D5100 or 550D at DVinfo.net

Sareesh Sudhakaran · May 9th, 2011, 09:24 PM

Hi
I am planning to buy a DSLR for photography and videography. However, my videography will be limited to short films and nothing more.

Now that the new Nikon D5100 is out, I wanted to know which is better, a D5100 or the old Canon 550D? (I'm not considering the 600D or the T3i - out of my budget).

If any of you have experience with these cameras, I'd love to hear your advice. Thanks.

Spiros Zaharakis · May 10th, 2011, 02:08 AM

If you are willing to give up all the potential of the Canon+Magic lantern and have no problem with the various limitations of the Nikon in video mode, then you will be o.k. with the Nikon too.
If not, then the 550D is the obvious choice.

John Wiley · May 10th, 2011, 06:15 AM

550D without question.

Much better implementation of live view/video mode and more functional manual controls. Not to mention the 60p, 25p/50p for PAL land, and the Magic Lantern capabilities.

Also not to be underestimated, is the overwhelming amount of online user support available for the 550D compared to the D5100 for video use.

Sareesh Sudhakaran · May 10th, 2011, 06:39 AM

Thank you Spiros and John. I am leaning towards the 550D but what put me off my decision are the reviews from dxomark that show the d5100 is miles ahead of the 550D (and on par with the d7000) in terms of still image quality.

But I guess video is important, and that leaves me no choice (which is not necessarily a bad thing).

Spiros Zaharakis · May 10th, 2011, 07:45 AM

Maybe the Nikon is better for stills but I don't think it's miles away.
The 550D is not bad at all and it will serve you just fine for photography too. Just make sure you get nice lenses for it. Video is forgiving with lens quality but stills are not.
Good low budget choices are the Tamron 17-50 f2.8, the Canon 50 f1.8 and the Canon 85 f1.8, just to get you started.

Sareesh Sudhakaran · May 10th, 2011, 08:54 PM

Thanks Spiros. Any reasonable wide angle primes I could use?

John Wiley · May 10th, 2011, 10:21 PM

How wide and how fast?

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is a popular and relatively economical choice.

Sareesh Sudhakaran · May 11th, 2011, 01:23 AM

Hi John...Actually my favorite is the 28mm on a full frame. I think that would equate to about 18mm.

Marcus Martell · May 11th, 2011, 12:46 PM

Soon i'll post a couple of videos from 5100-----
Great camera for the price and....NIkon lenses make a great difference, but just 24-25p

John Wiley · May 11th, 2011, 06:32 PM

There is the 20mm f/1.8 from Sigma. Not quite 18mm, but about as wide as you'll get for a lens that fast without paying several thousand dollars.

Sareesh Sudhakaran · May 11th, 2011, 08:43 PM

Thanks John...I'll check it out!

Vincent Oliver · May 12th, 2011, 05:53 AM

Sounds like you are getting a lot of advice from users who haven't tried out the D5100. Sure the Canon has made great progress with video and no doubt has a larger user base, but I think the Nikon D5100 will outperform the 550D with video. Will let you know, I am being sent one for inclusion in my next DVD production.

John Wiley · May 12th, 2011, 06:20 AM

How so? It uses the same sensor and compression as the D7000 so should provide a very similar picture. However, you don't have the manual control of the D7000 (which itself still requires a work-around), let alone 50p/60p and Magic Lantern.

It's like two steps forward, one step backwards for Nikon. The D7000 was their first real HD-DSLR competitor and now they've gone and removed what little ground they gained. Even if the picture is somehow miraculously much improved over the D7000, the lack of manual control alone is enough to put it out of contention.

Vincent Oliver · May 12th, 2011, 07:14 AM

Will keep you posted as soon as the review sample arrives, but from what I have seen of the camera (at the press launch) It did look very impressive. As I said, will let you know as soon as I take delivery.

Sareesh Sudhakaran · May 12th, 2011, 07:53 AM

Thanks Vincent...but from what I've heard the bit rate on the 5100 is not as good as the Canon's. Plus it doesn't have the higher frame rates either.

Still, I'll wait to see actual results.

May 9th, 2011, 09:24 PM	#1
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	D5100 or 550D Hi I am planning to buy a DSLR for photography and videography. However, my videography will be limited to short films and nothing more. Now that the new Nikon D5100 is out, I wanted to know which is better, a D5100 or the old Canon 550D? (I'm not considering the 600D or the T3i - out of my budget). If any of you have experience with these cameras, I'd love to hear your advice. Thanks. __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

May 10th, 2011, 02:08 AM	#2
Spiros Zaharakis Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 171	Re: D5100 or 550D If you are willing to give up all the potential of the Canon+Magic lantern and have no problem with the various limitations of the Nikon in video mode, then you will be o.k. with the Nikon too. If not, then the 550D is the obvious choice.

May 10th, 2011, 06:15 AM	#3
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Re: D5100 or 550D 550D without question. Much better implementation of live view/video mode and more functional manual controls. Not to mention the 60p, 25p/50p for PAL land, and the Magic Lantern capabilities. Also not to be underestimated, is the overwhelming amount of online user support available for the 550D compared to the D5100 for video use.

May 10th, 2011, 06:39 AM	#4
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Re: D5100 or 550D Thank you Spiros and John. I am leaning towards the 550D but what put me off my decision are the reviews from dxomark that show the d5100 is miles ahead of the 550D (and on par with the d7000) in terms of still image quality. But I guess video is important, and that leaves me no choice (which is not necessarily a bad thing). __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

May 10th, 2011, 07:45 AM	#5
Spiros Zaharakis Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 171	Re: D5100 or 550D Maybe the Nikon is better for stills but I don't think it's miles away. The 550D is not bad at all and it will serve you just fine for photography too. Just make sure you get nice lenses for it. Video is forgiving with lens quality but stills are not. Good low budget choices are the Tamron 17-50 f2.8, the Canon 50 f1.8 and the Canon 85 f1.8, just to get you started.

May 10th, 2011, 08:54 PM	#6
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Re: D5100 or 550D Thanks Spiros. Any reasonable wide angle primes I could use? __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

May 10th, 2011, 10:21 PM	#7
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Re: D5100 or 550D How wide and how fast? The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is a popular and relatively economical choice.

May 11th, 2011, 01:23 AM	#8
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Re: D5100 or 550D Hi John...Actually my favorite is the 28mm on a full frame. I think that would equate to about 18mm. __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

May 11th, 2011, 12:46 PM	#9
Marcus Martell Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: spain Posts: 1,202	Re: D5100 or 550D Soon i'll post a couple of videos from 5100----- Great camera for the price and....NIkon lenses make a great difference, but just 24-25p

May 11th, 2011, 06:32 PM	#10
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Re: D5100 or 550D There is the 20mm f/1.8 from Sigma. Not quite 18mm, but about as wide as you'll get for a lens that fast without paying several thousand dollars.

May 11th, 2011, 08:43 PM	#11
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Re: D5100 or 550D Thanks John...I'll check it out! __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

May 12th, 2011, 05:53 AM	#12
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	Re: D5100 or 550D Sounds like you are getting a lot of advice from users who haven't tried out the D5100. Sure the Canon has made great progress with video and no doubt has a larger user base, but I think the Nikon D5100 will outperform the 550D with video. Will let you know, I am being sent one for inclusion in my next DVD production. __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes

May 12th, 2011, 06:20 AM	#13
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Re: D5100 or 550D How so? It uses the same sensor and compression as the D7000 so should provide a very similar picture. However, you don't have the manual control of the D7000 (which itself still requires a work-around), let alone 50p/60p and Magic Lantern. It's like two steps forward, one step backwards for Nikon. The D7000 was their first real HD-DSLR competitor and now they've gone and removed what little ground they gained. Even if the picture is somehow miraculously much improved over the D7000, the lack of manual control alone is enough to put it out of contention.

May 12th, 2011, 07:14 AM	#14
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	Re: D5100 or 550D Will keep you posted as soon as the review sample arrives, but from what I have seen of the camera (at the press launch) It did look very impressive. As I said, will let you know as soon as I take delivery. __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes

May 12th, 2011, 07:53 AM	#15
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Re: D5100 or 550D Thanks Vincent...but from what I've heard the bit rate on the 5100 is not as good as the Canon's. Plus it doesn't have the higher frame rates either. Still, I'll wait to see actual results. __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.