Top 5 DSLRs for Digital Filmmaking - 2015 Edition

The Top 2015 DSLR List

Today we will discuss about the top 5 DSLRs of 2015 rated best for making films by industry professionals.

Many people have asked me “what is the best DSLR for video? Which model do you use for filming your films?”, there isn’t a single best DSLR and for my films I use the Canon 60D and Canon 100D also not just DSLR but I use any good quality phone which gives you a clear 1080p Full HD picture quality and the Flip HD camera. (Here I reveal a secret of using phone camera for shooting) 

Using an excellent camera and having an industry level gear won't make you film look good in anyway but the quality of shooting and many other factors of the filmmaking process depends on the output of your film.

Below are the Camera's that I use for filming which aren't that costly and gives you a perfect look on the frame if you use them well enough!

Canon 60D

Canon 100D (The smallest DSLR in the world)

Flip HD by Cisco

I will get back to you people with the "Guide to Filming with your Phone Camera" in a complete different blog post very soon!

List below are the TOP 5 DSLRs of 2015

If you an aspiring film maker with ambitions of making your films big enough! If so, then the cameras recommended here are your best chance at creating some top-notch footage. 

1. Canon Mark 5D III

Canon's 5D Mark III proved extremely popular with professional videographers for its combination of creative options, and its relatively compact, affordable body compared to dedicated movie cameras. The 5D Mark III's offers both automatic and manual exposure control, single autofocus (but not full-time AF), audio levels control, internal and external microphone support, audio monitoring, timecode support, a choice of interframe / intraframe compression types, and more. A promised firmware update will add uncompressed HDMI video output to the list. There are still a few things absent that we've seen from competitors, such as full-time autofocus, the ability to capture still images during video, and to shoot 720p video at frame rates below 50p, but we're nitpicking. The Canon 5D Mark III's video feature set is comprehensive, as you'd expect given its price point and target market. 

2. Panasonic Lumix GH4

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 looks an awful lot like its predecessor, the GH3, but don't let that familiarity cloud the fact that this is one of the most capable stills/video cameras we've ever seen. 

Just like its predecessor, the GH4 wraps its sealed magnesium alloy body around a 16MP Four Thirds sensor. But that shouldn't be taken to mean that the GH4 is a minor update. The most striking difference is that the GH4 can capture 4K footage (both in the DCI 4K and UHD 4K resolutions), but the extent to which the GH4 supports a professional workflow is arguably just as significant.

It's the video capabilities and the supporting features that make the GH4 such a striking camera. In addition to the 4K, the GH4 also includes focus peaking, two zebra settings (to highlight over-exposed regions) and control over Master Pedestal (black level) and luminance scale (16-255, 16-235 or 0-255). The camera can also generate color bars (for calibration) and the ability to express shutter speed and ISO in terms of shutter angle and gain. Not all of these additions will be useful to everyone (in fact I'd wager that nobody will make use of all the new features), but, whether your background is stills or video, the GH4 is likely to offer plenty of tools to support your video making.

3. Canon 1DC

It is the first DSLR to offer 4K video which is an amazing feature to have, although the 4K is still recording in 8bit not 10bit. The camera is of course one of the most expensive DSLR, and in my opinion way overpriced, although the image quality is the best of any DSLR on this list. If 4K is a must for you and body for the type of shooting that you do, than this is your camera.

4. Sony A99

The A99 is a terrific camera by Sony that offers superb image quality (in both video and stills), a full frame sensor, 1080/60p mode and loads more. While the price isn’t that low, which boasts similar specs, this will be preferable for many users that need a full frame camera, but are looking for something more more feature rich than anything from Canon’s lineup. Since I haven't used this much a times for shooting videos the still that it produces is quite fascinating and gives your eyes a pleasure if it's used good.

5. Nikon D5200

Nikon had failed to come out with a decent  video mode on any of their cameras but the  D5200 did impressed me with it's low light  performance. It became obvious that they were  serious about implementing solid video  functionality into their cameras. Here the Full  frame is great, especially for low light, but I find  more often than not, the depth of field can be  too shallow for my taste, and the wides go just a  little too far for my liking. It’s a great thing to  have for certain shooting scenarios, but to get the closest to motion picture film, APS-C is right in the sweet spot.

Well that's all for this time I hope you guys will pick the best one which suits best in your hands and go out and SHOOT! If you've any better models in mind you guys can surly go on with them but the above these are my favourite top 5 DSLRs which I feel very great to use. Have a wonderful weekend guys and I see you next time.