Nikon D600 - Affordable $2,100 Full Frame Video Promo. Very nice!

Inspiring video!

B&H sent out a marketing email announcement a few days ago. Interesting to me, and perhaps this forum, is the emphasis on video in the marketing description. It is like they want you to see the D600 as a camcorder shaped like a DSLR that can shoot photos too!

My sense is that all future cameras and camcorders will need to be good at both.

(I added the underlining.)

"“The new Nikon D600 digital camera is a compact full-frame DSLR featuring a 24.3MP CMOS sensor and an EXPEED 3 image processor. It is capable of capturing virtually noise-free imagery from ISO 100 to 6400, and has expandable sensitivity from ISO 50 to 25600. It features Full HD 1080p video recording with multiple frame rates, manual exposure control, full-time continuous autofocus, dedicated headphone / microphone jacks and the ability to output uncompressed 8-bit video through the HDMI port while recording. A 2016-pixel RGB sensor provides accurate, intelligent exposure metering in conjunction with the 3D Color Matrix Metering II system for consistent results. A 39-point autofocus system is also employed to acquire precise focus, which is further enhanced by nine cross-type points and seven center points for use with longer lenses and tele-converters. The D600 also features a 3.2” 921K-dot LCD, a continuous shooting rate of 5.5 full resolution FPS and it is compatible with a wide array of NIKKOR lenses. Additionally, the D600 is compatible with the optional WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter for Wi-Fi connectivity between the camera and your smart phone or tablet. When used with the Nikon Wireless app, it lets you control your camera from your mobile device. The D600 is available as a body only or in a kit with the AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens.”

Bill

I wonder if the D600 can be better for video than the D800. I don't see many pros using the D800, they seem to prefer de Canon 5D III.

It depends what "pros" you are talking about. D800 is better than the 5D3 for portraits and landscapes. 5D3 is better for sports and low-light. D600 should be better than D800 for video because it has fewer pixels to scrap.

Uncompressed HDMI video out and the low light capability of these cameras is going to make them very interesting. Zacuto's next shootout will probably have one in it I think. But to really use any DSLR you are going to spend a thousand or two just in loupe, holder (fluid head/good tripod, steadycam whatever), audio recorder, and external video recorder. The new Panasonic, Sony, and Canon highend video cameras are in that price range. Exciting times.

I was talking about video only. Reading hundreds of posts in pro forums , it looks like they prefer the Canon for video.

Agree - that is a great promo video - and probably cost Nikon a lot of money - but none of Nikon, Canon or Sony DSLRs/DSLTs are really serious video cameras until they get rid of the 20 and 30 minute clip length limits outside of the EU.

I see threads like this, this and this all over the internet - and feel badly for the poor folks who fall for the hype and buy these expensive cameras without realizing that their new "video" cameras are actually just "video clip" cameras.

Cheers,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution
Edited by brunerww - 9/15/12 at 3:39pm

Agreed. I used the wrong word. They are indeed "serious", but they are also limited . I am a filmmaker too - and rarely need long takes - I just want tools that aren't intentionally crippled, as the A99 seems to be, in order to get an extra $500 for the VG900. That said, as major camcorder manufacturers, I completely understand Sony's and Canon's motives for limiting these cameras - but I don't know what Nikon's problem is - they don't have a video camera business to protect.

Cheers,

Bill

Can overheating be a potential reason why some cameras have these limits ?

That was definitely one of the reasons for the first Nikon and Canon video capable cameras. I think they are much better now. Sometimes it''s because of design. The chips in the GH1 and the GH2 are slightly smaller than the chip in the 7D for example and I don't think the body is as sealed as a 7D. This new GH3 will be weather sealed so the chances of overheating would be worse if all else was equal but it's not since the body is slightly bigger and the technology is a bit newer. I mean it's been close to 2 years since the GH2 came out. Before the GH1 first came out, their was an article that talked about how Panasonic specifically made sure that the GH1 would not have any heating issues.

People say that, but I don't believe it. If it were true, it would overheat whether it was recording or not.

It's probably a false rumor, but I read somewhere that there is a higher import tax in some countries for "video" cameras than "still" cameras. The artificial dividing line is 29 minutes of video. A "camera" that can't take longer "pictures" is taxed lower.

Not a false rumor at all, absolutely true but ridiculous.

It is true for EU countries, but not the rest of the world. So Panasonic, quite sensibly, restricts its European cameras to 29 minutes, 59 seconds - but does not limit its cameras in the rest of the world.

Sony and Canon (with the 5D Mk III), limit their cameras to 30 minutes worldwide. Why should North American and Asian (and other) customers have their cameras crippled because of a silly European Union tax rule? I don't know why consumers put up with it.

I shoot a lot of wildlife stuff and man 30 minutes is a very long time for most things, and you might miss between 1 or 2 seconds to restart. 30 miniutes is not a real life limitation. However I do think that one has to understand the cost of getting "all the stuff" needed to make a DSLR a working video camera (tripod/fluid head/run and gun kit), actually thousands more if you do it right.

I watched the video again.

First, it may be cheating you use helicopters, snowmobiles and lenses the length of yardsticks to get your shots.

Having said that, there are a lot of reminders of good technique.

• The entire video is 5 minutes long.
• Panning was minimal except for tracking a moving subject.
• Tilting was minimal.
• I saw no zooming while shooting.
• The motion came from moving subjects, not a moving camera.
• Clips were short at only a few seconds each.
• The use of time lapse was very well used. Perhaps it was video that was sped up in editing. Or it may have been time lapse video.
• Most of the shots were early morning or late evening providing rich light.
• The audio mix of good music, natural sound and narrative was very well done.

In other words, don't pan, zoom or tilt. Get up early, go to bed late and nap during the day. Keep the clips short. Learn how to use and mix audio.

Bill

Check this video made by an Italian guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUqS_8l6SyI