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by erikstarck 1616 days ago
Nikon does video cameras?
1 comments

Not much separates high end still cameras from video cameras besides taxes and a bit of firmware (some other stuff too, but all minor issues).

The big reason all high end cameras aren’t video cameras are mostly taxes in some regions and lazy product differentiation.

Unless you're the camera operator. Shooting motion on a stills camera in a cinema environment is absolutely attrocious. While the small form factors are attractive for various reasons, they are notoriously hated to actually operate. Tiny tiny buttons. The most actively used button start/stop tends to be in a difficult location to access when not being used as point-n-shoot style camera. Mounted on gear, it becomes difficult to access. Accessing other settings is also tucked away on the smaller camera as well that have discreet/dedicated knobs/buttons on a cinema camera. Some times, small can be too small to be friendly. Some of these can now be accessed via app to help, but it's still a pain.

If you're a youtube creator, these cameras can make you look "pro" for a small budget. The price points to entry because of this type of gear brings the creation market to a much wider market, which can be a good thing. Bringing this gear to a full camera crew with DP, AC, etc makes integration harder. Good times!

Yeah I guess I should have narrowed my statement to the “capturing frames” aspect, surely the interface is better adapted to specific use case like you say.

Though you definitely hear about productions using them anyway.

When the desire to make content is greater than your budget, you find a way. I know, I've been there. Graduating to using "real" gear is like a spotlight from heaven beaming down on you with a choral of angels singing as you suddenly realize how much nicer it is using "real" gear. In the mean time, you make do with what you got. The great thing about these newer gear is that it doesn't look like as obvious as lower gear. Fake it till you make it
The most obvious Nikon problem is the absence of cine lenses (I skip ergonomic because it is a common 'photo camera for video' problem). Of course, you can use photo lenses, but it's so much pain. More flaws and more time.

- Cine zoom lenses must provide a fixed point of focus when you are zooming. This leads to a more complex mechanism.

- Different cine fixed lenses in one project usually must have identical image quality. That is why they are produced in series (for example 'XEEN PRO Cinema Lenses') with the same technologies.

- Anamorphic lenses... They should exist. They complicate lens production because a stable quality (for series) of an aspherical lens can be achieved only from a central part of a large glass.

- Focusing is the process that often requires a separate person (focus puller) and additional machinery (follow focus system). All cine lenses have exactly the same standard focus wheel. There is no such standard for a photo lens focus wheel.

Nikon F has very few cine lenses and has no series of lenses. Nikon Z has nothing. Thanks to the closed very secret, unique, perfect, bla-bla specification of Z mount and zero collaborations with other manufactures.