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February, 2025

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Should i keep my D3100 or buy a tm700?

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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
 Im starting to develop my filmer side  this summer I am currently owning a D3100 wich i use for 2 years (for photo and a little bit for video ( made one edit with it!) I can have a tm700 for 500$ used ( great condition!) should i upgrade ? or can i make almost the same thing with a d3100 and wait to invest more in a year or two ?
12 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,003
Personally, I'd stick with the Nikon, and pick up some lenses for it - which will be basically future-proof I must add.. It's just a more versatile system, seeing as you can do video AND photography at the same time.
12 years ago
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homestar
Posts: 2124 - Karma: 4,197
The best part about tm700's is 1080p 60fps. The worst part is that they aren't very versatile. I usually keep mine in auto unless I need manual focus for something. The only things you can really control are focus, white balance, shutter speed, and iris and those all have a pretty limited range.

What kind of advantages are you getting the tm700 for?
12 years ago
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De-Clan
Posts: 1920 - Karma: 3,696
keep the d3100, get an extended battery pack for added weight for stability and get a nice tokina 11-16, and a longer lens, i use my 11-16 and 55-200, only 2 lenses i use out of all the ones i have and they work awesome for both filming and photo taking
12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
 I was looking to get a camcorder because im not sure I want to invest in Lens and im pretty sure i don't want to buy a DSLR when im gonna upgrade in a couple years. so basiclly i don't want to invest i alot of lens and stuff for futur for my nikon or any DSLR ! I know thta i want a fisheye to to sometime film skateboard ( yeah ppl hate this way of filming but i don't want to always film like this ) I also want to film some mellow (one day maybe) glidecam shot ! so the TM700 would not need ''alot'' of investement except maybe a battery and couple of things !
12 years ago
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homestar
Posts: 2124 - Karma: 4,197
Makes sense. If you don't want to get lenses for the D3100, a TM700 would be a good choice.
12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
but would I be able to keep the TM700 alitle longer then the Nikon before uprading ?
12 years ago
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homestar
Posts: 2124 - Karma: 4,197
I don't know enough about the D3100 to say. I'm sure somebody else on here will though.
12 years ago
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erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,329
well the d3100 really isn't anything special for video at all... the tm700 is superb but you could probably find a better deal than $500.
12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
like where ??? i can't find one anywhere and im in canada BTW it'S like 520 shipped cause its a Canadian guy
12 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,003
There are pros and cons to each, but I see that 500 dollars doing a lot more for your current setup on the D3100... Lenses, rig gear, sound equipment, etc... as good as the tm700 is, for 500 bucks on top of what you have, you could have a pretty beast little camera setup...
12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
your rigth but i know that i don'"t want a DSLR in the future so would it be a lost when i upgrade ? I am willing to put money on the TM700 for sound equipement fisheye etcc!  that i can use on futur camcorder!
12 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,003
Well, Nikon glass could be used on a lot of stuff (sony E-mount adapters allow it to be used pretty well on something like an FS100) but I guess in that case, you'd probably want just a set of Nikon primes that you can get for fairly inexpensive, anyways.

I guess I'm just personally under the guise of 'work with what you have', but that's just me.
12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
just filmed with my NIkon yesterday ( wakeboard) and i kinda like it so him gonna keep the D3100 for a while but does it worth putting money on it ? knowing when i upgrade i will probably go for a camcorder like a hmc40 or something ( juste saying this like that !) or anyother good camcorder! or Imay upgrade to a dslr if i really liked the feel of it but if i upgrade to another dslr i don'T know if i will stya with nikon ? for video does nikon make some really good video oriented high end DSLR ?  or it's more a canon thign?
12 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,003
What are you usually going to be shooting with it?

Get a fast prime like a 35mm f1.8 (they go for like 200$ - even less used/refurb) and a wide-angle zoom like a Tokina 12-24 F4 (for like 300ish)
12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
^ Thanks alot for everything , im gonna film alot of wakeboard this years and maybe a little bit of skateboard , that's for sport filming ! im probably gonna try to get a couple of great image of beautiful thing and maybe if everything is doiing great i while make a promotion video for the palce where I work!  So i wanna film wakeboard really close ( im not afraid of going close to rail and in the water ( maybe a waterproof case would be great ?! any suggestion?)  so  after talking with a friend  i taught a that rokinon 8 mm  + the stock lens ( actually I would prefer a better not fisheye lens but i don't want to put more in a settup i wont keept THAT long...) battery grip + battery and maybe a rode mic ?
12 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,003
Instead of a rokinon 8mm fisheye, get a wide angle zoom like the 12-24 F4 tokina I mentioned (It's cheaper than the 11-18mm, which would be like 550, and gives you a little more range, seeing as you'll be doing more filming in the sunny day, F4 would be totally fine, it seems...)

Fisheyes are just super overused, and the rokinon won't hold it's value as well as the 12-24 if you move to a camcorder later... It's worth the extra 100$ or so almost no matter way you look at it... Use a gopro if you're going to be getting fisheye while wakeboarding... far better than chucking out hundreds on a waterproof case.

Stock lens is fine for most things, but you might also want a 35mm f1.8 for a fast prime for any low light situations you may end up in.








12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
actually I think my mind is set on the rokinon 8mm , cause it's cheap and i prefer having a fisheye rather than a wide angle ( hate it or not haha ;p ( but don'T worry im not gonna make all fisheye edit im gonna still use the kit lens alot!)) and i think it can make interessing shot !  I just don'T know if the cine version of it worth it ?
12 years ago
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erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,329
cine version of a fisheye? absolutely not worth it.
i will sell you my hmc40 any time you want it ;)
12 years ago
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LeComfortable
Posts: 512 - Karma: 260
why not ?
12 years ago
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erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,329
just looked on b&h and it seems to be the same price as the regular, in that case it might be worth it. there really isn't much of a difference at all for a fisheye. de-clicked aperture ring could be nice to have at times, but the main reason for cine lenses is a longer and smoother focus throw, useless on a fisheye. that's just my opinion on them, overall if it's the same price i'd consider it, wouldn't pay extra though.
12 years ago
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