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Best hybrid/photo
Nikon Z
The Nikon Z6 and Z7 cameras offer nearly the
same video specs, the big differences being photo
resolution and price. Both the Z7 and the Z6 are
packing a backside illuminated CMOS sensor
with focal-plane phase-detection AF pixels. How-
ever, the Z7’s sensor has 45.7 effective megapix-
els, nearly twice the pixel count of the Z6. This
means that, if you want to take stunning high-res
photos, the Z7 is your best bet. The Nikon Z
goes for $3,400.Budget hybrid/photo
Canon Rebel T7i
The Canon Rebel T7i is a DSLR that accepts EF
and EF-S mount lenses. That means it can use
high-end EF lenses if you so wish. This camera
has an APS-C sensor, on the larger side for its
price. This will give you a 1.6 times crop factor,
making it a good choice for those who want a
solid video camera and strong photo capabili-
ties. Additionally, the T7i can shoot up to 60
frames per second in full HD — that’s more
than a two times slow-mo when played back
at 24p. Although this camera offers plenty of
options, one of the most important for this
price point is the flip out screen. The T7i isn’t
a ground-breaking camera, but for the money,
it’s a great buy.Most cinematic
Panasonic GH5s
With a new 10.2-megapixel Digital MOS sen-
sor, Dual Native ISO and a Venus Engine 10, the
Panasonic LUMIX GH5s aims to correct one of
our only issues with the GH5: its performance in
low light. Though the two cameras share many
similarities, Dual Native ISO technology borrowed
from the VariCam line helps the GH5s shoot at
higher ISOs with less noise.On top of all the awesome video features
Panasonic packs into the GH5, it also has a
fully-articulating rear display. This is crucial for
vloggers who need to see themselves while they
are recording.Budget online video
Canon M
The Canon EOS M50 sports a 24.1-megapixel
APS-C sensor and can capture 4K video at
24fps, 1080p video at 60fps, and 720p video
at 120fps. While one of the big features for the
M50 is its 4K capabilities, 4K recording comes
with a 1.6X crop. That’s an additional crop to
the existing 1.6X APS-C crop factor. The M
uses Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF and a new
“eye detection AF” that automatically locks
focus to a subject’s eyes, but unfortunately, you
can’t use phase-detection Dual Pixel AF in 4K.
The M50 has built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and
NFC connectivity, and there’s a vari-angle, flip-
pable touchscreen perfect for vloggers. Solid
video functionality, an articulating screen and
its price tag of just over $600 make The Canon
Rebel T7i a solid pick for vloggers on a budget.Best all around - Nikon ZBudget all around - Sony a6400 Best online video - Panasonic GH384 B02 DSLR & mirrorless cameras .indd 18 3/19/19 2:11 PMVIDEOMAKER >>> MAY 2019 19
a7S II our pick for best run-and-gun camera —
you don’t need control over your light source to
get a great image.Special considerations
for DSLR & mirrorless cameras
As with any type of camera, choosing the right
DSLR or mirrorless camera means weighing a
number of different factors against your budget
and intended use. You can get an overview of
the important tech specs to consider before any
camera purchase in our article on How to buy a
camera on page 10 of this issue. However, there
are a couple of considerations that are unique to
this particular form factor.DSLR or mirrorless?
One of the major differences between mirror-
less and DSLR cameras is size. A DSLR has a
mirror in front of the image sensor, allowing
the user to look into an optical viewfinder and
through the lens. When the shutter is released
to take a still picture, the mirror drops, mo-The GH5s is also the first mirrorless camera to
offer 4K 60p video recording in Cinema 4K — a
pretty big milestone. And thankfully, just like the
GH5, there isn’t any record time limit for either
Full HD or 4K video recording. In addition to
10-bit video recording, photo shooting in 14-bit
RAW format is also possible. The GH5s shoots
video in DCI 4K at up to 60 fps for a maximum
2.5x slow-mo. By contrast, resolution on the
GH5 tops out at UHD 4K. The GH5s also ups the
maximum HD frame rate to 240 fps for a maxi-
mum 10x slow-mo.
With its Multi-Aspect sensor, the GH5s also
captures a wider field of view than that of other
four-thirds sensor cameras. Less crop equals
more field of view at the same resolution. This
will give videographers the advantage using the
maximum sensor area possible.
Absent from the GH5s is the 5-axis in-body
stabilization of the GH5. If you’re choosing be-
tween the GH5 and the GH5s, you’ll be confront-
ing a trade-off between sensor performance
and image stabilization. For cinematographers
shooting in controlled environments where the
camera properly supported likely won’t miss the
stabilization. The GH5s sells for around $2,500.Best run-and-gun
Sony a7S II
The Sony a7S II, the glorious 4K follow up to
the legendary a7S. This camera rocks. For about
$2,400 dollars, you get a full frame UHD camera
with 12 stops of dynamic range that can record
in S-log2 and S-log3. Oh, and you can overcrank
up to 120 frames per second, though when
doing so, there’s a 2.2x crop. The image out of
this animal is spectacular, and this is all without
mentioning its most impressive trick: The a7S II
can basically see in the dark. No camera at any
price point comes close to the low light perfor-
mance of the a7S II. None. This makes the SonyBudget online video - Canon M50 Best hybrid/photo - Nikon ZBudget hybrid/photo - Canon Rebel T7i384 B02 DSLR & mirrorless cameras .indd 19 3/19/19 2:11 PM