The 29 minute, 59 second limitation is because the EU calls it a CAMERA at that point with CAMERA taxation. At 30 minutes and beyond, it is a CAMCORDER with HIGHER CAMCORDER taxation. No longer any technical limitation. Sony A99 will record for as long as the card will hold it.
Thank you EU!
IF you have ANY desire to do DSLR video, take a LONG, HARD look at the Sony A7 or the A7R. Video is an after thought with Nikon. Canon 6D would be my choice on the Canon side. On the Nikon side, if would be a REFURBISHED D600 for $500 less than a D610.
The secret that they don't want you to know is that MOST people in MOST situations should just stick to their cellular phone cameras. Back in the 1960s, this would have been the Kodak 104 instamatic, point and shoot. The other part of this secret is that people who go and buy boatloads of gear at the camera store end up shooting about 3000 shots with them, never printing anything, and then selling them to people like me for cheap and THEN I use them like they were meant to be used at 30 cents on the dollar! If you aren't will to go and BUY the Magic Lantern book on your camera and read it through, cover to cover, you will NEVER know how to use and justify the purchase of 5K of camera (or anything else for that matter) gear.
I have a similar selection of lenses. I traded off my 18-105 for an 18-55 VR and $50. I also have a 55-200 VR and the 35mm 1.8 G lens.
If you camera body has a focus motor built into it, say like a D90 or above, look at the 80-200 D lens. This is the TWIST version of the lens, NOT the older push pull version of the lens. It is a 2.8D lens and is available new for $1100 and used for around $750 give or take. The older PUSH PULL version is also a 2.8 lens and can be had used for $350 - $500. I shoot action for dance so the PUSH PULL is out of the question for me. There is also an f4 version of the PUSH PULL that is REALLY old and is usually around $100.
There is also a "STUDENT" version of the 70-300 that is around $100 NEW and worth MOST of what you paid for it. If you are shooting landscapes and the like, no problem. If it breaths or sways in the breeze, forget this lens.
I have shot with a Nikon 55 - 300 in a theater. TERRIBLE lens. Not a Tamron fan either. Consider the 55-200 for a stop faster lens or the 18-200 or the 18-300. Used I would look at an 80-200 D for about $750 and it is a F2.8 lens. You can still buy it new as well. This lens WILL NOT autofocus on any Nikon camera below a D90.
The D3200 is a fantastic camera for you. I have recommended to several people with holiday season. Get the Magic Lantern book on the D3200 and actually READ the book, COVER TO COVER, and you will find out just how fantastic a D3200 will be for you. Enjoy creating GREAT photos. The D3200 is a NOT a toy camera.
Refurbished D3200 with 18-55 VR lens from Adorama for $399.00. This deal can not be beaten.
Refurbished D3200 with 18-55 VR lens from Adorama for $399.00. This deal can not be beaten.
Refurbished D3200 with 18-55 VR lens from Adorama for $399.00. This deal can not be beaten.
UNLESS you are absolutely set on Canon, look VERY LONG and hard at a Sony A7. I am primarily a videographer and I would go with the Sony A7 for small size and superior video capability.
That Canyon shot is a great shot!
The D300s is a very strong camera. OTHER than depth of field, you really don't gain a lot with full frame over crop frame. I do production photography where the end user is very price sensitive. I shoot with a Nikon D90. Works great. For action (dance competitions) I would love a D300s for its fast autofocus and great user friendliness. However, they command a very heavy premium. So I will stay with my D90 and my DX glass for now.
All of the photographers I know complain about how BIG the files sizes are from a D800. You REALLY do not need a 36MP imager. Keep that in mind.
To ME, it seems like you have a depth of field issue. If of all you need to crank up your ISO as far as it will go "Native". My Nikon D90 goes up to 3200 native. Beyond that you risk getting digital noise. You then need to set your aperture to f8 or higher so that you get a greater depth of field. FINALLY, with all of this set, set your shutter speed to say 1/200 to avoid any motion blur. Depending on the lighting, you might be able to come down to 1/150. FINALLY, I would get a stuff animal with some long hair, a like a lion with a mane that was fairly LONG and shoot the stuffed animal straight on with the body set at an angle to give you a "deep" object to photograph. Once you get the hair in the lion's mane in sharp focus AND the hair in the lion's tail in sharp focus you should have your sweet spot for small dogs. Adjust accordingly for larger animals.
For the print, crank the resolution up as far as the PRINTER will go. If you have a 4800 DPI printer, why leave any of the resolution on the table?