A DSLR with good video focus?

premiumtouring:

Hey! A thread I can contribute to.

I own both a Panasonic GH3, GH4 and Canon 70D.

I originally bought the 70D because of phase detection. Touch focusing was amazing compared to other DSLRs. It was buttery smooth and often looks like a nice focus pull.

Unfortunately, as others have stated the output was very soft. There were also heaps of other frustrations around what you could and couldn't do while actively filming with the 70D. It feels like a "Photo" first, "Video" second camera. The stills from the 70D were "OK", and the 1080p video was better than anything else in Canon's APS-C range.

On the other hand, Panasonic's GH3 and GH4 mirrorless cameras are nothing short of amazing. Specifically, both of them feel like "Video" first, "Photo" second cameras. Photo quality from them is "OK" - on par with the 70D, just lower stills resolution. But it's all about the 4K or 1080p60 video output from these mirrorless cameras. Absolutely incredible. The colours depth is phenomenal and there is a sharpness and cinematic quality that I could never get out of the 70D. Not to mention the battery life on the GH series is awesome - easily get 4-6 hours of recording out of a single charge. And lastly, the 70D is very heavy with it's kit lens (camera body alone is 750-odd grams). The GH series are all very lightweight (500ish grams).. they're more comfortable to hold for extended periods.

I know you've set a budget of $1500.. Which limits your options, but whatever you do, if filming/video is more your thing than photography, you may want to seriously consider researching mirrorless cameras.. they've come a long way.

Thanks for your significant comments the g4 and 5 are out of the budget there seems to be 750d canons and G7's and G85's that fit the budget using your video first photo second thinking which of these would you buy. I have a Huawei Mate 9 if ever I want the thrill of 4k :) so its not a necessary requirement.

Jaxson

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