to quickly achieve excellent results.
Although Nikon started the process, the field of DSLRs for video has been dominated by Canon. This doesn't mean that the image quality captured by Nikon is inferior; in fact, depending on the model, it surpasses that of its competitor. Until recently, the competition seemed very close, even with the entry of competitors like Sony, Pentax, Panasonic, and the other traditional manufacturers of photographic equipment. A camera doesn't even need to be a DSLR to use standard photographic lenses, nor does it need to cost under three thousand dollars to record in Full HD (1920 x 1080), as is the case with Sony's Alpha A7II. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1102008-REG/sony_ilce7m2_b_a7ii_mirrorless_digital_camera.html).
Recently, the balance has shifted with the arrival of 4K, meaning cameras capable of recording images with a resolution of up to 4096 × 3112 pixels, at prices that don't exceed the aforementioned three thousand dollars. The nature of the market means that this factor has become decisive, even more so than image quality. This means that you can have more pixels, even if it means lower quality. On the Nikon side, the qualities of its cameras are more than proven. At the top of the range are the full-frame cameras, compatible with most Nikon manual and automatic lenses. They are extremely light-sensitive, record in compressed Full HD to a removable memory card, have uncompressed output to an external recorder, and, depending on the model, can be purchased for under three thousand dollars. An example of its performance was the use given to the Nikon D800 by the camera and photography team of the DEXTER series, from Showtime, as reported by the STUDIODAILY website, in the words of Eric Fletcher, SOC:
“When they looked at the D800 footage alongside images from an ARRI camera in Technicolor, the camera operator said, ‘We really couldn’t see much difference.’ But our jaws dropped when we saw the compressed footage from the D800. The decision to work with this camera was made immediately with the blessing of post-production supervisor Megan Walsh, even shooting with the compressed video.” (http://www.studiodaily.com/2013/01/nikons-d800-gets-down-and-dirty-for-dexter/)
This was two years ago. Currently, Nikon offers camera and lens packages or “kits”, as well as an external recorder and microphone, at very attractive prices, making them options worth considering. http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/dslr-cameras/DSLR-Filmmakers-kit.page#D750But what about 4K? The hopes of loyal fans are based on uninteresting rumors, and official company sources show no real intention of keeping up with the times and the market. However, the high quality of Nikon images is a persistent incentive that keeps the wait alive.
